Ecommerce- Why would I buy?

As a retailer, you have certainly been solicited by sales representatives from various companies on an ongoing basis. These sales reps could be providing marketing programs such as radio, television, print or digital advertising. Others may be interested in selling you products to carry in your store. Yet, if you choose to speak with any of these sales professionals then you, as the retailer, know WHY it is possible you might buy from them. If you didn’t know WHY they were contacting you, or WHY their value proposition might make sense for your business, then you wouldn’t even agree to a meeting. Good sales professionals know that they need to quickly and accurately describe to you why they are calling you if they expect to get a meeting. Before they even have the chance to speak with you about their products, the WHY has to be clear. This same principle applies to any ecommerce website! Let’s explore why a clear WHY is so important to the success of your ecommerce website.

Today’s consumer is inundated with opportunities to buy online. Nowadays it is possible to buy from Amazon, eBay, Google, individual websites and even on Facebook! In fact, it is often difficult to go online at all without being tempted with products that are available for sale. How does anyone sell online when it is such a crowded space?

The companies that succeed in selling online do a good job of conveying their why.

Let’s say you own a pet store and you are interested in selling online. You decide you are going to sell Frontline Flea and Tick for dogs and cats. Remember that there are a lot of people already selling Frontline online. The first question you need to ask yourself is, “Why would anyone buy this from me?” If you can answer this question with something like this-

• Because I sell it cheaper than anyone else on the internet
• Because I carry a variant that no one else can sell
• Because I have a large budget for Google Adwords so I will be the online seller people find first

If you don’t have any reason as to WHY a customer would buy from you versus anyone else, then it is probably not a great product for inclusion in your ecommerce store. What is a good Why for a small independent retailer?

The Convenience Advantage

Many local independent retailers carry products that are already being sold by hundreds, if not thousands of other businesses online. Furthermore, due to buying volume, many independent retailers lack the ability to sell these products at prices that would be competitive online.

How does the independent retailer compete online?

It starts with convenience. Trends suggest that consumer’s demand for online ordering for in-store pick up will continue to grow. Consumers will continue to spend their money with the stores that offer the most convenient option, such as being able to order online and go pick up their ready packaged order in the store on the same day. If your store can pull this off, then you have your why. It’s that you can offer those products for same day pick up from an online order. No shipping charge!

If you sell products like hay, large bags of feed or mulch you may offer local delivery. You may wish to allow your customers to place these orders on your website for local delivery. What’s your why if this is the case? – Most likely that no one else offers a convenient ecommerce option for ordering hay or mulch. You would be cheaper and more convenient!

Determining the why behind your products will be one of the most important first steps towards a successful ecommerce offering for your business.

We hope this blog is helpful in setting up your own successful ecommerce site for your business! Always feel free to call us here at Liquid with any questions.