If you are running an offline retail store, you might have already witnessed the impact of the e-commerce industry on your business. Over the past couple of years, consumer behavior has changed considerably. From groceries to electronics, clothing, and more, they want to buy it all online and get it delivered to their doorstep instead of walking into physical stores.
If you look at the recent statistics, the Indian e-commerce market is predicted to grow at a staggering rate of 21.5% in 2022. Even the recent future would have the market crossing the mark of US$350 billion by 2030. On the other hand, the data on consumer behavior says that 87% of buyers research products online before making a purchase.
Keeping these numbers in mind, it would be easy to contemplate why many of your peers have already started selling online. Consumers want dual benefits of convenience related to online shopping paired with the trust and service of physical retail. One way to sell more and control customer experience is to combine offline and online retail to grow sales together.
If you are still in the process of making the move from offline only to offline-and-online selling, now is the right time. To make things simpler, we have a created step-wise guide for your perusal.
7-step Guide to Start Selling Online in India
1. Select the most suitable e-commerce platform
The first step you need to follow to transition from offline to offline-and-online selling is to find a platform that can help you with various business functions. In basic technical terms, this is known as a CMS or Content Management System.
These days, there are several platforms available in the market, out of which you need to select the right one. You can select the one that can streamline the entire process of taking your business online. From setting up the product pages to managing both the consumer-side and administrative side of the business and data security.
Keep the following things in mind while selecting a suitable platform for online selling:
- Consider your business-specific needs
- Enlist the functionalities you want your website to possess
- Explore platforms that can support the required functionalities
- Compare different platforms and calculate the pricing side of it
Interesting Read: What To Look For In The Best Payment Gateway For WooCommerce?
2. Set up the identity of your online business
Once you have finalized the e-commerce platform, you need to define and create the fundamental identity of your online business. This involves the following aspects:
Selecting a domain name
A domain name for your e-commerce store is similar to the name of your offline store which acts as an identifier for the business. You can select a domain name that is the same as your offline store or go with a different one. The idea is to make it easy for your customers to remember how to find your products online.
Finalizing the products you want to sell
Another important part of setting up the online business identity is to finalize what you want to sell online. For this, start with a thorough audit of the current catalog of products that you sell online. Then research which of them can be sold online and what the target audience is actively looking for.
Planning for product stocking and management
Next to identifying products for your online store, you need to take stock and manage inventory. If the selected products are to be sold both online and offline, you will need a smart inventory planner to stay on top of the product availability.
3. Address the legal side of selling both offline and online
Other than product and brand name selection, it is also important for you to be aware of the legal actions required to set up an e-commerce business in India. You need to know about and be compliant with the following aspects:
- Company registration
- GST registration
- Company’s bank account or current account opening
- Recent changes in any business-related norms or laws
Interesting Read: GST Calendar 2022-23 – With Important GST Dates
4. Plan for the website design and product information
In an offline store, buyers can search for, touch, and feel the products you sell at the time of buying from you. But when you start selling online, how you present your products visually can make a difference. This will require you to get high-definition images of your products from every angle, product videos showing how to use them, and detailed information about the product quality, size, ingredients, etc.
Here, the information you provide may vary from one product to another. Once this is done, you need to create the product pages (and other business pages) on your e-commerce store. Then add the content, images, and videos related to the products in respective sections or pages. All this will form a well-defined blueprint for your online store.
Also, keep in mind that you will require certain pages containing a refund policy, exchange policy, shipping/return policy, privacy policy, and terms of use on your online store.
5. Set up the payment side of your business
One of the main reasons you want to sell online is to grow your business by catering to a wider target audience. But this also means that you need to consider how people would prefer paying you for the purchases. For example, some people may want to use their credit cards to make payments for their purchases while others prefer paying via UPI.
This is where the right selection of a payment gateway plays a vital role. You can select the one that supports maximum payment methods to allow your customers to pay you the way they want. Besides, this also considers payment safety during the customers’ journey.
Interesting Read: Payment Gateway Comparison: Know How to Make the Right Selection
6. Select the right logistics or shipping partner
When selling offline, customers can come to your store to pick up the products and take them home. But when you are selling online, you need to get the ordered items delivered to your customers. This does not require you to invest in a fleet of vehicles and drivers to support Pan-India coverage. You can simply select one of the leading logistics providers in the country who can ensure timely delivery to all the locations you cover.
7. Tell prospects about your online business
Once you have your online store ready, how will your customers know about it? Many businesses make the mistake of leaving it up to their customers to figure out if the products are also available online. A better way would be to announce your move to online selling in several different ways, such as:
- Notifying the offline customers who visit your store
- Using social media channels to promote your business website
- Notifying your existing customers via SMS or WhatsApp
Conclusion
With changing times, it has become easier to set up an online store along with selling offline. But this does not mean you need to make this transition in a hurry. Make sure you research every side of selling online prior to stepping your feet into it and then follow the steps detailed above.
FAQs
What is offline to online strategy?
Offline to online strategy refers to the shift from selling offline to an online business model or keeping both the sides open for customers. The strategy is also used to describe steps involved in driving customers from the physical presence of a business to its online store. When executed properly, the offline to online strategy can lead to a seamless buying experience for the targeted customers and hence, higher profitability for the business.
Are offline sales better than online?
Both online and offline sales channels can be made to work in sync with each other or independently. Hence, the offline sales can be better than through online channels in some cases, while it works in the opposite manner in others. The overall result depends on a brand’s execution strategy and how it correlates the two sales channels to increase sales and profits in the long run.
What are the benefits of offline selling?
With an offline business model, you can form a personal relationship with the target customers, which is not generally possible with the online counterpart. Also, the customers, when visiting your physical store, can see the stock inventory right in front of them. This fulfills the desire to see and touch the product that many customers have before making the purchase decision. Besides this, customers get the opportunity to ask questions related to the product in real time without having to connect with a support team member as in the case of the online business model.
What are the benefits of online selling?
The upfront investments required to start an online business is less than starting an offline business. This can be considered one reason behind the rise of online selling in India. Besides this, online selling allows your business to reach customers that are beyond the limited region around the physical store. In other words, only nearby customers can buy from a physical store, while any customer from across the country can place an order online to buy from you. Moreover, there is no time limit to when a customer can place an order. Most e-commerce stores are open round-the-clock.
