The key benefits of taking your business online

You improve accessibility

Establishing even a basic web presence enables customers to discover your brand and find information outside of business hours. If you have a more sophisticated ecommerce setup where users are able to buy online, your shopfront is open seven days a week, 24 hours a day.

Going online makes your brand accessible to customers who are unable to visit your physical location due to time commitments or geographic location, and your potential customer base widens to include anyone with an internet connection.

You make it easier for customers to engage with you

Having a digital presence provides your customer base with more ways to communicate with you. Websites, social media platforms, and even your Google Listing make it simple for customers to connect with you directly and with minimum effort or time commitment.

Bringing your customers closer to you also presents a valuable relationship-building opportunity and enables you to reach out for honest feedback when needed.

Flexibility

Having a digital presence makes it easier to adapt your business operations when the environment changes. In 2020 when the pandemic made street trading impossible, businesses with a pre-existing online presence were able to quickly pivot the focus of their marketing operations online, and fared much better as a result.

However, the flexibility that digital offers is also useful when it comes to managing day-to-day business challenges such as product recalls, customer tracing, and short-term shopfront closures.

Cost savings

There is no minimum cost associated with setting your business up online and the digital space caters to every budget. From free product listings on social media marketplaces to a custom built and designed website, business owners have greater control over where they choose to put their resources.

Last updated 30 March 2021