Through the last 20 or so years, e-commerce has completely revolutionized retailing and turned selling on its head for manufacturers and producers the world over. Once setting up a store could be a long, drawn-out affair that took considerable investment; nowadays, virtually anyone can set up an e-commerce store (sometimes in a matter of hours) and start selling their wares to the world.
Indeed, e-commerce has had such a transformative effect on retail that it’s also caused the demise of many of our better-known and most established brands.
E-commerce – very much a double-edged sword
However, while the benefits of selling online are beyond question, e-commerce is not without risk, and retailers big and small in all sectors are dogged by common problems across the board. No matter what you or your company sells online, it’s quite likely you too will have encountered some of the issues below.
The dangers of cybercrime
While cybercrime has the potential to affect all web users, from individuals up to the world’s biggest firms, it is perhaps of the biggest risk to online stores. The revenue generated from cybercrime makes it, like for like, the world’s third-biggest economy narrowly behind the USA and China, and online criminality is expected to cost around $6 trillion in 2021. Perhaps more worryingly, cybercrime shows no signs of slowing, and forecasters suggest it will grow by 15% year on year until the costs reach $10.5 trillion by 2025.
Unfortunately, no site or online service will ever be 100% safe, but, at a minimum, you should partner with a reliable, secure web host that takes regular backups and offers the added protection of security software and specialists.
Order fulfillment and delivery
With such explosive growth in e-commerce in recent years, the demand for delivery companies has skyrocketed, and firms often find problems sourcing a reliable delivery partner. If you find you’re facing problems with getting products delivered, you should check online for specialist services that might be able to help. For example, motorcycle shipping sites focus particularly on motorcycle shipping that could offer a more specialized service to your company, depending on your sector (this also applies to other specialist types of deliveries).
Another great solution for solving delivery problems is working with an order fulfillment firm, thereby freeing up your resources and saving you from worrying about getting goods to your clients. In addition, order fulfillment companies look after the entire delivery process from start to finish and will help your company grow quicker.
The importance of User Experience (UX) and performing a full site audit
How your site looks and how easy it is to navigate (also known as User Experience (UX)) are two crucial features for selling online, so you should pay to have a professional cast a fresh set of eyes over your current pages. It’s not uncommon for company bosses to take the lead when it comes to having their e-com site designed, paying little attention to how it actually appears to someone that doesn’t share their same in-depth knowledge of their firm and its products/services. Paying a professional to perform a full site audit will likely reveal a range of problem areas you weren’t aware of that could hamper users.
Lynn Martelli is an editor at Readability. She received her MFA in Creative Writing from Antioch University and has worked as an editor for over 10 years. Lynn has edited a wide variety of books, including fiction, non-fiction, memoirs, and more. In her free time, Lynn enjoys reading, writing, and spending time with her family and friends.
