Ecommerce in Australia is growing rapidly. Consider these statistics from the 2018 eCommerce Industry Paper:
- In 2015, less than 10% of Australians used a smartphone to make an online purchase. By 2017, one in five purchases were made from an online device.
- At the close of 2017 online shopping accounted for 8% of total traditional retail sales, translating into over $20 billion of goods, an increase of 18.7%. The online spending growth outstripped traditional retail by 16.2 percentage points.
- It is predicted that by 2020, 1 in 10 items will be purchased online.
What these behavioural trends highlight is that the Australian retail space is changing rapidly and the growth of ecommerce means consumers expect more when it comes to their online shopping experience.
“Shoppers demand a frictionless end-to-end shopping experience, with easy access across all devices, simple payment options and convenience across all touch points. They also expect flexibility in delivery timeframes and collection locations.” – 2018 eCommerce Industry Paper
Therefore, if you’re thinking of creating an online store, it’s worth investing time, effort (and yes, money) into building an Ecommerce website that delivers the best possible customer experience.
What is Ecommerce (or is it eCommerce)?
However you spell eCommerce, it amounts to the same thing – the buying and selling of goods or services on the internet. If you’ve got a product or service that can be sold online (clothing, jewellery, art, memberships, digital downloads or fitness classes for example) you’ll need to invest in an eCommerce website. But before you go rushing in to set up your online store, it’s important to consider both your market and the various eCommerce platforms out there.
Ecommerce Solutions: Where To Start
In order to determine what Ecommerce solutions are right for your business, you need to spend some time creating a business and marketing plan. Questions you may want to ask yourself include:
- How many products will you be selling online?
- Will there be product variations (sizes and colours for example)?
- Do you plan to sell locally, Australia wide or internationally?
- What payment methods will you accept?
- How do you plan to calculate shipping? (will it be free, flat-rate or quoted per order)?
- What delivery estimates will you give?
Remember, an Ecommerce website is a reflection of your business. For your online store to be effective (measured in sales), you need to clearly define your business goals and needs. Analyse your competition, think about your overall SEO strategy, make sure you have a strong brand logo and build your store on the best eCommerce platform for you.
eCommerce Website Packages for Small Business
Need help with your Ecommerce website? Talk to Webics. We are more than just a web design company. We can help with eCommerce web development, as well as the business and marketing strategies to ensure your online store succeeds. Start building your Ecommerce business with Webics today.
