Online retail is bigger than ever, especially since Covid when a new crop of online shoppers began purchasing items from their computer or other device and rarely stepping into their favourite stores. Even before the pandemic, however, E-commerce was growing and growing, with individuals intent on shopping without having to trek to the mall, the closest big box store, or even the supermarket.
If you own a small or medium-sized business in Surrey that relies heavily upon online sales and on local or regional customers, you’ve perhaps seen a growth in business…IF you have the correct tools in place to keep the e-commerce side of your business moving in the right direction. But if the pandemic has slowed your business and you’re just not making the money you think you should be making through your e-commerce site, it might just be time to examine a few details.
Who designed your e-commerce site?
Has your e-commerce site been up and running for a while? Does it appear to be functioning efficiently? Or are you surprised at the lack of business or confused about your inability to convert “tire kickers” into tire buyers?
If the latter is true, there are a number of reasons why this might be happening. First of all, where is your web designer situated? Across town or across the world? Often, business owners in Surrey and other surrounding towns and cities will find that hiring someone who understands the Canadian market is a far better idea in contrast to employing someone who doesn’t know the region and its buying habits at all.
At Watershed9, we are familiar with the local market and we can craft your e-commerce website so that we capture your traffic and turn those browsers into favourite customers that come back again and again. Because we’re located in the Fraser Valley and know the area intimately, we can make suggestions that allow you to truly connect with your local customers, whether you’re a service business or sell retail or wholesale products.
Furthermore, we can handle those complicated issues that are connected to doing business in Canada as well. For example, we understand intra-provincial tax issues, which can be confusing at times. As a Canadian small business owner, it’s essential that you get that part right, and we can set up your e-commerce shop so that it addresses such issues. We can also integrate Canada Post shipping charges into the mix.
Choosing an e-commerce platform
Surrey businesses that already have an e-commerce site or are pondering starting an online business need to choose the right platform for optimal successful. At Watershed9, we often choose the highly-successful WooCommerce, which integrates with your WordPress website and is already trusted by millions businesses worldwide.
As the most experienced website design team in the Fraser Valley, we’ve played with a variety of options when it comes to choosing an e-commerce platform for our clients…and WooCommerce is usually the winner. There are plenty of reasons why WooCommerce is a great choice for e-commerce including:
- Customization – Your e-commerce site not only should be priced well and function properly, but it should look good, too. WooCommerce themes are totally customizable, so you can work with your website expert to craft one that’s right for your type of business. We can “Plug-in” a variety of integrations – from shipping calculators and accounting connections, there are a ton of options that allow us to build an online store that works for you.
- Affordable pricing – WooCommerce has a variety of plugins that will help make the most of your small businesses without bleeding too much off the bottom line . So, for those just starting out who are “trying” the e-commerce thing for the first time, WooCommerce offers a low cost entry. We will modify your monthly hosting plan once WooCommerce is up and running. This makes WooCommerce an easy decision for a lot of business owners.. Looking for something more sophisticated? That’s available, too. Truly, there are a wide variety of approaches when working with WordPress and WooCommerce.
- Trusted and secure – WooCommerce has an excellent record of top-notch security. That means your customers can shop at your online store without worrying about their methods of payment being compromised. In this day and age, when so many people are shopping online, customers shouldn’t have to stress about the repercussions of using a credit card or bank account to pay for an online product or service.
If you are a Surrey area business looking to establish an e-commerce presence, the local experts at Watershed9 can help you achieve your goals. Call us at 604-337-1449 for a remote, no-obligation consultation. We’ll offer you ideas for your success and help you determine what’s right for your online business.