Why do I need an online shop as a retailer?

It's no secret that online retail is becoming more and more present and is replacing active shopping in stores. Retailers in particular are affected by this phenomenon. Although there is no shortage of walk-in customers, the proportion of actively purchasing customers continues to decline. Retail is increasingly becoming a tourist attraction, a “last minute stop” for gifts or simply a leisure activity. The incentive to go out and buy something that can be obtained much more conveniently online is simply no longer there. Ordering online saves time, you have a larger selection and, above all, you know straight away whether something is still available or not.

That doesn't make retail any less important! It beautifies the atmosphere of the pedestrian zones, you can take what you buy with you and generally get an overview of what is currently available. Specialist shops also offer face-to-face advice that is tailored precisely to your interests and also give you the opportunity to think outside the box.

However, it is no longer enough to simply be a retailer. The age of digitalization is merciless. And that's not the only problem. The pandemic has caused the general situation in business to deteriorate. Anyone who has no reserves will not survive the lockdowns. Even large chains have problems staying afloat.

And an online shop simply only brings advantages.

In this blog entry we would like to clear your doubts and explain the advantages of an online shop.

What are the advantages of an online shop?

Many advantages of an online shop are obvious:

• Larger target group, as not only customers from the region are reached
• Direct overview of the available goods
• No stop in income due to forced store closure (e.g.b during a lockdown)
• Easy and convenient shopping from home
• And much more.

But you are probably already aware of the advantages. Then why don’t you have an online shop yet? Quite simply: because of the effort that such an online shop entails. And we will go into these in more detail below.

I have no idea how to open an online store, let alone how to set it up…

Understandable! This is usually not one of the hobbies that you enjoy in your free time or that you learned at school!

But basically it's quite simple if you think about it a bit. There are now some providers who offer a simple template for websites that you can click together yourself.

If you don't want to go to the trouble of spending hours clicking through the countless options and after finding the right provider you want to spend additional hours digging through the many customization options, you can simply contact us! This saves time and the result is definitely worth it!

Within a very short time, we will develop a ready-to-use basic framework for you and with you for your very personal online shop via Shopify! An introduction to all features is included, so that you can then manage everything yourself and no longer have to rely on us.

How do I get my products integrated into the online shop?

A legitimate question. This can be time-consuming, or it can happen very quickly.

If you already have a list of all your products, you can easily upload it to your online shop. There is a detailed description of this on the dedicated page. Admittedly, if you don't have such a list, things are a little more difficult. Then the products must all be entered individually into the shop. But after a one-time effort, you've done it! For example, you could combine this work with the annual inventory and kill two birds with one stone! Or we can help you with this and help you set up the shop!

New products must be entered using the same method, but if you receive goods that have already been registered again, you can easily adjust the existing number without the hassle of entering them again.

An inventory list with details of the existing quantities of goods also makes it easier for you to get an overview of your inventory at a glance!

What if I sell a product from my online shop in store?

Because you have full control over your online store, you can adjust the existing quantity of a product with a single click right after it is sold in store.

Of course, we know that you probably don't have the time to take care of your online shop all the time. But we can allay your fear that this could lead to double sales of goods, which would not reflect well on the store.

With the “Point of Sale” function, Shopify offers you the opportunity to integrate store sales into your online shop.

With Shopify Point of Sale (POS) you can combine in-store and online sales through unified statistics. This ensures you maintain an overview of the store and online inventory of your products. You can also use POS to manage your business, advertise your products and sell on various channels. Based on inventory forecasts and performance reports, you can create orders. If you have multiple locations, you can transfer your inventory to them.

Merge in-person and online sales with POS. Make shopping easier for your customers and increase your profits. Your customers can view your products in your store and later order from the comfort of their own home. It also works the other way around. Your customers can also order from home via your online shop and later pick up everything from you on site. Is inventory low on site? No problem. Your customer can also simply order the product they want on site for a fee and have it delivered to their home. Stop losing sales with POS.

What about shipping costs?

You have the opportunity to choose and specify your shipping options yourself. The respective shipping costs are added to the value of the goods and are therefore borne by the buyer. Free shipping options can also be set up, for example from a certain purchase value.

If you would like to forego the postal service, you can offer the option of picking up from the store.

How does the tax work?

You can integrate this information directly under your personal user information. An invoice is provided for every order. You have no additional effort in this regard through the online shop!

I still don't have the time or desire to worry about it...

This problem can also be solved. If possible, you can of course hire or retrain a temporary worker or employee to take care of the online shop. You can also do this from home!

Or you can also contact us on this point! We offer to take care of your shop and keep it up to date. In this case, you would only have to support us a little when it comes to your goods.

Any questions? Let's go!

We hope that this has cleared up some of your doubts. But of course something new is always a challenge that can scare you. If you have any further questions, please feel free to contact us!

And if you have said to yourself: Let’s do this!, then click here, because we are of course ready and would be happy to help you!