Everything you want to know about e-commerce
Learn about e-commerce in lines that include all the details that include everything you need to know about the world of e-commerce and its secrets, as it is not just the process of buying and selling products through electronic means such as smart device applications and websites.
E-commerce is a method of buying and selling goods and products and exchanging benefits and services by investing in technological development and virtual world tools such as websites, electronic stores, and social media accounts.
What is the concept of electronic commerce?
It is a modern form and tool for buying and selling goods and services through digital means. It is also an effective way to conduct business without the need to physically visit the store, and it includes transferring money or data via electronic networks such as the Internet, mobile devices and other digital media.
The process also includes making purchases, transferring money, exchanging information, and receiving products or services. E-commerce has also become increasingly popular in recent years due to its convenience and ability to reach a broader market and larger geographic areas.
It also allows businesses to save costs associated with traditional retail stores by establishing an online entity, and consumers benefit from lower prices, easier access to goods and services, faster delivery times, and improved customer service.
Currently, some specialized platforms in the world of e-commerce have enabled people to launch an e-commerce store in the easiest ways, with simple steps, and without programming expertise, and as a result, people reap all the benefits that e-commerce stores offer, without the hassle or excessive costs.
What are the benefits of e-commerce?
Here are four reasons why e-commerce is an attractive option for entrepreneurs, and a successful and fruitful project at the present time that is very important and will continue to flourish into the future. Among its benefits are:
1. Global reach: With a physical store, you are geographically limited to local and neighboring markets and it is difficult for you to establish another branch of your store everywhere in the world, while e-commerce does not have this restriction, quite the opposite.
Through e-commerce, you can market and sell your products to anyone anywhere in the world using the Internet, receive your payments through electronic payment gateways with ease, and contract with shipping companies to deliver the product safely to anywhere around the world.
2. Always open: The actual working hours of companies are usually limited, so that the client or client is obligated to come to the store at specific hours even if it does not fit with his time.
But with e-commerce, dealing with the Internet is easier, smoother, and more flexible, as it is “open” 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and 365 days a year. This is very convenient for the customer and an excellent opportunity for customers and clients, as the customer can get what he wants at any time, even in the late night hours, and also an excellent opportunity for merchants. There are no periodic holidays, no official holidays, and not even a quarantine, as happened in Corona, which may affect the percentage of sales or reduce revenues.
3. Cost saving: E-commerce companies have much lower operating costs compared to physical stores, as there is no rent payment, or costs of setting up, setting up and accessories to organize the store as in the case of traditional stores, and there are no employees, salaries, fees, advertising printing, and other expensive costs.
4. Targeted marketing: Online merchants can collect an amazing amount of consumer data to ensure they target the right people for their products. A number of tools and programs have been developed, such as Google Trends, that provide you with a lot of information and reports that help you manage your advertising campaigns and market your products.
Social media, which is available to everyone, and which people around the world spend many hours using and access every day, is considered a fertile environment for promoting your online store and products.
Types of e-commerce
1. Business to Business (B2B): This type of trade is the exchange of products and services, companies with companies, for example, such as a company contracting to produce perfumes or building materials with a company that provides electronic marketing services to market its products, or such as contracting with a company that provides delivery and shipping services, or collecting bills and electronic payment services.
Or one company may offer its products to another company with the aim of expanding its trade market, as in this type of trade, companies exchange benefits according to e-commerce transactions, so each company gets what it needs from other companies.
2. Business to Consumer (B2C): In this type of trade, the exchange takes place between companies with individuals, or in other words between producing companies or intermediary companies and consumers, so that the intermediary companies take products from the producer and provide them to the consumer, such as Amazon, for example.
This is the most widespread and easiest type of e-commerce, and it includes the retail trade section, and it is thriving and constantly developing, especially in light of the rise in the number of Internet users and the demand of customers and users for e-commerce, instead of heading to traditional markets.
3. Consumer to Consumer (C2C): That is, electronic exchange between consumer and consumer. This type takes place through an intermediary that provides an electronic platform for exchanging services and products, such as selling furniture or an old laptop via the Internet.
This type of e-commerce is also widely used, and the type of goods traded varies, from old furniture, cars, or electrical and electronic devices.
