What Is A Digital Storefront And What Are Its Benefits

Posted by amrina alshaikh on November 25th, 2020

A digital storefront is a bare minimum for business owners. Essentially, it is a web app or mobile app that lets traders, sellers, and retailers sell their products or services online. In today’s digital era, having a web presence is critical for business success. Customers are getting more and more used to ordering things online. Footfall shopping or visiting stores in person is gradually reducing. So in order to keep up with the times and also tap into the ever-increasing online consumer market, a digital storefront is the answer.

Is there a difference between brick-and-mortar store experiences versus digital store experiences?

The only difference is that in a physical store, the customers can touch the product and check how it works. But this is hardly a benefit because the cost of visiting the store, the time lost in transit, the risk associated with travel – all of these override the benefits. In contrast, a digital storefront may not offer the sense of touching the product, but it provides a 3D representation of the product. This makes it easy to view the product from all sides and angles. There is comprehensive information on how to operate the product. The contact center is always available to respond to any queries.

Importantly, the customer or prospective buyer need not visit the store in person. This has been the single most driving force for the increase in demand for online stores. For this very reason, Kirana stores, small shop owners, small traders – who rely on customers visiting their stores in person, can change their business model. They could start reaching out to customers via the Internet. Not only will their businesses be recognized in a wider circle, their prospects of selling increases because their business visibility becomes high.

How does having digital storefronts benefit retailers?

• Traders, sellers, shop keepers can develop deep relationships with the clients over time: They can use the services of a B2B firm to build them a mobile and web presence. They can seek the assistance of this firm to setup SEO and a digital marketing strategy. This is a far more cost-effective and superior way of marketing than using traditional channels.
  
• Sell throughout the day, on all days, and throughout the year: Unlike brick-and-mortar shops that need to be closed on public holidays and need to give employees mandatory time-off on weekends, having a digital storefront doesn’t impose these constraints. Selling online gives an opportunity to sell even on ‘weekends’, and round the clock. The opportunity to sell never stops. It attracts people across time-zones. Whereas a physical store remaining open round the clock is rare – mostly shops shutdown at night.
  
• Being eco-friendly: Currently, customers are becoming more eco-conscious. They trust retailers who have organizational practices that is not harming the environment. Having a digital storefront is an eco-friendly practice. There is no electricity consumption in the form of lights, appliances, generator required for a physical store. There is no fossil fuel expenditure for transportation and dispatch of goods to the store, and from the store. Instead, the transportation of goods is made directly from the manufacturer to the customer.