Guide to ecommerce growth

This ebook emphasizes a quick guide to kickstarting ecommerce for $15

Ecommerce, short for electronic commerce, refers to the buying and selling of goods and services over the internet. The ecommerce industry has exploded in the last two decades, radically changing how consumers shop and businesses reach customers. An ecommerce business allows entrepreneurs to sell products or services online without needing physical retail premises.

For consumers, shopping online provides convenience, selection, and competitive pricing. They can browse and purchase anything imaginable and have it delivered right to their doorstep with just a few clicks. Ecommerce sites are open 24/7, providing constant access from anywhere. Powerful search and filtering makes finding specific products easy. Customer reviews lend social validation. Secure payment processing gives consumers confidence in safety of transactions.

For sellers, an ecommerce business presents a global marketplace unconstrained by geography. Entrepreneurs can sell to customers around the world. The ability to quickly scale up and down provides agility impossible in brick-and-mortar retail. Data-driven insights into customer behavior optimize marketing. Lower overhead without leasing physical space increases profit margins. Automation and outsourcing of fulfillment reduces staffing costs.

Successful ecommerce businesses carefully craft their brand image and shopping experience. Easy-to-navigate catalog layout, compelling product descriptions, stunning photography, and smart recommendations make items irresistible. Payment and shipping options cater to consumer preferences. Solid security and customer support instill trust. Marketing through search, social, email, and more places products in front of motivated buyers everywhere.

The most common ecommerce business models are online retail, dropshipping, wholesaling, and digital goods. Software, books, stock photography, and services can all be sold digitally for high margins. Physical product sales may involve warehousing and shipping logistics. Marketplaces like Amazon and eBay provide existing infrastructure.

For small businesses and online entrepreneurs, ecommerce opens up game-changing possibilities. With hard work building their brand and customer experience, nearly anyone can successfully launch and grow an online store that reaches audiences globally. The multi-trillion dollar ecommerce industry shows no signs of slowing momentum.

Supported Ecommerce stores in this ebook:

• Shopify - Fully-hosted ecommerce platform with everything you need to create an online store. Offers powerful features, themes, and integrations to suit businesses of all sizes.
• WooCommerce - WordPress plugin that lets you turn your WordPress site into a shop. Flexible open-source option with over 500 extensions available.
• Squarespace - All-in-one web hosting and ecommerce platform option. Excels at beautiful designs and simplicity. Better for smaller catalogs.
• Etsy - Leading marketplace for selling handmade, custom, and vintage goods. Perfect for crafters, artists, and makers to access a built-in buyer base.
• Amazon - The ecommerce giant offers Fulfilled by Amazon (FBA) services to easily sell your products to millions of customers.
• eBay - Long-running auction site great for selling unique, rare, or collectible goods across diverse categories to dedicated shoppers.
• Facebook Shops - Allows businesses to easily set up an online store accessible within Facebook and Instagram to tap huge viewer base.
• Wix Stores - Wix's drag and drop editor can be used to create stunning online shops connected to secure payment processing.
• BigCommerce - Scalable SaaS ecommerce platform with global enterprise-level features to grow large B2B and B2C operations.
• Ecommerce plugins - Add full-featured shopping functionality by integrating ecommerce plugins into your WordPress or other CMS site.