4.Customer to Business (C2B): In this type of e-commerce, the exchange is between the consumer and the employer. The most prominent example of this type of commerce is freelance work.
Those who benefit most from this type are graphic designers, content writers, translators, programmers, and web designers, that is, in short, everyone who has work related to the Internet in one way or another.
5.Government to Business (G2B): Here, exchange takes place between government agencies and producing or intermediary entities, i.e. companies that sell products and services, and one of the government agencies. Among the most famous examples of this type of e-commerce are companies that provide an electronic payment system, pay taxes, and complete legal transactions.
6. Consumer to Administration (C2A): E-commerce between the consumer and the administration. This type of e-commerce is applied in fields that provide services, such as educational courses, online courses, questionnaires, taxes, health services, and other fields.
How to establish an online store
To set up an online store, it requires some basic steps. Here are the general steps for creating an online store:
1. Goal setting and study: Determine your goal for creating the online store and study the target audience market and competition. Understand your customers' needs and the products you want to sell.
2. Choose an e-commerce platform: Choose the e-commerce platform that suits your needs and budget. There are many popular platforms like Shopify, WooCommerce, BigCommerce, etc.
3. Domain name and website hosting: Choose and reserve the appropriate domain name for your store. Then consider website hosting, where you will store your store's files and make them available online.
4. Online store design: Design the look and interface of your online store. Determine the colors, logo, page layout, and placement of images and content.
5. Add products: Add the products you want to sell to your online store. Categorize them, describe them, set prices and upload relevant images.
6. Payment and Shipping Methods: Choose and configure the different payment methods you will offer to your customers, such as credit cards or online payment services like PayPal. You must also determine the available shipping methods and determine the costs associated with them.
7. User experience and purchasing experience: Take care of the user experience and make it easy and smooth for customers. Browse the online store yourself and ensure that customers can find products easily and complete the purchase process seamlessly.
8. Online store marketing: Develop a marketing strategy to attract more customers to your online store. You can use social media, online advertising, email marketing, and other means to promote your store.
9. Responding to customer inquiries: Provide means of communicating with customers and responding to their inquiries and needs. You can use our live chat service, email, or customer service phone number.
10. Maintenance and store improvement: Regularly monitor and maintain your online store. Improve performance, update content, and update design when needed. Continue to improve your user experience and overall sales.
These are the general steps for creating an online store. You must conduct additional research and delve into each step to ensure the success of your online store and achieve your business goals. It may be helpful to work with a professional web developer or turn to online store establishment services for the necessary assistance and guidance.
What is the relationship between online shopping and increased sales?
Online shopping plays a crucial role in increasing sales for many reasons. Here is the relationship between online shopping and increased sales:
1. Global reach: Online shopping allows businesses to reach a broader, global audience. Customers from different countries and regions can shop from your online store easily, which increases the chances of selling products and increasing sales.
2. Flexibility in time and location: Customers can shop online at any time that suits them and from anywhere. There is no need to go to physical stores, which makes the shopping process more convenient and easy. This leads to increased opportunities for sales.
3. Availability of product information and evaluations: Online shopping allows customers to obtain detailed information about products, including specifications, pictures, and evaluations of previous customers. This helps customers make an informed purchasing decision and increases their confidence in the products, which increases the chances of a sale.
4. Easy and convenient purchasing experience: Online shopping provides a comfortable and easy purchasing experience. Through a simple and streamlined purchasing process, customers can select products, add them to their cart and checkout with ease. This makes the purchasing experience convenient and increases the likelihood of completing the transaction and increasing sales.
5. Target customers and customize offers: Companies can better target customers through online shopping. It can collect data on customers' shopping habits and preferences and use it to personalize offers and direct marketing to target customers. This enhances upsell opportunities and increases sales.
6. Low operating costs: E-commerce may have lower operating costs compared to physical stores. You do not need to rent commercial space in a physical location, nor do you need to hire employees and incur labor and maintenance costs. This can lead to offering products at competitive and attractive prices to customers, increasing upsell opportunities and increasing sales.
In general, online shopping provides many advantages that contribute to increasing sales. Through global reach, consistent availability, convenient purchasing experience, and customization, businesses can achieve great success in increasing sales and growth.
