The world of website design is constantly evolving, and 2023 is shaping up to be a year of exciting new trends and innovations. From minimalist designs to immersive 3D experiences, there are a variety of ways that businesses and designers are looking to make an impact and stand out from the crowd. Here are some of the key trends to watch for in the coming year.
Minimalism has been a popular trend for several years now, and it’s not going away anytime soon. This approach to design emphasizes simplicity and clean lines, often using a limited color palette and negative space to create an elegant, uncluttered look. The focus is on showcasing content, rather than the design itself, making minimalism a great choice for businesses that want to convey a sense of professionalism and sophistication.
As technology continues to advance, website designers are finding new ways to create immersive and interactive experiences for users. 3D graphics and animations are becoming more popular, allowing designers to create stunning, lifelike environments that users can explore and interact with. This trend is particularly popular in e-commerce and gaming, but it’s also finding its way into other industries as well.
Dark mode has been a hot trend in the tech industry for a while now, and it’s finally making its way into website design. This feature makes websites easier on the eyes by using a dark background and light text, which is especially helpful for users who spend a lot of time staring at their screens. It’s also a great way to create a moody, sophisticated look that’s perfect for high-end brands and businesses.
In conclusion, these are just a few of the exciting trends that we can expect to see in 2023. Whether you’re a business owner or a designer, these trends provide a wealth of opportunities to create unique and engaging websites that stand out from the crowd. So, get ready to experiment and take your website design to the next level!
We are happy to announce that we are now accepting cryptocurrency as a form of payment for our services. This move is aimed at making the payment process more efficient, secure, and accessible for our clients globally.
Cryptocurrency has been gaining widespread popularity and acceptance over the past few years, with many companies and individuals recognizing its benefits. In this blog post, we will explore the advantages of using cryptocurrency as a form of payment and why our decision to accept it is a significant step forward for the industry.
Decentralized and Secure: One of the main benefits of cryptocurrency is that it operates on a decentralized network, meaning that it is not controlled by a central authority like a bank. This eliminates the risk of fraud or hacking that can occur with traditional payment methods. Transactions made with cryptocurrency are verified by a network of computers, making them highly secure.
Lower Transaction Fees: Another advantage of cryptocurrency is that it typically has lower transaction fees compared to traditional payment methods. This is because there are no intermediaries involved in the transaction process, reducing the costs associated with processing payments.
Fast and Convenient: Cryptocurrency transactions are processed almost instantly, eliminating the need for lengthy waiting periods for payment verification and processing. This makes the payment process faster, more efficient, and more convenient for Builtflat’s clients.
Borderless Transactions: Cryptocurrency operates on a global scale, making it an ideal solution for individuals and businesses looking to transact across borders. This eliminates the need for currency conversion, reducing costs and making the transaction process smoother and more seamless.
In conclusion, our decision to accept cryptocurrency as a form of payment is a testament to our commitment to providing our clients with innovative and efficient payment solutions.
“Today, Adobe (Nasdaq:ADBE) announced it has entered into a definitive merger agreement to acquire Figma, a leading web-first collaborative design platform, for approximately $20 billion in cash and stock. The combination of Adobe and Figma will usher in a new era of collaborative creativity.”
Adobe, creators of the software that almost all designers use every day has just announced they will be acquiring Figma, a popular design tool used by designers, product teams, and engineers of Big Tech firms like Google, Oracle, and Salesforce.
The key to Figma’s success is its web-based collaboration tools, meaning a bunch of different editors and their quickly moving cursors can all work on a project simultaneously—a department in which Adobe has lagged. Figma’s own website still has a page that tells potential users, “Don’t sync to the cloud with Adobe XD. Work in the cloud with Figma.”—MM
This is really big news for the design community, but it hasn’t come without its critics. The core idea of Figma was to give designers a “fun & free” way to design, which is something a lot of designers believe Adobe has strayed away from over the years, with their expensive subscription plans & over complicated software interfaces.
