Types of eCommerce Sites
Are planning to put up an online business? eCommerce is fast becoming a trend among businesses. Breakthroughs in technology now allow people to do much of their business online. Over 10% of all purchases are now made from an online source.
Many people may be asking what they can get out of an eCommerce site. An eCommerce site is not just for transacting business online, although it is the primary goal of businesses when they put up one. Depending on the features in a site, it can be used for many different purposes, some of which I am going to discuss below as I enumerate to you the various types of eCommerce sites.
Virtual Storefront
This type of site allows customers to view and purchase products with just a click of the mouse. This transactional site lets shoppers browse through products, read information about them and make orders. It allows them to do everything in just one site. This is like a “mall” where shoppers can just go around choosing the items that they want to buy.
Menu features makes shopping convenient and easy for customers as they just have to click their choices. They can “carry” around with them items that they have chosen using shopping baskets or carts. When they are done with their shopping, they can checkout and pay for their purchases.
Virtual storefronts can offer a variety of products to customers. Businesses can feature as many products as they want in their site. They just have to ensure that all products are available for delivery.
Information Sites
An information site is set up to make their products known to potential customers. The primary goal is still to sell products but not online. Companies that have showroom can use this type of site to reach out to more people. Large companies use information sites to make people aware of their products.
The primary reason why people use the internet is to gain information. For example, you want to purchase a car but don’t have the time to spend a day going around checking out car dealerships. So what you can do is to visit information sites that feature cars to help you in making a decision about your car purchase.
Information sites aim to provide complete and detailed information about the products that they sell. Potential customers can read descriptions, view pictures, watch videos and obtain pricing of various products.
Marketplace
Unless you’ve spent all your life living in an isolated island, I am definitely sure that you have heard of eBay. Marketplace sites like eBay act as middleman that allows buyers and sellers to conduct business. Products that are for sale can either be purchased directly or through bidding within the site just like it’s done in eBay.
In this kind of setup, quite a lot of businesses compete in a certain industry. Because the marketplace exists in a virtual world, there is no limit as to how much you can expand. What is great about this type of site is that most of the things that you need to be able to do business online is already put in place for you.
Just a word of advice: Determine the type of site that you want to establish online. eCommerce sites can be a combination of the different types available. Just make sure that you make your site known to as many people as possible.
Many people may be asking what they can get out of an eCommerce site. An eCommerce site is not just for transacting business online, although it is the primary goal of businesses when they put up one. Depending on the features in a site, it can be used for many different purposes, some of which I am going to discuss below as I enumerate to you the various types of eCommerce sites.
Virtual Storefront
This type of site allows customers to view and purchase products with just a click of the mouse. This transactional site lets shoppers browse through products, read information about them and make orders. It allows them to do everything in just one site. This is like a “mall” where shoppers can just go around choosing the items that they want to buy.
Menu features makes shopping convenient and easy for customers as they just have to click their choices. They can “carry” around with them items that they have chosen using shopping baskets or carts. When they are done with their shopping, they can checkout and pay for their purchases.
Virtual storefronts can offer a variety of products to customers. Businesses can feature as many products as they want in their site. They just have to ensure that all products are available for delivery.
Information Sites
An information site is set up to make their products known to potential customers. The primary goal is still to sell products but not online. Companies that have showroom can use this type of site to reach out to more people. Large companies use information sites to make people aware of their products.
The primary reason why people use the internet is to gain information. For example, you want to purchase a car but don’t have the time to spend a day going around checking out car dealerships. So what you can do is to visit information sites that feature cars to help you in making a decision about your car purchase.
Information sites aim to provide complete and detailed information about the products that they sell. Potential customers can read descriptions, view pictures, watch videos and obtain pricing of various products.
Marketplace
Unless you’ve spent all your life living in an isolated island, I am definitely sure that you have heard of eBay. Marketplace sites like eBay act as middleman that allows buyers and sellers to conduct business. Products that are for sale can either be purchased directly or through bidding within the site just like it’s done in eBay.
In this kind of setup, quite a lot of businesses compete in a certain industry. Because the marketplace exists in a virtual world, there is no limit as to how much you can expand. What is great about this type of site is that most of the things that you need to be able to do business online is already put in place for you.
Just a word of advice: Determine the type of site that you want to establish online. eCommerce sites can be a combination of the different types available. Just make sure that you make your site known to as many people as possible.
