It’s hard to have missed how much the economy has changed, and much of it has been caused by the constant advances of technology. This has had a dramatic effect on bricks and mortar business and unless they get into the brick and click business model their future will look bleak.
Many of these businesses have been around for years, enjoying successful retail sales. However to survive these bricks and mortars businesses need to create an online presence, and that is why more and more of them are turning to the internet.
We all can see the traditional high streets being desomated up and down the county. Across the board, the economy and the growth of online businesses has had its effect.
The simple but sad truth is bricks and mortar retailers are going out of business in huge numbers and ecommerce is becoming bigger and bigger.
Bringing your products online to a worldwide audience can be the best way to grow your business. Entering the brick and click business model makes serious sense. There doesn’t have to be a one channel fit all strategy, in fact the true innovators and biggest successes will go to those who have both a bricks and mortar shop and ecommerce one. Why leave the sales to the specialised online sellers?
Taking the plunge and bringing their business onto the internet is exciting for any bricks and mortar retailer.
Alas many have no sense of the time it takes, or the work involved.
They think it can be created in weeks, even months.
But the reality is that to get it right, well that takes time.
They believe in the build it and they will come mentality.
What’s funny is they think that if they just build a basic website and put a few items in, sales will just start flowing in, like magic.
Let me tell those of you who believe this, alas its not the way it is.
Just because you build a website and have a couple of items to sell it doesn’t guarantee that you will be successful. It is not an instant process. Get things wrong on the site and you’re doomed from the start.
The web creation process is complicated, but with the right diligence and know how it can be made to work beyond initial expectations.
Ecommerce is about creating the perfect business model and then building the best web store possible. All along it’s about non-stop hard work, but the real work intensifies once you’ve launched.
You need to be aware from the outset how competitive a market place the internet is. You’re no longer just competing against Joe Blog the corner shop but against multinational corporations.
Most online retailers are undercutting each other, and particularly selling at far lower prices than bricks and mortar shops. Price is of great importance on internet sales.
Brick and mortar stores have to deal with the emergence of low-priced web retailers. The facts are incontrovertible: due to lower costs, web retailers can profitably sell products more cheaply than their physical store and with a few clicks, it’s often more convenient for customers to buy online.
The true winners will find a way to be unique even if they’re selling many of the same products as everyone else. Adding some type of uniqueness will create value and make you stand out from the competition.
However you do it, if you’re a bricks and mortar company, then make the most of your knowledge and expertise, and get involved in the Brick and Click Business Model combining both an online and offline presence. Just give it time and allow yourself to reap the rewards.