It will however, give Figma users access to Adobe’s cloud storage features and cross software design libraries. This will undoubtedly speed up some designers workflow.
The Builtflat team are very big fans of the Adobe software suite and use it on a daily basis, so this news is very exciting for us. We currently use Adobe’s UI design software Adobe xd. However, With Adobe’s new partnership with Figma, we may see a shift in the design software we use here.
iOS 16 was announced today at WWDC 2022 with several new features, including a completely redesigned lock screen with widgets and enhancements to several system apps. Specifically speaking about Safari, Apple’s web browser will now support web push notifications, extension syncing, and more with the update.
One of the biggest complaints about the iOS version of Safari is that it lacks push notifications for web apps, so websites are unable to notify a user if they’re running Safari in the background – although this is already possible on the Mac.
With iOS 16, the wait for this feature is finally over. Developers can push web applications even further, by notifying their users with important information, directly to their devices. This has been a feature that developers have been longing for, as it gives them the ability to really push what a web application is capable of, instead of relying on native phone applications.
Apple says the feature will come in 2023 with a future update of iOS 16, so it won’t be available at launch. At least the company has now finally confirmed that it is working on web push notifications.
Developers can now download the first beta of iOS 16 via the Apple Developer website. A public beta version will be available next month with the official release expected this fall.
Taking that first step to digitise your business can be a hard one. You have to navigate through millions of websites offering you a product that will (probably not) increase revenue, efficiency or some metric related to size.. Don’t do it, it’s a trap! It’s tough avoiding those cheap parlor offers when taking your first steps online, especially if you don’t know what’s out there in the community. Regardless of these ‘snake oil’ sales websites – we believe the benefits
So to do our part, we at Builtflat have compiled a list of online tools or methods to help you simplify and take full advantage of your digital journey. These tools range from free to paid options and are perfect for any type of website from e-commerce to entertainment, no matter the category or industry.
Let’s start with the free tools!
Social Media.
Connect better with your customers.
Thousands of people around the world have started and successfully run their business solely on social media, thousands more use it to supplement their business structure and growth.
Social media is an interesting one that a lot of businesses neglect, usually saying it’s not worth the time or that their audience isn’t targetable. You only have to look at the growth of social media channels over the past decade to know that there is nowhere else in the world where you can reach so many people in one space. And targetability.. Think about websites like Facebook and the details they gather from you when you sign up, plus all the page Likes and Follows, the groups you’re in, the location data, your friends and even their interests. All that can be used at your disposal.
Starting off you’ll need to get an idea of your ideal target customer and keep that image of the person in your mind, or better yet – write it down. Then it’s time to pick your platforms and there’s a few to choose from. Use your identified target customer for reference when picking and have a look through the stats of each. For instance, Instagram is very popular with those ages 18 to 24 whereas Facebook with 2 billion monthly active users is more popular with those aged between 25 to 34.
Once you’ve picked out the appropriate channels you’ll need to start planning your approach. Think about how you can connect to your target audience through your profile and build around that. Are they after professionalism? Would a good laugh help convert them? Would making the brand seem more humane create a great connection with your customer base? Build that into your profile and your approach to your customers on these channels.
Next, think about the content you would create and how often it could be created. I always think of Social Media as a content beast, constantly hungry for content. This doesn’t mean you need to overfeed the beast – It means you need to be active and keep him on the appropriate diet. Tie this in with Social Media analytics and you’ll be able to spot the perfect recipe to feed him with down to the type, time, quantity, and more. Protip: Having a content calendar helps!
A big benefit for businesses on social media is the advertising capabilities. The targetability is insane! Not only that, it’ll give you a rough idea of your ROI and estimate the reach size of your campaign. Do it! Start off small, play around with the types of content you’re advertising, the time you’re posting, and the groups you’re targeting. Track your results and build out the roadmap for making successful advertising campaigns.
