E-commerce is one of the most important things to focus on if you want to sell directly to your customers. In 2020, e-commerce adoption year-over-year doubled when compared to 2019, and while that extremely fast growth is unlikely to continue, growth in general certainly is. If you want to drive e-commerce growth, here are the two steps to take first and foremost.

1. Decide on Your Platform

First of all, you need to decide on your platform. When it comes to e-commerce platforms, there are typically two possibilities.

Existing E-Commerce Market

The first possibility is to use an e-commerce market that someone else has already set up. There are a variety of these markets available across the internet, including these three, which are some of the most prominent: 

• Amazon
• Etsy
• Walmart

When you use an existing e-commerce market, you’ll want to look carefully at the fees the company charges. Amazon typically charges a monthly fee, with possible additional fees; Etsy charges per listing, regardless of sales, and then charges an additional fee when you make a sale; and Walmart charges on individual sales. Balancing these fees is key to maximizing revenue.

Created E-Commerce Site

When you’re ready to strike out on your own, you may want to create your own e-commerce site for your company. An e-commerce site that you do on your own can help you personalize your options and really make the most of everything on your site. Three of the biggest tools for creating an e-commerce site include:

• Shopify
• BigCommerce
• WooCommerce 

These tools also vary in price, but two of the things that are important to remember are hosting and domain fees. For example, WooCommerce is free and open-source, but it requires you to pay for hosting and domain fees; BigCommerce and Shopify both bundle hosting and domain fees into your subscription so you only have to pay for one thing.

2. Maximize Your Customer Service Options

Customer service is a crucial component of making sure that your store functions well. In fact, it’s one of the biggest benefits of having your own e-commerce site; rather than customers having to contact you through the third-party site, you can have them contact you directly through email or phone. These are some of the most common methods of offering customer service:

• Phone Service
• Text Service
• Direct Messaging 

All three of these can be very helpful for a company, but you have to consider the size of your customer service base, the availability of all these options, and the preferences of your customers. Make sure you try out all three before you make a choice to pare down your options.

Conclusion

E-commerce growth is one of the most important things to focus on as a company in the 21st century. E-commerce made up 14% of total retail sales in the United States in Q4 2020, and it’s likely to keep growing over time. No matter which option you choose, e-commerce can be a great way to grow your business and keep it relevant.