5 Tips on How a Small Business Can Get Started on E-Commerce

It may seem like the entire world has embraced digitalization and e-commerce, but a whopping 46% of small businesses in the United States still don’t have a website. If your business happens to be among the holdouts, perhaps the disruptions of the COVID19 pandemic convinced you to finally take the e-commerce plunge.    The good […]

5 Tips on How a Small Business Can Get Started on E-Commerce

by | Jul 8, 2020 | Payment Pilot | 0 comments

It may seem like the entire world has embraced digitalization and e-commerce, but a whopping 46% of small businesses in the United States still don’t have a website. If your business happens to be among the holdouts, perhaps the disruptions of the COVID19 pandemic convinced you to finally take the e-commerce plunge. 

 

The good news is, you’re not too late. Shelter-in-place restrictions will eventually be lifted and businesses will resume operations, but buying and consumer behaviors have been changed for good. COVID 19 has accelerated the growth of e-commerce and this trend is likely to continue even as life settles into a “new normal”. 

 

Here are three simple tips to make sure your business doesn’t get left behind.  

 

        1. Start Small

Websites, even e-commerce-powered ones, can be as cheap or as expensive as you want it to be, so don’t allow budget constraints to be the sole reason why your business doesn’t have one yet. There are many low-cost and free sites that you can start with. Start small; don’t aim for a high-end set-up with features that you may not need just yet. 

 

       2. Improve as You Go 

If you launch a “perfect” website, it means you launched too late. There will always be kinks and bugs along the way. Test what works best and be quick to improve what isn’t working. This applies to all aspects of your website, from features and user experience to content.   

 

        3. Take Advantage of Cross-Channel Marketing

Always cross-promote your digital assets. Make sure you have a link to your social media accounts on your business website, and that your social media bios include a link to your website. Whether or not you’re ready for a full-blown e-commerce operation, your business should already have an online presence. This could be a Facebook page or an Instagram account. You don’t have to be in every social media channel. Choose which channels your customers are most active on and make sure you’re there.  

 

         4. Be Mobile-Friendly

Considering that most online transactions are done through mobile devices, this is arguably the most important tip. Make sure your website has a responsive design that looks good and works correctly on any device and on different screen sizes. 

 

         5. Simplify the Payment Process 

The average cart abandonment rate across all types of e-commerce business is nearly 70%, and a significant amount of that is due to payment processing issues. Make sure your e-commerce website is equipped to safely and efficiently process credit card payments. Payment Pilot can set that up for you. Over five thousand online merchants from different industries are currently using our MX platform to run their online stores.

Book a free consultation with a Payment Pilot representative to find out what else we can do for your business, online and off. Partner with us to help your business grow.