Are you planning on taking your niche retail business online? If so, then you want to keep reading. This guide will show you some of the common oversights that occur and how you can overcome them.
Needless to say, there’s a lot of people that are taking their business online. Even though you may have operated as a brick and mortar business, you find that making the switch will result in things being easier.
However, there are challenges that will arise when you make the transition. Not to worry, you’ll learn how to address them properly without further issue.
Let’s take a look at the following oversights and how to take care of them fast:
Local contact information
While you may be going online, it may be a good idea to consider updating your local contact information. This includes looking through local business phone numbers that are available and claiming one for yourself. Our local customers will need to contact you if they have questions about whether or not a product is in stock or something else.
Plus, having people contact you in more ways than one will make you seem more authentic and legitimate. Especially to those who may be living just around the block from you.
Inventory or space issues
When you are making the switch to online, this can be a good thing. This means you will be able to expand your space for storing your inventory. However, this can be a challenge.
You will be looking for a facility that has the available space you need. It may be hit or miss. Some may have the space and others may not. Then there’s the logistics in terms of delivery.
Will it affect delivery times if they are being shipped from a facility that’s far from your local area? Perhaps the solution to this is to find a storage space that is as close to your local area as possible and thus keeping shipping times short and sweet.
If you are launching new products, you could consider options such as dropshipping. This will mean that you won’t touch the product, nor ship it yourself.
Concerns about cybersecurity
We live in an age where hackers could be getting smarter and more sophisticated. You may have heard news stories about websites getting hacked and sensitive data getting exposed. Cybersecurity is still a hot topic and it’s important that your online store is as safe and secure as possible. You’ll want to take the necessary steps in protecting your customer’s sensitive data including financial and personal information.
Because hackers can find ways to steal a person’s identity. When this happens, the trust for online stores including yours may tend to dwindle. It may even be hard to recover from a cybersecurity attack both for your finances and your reputation as a business owner.
Visibility
If there are customers that have already visited your retail space, they might be the only ones aware of your website. For this reason, it may be time to take it to the social media platforms and let your online presence be known.
You can even take advantage of online ad platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Google. Let them know that your store has gone online. Let them know that they can sign up for a special discount just for joining their email list.
When it comes to visibility, you can set your ads to target a certain audience. You can do this yourself or hire someone that knows their way around the online ad platforms.
Final Thoughts
If you are a niche retail business owner that wants to go online, these are some of your common oversights. Thankfully, you have solutions to overcome them with ease. It’s never been more exciting to enter the world of eCommerce.
Your sales may rise, your inventory may grow, and you might have an even greater reach. The way you do business may even change along with the new environment. However, it’s important to make sure that you stick to your brand and the way you do business based on your core values and beliefs.
When it comes to doing business online, you have more control over it than anything else.
