Electronic or e-commerce is an excellent way to expand a small business and make the most of its resources. It is relatively easy for a large business to establish a web presence, but small business owners sometimes wonder whether it is worth their effort to devote their resources to e-commerce. After all, many small businesses rely heavily on a good location and a strong, local clientele. Utilizing e-commerce will allow you to do essentially what you are doing now, but more easily and more efficiently.

E-commerce allows your business to reach customers more effectively. Catalogs are expensive to print and, once printed, must then be reprinted to reflect changes in prices and inventory. Plus, mailers often go directly into the trash. Selling products and services online allows owners to update prices and availability in real time. What’s more, a website allows for modalities such as audio and video that are impossible in a print catalog.

E-commerce also allows for a more organic way of marketing. While mailing and calling lists are cumbersome, there are many web-based marketing tools that allow you to reach the people who are most likely to buy. You can also partner with other businesses to share clients and resources. And owners can still use their accustomed methods, such as print or television ads, and use web traffic to better assess the effectiveness of those methods.

In addition to a more targeted message, e-commerce can expand a business’s customer base, especially important for selling specialty products. Businesses that can only operate locally still need a strong web presence. A good location may attract a lot of customers, but many potential customers may not realize that a product or service is closer than they think. People are often surprised when they "Google" a product or service they need and find that they can get it just down the street. The web reaches far and wide, but it also reaches potential customers just down the street.

There is also no reason you shouldn’t make money when your store is closed. There is no time day or night that your customers can’t place an order online. And even if you are available to take an order, why spend the time or pay someone else to do it if your customer can order exactly what she needs when she needs it. More automation allows you to focus on the areas of your business that require more expert attention.

Every year, more business happens online and e-commerce has become necessary. People are finding what they need and want online, even when they are looking locally. And since e-commerce allows you to do more, and to do it more efficiently, it is more important than ever to start marketing and selling your product and services online.

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