E-Commerce Outside Of The Amazon

There are many misconceptions with e-commerce and what it can do for your business. Amazon.com, the revered leader and trailblazer of e-commerce, doesn't have to be the gold standard for online sales anymore. Today, business owners are utilizing services like online payments and like-to-buy to grow their business and keep up with the changing consumer climate. From email marketing to social media, brands are expanding their influence and client base with the reinvented version of e-commerce.

In the past, online shopping consisted solely of retail hegemonies providing products to customers around the globe. There is a misconception that this practice is exclusive to businesses with large amounts of capital and other resources. As a result, there has been a misnomer created around e-commerce. With a website and a few social media accounts, any business can reap the benefits of online business.

With 40 percent of online users reporting they have engaged in e-commerce, it’s a facet of business that cannot be overlooked. Although the traditional brick-and-mortar is important, online sales and transactions enables the traditional consumer discourse to be replaced. Rusty Brett, Lift Division’s owner and CEO, says it’s important to take a different perspective. Rather than to view it as simply online shopping, think of it as your 24/7 digital sales employee.

While your website is your virtual building, your participation in social media is your opportunity to engage with your existing and potential customers. With e-commerce, you are able to expand who you’re targeting and reach virtually anyone. Riffraff is an Arkansas-based boutique that expanded its sales first on social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram, then to a robust e-commerce site. In the six years Riffraff has been in business, it has expanded itself from a corner store to online business with over two million customers. The owners of Riffraff attribute their success to their willingness to innovate and utilize the many opportunities within e-commerce.

Furthermore, the average American spends over six hours a day online. E-commerce allows a business to put their product or service in front of a potential consumer. Similar to how advertising has adapted to digital trends, e-commerce allows that call-to-action to be answered. With mobile optimization, that interaction can even occur in the palm of a hand.

Today’s e-commerce has reached its pinnacle with local businesses. Staying with Riffraff, they found success by capturing the attention of their local costumers and catapulting that into a lucrative online authority. By branding your company as one that appeals to its demographic, you can foster loyalty and action, especially with the demographics who find themselves connected to the web. Different from Amazon’s version of e-commerce, you are able to bring your brand’s personality and service to its online presence by incorporating it into your digital marketing plan. 

As of 2013, e-commerce boasts over a billion users. If the online sales business is successful for larger and more global retailers like Amazon, it can easily translate to a local market. Establishing e-commerce for your business can be quickly added as an extension of your existing site or part of something completely new. From products to services, the options are abundant to reach customers who otherwise would not pass through your door.