ECommerce in 2020: Don’t Get Left Behind

If you had said to me back in the early 2000s that in 2020 you could purchase a pair of shoes without setting foot in a store or book a flight without ringing a travel agent, I would have thought you were crazy.

I was one of the nonbelievers in the early days when options to buy online first became available. I scoffed at the idea of shopping online for goods and services I could quite easily have purchased from a traditional brick and mortar store. When I handed over my cash, I could see, smell, and touch what I was buying. More importantly, I didn’t have to wait for it to arrive in the mail.

Fast-forward 10 years and buying online is normal; it has even become the preferred way to buy goods and services for many people. Like the rest of the world, I too have changed my view. I’ve embraced the convenience of buying online where possible. I also have more trust in buying online, thanks to technological advances and added online security measures that better protect the modern click-and-buy consumer.

If your business hasn’t made the transition, here are the best reasons why you shouldn’t let eCommerce leave your business in the dust.

ECommerce offers unique advantages

As a consumer, buying online gives me the ability to research, compare, and analyse all the products and services I am interested in.

Consumers have quickly adapted to buying online in recent years. The COVID-19 crisis has highlighted this even more. Millions of people who had never shopped online in the past have now been forced to do so; what’s more, they are growing comfortable with it. Forecasts suggest over 40% of people will continue to shop online post- COVID, based on a recent survey from  GlobalWebIndex (GWI).

What are the best eCommerce options?

If your business has a website (or even if it doesn’t) you can sell your product or services online. Whether you’re in the business of fashion, takeaway food, online courses, or even hand sanitiser, starting an online sales channel is not difficult. ECommerce options available for businesses today are typically very affordable and easy to set up. Many can be further amplified by targeted Google Shopping campaigns. Here are a few of the popular ones:

WooCommerce

WooCommerce is a free plugin for sites built on the popular WordPress. However, you will need to ensure that you have a hosting facility or an existing site. Woo also allows full customisation like taxes, shipping, categories, and sizes. There is also an option to have your own branded invoices at a small extra cost.

Shopify

Shopify is great for businesses that need to build an eCommerce store from scratch and don’t have a website. Although there is a monthly fee ranging from $29 to $299 per month, it comes with free hosting and is relatively easy to set up.

Wix

Wix is ideal for those who need a website with an eCommerce store. It comes with free hosting and is fully customisable, with a wide range of templates to choose from. Prices range from US$10 – $27 per month.

How is eCommerce changing?

The world has moved to online trading and consumers have adapted, using it more and more. We expect eCommerce to boom post-COVID. Data from Statista shows the following eCommerce trends in Australia.

• In 2020, eCommerce revenue in Australia is at AU$33.5m (up 15.5% year on year).
• ECommerce revenue is expected to show a growth rate of 5.8% resulting in a market volume of AU$42m by 2024.
• The market’s largest segment in Australia is Food and Personal Care with a market volume of AU$9.1m in 2020.
• User penetration (those who made at least one online purchase) in 2020 is 71.7%. It will likely reach 76.7% by 2024.
• The average spend per user is AU$1,837.

eCommerce is the new frontier

When you also include the popular buy-now-pay-later options such as Afterpay and access to faster delivery options, it’s hard to deny that eCommerce is here to stay. Businesses that can adapt will flourish and won’t be left behind in the new world. Will yours?

If you’re ready to elevate your eCommerce game through effective Google Shopping advertising, contact the SEM experts at Pure SEO and follow our blog for more digital marketing insights.