The final step is well, just taking the first step and doing it. Apart from the advertising it’s all free to set up and can be done from the comfort of your desk chair, sofa, porcelain throne, or movie theatre – Although, goodluck with that last one.
Google Analytics.
A must for any website, especially an e-commerce website.
In short – Google analytics is like a marketers wet dream.
Personally I spend hours.. I mean not hours, I do actually have a life.. Anyways – I spend an ‘amount’ of time gathering information from our own Google Analytics dashboard to better serve our customers to grow our business. This free tool is made by Google and piggybacks off your businesses website to give you accurate and insightful data to use how you see fit. It might not help you take over the world, but it’ll help you increase conversions.
Well, it doesn’t directly increase conversions.. but Google Analytics creates a space for testing and feedback so you can make those conversion increasing changes to your website. For example,
Google Analytics can show you a potential target customer base you haven’t noticed before. You could be targeting customers locally and not even realise 90% of your traffic is coming from overseas, how could you take advantage of that?
Leading on from point 1 – Google Analytics can show you the demographics of users landing on your website. This information is invaluable to any marketing strategy.
You might not even know that particular website pages are broken or turning your customers away – Google Analytics breaks down your Bounce Rate to identify where problems are so you can fix them.
You can find out how users are getting to your website – Is there a potential opportunity to capitalise on there?
Do you want your user base returning frequently to your website? You can track your user retention through Google Analytics.
Google My Business
Not literally Google my business – it’s called Google My Business.
The second free tool from Google I’m going to recommend is Google My Business (GMB). An essential for any business, GMB gives you a dedicated information feed for customers to use when they’ve organically searched for you. Imagine GMB as a basic storefront that shows your contact details, your location, your opening hours, and images related to your business.
It can even be used for finding directions to your business locations, for customers to post reviews about their experiences, or so they can colab and upload their photos of your products or store. Google’s constantly expanding on GMB and now offers an updates feed, a direct messaging option, and a space to post frequently asked questions. Offer your services, show off your menu, let customers know how they can shop with you. Google My Business is an essential free online tool.
Google Trends.
Google really likes giving out free tools!
Bit of out of the loop nowadays? You’re not alone. Trends change as often as you change your underwear.. That’s every day for those who didn’t know. Thankfully, you don’t have to be hooked into every social orifice of the wide web to keep up to date and can opt for another free tool by Google called Google Trends that lets you know what people are Googling. It’s perfect for content creation and for keeping your brand up to date with trending trendy trends.
It’s super simple to use, just search different terms and topics related to your business or marketing campaign ideas. This will give you common search phrases, related topics, and queries which can be compared against other keywords. Google Trends also lets you search geographically by area or worldview so you can see what’s trending in different locations. They even have data on previous years search trends. Pair this with a Social Media and content creation strategy and you’re good to go!
Google Drive.
Google’s all-in-one tool to help you get online.
When I first started using Google Drive as a student I was pretty reluctant to do so. After using Microsoft applications for years I was unwilling to step away from the norm but quickly I realised how behind on the times I was. Google Drive is one of the best online tools you can get nowadays and a majority of it is completely free. You can craft sharable essays, documents, presentations, spreadsheets, questionnaires or forms, and PDF’s. Not only that, you can store files and images, use Google’s Calendar, its Gmail email service, host video calls or chatrooms, manage Google advertisements, or take advantage of Google Workspace for teams.
It can be pretty overwhelming when you look at all these online tools Google offers but Google’s built all these tools to be as user friendly as possible. Not only that, they follow the same conventions as all the other tools out there, making switching easier than ever. To this day I continue to use their services daily. By integrating it into Builtflat we operate smoother, get work done faster, and in the beginning it saved us a lot of money we didn’t have to spend on expensive programs or annual subscriptions. If you’re not already a Google user or haven’t taken a full drive in, this is one online tool to check out and take advantage of.
Email Marketing
One of the earliest forms of digital marketing.
Since its conception in 1971 by a computer engineer named Ray Tomlinson, email has grown as a useful tool. So useful that it’s estimated that in 2022 333.2 billion emails [https://www.statista.com/statistics/456500/daily-number-of-e-mails-worldwide/] are sent every day. Marketers everywhere understand the power of email marketing and its ability to grow communities, relationships, and businesses. But if you’d rather see a dollar value of email marketing, check out this study which found every £1 spent on email marketing had an average return of £38 on their investment.
So, where do you get started? Getting your email list, and no I don’t mean buying one. Unless you earn those email addresses, whatever addresses you have are from people who haven’t opted in and 9/10 of them would not be happy receiving your emails. This is a two way street here, you give and you get. Experiment with different techniques for getting people to sign on to your emailing list. For instance, using competitions sign ups, trading them for discounts or free shipping, or even just asking your customers are all ways of getting emails.
If it doesn’t make dollars, it doesn’t make sense – Well Xero makes sense of the dollars!
Xero makes an often unpleasant task of dealing with the bookkeeping easier for everyone, which is why it’s made our list of digital tools to help your business. This paid cloud-based accounting software covers purchasing, managing invoicing, bookkeeping, expenses, inventory, bank reconciliation, and more from any device with an internet connection. Not only that, it’s recognised by and integrates flawlessly with hundreds of third-party applications such as Stripe, PayPal, and Capsule. This only makes Xero perform better. For instance, if you integrate Xero with Stripe your customers can then pay their bills directly with a debit or credit card.
I’m not going to overload you with Xero’s features so I’ll keep this short and sweet. From a digital developer standpoint, what I love about Xero is how easy it is to use. The UX and UI design throughout their website and application dashboard means even a dummy like me can do my GST return in 3 clicks. I never see Xero as a task to do. To me, it’s a helpful employee who takes the stress out of often-times complicated jobs, keeps me updated and informed about our books, and helps our business run smoothly.
Cloud storage
Is your head in the cloud? No? It should be!
The evolution of data based storage has transformed in leaps in bounds. From fridge-size devices to usb drives with x100 better storage and performance. Then came the Cloud which revolutionised how we accessed our stored data. Cloud based storage means your data gets stored away on servers located around the world which you can access anytime and anywhere you have an internet connection. There’s now no need for you to lug around your fridge-sized harddrives anymore! This is why Cloud storage is one of the most important digital tools to get your business online and to improve your day to day operation.
Ever lose a usb drive? Or arrive at a meeting and realise you’ve forgotten to get your presentation? How about going into the office to get some data files so you can work from home? These are some annoying situations that Cloud storage fixes, but there’s something even greater it can do, protect your data. Nowadays you always hear about businesses suffering from ransomware, an attack on your computer systems that locks you out of your files unless you pay a ransom. Well, if your files are backed up to the Cloud then you’ve still got access to them. I think that’s Hackers – 0 and Cloud storage – 1.
There’s now a lot of different options out there to get access to this great digital tool with free and paid packages ranging from 2GB to, well.. the skys the limit really. Dropbox has gained popularity in the Cloud space and offers great team packages for you to take advantage of. Even Google and Microsoft have their own in the form of Google Drive and OneDrive, each with their own features. Have a look at these three and the many others out there and get your head in the Cloud!
Website development.
What’s the point of getting online if your customers can’t find you online?
Conflict of interest here – At Builtflat we build and develop websites. But I’m not here to tell you why you should pick us to do so, I’m here to tell you why websites are the best online tool you need as a business. We’re in this line of work to help people out, not push sales.
Expectation
A while ago, if you wanted to find a business you would check the Yellow or White pages. Now, you do an internet search. There now is an expectation amongst a majority of the population that your brand will have a website they can find for information or purchasing. If they can’t, you’re really going to suffer with points 2 and 3.
Credibility
Why can’t I find your website? Are you hiding something? Do you even exist? How do I see the quality of your business? A good website answers all those questions that potential customers might ask themselves if you don’t have one. Here’s a fun fact, 74% of users admit to judging a businesses credibility just off the website design alone. How would they judge a business who doesn’t have one at all? A website is an opportunity for your business to show your customers that you’re the best, that you’re around, and that you’re ready and waiting for them whenever they want.
Sales
Think of a website as a silent salesperson who’s working 24/7 and costs less wages than any employee you could ever find. They’re just sitting there and waiting for a potential customer to land on them so they can use their integrated sales techniques to help convert them to a sale or generate a lead. With minimal effort, that’s an opportunity for you or money straight in the bank.
Market expansion and growth
If you run brick and mortar retail stores, market expansion might be opening another store in a different town or suburb. It’s definitely more reach than what you had previously but how does it stack up against having a website that can be accessed by anyone nationally or around the globe? A website offers unparalleled market expansion and growth for any brand and business. So if more opportunity and money is what you’re after, then you’re after a website.
Consumer insights
What good would all that expansion and growth be if you couldn’t grow it further! Like we covered with Google Analytics, having a website means you can access those juicy consumer insights which gives you a literal roadmap to success. Identifying potential markets, tracking promotions, finding customer issues, track retention, test changes and their outcomes, and more, and more, and more.. You get the idea.
Advertising
Having a well-built website means you have a platform to advertise that’s purpose is to convert potential customers into sales or leads, and increase brand awareness. Without one it becomes very hard to take advantage of Google’s own Google AdWords or the many other online advertising outlets available. Trust me, you want to take advantage of one of the most targetable, accurate, and cost effective marketing solutions available.
Customer service
One great ability websites offer businesses is their customer service. Not only can you reduce your customer services costs and save time, you’ve got that 24/7 sales person sitting there. They’re answering all those pricing enquiries, frequently asked questions, providing credibility and reviews, giving brand insights, showing your products and services, your office hours, your locations, and more.
Competition
It’s pretty likely that your competition has their own website, trying to take as much from the market as they can. Ramp up the competition a bit. Make it harder for them to get those easy online sales or run them out with a perfectly built website, digital marketing strategy, and some willpower.
What else..
Well, there’s heaps of reasons. Websites can make you industry leaders, an authoritative source of information, it can help build relationships with your customers, give out brand updates or promotions, help you compete with larger brands, teach consumers about your brand and offerings, show your professionalism, and your brand identity. The possibilities are kind of endless..
I really hope you’re taking advantage of these digital tools to help get your business online. If you’re not, I hope this article has given you a slight push to give them a go. Look at the offerings Google has and how it can help your marketing and online presence. At how Social Media can build a closer connection with your customers. Think about how email marketing or Stripe could grow your business, or how Xero could streamline your operations. Check out the offerings for Cloud storage because your data is an important piece of your business. Keep in mind the benefits you can reap from having a website for your brand.
Thank you for taking the time to read this article, we hope it’s helped and giving some clarity to the vast amount of digital tools available. Besides this list, there’s hundreds more tools out there just waiting for you to take advantage of. If you ever need some help or guidance in this sometimes daunting digital space, contact Builtflat anytime. We’d love to help out any way we can!
Commerce, the method of buying and selling goods (not the other definition..) has been around since, well.. We really don’t know. All of known human history we have bought, made, sold, and traded all over the world. From the 4000 miles of the silk road to the birth of the garage sale, we humans have bartered our goods in many different ways over the years to our respected customers. Apart from the traveling merchant, the most popular sales method in the past “while” has been selling your wares through a brick-and-mortar store, so what’s that all about?
What are Brick-and-Mortar stores?
Short and sweet – Any business with a physical location that customers can view and purchase goods and services from would be termed a “brick-and-mortar” store. Your local supermarket, the Nike store in the mall, or Supercheap Auto would be classed as such.
What are E-commerce websites?
