Back in the 1990’s, shopping meant getting dressed and leaving the house to go to a brick and mortar store. Sometimes you would even have to go to several of them over the course of an entire “shopping day,” to search for the items you dreamt of owning.
Back then, some of the really customer savvy stores took it a step further, offering the convenience of catalogues that would be mailed to your home. You could sit on your couch with a coffee, folding corners and meticulously writing down the SKU numbers and style codes of items you loved. Purchasing was simple, all you had to do was phone in your order to the store, where you could then go to pick it up several weeks later.
Prior to e-commerce, sales relied on driving foot traffic into the stores. New customers came from word-of-mouth or catalogue distribution. To say things have changed a lot in the last 15-20 years is certainly an understatement. The evolution of the internet has completely changed the way that people shop and the way that businesses sell.
When you think of ‘online shopping’ you probably envision visiting the website of your favourite store, browsing their products and making your purchase. But these days it’s so much more. With the trend towards online marketplaces like Amazon, Walmart and Best Buy Canada taking hold, customers are able to quickly and easily shop for the best deals in only one or a few locations, meaning small and large e-commerce businesses are now finding themselves on the same playing field.
Think of marketplaces like an online shopping mall with one central checkout. The “mall” is home to many sellers who provide information about their products – pricing, product descriptions, etc. The sellers are responsible for handling any customer inquiries, fulfillment of orders, as well as shipping & returns. The “mall” (online marketplace) is responsible for processing all transactions, and, they also provide the opportunity to take advantage of the marketing, advertising, and millions of visitors that come with a well-known brand (e.g.: Amazon).
By including your brand in an online marketplace where many shoppers now begin their product searches, businesses are aligning themselves with recognizable and trusted names, successfully putting their name and product offerings in front of millions of potential new customers who may have otherwise been unaware. The impact of this is astounding.
Over the past several years, adHOME has helped integrate several of our clients’ sales and inventory into marketplaces like Best Buy Canada and Amazon. As a result, they’ve seen revenues triple to millions of dollars per month. Sounds great, but you may be wondering – how do you possibly manage sales, process orders, accurately track inventory and fulfill customer purchases across these multiple channels – in-store, on your e-commerce website and in the online marketplaces?
We’ve got you covered. After long-hours (and a lot of coffee) our talented development team are able to fully synchronize these systems and processes across all platforms. By doing this, we give our clients a snapshot view of their entire business allowing for easy management, and providing a seamless and consistent customer experience. adHOME has been honoured to help our clients overcome their e-commerce hurdle and grow their online presence from company sites with online catalogues, to seamlessly integrated e-commerce solutions spanning several channels.
Want to know more about adHOME’s e-commerce integration solutions? Contact us today.