Running an ecommerce business carries numerous challenges within. When making strategic decisions for your online business, make sure to have the following advantages and disadvantages of ecommerce in mind:
Advantages of Ecommerce
No Geographical Limitations
Customers from all around the world have access to millions of online stores. They can purchase your products or services from wherever they want, receive it within a few weeks at most, and they are taking every opportunity to do so. According to stats, 24% of world buyers order something online at least once in two weeks, while 20% do so once a week.
Low Operation Cost
Setting up and maintaining a physical store includes a bunch of upfront costs. On the other hand, running an ecommerce store cuts off around 60% of the costs you would usually pay for store design, inventory, personnel, etc. You can invest the surplus into marketing campaigns to increase sales.
Tracking and Analytics
Instead of guessing what your customers may be missing when interacting with your store, you can use a myriad of tracking and analytics tools. These ecommerce tools can help you track your website traffic and the entire user journey.
Connect and reconnect with your customers, track the result of your pricing strategies, performing keywords, etc.
Disadvantages of Ecommerce
Too Many Players on the Market
The ecommerce market is aloft competitive, and it’s tough to get to the forefront. Everyone is on the hunt for the highest-ranking keywords and most profitable marketing campaigns. Sometimes, it takes a miracle to pop up on the front page of search engines.
Lack of Personal Touch
Top-notch descriptions and stellar customer service are not enough to persuade everyone to buy from you. Sometimes, no matter how hard you try, the lack of personal touch with the product will chase the customer away.
Cybersecurity Issues
Malicious hackers are on the hunt for customers’ bank details, phone numbers, and addresses. Even though this information is supposed to be kept secured, it’s hard to counteract and predict attacks or implement a 100% rigorous security system.
Advantages and Disadvantages of Ecommerce: Conclusion
Considering the pros and cons, ecommerce still has a lot of room to improve. Yet, in reality, there are far more benefits of running an ecommerce business than the traditional brick-and-mortar store.
One thing is for sure, though – the buzz, excitement, and motivation about ecommerce is not about to dwindle anytime soon. But if you’re still on the fence, take a look at our 500+ stats and facts on ecommerce for 2020 infographic below: