New report shows that small retailers are becoming more invested in the digital space
A growing number of small businesses are beginning to embrace mobile commerce in the United States. Throughout the years, small businesses have been relatively slow to embrace e-commerce on any kind, partly due to the costs involved in doing so. Over the past few years, however, many retail businesses have been finding more success by engaging consumers online, especially during the holiday season. A new report from Duda, a website-building group, small businesses are growing increasingly invested in the digital space.
Small businesses expect to see 25% of their holiday sales come from online shopping this year
The report found that many small businesses in the U.S. expect 25% of their holiday sales to come from online shopping this year. Approximately 14% expect to see more than half of their holiday revenue come from e-commerce. The report provides a new perspective on the e-commerce space. Many believe that consumers generally favor shopping on sites like Amazon and eBay when they are looking for products, but consumers have shown willingness to shop directly from sites built by retailers, especially when it comes to shopping from a mobile device.
Small businesses have been slow to embrace e-commerce
Small businesses have been able to get by without having a significant online presence for years, but that may no longer be the case. Consumers are becoming more reliant on technology and many want to make use of online services that make shopping more convenient for them. This has lead to a surge in mobile commerce, as consumers have begun gravitating toward mobile-centric services. Social media is playing a role in the growth of e-commerce as well and small businesses may be able to capitalize on that trend.
Social commerce could help small retailers engage consumers more effectively
So called social commerce is becoming quite popular among consumers. This concept is relatively simple, as it involves shopping for products online using social media sites like Facebook and Twitter. Small businesses may be able to engage consumers more effectively by adopting some of the principles of social commerce.
A growing number of retailers are showing interest in mobile commerce. The number of people with smartphones in India is growing and they are beginning to favor shopping online over visiting physical stores. In order to connect with these consumers, retailers need to have a prominent presence in the digital world, which means that they are beginning to invest more heavily in the e-commerce space. Numerous startups have emerged to assist these retailers, offering mobile-centric services that are focused on e-commerce.