8 characteristics of e-commerce that you should know – Digital advertising, social network sales, online storefronts, marketplaces, and e-commerce… What is the number of times you have heard these ideas? Many, I’m sure. However, have you truly recognised the traits of e-commerce, and if so, how can you capitalise on them?
Nowadays, a lot of business owners who want to start a company with digital tools don’t fully understand what it means to sell online. As a result, they run into situations they never would have thought of, which can cause them to overspend or even give up.
Elements of electronic commerce
Selling things online involves more than just publishing images of them on social media platforms like Facebook or WhatsApp. In order to accomplish it well, you have to give your prospective customers a sense of confidence and provide them with a special experience.
The first step on this digital journey is to get familiar with the four fundamental components of electronic commerce, which are as follows:
1. Digital platform
This trading software is the sales channel that facilitates the buying and selling process for the users. It can be from websites with shopping carts or mobile applications to social networks.
2. Friendly web interface
The raison d’être of electronic commerce is to offer the buyer an easy-to-use platform to carry out the transaction. At this point, the striking and intuitive design becomes relevant and a differentiator.
3. Payment system
This element is vital so the seller can accept electronic payments and the buyer feels safe. It is also known as a payment gateway.
4. Informative sections
These pages contain information about the history of the business, use of personal data, return policies, shipping costs, guarantees, and frequently asked questions.
8 characteristics of electronic commerce
1. It takes place in the digital world
It may sound obvious, but it is not. One of the characteristics of electronic commerce is that it must carry out in a virtual space —either in a marketplace such as Amazon or Mercado Libre—or in your own online store —which can create with the help of tools such as Tiendanube— or even in social networks.
During the purchase, the seller must offer the buyer a 100% secure experience in which their personal and bank details are not compromised. This is achieved by using platforms with extensive technological infrastructure.
2. Facilitates the buying and selling of products or services 24/7
By not taking place in a physical store, sellers can offer their products 24 hours a day, leaving behind any schedule.
The facility to close transactions from any device with internet access makes everything more comfortable, fast, and accessible.
3. Use updated virtual catalogs
Infographic created by Chicago Tag & Label
Without a virtual catalog, sales cannot make. This document allows you to keep track of your business products and must update them at all times to provide a reliable user experience.
Thanks to technology, this control process can be carried out more quickly. It is enough to choose the tool that best suits your needs, dedicate time to feed it with information, and keep the data updated.
4. Offer a customer-focused experience
As? Weren’t companies the only ones benefiting from e-commerce? The answer is no. Electronic commerce revolves around the customer, who, over time, has become more demanding with consumption.
Your online store must be 100% optimized so that the consumer finds what they looking for easily and quickly. Ideally, you can reach any section in less than two clicks from your home page (also known as the home page).
5. Transactions are made through payment gateways
Payment gateways are the tools with which a user can pay for a product or service in an online store without putting their personal information at risk. Thanks to them, the buyer can decide whether to pay with a credit card, debit card, installments, or even with a bank deposit or in convenience stores.
6. Sellers maintain the confidentiality of each buyer’s data
Therefore, the security of a platform is a differentiator that has quickly gained importance. Thanks to security protocols, the owner of e-commerce prevents buyers from electronic scams and always protects their personal information.
This is one of the characteristics of electronic commerce in Mexico that you should not overlook if you want to boost your business and increase your sales.
7. Use technological tools to be in contact with the client
Furthermore, since there is no physical link between the consumer and the goods, creating apps to keep the lines of communication open is crucial to removing uncertainty and providing trouble-free customer support.
In only a few minutes, users may get the answers to their most frequent queries thanks to the chatbot setup. This manner, the proprietor of an online store may close sales without having to be near a computer or phone all the time.
8. It can be developed with an online store or marketplace
Moreover, Among the characteristics of e-commerce technology are marketplaces and online stores. A marketplace works like a virtual shopping center where hundreds of brands offer their products competitively to visitors.
For his part, in an online store, the business owner has complete control over his brand, choosing the payment methods he wants to receive, the shipping methods, and the platform’s design.
Both tools can be combined in a successful sales strategy to capture potential customers.
Why should you do e-commerce in 2023?
Nonetheless, one of the key aspects of electronic commerce that spurs entrepreneurs to launch a company in the digital sphere is how simple it is to purchase and sell goods.
I’ll outline five reasons your company has to have an online sales and marketing plan below:
Digital technologies are making it easier than ever to create an online store. Unconventional technical expertise is not required. Tiendanube is an example of this kind of service; with its platform, you can set up your own online store in a matter of minutes.
There are no restrictions on your sales hours or geographic reach. It is sufficient to select a reputable package delivery provider and handle your functional logistics.
The initial outlay is less when you don’t have a physical store, and you can concentrate on other things like shipping, inventory management, and online store optimisation.
Effective segmentation enables you to run advertising campaigns at reasonable costs while grabbing potential clients’ attention.
Payments made using bank transfers, credit cards, or debit cards may all be made securely. Even while you’re sleeping, this will increase your sales.