Digitization in E-commerce – The Best Way To Get It Started
Digitization in E-commerce – It is no longer possible without a digitization strategy, which should be clear to everyone. But there are still problems with the implementation. It doesn’t have to be!
So far, many companies have been hesitant or not at all in their digitalization. A mistake because the pressure is increasing every day. For example, competitors from the same industry already score with digital solutions. Or through start-ups that are turning entire industries upside down with disruptive innovations.
Despite the pressure, managing directors, managers and other decision-makers find it difficult to tackle or consistently pursue the implementation of a digital strategy. One reason for this is that they do not know HOW to digitize their company. It’s not that difficult to find a start. E-commerce is one of the best ways to kick-start the digitalization of a business. If used correctly, it will inevitably herald the digital transformation.
A Central Platform For Digital Change
The advantages of e-commerce are obvious: Checking the delivery status in real-time, chatting with support if you have any questions, requesting returns with just a few clicks or always getting the best offers – nobody wants to miss these advantages anymore. This is especially true in B2C but also in B2B. In the end, it doesn’t matter whether the customer orders private things or products for his company online. Every purchase is made by people who want to get a result as quickly and conveniently as possible.
For companies and their customers to benefit from these advantages, placing an e-commerce platform at the center of the digitization strategy makes sense. If that happens, it soon develops into an imminent important interface. The ERP (e.g., SAP) is connected to this interface to compare the inventory. The sales and support team dock their CRM, and the content marketing colleagues their editorial system for maintaining the online content. More and more gears are successively meshing, and the big wheel of digitization is starting to roll.
Parallel to the growing digitization of a company, a rethinking process should also take place. It makes little sense to digitally map old techniques and products that have matured over decades. It makes much more sense to go completely new ways. This results in fresh business models, in which radical thinking is also welcome. This means: True to the motto “Kill your own business”, management should consider which products and services could be used to cannibalize the existing business to be prepared for the future and new challenges.
The Customer Is And Will Always Be The King
Innovations or even disruptions do not happen overnight. For them to emerge, however, decision-makers, in particular, must be open to new technologies. Chatbots in support, voice commerce via language assistants, virtual reality applications for new customer experiences or delivery of goods by drone: there are many promising inventions – in every industry!
Even traditional professions are being influenced by digitization. For example, dentists can take digital impressions with 3D scanners and plan bridges and crowns on the PC. You send your orders to a dental laboratory via an ordering platform based on an e-commerce system. This then creates dental products with the help of 3D printers. Because manual steps are no longer necessary, errors are avoided, and processes are accelerated. In the end, the dentist, the laboratory, and the patient benefit from this. A win-win-win situation is created.
Conclusion: Digitization in E-commerce
“The customer is king”, this adage from retail still applies in times of digitization. The focus must always be on the customer, both end customer and business customer – companies that operate online trade learn this very quickly. Another plus point in favor of starting digitization via e-commerce. So, what are you waiting for?
Also Read: Why Intelligent Chatbots Should Be Part Of Your Marketing Strategy
