More Than Just a Web Store: The New World of E-Commerce

When you hear the term “e-commerce,” what comes to mind?

Do you think of market heavyweights like Amazon? Big-box retailers using the web as a virtual storefront to complement their brick-and-mortar locations? Maybe you think of small and local businesses looking to reach more customers with a beefed-up web presence, or websites like Etsy or eBay that boost customer-to-customer entrepreneurship by bringing the craft fair, the classified ad, and the garage sale into the digital age.

E-commerce today is this and so much more – and with more and more businesses taking to the web to connect with target audiences and tap into new revenue streams, the traditional model of “buying things on the internet” is just the beginning.

Let’s look at a few ways that businesses today are expanding e-commerce far beyond online retail…

Subscription Boxes and Affinity Crates
Subscription boxes enjoyed a surge in popularity in 2020, as many consumers adopted new spending habits amid the disruption of the COVID-19 pandemic. From curated boxes offering a selection of hand-picked goodies, to recurring deliveries of household staples like beauty products, pet supplies, or nonperishable foods, subscriptions are a great way to build brand awareness and boost customer loyalty.

Digital Delivery Consumer Products
From self-published e-books and comics, to podcasts, online courses, design templates, and more, businesses today are turning to e-commerce to sell a wide variety of fully digital products. With low overhead costs and high profit margins, digital products can be a terrific source of revenue. Sell them as individual downloads, or bundled into a subscription-based model where customers pay for ongoing access via your website or mobile app.

Memberships
Online clubs and niche interest groups have long used the web to promote their mission and keep supporters engaged. Now, these organizations are using e-commerce to sign up new members and process membership fees with greater speed, flexibility, and efficiency. Leverage the strengths of the social web to build an online community offering perks with website access, like discussion forums or special members-only content.

Ticketing and Reservations
For businesses in the entertainment, hospitality, and transportation sectors, e-commerce makes it easier than ever to handle registration and ticketing. Whether reserving a hotel room, buying concert tickets or convention passes, or paying the fare for a bus or ferry ride, online payment and registration makes for a faster, smoother process for customer and business alike.

Here at Rosie’s Creative, we’ve been building e-commerce sites and developing e-commerce strategies for small and local businesses since the earliest days of online sales – and we’ve had a front-row seat to the incredible growth, adaptation, and innovation that have pushed e-commerce to the forefront of today’s consumer experience.

So, if you’re looking for ways to grow your business on the web with expanded e-commerce options, contact us today. We’ve got the skills and experience to build a winning e-commerce presence, and we can help you focus on a business model that fits your audience – and develop a marketing and customer support strategy to match.

Ready to get started? Contact Rosie’s Creative, your first consultation is always free!