Black Friday, a day most consumers look forward to, is fast approaching. You do not want your business to be left out on the biggest sales day of the year.
The Serv platform has several service providers who can help you build your very own eCommerce website.
Why an eCommerce website? Due to the pandemic and the inevitable lockdown that followed thereafter, a large number of consumers switched to online shopping for their safety. We have seen many consumers in South Africa shopping online for the first time for essentials. According to Visa’s CEMEA Impact Tracker, there is a shift towards online commerce, with cash transactions being replaced by digital payments.
An eCommerce store allows businesses to trade online and has several benefits such as enabling you to grow your online presence and brand visibility.
Other eCommerce benefits are
The ability to use your website for marketing purposes
You can sell your products or services online
An online store increases credibility
You can connect with existing customers, it is also a channel for you to get new customers.
It is simple and affordable to set up.
Get your eCommerce Service Providers in time for Black Friday
To build an eCommerce website, you will need several service providers to help you set up.
Let's look at some of these services and what they provide:
Web developer/ Web designer
A web developer can build a website from the bottom up, using coding which tells the website how to function. A web designer is responsible for the look and feel of the website. In most cases, a web developer can also design your website for you.
eCommerce Developer
ECommerce experts are there to help you and equip you with the necessary tools that you will need to have a full eCommerce store. Tools such as ensuring you have a payment gateway, inventory system, website security and more.
Web domains and hosting
All websites need domains and hosting. A web hosting company provides you with a server that can store your files on the internet. A domain is the name allocated to your website that consumers can use to reach you.
Serv currently has all three service providers on our website and you can easily compare quotes with them.
Get your eCommerce Features in time for Black Friday
There are several key features that your eCommerce store will need to have, they include basics such as your business contact details, address, phone numbers, contact form or email address, menu or service listing and prices.
Other features you should consider when building an eCommerce website are a payment gateway so you can start accepting credit card payments, an inventory system, a shipping solution to help you with the delivery of goods to your customers, website security and finally, a CMS platform (WordPress, Wix, etc) that your eCommerce store will get integrated into.
eCommerce presents enormous potential for local SMEs to increase their market share by simply trading online, and that is enough reason to build your website.