Any sales based website that customers can purchase from is classed as an e-commerce website. Different from a brick-and-mortar store, the e-commerce website utilises electronic commerce technology and doesn’t always have a physical store that consumers can purchase from. Keep in mind, some businesses operate both e-commerce websites and brick-and-mortar stores to harness the best of both worlds.
As of recently, e-commerce websites are fast increasing in popularity and accounted for 4.9 Trillion dollars (USD) worth of retail sales worldwide in 2021. Because of this they become a serious top contender for retail sales methods out there.
The ‘E-commerce-brick-and-mortar hybrid thingy’.
As technology has grown over the years, it’s helped combine these two selling methods together. In 2018, Amazon opened its first cashierless store which leverages smart electronic commerce technology but in a brick-and-mortar store environment. Customers walk in, put items in their basket, and walk out without having to do anything other than that. The store tracks their choices and automatically charges their card when they leave the store. We won’t cover much more on this hybrid of the two but hopefully it’s given you a feeling of where things are heading.
So, what are the benefits of a physical store?
Physical interaction.
A huge benefit to brick-and-mortar stores is that their customers can physically interact with the product. This lessens the possibility of disappointment because the customers see exactly what they are getting. It also can push customers closer to conversion considering the product they want is right there.
This extends past the physical products themselves. Some customers prefer to talk to people face-to-face or may suffer from ‘technoidontknowwhatimdoingism’. On the flip side some customers would rather not have that human interaction at all which is something that has blown up after the Covid pandemic. This poses a benefit and a disadvantage to brick-and-mortar stores.
Product availability.
Some things just can’t wait. For example, you’ve lost your phone charger cable, forgotten to buy chocolate for the misses, or you’re one fence paling short from finishing the day with a beer.
Unless an e-commerce store offers same day delivery which unfortunately is still held to the possibility of delays, you’d probably prefer to just pop down to the shop and pick out whatever you need. Fingers crossed they have it in stock though.
Easier decisions.
One thing that brick-and-mortar stores have over e-commerce websites is their limited range can make consumers purchasing decisions easier. Psychological studies have shown that while we humans like choice, the more choice we have actually limits our ability to choose. Less is more. A saying that’s even baked into UX website design techniques, just check out Google’s home page for example.
When you’re in a store you might only be subjected to a few different brands with their own individual options. When you’re online, it can be harder for some consumers to find exactly what they need due to the sheer ‘Google-load’ of options out there.
The benefits of an e-commerce website.
E-commerce websites have low operational costs for great returns.
Of course, any e-commerce website will have operating costs but they are drastically less than that of a brick-and-mortar store, giving you a great return on your investment. You need less staff, you don’t need to rent or buy a shop, even creating or updating an e-commerce website is cheaper than creating a storefront. Think about all the operating costs you’d save on. Better yet, you could even drop your prices while retaining the same profit to get an edge on your competitors.
Digital advertising and e-commerce websites go hand in hand.
It’s pretty understandable that they would, right? If you’re going to advertise something online, what better to advertise than your e-commerce website. Even better, the products or promotions you have on that e-commerce website. No other advertising method puts customers closer to conversion than literally being a click away. Well, you could chant your sales pitches outside your shop hoping people will come in but even that misses out.
One of the greatest tools out there that businesses can take advantage of nowadays is digital advertising. Compared to other methods, it’s cheap for the coverage you get, it’s highly targetable, it’s accurate, and (My favourite) it’s testable with live feedback. I wrote a piece on 9 tools you should check out to help your business that I’ve linked here if you want to read more about digital advertising. [INSERT LINK FOR 9 TOOLS FOR YOUR BUSINESS HERE]
E-commerce websites are open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
E-commerce websites are a tireless sales person, bright-eyed singing your story and selling your goods at 3 in the morning to those couple of night owls that are craving a bit of retail therapy. You’re probably not going to hop out of bed and drive down to your shop that early to serve those customers. That’s why you should let an e-commerce website do it for you. You can keep up with your beauty sleep and arrive at work with a pleasant surprise of sales!
