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Now's the right time to think about ecommerce
Now's the right time to think about ecommerce
The disruption of the last few years has led many companies across Scotland to start or accelerate the use of ecommerce platforms to reach new and existing customers. Siobhan McDermit, Trade Digital Team Leader at Scottish Enterprise, explains the steps you should take to start your ecommerce journey and the support we can offer to help your business succeed.
Selling online has become so much easier thanks to the range of ecommerce support now available. And there's rising demand from customers who are increasingly at ease with buying products and services online.
Siobhan McDermit, Trade Digital Team Leader at Scottish Enterprise
The growth of online sales
The opportunity has never been greater to embrace and invest in ecommerce.
While the benefits of selling online have been well established for some time, the disruption caused by the pandemic has led to a rapid growth in the number of companies either increasing existing ecommerce activity or introducing an online sales channel for the first time to try to lessen the impact of declining physical sales.
The record performance of global emarketplaces such as Amazon and eBay during the pandemic clearly demonstrates that more and more businesses and consumers are turning to ecommerce platforms to meet their needs. Online retail sales reached 4.9 trillion USD in 2020, and this is a trend that looks set to continue in the future with growth estimated at 40% over the next 3 years.
It’s encouraging to see so many companies across a range sectors in Scotland really embracing this trend. From breweries selling online for the first time, to agricultural firms introducing online livestock auctions, more and more businesses are looking for ways to develop their ecommerce capability.
Getting started in ecommerce
The first step in your ecommerce journey is finding out if and where your products and services are already available online. If your products or services are sold via agents, distributors, stockists or retailers, you might be surprised to discover that those products or services are already available to buy online.
Follow our checklist
1. Check if you can buy your goods or services currently online. And, if so, who are the suppliers?
Use Google and Amazon search to check who sells what. This will tell you who is doing what with similar products and services. The likelihood is that, if others are online, you can be too.
2. Are you currently selling on eMarketplaces such as Amazon and eBay? If so, what's your scope for growth?
Or, if you want to sell on a marketplace, join one of our online events. You can also read our guide to international online marketplaces.
3. Does your business already have a web presence?
If so, you should check your website's Google Analytics information. This is free for most companies and will give you lots of information about your customers and potential customers. It will also tell you how your website is performing.
4. Do you have an international digital strategy and has it been integrated into your overall business strategy?
This is one of the key success factors in selling online effectively. If you want to develop one or enhance your existing strategy, you should join one of our online events or masterclasses.
Ecommerce support - how we can help
Scottish Enterprise and our partners offer a range of ecommerce support including:
We'll be hosting a series of upcoming online events throughout the year on relevant topics such as developing key markets online, and ensuring that your social media and marketing is optimised internationally.
These events offer guidance on ecommerce and selling online and feature guest speakers from global emarketplaces such as Amazon, eBay, and TM Global.
Whether you’re a new start-up or an existing business, if you want to sell online, you'll need to invest in digital skills so that your business has the digital capability and capacity you'll need to be successful.
Business Gateway's Digital Boost provides a range of digital skills training on a wide range of topics, including:
- Website development
- Social media
- Digital content development
- Selling online and ecommerce
As consumers rapidly adapt to digital, a recent survey of global companies by eConsultancy reported that 96% of enterprise leaders are prioritising digital transformation.
We provide support and impartial advice to eligible companies who are serious about digital and willing to invest. We can also advise on your digital strategy and help scope requirements, so you can engage with suppliers more effectively.
Ready to implement a digital strategy? Interest free loan funding is available up to £100,000 via the Digital Development Loan.
For eligible, ambitious companies, our ecommerce experts can also provide in-depth, one-to-one support that will allow you to develop your international digital strategy.
Global ecommerce sales are expected to grow by 40% over the next 2 years, rising from 3.9 trillion to 4.9 trillion USD. Selling online internationally can be a natural extension of your current online capability. In many cases, it can also lead to rapid and sustained international sales growth and could potentially replace business lost during the Covid-19 crisis.
We offer an international ecommerce programme. This provides focused, action-oriented support, including:
- Webinars to help you take your first steps in online selling
- Expert one-to-one advice if you decide to grow your ecommerce capability, including an action plan to help quickly implement your online strategy
- Masterclasses and detailed workshops on online marketplaces and countries
- Guides to key online platforms and support for marketing your products and services
Our webinar workshops, masterclasses and support from our team can be accessed individually or as part of an intensive programme that we deliver aimed at accelerating your international business growth.
Scottish Development International is also looking for ambitious businesses to register for its ecommerce accelerator programme.
This is an intensive set of sessions designed to ensure companies advance rapidly towards achieving their ecommerce goals.
These programmes will be supported by experts from its international network of offices.
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