Have you been growing fond of your side hustle and feel it is time to take it to the next level?
Do you dream of trading in your day job to pursue your side hustle full time?
If you answered ‘Yes’ to either of the above questions then it is time to explore eCommerce and see if it is the right path for you.
What is the Purpose of eCommerce?
eCommerce is the activity of buying and selling using electronic systems which is to say over the Internet. In general, when we talk about eCommerce we are referring to an eCommerce website or platform which is used to facilitate the buying and selling of products and services.
An eCommerce website does a number of things …
- Firstly an eCommerce website contains a catalogue of products or services
- It allows you to select one or multiple products and place them into an electronic shopping cart
- Next visitors can provide their name and shipping address and then make payment through one of many payment options.
As an eCommerce business owner, you then collect the payment and arrange for the speediest delivery possible.
Your eCommerce website is in essence a digital version of a shop and till point allowing your customers to browse your inventory and then purchase the items they want.
But eCommerce is a lot more versatile than simply being a digital version of a shop.
In fact, you can sell things you would never find in physical shops.
Some of the things you can sell include, physical and digital products, services, event tickets, online and offline courses, memberships, subscriptions, consulting and more.
Almost any business can benefit from using eCommerce to facilitate the buying and selling process.
Furthermore, because an eCommerce shop does not tie you into one physical location, you can reach a far larger market. Your market could extend past your local community into other sites, provinces and even other countries. Perhaps one day even to other planets (you never know).
Is eCommerce the Right Fit for My Side Hustle?
Now that you have as better idea about what eCommerce is and what it is used for it is time to see if it is suitable to help you expand your side hunstle into a real full time business.
The first two things you have to look at are, what do you sell and to whom do you sell to?
Answering this question will give you a pretty good idea as to whether eCommerce can work for your side hustle.
Other things that might affect your choice to start an eCommerce business include:
- Do you make your own products or are you reselling someone elses or do you do a bit of both?
- How do you typically deliver your products? Can a courier deliver for you or are your products too big or too delicate or do they spoil easily?
- Have you seen others selling similar products using eCommerce?
- Would adding some automation into your selling and delivery process save you some time?
- Do your customers buy other products online?
Now there are many more questions you could ask yourself. You could also speak to an eCommerce expert about your products or services and find out if they could be sold online.
There are probably far more products that can be sold online than products that can’t.
Some products might need an eCommerce website with a few extra features or in some cases a very advanced eCommerce system to customise product options. But most things can be sold online with a fairly standard eCommerce website.
How Do I Get Started in eCommerce?
If you don’t know a lot about eCommerce or you are not sure of how eCommerce would work for your business then the best advice I can give is, ‘speak to an eCommerce Professional’.
A professional should be able to tell you fairly quickly if your products can be sold using eCommerce or if you should use a different approach.
There is also a lot more to successful eCommerce than just an online shop. An expert can guide you through the process and help you avoid common pitfalls that can otherwise lead to failure or an expensive learning curve.
SME Rocket eCommerce Agency
SME Rocket specialise in helping new and seasoned entrepreneurs build successful digital businesses through eCommerce and digital marketing.
We assist clients both large and small by helping them understand the playing field that is digital space and choosing the right strategies and tools.
If you are a visionary entrepreneur looking t take your side hustle to the next level then get in touch with us today.