Let’s say you’re open from 8am till 5pm Monday to Friday and 9am till 5pm on Saturdays, that’s 53 hours a week. An e-commerce website is open 168 hours a week.. Think of how many more sales an e-commerce website could make you!
Reach customers close and far with an e-commerce website.
With an e-commerce website you’re not limited to your local customers, you’re not even limited nationally. Customers all over the world can find your business on the web and purchase your goods. E-commerce websites can turn your business into an international servicer. Just think about how cool it would be knowing someone in Finland is eating your locally made honey? Or that someone from Hawaii is wearing your latest t-shirt drop? An e-commerce website makes it easier for you to sell internationally and easier for those international customers to purchase.
E-commerce websites can harness customer data.
The subject of user data seems to be the talk of the town since users are finding out a lot of companies they subscribe to are selling their data. Frankly, it’s put a bad reputation on the word but the use of consumer data doesn’t have to be as nefarious as how some companies are using it. Collecting and analysing consumer data can be unintrusive, it can also be an amazing tool for understanding your customers to improve your offerings, find customer pain points, and grow your business.
E-commerce websites are one of the best types of websites for collecting this data and as I said, it doesn’t have to be intrusive. You can build buyer profiles and identify who wants what and at what price with just a simple account sign up. That way you know the best items and deals for the best people. Remember, you should be helping them out in return for this data transaction. Don’t take advantage of consumers trust.
E-commerce websites can scale with your business as grows.
The great thing about e-commerce websites is that they can scale with your business as it grows, or it can scale to grow your business! Using tools such as Google Analytics can give you insane insights into the ‘who’ your consumers are and the ‘how’ they’re using your e-commerce website. This information can be used as a roadmap to grow your website’s usability, to increase its conversion rate, to build your brand awareness, and even target a new customer base for example. This leads into my next spiel..
Just like stores, e-commerce websites can be set up to convert.
Having multi-buys on the counter or directing your customers past all the impulse buy deal bins when they leave the store has been a great way to increase your basket size. E-commerce websites do a great job of this as well. An e-commerce website that’s set up correctly and leverages proper UX and UI design techniques to push those customers closer to conversion is a deadly sales weapon any business would love.
You might see an e-commerce website as nothing more than just.. Well, a website. It’s better to imagine it as a brick-and-mortar store. From the moment you land on that website, it’s taking you on what marketers would call a ‘sales funnel’ journey. Directing you here, catching your eye there, pushing you closer to its end goal. What’s the end goal? That’s really up to you. E-commerce websites can be set up in thousands of ways to reach the best outcome for you.
So who wins out of this ‘e-commerce website vs brick-and-mortar store’ battle?
Truth be told, it depends!
Ha, thought I was going to outright say e-commerce websites after harping on about it for so long? Nope. It really does depend. Different business models call for brick-and-mortar stores over e-commerce websites, just as they can the opposite way too. E-commerce is great for those first venturing out into the business world with their ideas because of its lower set up fees, its feedback, and potential growth to help them get kick started. Others need that physical location for their customers to visit.
It’s actually very beneficial for businesses to consider covering both of their bases and running both side by side. Not all of your customers are going to want to come in store, some do. Not all customers know how to use the internet, others can’t get enough. Not all customers are free during daylight opening hours, some are. Utilising both an e-commerce website and a brick-and-mortar store means you’re reaching both of these customers to harness the most of the market that you can.
Thanks for having a read, I hope this article has shed some light on the subject. Brick-and-mortar stores aren’t exactly our speciality at Builtflat but luckily e-commerce websites are. Not only do we understand the challenge behind setting one up, we know how to build it properly to start converting from the get-go. So if you’re interested or even just have any website development questions you can contact us [INSERT LINK TO CONTACT PAGE] here, we’d love to hear from you!
