For years, you have relied on your boutique’s brick-and-mortar storefront to sell your products. The boutique has all your items perfectly placed. You even have a scented candle, welcoming customers as they walk through your door. You designed your store perfectly for a relaxing shopping experience. However, lately customers are asking about other purchasing options.
“We are only in town for the weekend. Can we purchase from your store online?”
“My schedule is super busy and I try to support local but hardly have time to get out. Do you have a website I can order from?”
“I’m nervous about shopping in stores with COVID-19 but I love your products! Where can I buy them online?”
You apologize and tell them “my products are only available in store”. You never receive a sale from them again. You quickly realize how much revenue you are missing without selling your products online.
As the owner of a website design and marketing company, I know that change is essential in every industry. If you refuse to change, you’ll fall behind as your competitors jump ahead. Now, more than any time in history, building an e-commerce website for local boutiques is essential to the survival of the store. Learn why you need an ecommerce website for your boutique.
The Ecommerce Website Trend
COVID-19 is Keeping Customers Out of Stores
COVID-19 has forced all of us to make unforeseen changes to our lifestyles. We are forced to live more causcious and secluded lives. Some of those changes will quickly go back when we have a vaccine. People will travel, visit family, go to concerts again. Others changes, such as a new reliance on technology are here to stay. You need an e-commerce website for this adjustment toward online shopping. The positive impact of COVID-19 is on e-commerce. However, it is estimated 100,000 brick-and-mortar stores will close by 2025 due to the change in spending patterns. Build an e-commerce website so you do not become part of the statistic.
Additionally, if you own a boutique, you should have a website where you can sell your products online so you will always have a gateway to revenue during COVID-19. If the government forces businesses to close their doors again, you’ll have a gateway for sales.
Customers Want to Support Local, But They Also Love the Ease of Amazon
Amazon has changed retail forever. Online shoppers can buy food, technology, books, even a tiny home, all with the click of a button. Additionally, with a Prime membership, shoppers will receive their items within two days of purchase.
If you own a boutique, this is a high standard to meet. Customers want to support local. Most people know that supporting the local economy is essential to building a thriving city. However, shoppers are also gotten accustomed to quick and convenient. An online store provides the convenience of shopping online and the desire of supporting local.
Take Your Business Internationally
Have you ever dreamed of opening a boutique in Paris? With an e-commerce website, you can!
An online store will allow you to be open for business worldwide. You will eliminate the expensive start-up costs and risks of opening a brick-and-mortar storefront. The average cost of opening a boutique is $100,000. This includes product, storefront, registers, insurance, payroll, worker’s compensation, licensing, etc. Hiring a website designer to build an e-commerce website ranges from $5,000 to millions according to the amount of products. Speak with an ecommerce website designer to get an estimate.
Using e-commerce, you can sell your products across the world for a fraction of the cost of a brick-and-mortar store. An e-commerce website will expand your customer base from thousands to trillions.
E-commerce has revolutionized retail. The sales of e-commerce are expected to increase from 1.5 trillion in 2014 to 4.5 trillion in 2021. One of the biggest movements impacting retail sales is COVID-19. With an e-commerce website, you have the opportunity to increase revenue, even when they cannot walk through your door.
The spike in online sales has been a challenge for thousands of retailers. Before you have to close your doors, speak with a website designer about an e-commerce website. Providing an online purchasing option is essential to meet consumer demands.