Offering eCommerce solutions is crucial to business success now more than ever Article Icon

Offering eCommerce solutions is crucial to business success now more than ever


 

Due to the coronavirus, all business seems to be shifting toward a virtual-first economy. This change poses many challenges for companies looking to gain a foothold in their target market. Mainly, the businesses that are positioning themselves for success are those with intuitive features for making online purchases or scheduling services on their website.

 

For many companies, eCommerce solutions have been an afterthought in their digital strategy. However, no one can afford to make this mistake in today’s ever-changing digital landscape. 

 

At Zeekee, we have quite a bit of experience building eCommerce solutions for a variety of businesses. We’d like to answer a few questions about how you can better serve your customers through your website. 

What is eCommerce?

At Zeekee, a Bell Media company, we utilize two eCommerce setups to help our clients accept payments from their customers. 

 

Shopify: An all-in-one eCommerce solution for building an entire online storefront.

 

WooCommerce: A flexible and robust eCommerce solution that works with WordPress websites and allows you to sell the products or services that you offer. 

 

Whichever of these two eCommerce platforms our clients use, they are usually surprised to find how simple their online stores are for them to manage themselves. We’ve selected these platforms because WooCommerce and Shopify make it so easy to do things like add new products and modify the products already available. 

 

Not only are these solutions easy to use, but they don’t take too long to set up. Our timelines for implementation are as follows: 

 

  • The integration of WooCommerce into a Wordpress website takes around a week.
  • Building a new Shopify or WordPress with WooCommerce website takes around 45 business days. 

Crucial Tip: Whomever you choose to help with your eCommerce solution, ask your vendor to provide training and a recorded copy of the training session for future reference. 

Will eCommerce solutions integrate with my POS system?

If you are using a Point-of-Sale (POS) system, you may be wondering if your system will integrate with your website’s eCommerce platform. This answer depends on the type of POS system you are using. Most of the time, these systems integrate without issue. Additionally, many third-party vendors can make interfacing with your POS system much easier. 

What if my business model requires more complex transaction types?

ECommerce solutions are flexible enough to fit any business model. If your business depends on scheduled appointments, we can create an automated scheduling system on your website. This scheduling system would allow your clients to book an appointment and pay for your service at the same time.

 

If your goal is to manage and collect membership dues, we can set up recurring online membership payments, trial periods, and sections of your website with “Members-Only” access. 

 

Our team is here to provide guidance about the services you offer, and we’re ready with answers to any questions you may have. We may even have some surprising suggestions for you!

How can I improve my customers’ experience if I already have an online store?

Rebuild your website with an eCommerce solution at its center to take your online shopping experience to a whole new level. Sure, you can simply tack on eCommerce to your existing website, but in order to optimize your sales funnel and enhance your digital strategy, you want a website built around the products and services you have to offer. 

 

Not only will recreating your website enhance the experience for visitors and encourage repeat business, but there are also many other benefits to consider: 

 

  1. Your online store becomes a crucial part of your branding strategy and visual design from the beginning, so it doesn’t appear as an afterthought to your website’s design. 
  2. Call-to-actions throughout your website encourage visitors to peruse the products in your store or schedule a service. 
  3. Your online store can be compatible with your digital marketing campaigns so you can measure conversions from your digital advertising campaigns. 
  4. You are creating a fresh sitemap and new website content to guide website visitors to your products and services. 
  5. Make search engines “happy” by rebuilding your eCommerce website with search engine optimization strategies in mind. 

More changes are coming - is your business prepared?

The digital world is always in flux, and it is continuing to be a significant part of everyday life. The recent crisis has taught us all that we cannot afford to be inflexible or to miss out on making a great impression online. 

 

The future is digital - make sure your business is prepared with eCommerce solutions.


Need help integrating eCommerce solutions to your website? Partner with Zeekee, a Bell Media Company, for help designing the perfect website!

Zeekee’s parent company, Bell Media, is a digital marketing and website design agency headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama. We are dedicated to helping businesses of all sizes design and build great websites that will help grow their online presence. Our team has years of experience in developing websites and creating great content. Let us help your business stand out from the crowd through responsive website design, hosting & support, custom logo design, and marketing collateral creation. Contact us today to learn more about how we can help your business succeed with eCommerce solutions.