At CynergyData Texas, we often talk about why small businesses should consider implementing e-commerce into their business plan. Giving customers the option to shop your store from the comfort of their own home positively impacts sales and introduces your brand to people who don’t live near your storefront. We recently posted a blog describing how to sell your products online, which you can read here. We wanted to dive a bit deeper and take a look at how much online sales are affected by the holiday season.
One of the biggest draws is Cyber Monday, which occurs the Monday after Thanksgiving. While a number of consumers plan their holiday shopping around the Black Friday deals, according to Adobe, a whopping $3 billion was spent at more than 4,500 retail websites. What’s more is that 49% of Cyber Monday visits were made via mobile and consisted of 28% of sales! This is a huge reason to sell your products online and to make sure that your website is mobile responsive.
If one day of the year isn’t a convincing enough reason to implement e-commerce, then consider this… In 2014, Hubspot did a study on holiday shopping, which happened to focus quite a bit on online shopping specifically. One of their stats, from Deloitte, found that 45% of consumers planned to shop online during the holiday season. It was also discerned that people who shop both in person and online spend 66% more than those who only go to stores. By not having e-commerce as a part of your business, you not only lose out on a number of potential customers but customers that tend to spend more money!
If the idea of selling your products online has you nervous because of the added pressure of shipping and handling, then here is a possible solution. CNBC reported on a trend that is popularly known as “buy online, pick up in-store.” It is convenient for customers because they don’t have to rush to the store in fear of the item being sold out and they can save time by simply running in to pick it up. Although, most shoppers do browse even when they intend to just pick up their purchase. With such a tactic, businesses must ensure they have a strong point of sales system in place to ensure that your online and in-store inventory are working together. The last thing you want to do is promise a customer you have an item in-stock when you’re actually sold out.
Implementing e-commerce is an investment that can be a game changer for businesses. For small businesses that see an increase in sales in store during the holiday season, we suggest you give us a call to see how we can help you top it in 2017!