From Brick & Mortar to Digital Storefront: Is it the right move for your business?
We are over a month into self-quarantine with non-essential businesses in most city’s having closed their doors sometime early March. With cashflow constrained and overhead costs to maintain, businesses are facing the reality that without an infusion of cash they may need to close their doors permanently.
But aside from setting up digital gift cards for purchase, the question becomes is it possible to digitize a traditional brick and mortar offering?
If you're asking me, the answer is without a doubt yes. The overhead cost to getting a website started is relatively low, it takes about a week to get a basic website up and ready to sell, and the ability to collect data on customer behavior is a massive ROI that can help you to better plan and market your business.
Ecommerce websites also give brands the ability to educate customers on their core values and origin, to post video content on how to use a product, provide validation in the form of reviews from other customers, and allow your most loyal customers to be brand ambassadors. These are just some examples of how a digital store can provide added value over the traditional retail experience.
Creating a digital store can also be a way to hire back employees you may have had to let go. Maybe your top salesperson could learn to market and network in the digital space. Maybe another employee learned to code in their free time or is an aspiring copywriter.
You have the unique opportunity to embrace creative living for you and your employees and plunge into the unknown. How great would it be if you could run a company that put to use their employee's unique skills and offered a flexible work schedule to accommodate the demands of everyday life?
Can you picture it now? What your digital business can look like and how your traditional workday and those of your employees could be totally transformed. How it opens the door to expansion once the world is open for business again.
Now that you believe in this new vision for your business I’m sure you’re wondering the logistics of how to get started. Below I’ve listed out a list of questions you need to answer before you will be ready to move onto a digital selling platform.
- Do you have brand assets (logo, fonts, colors, etc.)
- Do you have product assets (images, video, etc)
- Do you have content assets (images, copy, etc)
- Do you know what payment gateway you will use?
- Do you already have a shipping carrier and know what methods you will offer?
- Do you know where your business has nexus and is required to collect tax?
- Do you have a google analytics account?
- Do you have a dream team assembled and ready to work?
Once you’ve collected the assets and the answers to the above questions you’re ready to build! My suggestion is to build on Shopify. They have a user-friendly interface, an entire app store to add enhanced features and the basic plan only costs $29 a month.
And as an added bonus my dear friend and I are taking our 10 years of product and business experience are offering FREE help to small businesses looking to get started or to enhance their Shopify e-commerce site. We believe in small businesses and the richness they add to the cities we love as well as the inspiration they provide to those who want to forge their own path.
Hopefully, this has inspired you to think of new possibilities and get the creative juices flowing.
If you still have some reservations or have specific questions you can fill out the following google form and we will get back to you within 2 business days. [Click here to get started]
