Despite popular predictions to the contrary, the world of brick and mortar retail isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. In fact, depending on who you believe, brick and mortar establishments are quickly becoming more trusted than many of their eCommerce counterparts. The problem with both brick and mortar and eCommerce businesses is that they are operating out of an either/or approach. The future of retail means bridging the gap between the physical retail environment and the virtual shopping experience. While some physical storefronts may not be inclined to build a website, having a virtual storefront is a key component for any company wanting to compete in tomorrow’s retail market.

Benefits of Having an eCommerce Presence

It Shows you’re Paying Attention – 

This may seem like a simplistic benefit, but demonstrating that you know what’s going on in the world of retail will go a long way to establish trust with your customers. They will look at you as a leader and not just a follower – that you’re paying attention to trends in your industry, and that you’re not afraid to take a risk to stand out from the crowd.

An Online Presence Means More Exposure – 

An online presence widens your reach. Without a website you’re pretty much limited to customers in your local area. If you build your online presence in a smart way, you will be able to extend your reach to potential customers from all over the world. You can even use your site to drive local customers that might not be within your specific, local region to come to your store, or maybe even make a purchase online.

Boost your Overall Sales – 

eCommerce in the retail space makes your products more accessible. Accessibility is a driving force behind the eCommerce revolution that has taken the world by storm over the past decade.

Customer Outsourcing – 

This may seem like a strange concept, but you’re essentially outsourcing some key in-store employee duties to the customer. This not only makes life easier for your customers, but it also saves your company money that would normally be spent on paying employees to assist customers in the retail environment.

Efficiency – 

Lastly, eCommerce is probably the most efficient way to make a large amount of business transactions for a relatively small amount of money. As long as you have the bandwidth to host an eCommerce site, your options are virtually limitless. Fewer licenses and permits are required, and fewer taxes are owed. It also allows you to keep costs down in your physical location.

Infrastructure Makes all the Difference

Infrastructure is just a fancy of describing the basic elements that hold something together. In the eCommerce space, your infrastructure is your web hosting. In a nutshell, a hosting service allows your website to be viewed by general users all over the Internet. When choosing a provider, it’s important to look for reliable web hosting. Customers will stop going to a site that they can rarely access. Hosting is what powers the entire eCommerce vehicle.