Now’s the Time to Sell Online
15/05/2020 | Web Design | 5 minutesIn the world of retail, there has been no time more than the present that has emphasised just how valuable it is to be online.
While e-commerce has been around for what feels like forever, the situation we find ourselves in today has exposed retailers without an online platform, and catapulted those with an e-commerce set-up into some uncharted waters where demand is more than most can fill.
Of course, if you had a choice, it’s better to be the latter. No one wants to be in a Primark like situation, where sales went from £650 million, and all of a sudden halted to £0, all because they never set up online.
Thankfully, for retailers who aren’t as big as Primark, setting up an e-commerce platform to sell your wares while we’re all still indoors, is still an option.
The New Natural is E-Commerce
What we’ve seen from the current situation is a drastic change in consumer behaviour that is not going to go away when things go back to normal. After all, we are in the “new natural”, and every facet of our life is being conducted online.
This is great news. If you happen to be a business with products or services to sell, that can be sold online, you are in the perfect position to adapt and prosper. Consumer demand is high, and people are hungry for options.
What’s more, selling online gives you access to consumers further afield. In some cases, if you can ship abroad, this means tapping into markets that were previously unavailable to you if you had previously no e-commerce functionality. Not only is the prospect of more customers appealing, but consider the challenge in economies around the world today. With the ability to reach abroad, you can strategically target markets that are thriving, making your business more agile and able to handle future challenges more easily.
The Shepherd and Woodward Group Flourishes Online
One independent local business in a similar predicament was The Varsity Shop, part of the Shepherd and Woodward Group. While they had an online presence, they were well aware that to be competitive, they not only needed to be online, but they needed to have appeal online.
With this in mind, the Shepherd and Woodward Group engaged Urban Element to learn how they could amplify their online presence to push through these challenging times and be more competitive than ever.
Assessing their online presence and crafting a strategy to boost their reach and give them consumer appeal, Urban Element worked with The Varsity Shop to deliver a brand new WordPress site, boosted with WooCommerce to make the shopping experience for customers a pure joy.
Not only did Urban Element consider the user experience (UX) onsite, but they also worked to get The Varsity Shop customer reach online far beyond the UK.
Urban Element’s SEO team has worked closely with the Varsity Shop to ensure that the new e-commerce site is fully optimised for the international market. Allowing them to diversify their target market, giving them access to consumers in the best global economies.
Going live on Friday the 24th of April, The Varsity Shop now has online appeal, international reach and is fully functional to generate the best online sales possible for the retailer.
“We, as a retail and tourist hotspot had to react to the current climate with a new e-commerce website. Following it’s launch on Friday the 24th April we’re delighted to already have received orders from around the world”
Matthew Cox
Director of Retail Operations
Whether you need web design in Oxford for an online presence that needs to be enhanced, or a WordPress agency in Oxford to set you up with a brand new site from scratch, Urban Element has the expertise to get you online, appealing to your customers and reaching far for the best possible results.
