E-commerce for Small and Medium Businesses
E-commerce for Small and Medium Businesses
Canadian businesses are in the midst of a paradigm shift in how business is conducted.
Recent events have made it clear that many businesses need a way to deliver their products and services without face-to-face transactions. There are many options when it comes to an online store – and they have a variety of pros and cons and a wide range of available options.
Most people come to us knowing they want to sell their products online or deliver their services through the internet – and some have seen advertisements for Shopify ( or some other platform) and have used Paypal in some form.
We generally discuss the range of E-commerce needs as starting at an online catalogue and a way for people to contact you and arrange payment electronically – through to a Point of Sale (POS) and shipping integrated inventory management system.
Things that will affect your budget for an online store include how many products you have, how you intend to track your inventory, whether you’re integrating shipping, and what fee structure the E-commerce provider who handles the transactions for you offers. Most E-commerce payment providers charge a setup fee, an ongoing fee, a transaction fee, and a percentage of sales. So you want to pick the right level of E-commerce for your volume.
Quite often, the transaction fee and percentage is tied to a monthly fee. Lower monthly fee = higher transaction rate.
Most platforms tend to offer tiered packages as well – it might not cost as much to host a store with 10 items as it does to host a store with 100. So, the volume of products and the volume of sales should both be considered when contemplating which E-commerce solution is right for you.
A final and important decision to make when getting your brick-and-mortar store ready for an online shopping option is whether to work with a professional partner or not. This is an investment in your business. Like all small and medium business people – you’re almost certainly a Do It Yourself-er. But remember your time is money and a professionally made store will not just help you move your products and services – it will also rank higher and get found more often on search engines like Google.
As Regina business people ourselves, we know how valuable your time and energy is, and we want to work with you to find a solution that fits your needs.
If it’s time to invest in the long-term growth of your business by protecting your ability to sell products and services with-or-without face-to-face contact, we’d love to discuss your business and explore an E-commerce option to help. Whether it’s pointing you in the right direction of a DIY solution that fits your budget or helping you revolutionize your business with a custom E-commerce store – we can help you find the proper E-commerce solution for your small or medium business.