The internet is now “controlling” us: this is a fact. Our style of life has changed dramatically since 1982 when there was primarily an online market that served people who wanted to sell their used computers, and it boomed with the first wave of electronic ecommerce occurring between 1995 and 2003. As businesses increasingly went online, banks went there too. Today every business and every bank has an online presence in the world wide web.
Although online banking services were launched in the early 1980’s, the first mobile banking service was launched in 2001 by two Philippine operators, Globe and Smart. Nowadays in 2022, the general public is somehow and inexorably geared towards interconnected ways to consume more than ever. With debit or credit cards payments that only require a click to be confirmed, the scope of ecommerce is global.
The worldwide ecommerce market is expected to reach a total of 5.55 trillion dollars at the end of 2022 and 6.17 trillion by 2023. Those figures show that e-commerce grows daily and it’s indeed becoming a profitable option for all online retailers.
Let’s study how this new trend emerged and how, as a company, you should drive your online business and make it successful.
Definition of e-commerce
Electronic commerce or e-commerce (sometimes written as eCommerce) is any transaction of goods and services done over the internet. Anyone can buy an item or service online with an electronic payment method, such as a debit card, credit card or digital wallet service.
E-Banking is one form of e-commerce. The major types of E-banking are online internet banking, mobile banking, automated teller machine (ATM), debit and credit cards.
History of e-commerce
The history of e-commerce started over 40 years ago, when the introduction of early technology like Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) and teleshopping paved the way for the modern-day ecommerce store as we know it today. Ecommerce was introduced in 1979 by Michael Aldrich who invented electronic shopping: the idea for which was occasioned by a conversation with his wife about their weekly supermarket shopping expedition, involving hooking a television to their supermarket to have them deliver the groceries. Aldrich coined his invention “teleshopping” (shopping at a distance), which can be seen as the precursor for modern online shopping. This was done by connecting a transaction-processing computer with a modified TV through a telephone connection.
In the mid-90s, there were major advancements in the commercial use of the Internet. Online shopping became possible when the internet was opened to the public in 1991. Amazon was one of the first ecommerce sites in the US, which started in 1995 as an online bookstore but grew to become the largest and leading online retailer in the world and thousands of businesses have followed since. The seven largest e-commerce companies in the world are Alibaba, Amazon, JD.com, eBay, Shopify, Rakuten and Walmart.
E-commerce operates nowadays in all five of the following major market segments: Business to business, business to consumer, consumer to consumer, consumer to business.
In the past couple of years, the proliferation of smartphones, tablet computers and social media like Youtube, Tiktok, Instagram and Facebook has made online buying more popular than it ever was before. Today people tend to buy everything from prescription medication to groceries and even cars online. However, many are learning that while buying online can be quick and easy; there are inherent risks involved, i.e., the risk of being scammed.
As a business owner who is taking their business online or plans to expand its online sales, you can do a couple of things to build trust. Trust is one reason why someone would even choose to pay a little extra for the peace of mind that they are getting what they ordered. In this article, we’ll examine the importance of selling online and how best to build trust as a business.
Business tips for an online company:
Describe every product in detail
Your online products should have all the essential details that a buyer would need to know about in the description. It is a nice idea to place a nice picture of each product with a zoom option in an attractive way to the eye of the buyer. Don’t worry about your product description being longer than it should. The important thing is to get the message across because getting it right will minimize cancellations and returns. Add the option of writing a review of the product in order to make it worthy to future buyers.
If your product solves a problem, make sure to list those problems. If it does not do something that you think many buyers will assume it does, make sure to state that in the description.
Speak the language of your customers
If your target market is primarily Spanish speakers who speak English as a second language, you can build trust a lot quicker with your product descriptions in Spanish. Many businesses make the mistake of assuming that a non-native English speaker will trust them because their website is in English. It goes without saying that several other websites, maybe selling similar products, are in English too. So, if you want to stand out and build trust one-on-one, speaking the same language goes a very long way.
A common Sense Advisory study shows that 75% of consumers are more likely to purchase from a brand if their website and product information is available in their native language. When you offer multilingual customer support, it also increases brand loyalty – because the customers know that there will be someone to understand them and their needs.
And if you’re in the business for the long term, you don’t want to focus on a one-time sale to a customer. You want the customers who know they will have great experience in their own language, so they’re likely to return – again and again.
Use translation tools
As your company grows and you start handling an ample amount of foreign language conversations, at this stage, you need translation services that can automatically translate non-English conversations on your website, mobile app, or in your product.
Choose a Business Language Company that is real and has important customers and nice reviews to avoid scams. If you have not invested in translation and localization of your site, you should do it right now. And you may think that simple translation into multiple languages will do the trick, think again. Localization means honoring the cultural values of a target audience, with your words, your images, and your presentation of products/services. For localization, you need to contract with a translation agency with successful experience in localization for the foreign audiences you seek. So it is not only about translating it is about translating with a professional team that speaks the native language of your customers.
Make it Very Easy to Buy
You always want to make it immensely easy for potential customers to buy the product. So pay attention to these advices to surely make it easier:
-Use an easy login to access your website or app. One of the major problems customers find is a long process to log in so they reject the process and go to another company with an easier process.
-A friendly design: Use a simple design to your website or app that allows you to show your products clearly.
-Use a native app for your business. An app makes it easy for buyers on a mobile platform to quickly choose what they want and pay from their electronic wallet.
-Search, add to cart, pay: the buttons of these 3 processes should always be clearly visible and lead to an easy fast process.
-Offering discounts or competitive pricing. Pricing factors into many people’s decision-making process. So, if you can compare your price versus others in addition to the value you provide, it makes it easier for potential buyers to decide.
-Free shipping: offer free shipping if the orders overpass a certain amount of money.
Market and Advertise
If your product can be sold and used by anyone in any part of the world, there is no reason to limit its sales to where you are living. Thanks to international shipping and the internet, it makes financial sense to sell in every country where you think there is a demand for your products. Doing this maximizes profits and ensures that you have a much wider buyer base.
To be successful in the current age of e-commerce, sellers need to monitor comments and listen to what shoppers say about their products and customer service. So, what’s next for my e-commerce company? Your online store needs to be flexible, adaptable, and scalable enough to meet changes and future-proof your business for long-term success.
Ya-Hub Group is a UK, EU and US based Language Services Company. Its team comprises native and industry specific translators and proofreaders who can work in 130 different languages. The Ya-Hub team wishes you great success with your online company.
Study the market and build bridges with the world! The first right step will lead you to a shining path for your business.