The Benefits of Hiring an eCommerce Consultant
The internet has changed almost every aspect of modern life, including how the average consumer chooses to place orders and do business. These days, brick-and-mortar stores are being replaced by eCommerce websites at ever-increasing rates. The opportunities presented by eCommerce has created a lot of competition in this nascent field, though.
Entrepreneurs who want to get the upper hand often need specialized help. That’s where eCommerce consulting comes in. Before setting up an online storefront and ordering inventory, read on to find out about a few of the benefits of hiring an eCommerce consultant.
- Save Time and Money
Conventional business owners and entrepreneurs rarely have the specialized training, knowledge, and expertise required to make the switch to eCommerce. It takes years to learn the ropes, but most entrepreneurs don’t have that kind of time.
Don’t assume the best way to start an online business is to just get it off the ground in whatever way possible and then change strategies later down the line if the current ones aren’t working. It’s much more cost effective to get everything right the first time. Entrepreneurs can learn more at sharpcommerce.com about how to set themselves up for success without wasting time or money on ineffective strategies.
- Focus on Core Business Functions
Brick-and-mortar business owners have enough on their plates without worrying about how to set up, maintain, and market their goods online, too. Hiring an eCommerce consultant will give them access to a dedicated industry expert with all the right experience who can provide guidance and answer questions fast so that business owners don’t have to waste time. Instead, clients can maintain their focus on core business functions so adding online services doesn’t detract from their current consumer bases.
- Expand Target Markets
One of the biggest benefits of taking a conventional store online is that it gives more potential customers access to its goods. Not all of those new customers will fit the company’s existing target demographics. That’s a good thing since it offers plenty of opportunities for expansion, but it can also create some serious marketing headaches. Hiring an eCommerce consultant allows brick-and-mortar businesses to expand their target markets and develop new ad campaigns without wasting money on strategies that are destined to fail.
- Improve Marketing Strategies
Marketing strategies that work great for local business owners don’t always translate well to the world of eCommerce. Establishing a successful online store requires some specialized forms of marketing.
One of the great things about working with eCommerce consultants is that they’re experts at everything from SEO to social media marketing. They know how to establish target audiences then find the best channels for reaching them.
- Choose the Right Platform
There are lots of different eCommerce platforms out there, but they’re not all created equal, and it’s hard to generalize about which of them is the best fit since they all target different kinds of clients. Shopify is still the best-known platform in 2021, but there are plenty of other options that may be a better fit depending on the company’s target audience, budget, and other needs.
The best way to choose a top eCommerce platform is to consult an expert who knows the ins and outs of working with every key industry player. A good and expert consultant won’t point all of his or her clients in the same direction. An experienced industry professional will know how to leverage the benefits of multiple platforms and choose the one that will best fit each client’s unique business model.
- Develop Strategies for Managing Growth
With careful planning and targeted marketing, any brick-and-mortar business can reach new audiences online. As the business model shifts to accommodate increasing volumes of online sales, business owners must develop effective strategies for managing growth.
A good eCommerce consultant won’t just create a website and find ways to direct traffic and increase customer conversion rates. He or she can also help clients develop strategies for managing online growth, whether that means scaling up the operation, switching to a new platform, or making other accommodations.
- Reduce Hiring Demands
The most common alternative to eCommerce consulting is hiring a dedicated full-time employee to handle the daily work of managing social media accounts, web presence, and digital marketing. Unfortunately, that’s not a cost-effective solution for growing businesses. Working with an eCommerce consultant can reduce hiring demands by allowing business owners to pay for only the services they need. Plus, eCommerce consultants are independent contractors, which means they don’t ask for benefits.
- Identify Potential Weaknesses
Not all business models convert easily to online applications. An eCommerce consultant can help his or her client identify potential weaknesses and find ways to leverage them and turn them into strengths. There’s no need to worry about skill gaps in the company’s employee base.
Modern eCommerce consultants provide comprehensive services that help new online businesses cover all their bases. They start by identifying issues like cart abandonment, slowing traffic, and poor conversion rates, and then implement targeted solutions. The experienced eCommerce consultant will help you to optimize all final fees for sellers and to reduce your PayPal fees. It will help you to maximize your profit. These professionals also devote a great deal of time to keeping up with changing industry trends so their clients can rest assured they’ll always be one step ahead of the competition.
- Custom Packages
Every business is different, so there’s no one-size-fits-all solution for starting and growing an online store. Thankfully, eCommerce consultants know that. Top performers in the field offer custom packages so clients can pay for only the services they need. That’s why business owners can trust industry-leading eCommerce experts to provide an impressive return on investment (ROI) every time.
Get Help Now
There’s no wrong time to start working with an eCommerce consultant. Whether brick-and-mortar store owners want help developing an online store or they’re already set up with one of the leading eCommerce platforms and just need help increasing traffic to their storefronts, a consultant can help. Get in touch with questions or request an eCommerce health checkup to identify areas for improvement, then sign up for a monthly plan to make the most of any online storefront.