Millions of Small Businesses Don't Sell Online. It's Time.
Safety measures prompted by the pandemic should convince brick-and-mortar shops to experiment with e-commerce
The pandemic helped push e-commerce retail sales above $210 billion in the second quarter of 2020, an increase of over 30% from the previous quarter, according to Commerce Department data. Millions of shoppers are clearly comfortable buying stuff online. Still, only about half of U.S.-based small businesses have websites, according to one estimate. Even fewer establishments actually sell their products online.
Expanding into e-commerce might seem daunting at first but is easier than it used to be. And it could help offset physical store sales declines due to the pandemic. That’s the message from brick-and-mortar businesses that have already made the leap and from e-commerce software providers. Here’s what to consider before you start selling online.
1. Don’t be intimidated.