Since the beginning of human civilization, trade and commerce have played a vital role in growth and prosperity. It all started with traders in sailing ships traveling to unknown lands in search of wealth and opportunity. Today the rapid development of science and technology has ensured that the world has shrunk to a global village.
Over the years, businesses processes have also continuously redefined themselves to survive and keep abreast with changing times and customer expectations. The internet revolution has played a major role in this and rapid development of e-commerce platforms and payment gateways is a testimony to this.
An e-commerce website for a retail business helps to position the business on a global platform without any advertising or promotional cost whatsoever. It saves the business major overheads like rent, salary and advertising in print and media which are unavoidable in a traditional set-up. Further, a majority of the advertising for a website will be via social media and search engine optimization techniques which are free of cost.
In the real world, a customer goes into a retail store, drops what he or she needs into the shopping cart and then bills it. But the disadvantage in this is that the customer spends a lot of time in scouting for the desired product, pushing the shopping cart and waiting in queues for payment.
This experience is replicated in a much more enriching way in an online retail store wherein, the customers simply search for their required products and make payments via a secured payment gateway. Many websites remember customer preferences to facilitate repeat shopping and the customer service is much more personalized in such cases. Travel time and cost are saved and comparison shopping is also possible to get the best deals. Thus the positive aspect of an offline shopping experience is replicated in the online world albeit with a virtual shopping cart while all the associated hassles are eliminated.
One of the greatest success stories of online retailing is eBay.com. Founded in 1995, eBay has today expanded its capabilities by adding services, partnerships and investments. The impact of eBay's global reach is significant with a presence in over 30 countries and the company had revenues of $11.7 billion in 2011.
However it is not easy for an e-commerce website to stand out from the crowd and it requires a partnership with a good e-commerce website design and development company who have proven domain expertise.
The e-commerce website for an online retail store must be easy to navigate and offer a pleasant shopping experience to customers. The website has to win the trust and grab the attention of the customers. First impressions are always the best impressions and it is vital that the content and images presented in a website are of the highest quality. If the web pages project a professional image, prospective visitors will feel that they are dealing with a legitimate business and go on to explore the various products and services deeper. Design of payment gateways must also be done with due consideration to all security related aspects. A business must ensure that it's online and offline presence is matched perfectly to engage with present and potential customers. This is largely dependent on the skill and expertise of the e-commerce website design company.
With increasing developments in international communication platforms, more and more businesses are shifting from traditional to e-business setups. The possibilities are limitless and it needs is a trusted partner who can help you navigate the online ocean.
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