3 Ways to Save Money in E-Commerce
E-commerce has taken the world by storm in recent years and, even more recently, has experienced a massive surge in usage and popularity. While it doesnât fit neatly into every business model, there are many use cases that make it a necessity for many companies today. Implementing e-commerce into your business model, where applicable, is a no-brainer. However, the additional demands placed on your business need to be addressed. These tips will help you reduce the overhead costs of e-commerce functionality.
Solar Power
While many companies have long since embraced a 24/7 approach to doing business, the majority of businesses close overnight, for example. E-commerce Stores, on the other hand, require âround the clock access for customers, and that can cause a variety of problems for the unprepared. Foremost among these problems is an inflated power bill. The automated systems that power e-commerce can and should be enabled at all hours of the day with the occasional exception for maintenance, but that can increase your electric bill immensely.
Solar panels provide a cost effective alternative, albeit with their own initial investments. Solar panels themselves are fairly inexpensive. However, youâll also need a battery and the excess charge to fill that battery in order to retain electricity during the night and even inclement weather. The Tesla Powerwall cost is a much bigger obstacle, for example, but this initial investment will pay for itself with the amount of money you can save on electricity and the additional profits that will come from implementing e-commerce into your business model.
Automation
Another important factor to consider when implementing e-commerce is labor. Generally speaking, eliminating unnecessary human labor can save you a ton, and thatâs true in most cases. However, e-commerce infrastructure benefits even more from the introduction of automated systems. Using automation, a company can expand its hours of operation via e-commerce without the need for additional labor costs. Automation is heavily associated with industrial equipment that can be quite costly. However, IoT technology allows for the automation of data infrastructure, as well, something that is beneficial for much in the way of menial, clerical labor with minimal additional costs.
Organizational apps can be used to great effect when it comes to not only automating your data infrastructure, but also keeping accurate records and reducing the presence of human error. For example, when an online order is placed, the information that corresponds to that transaction can not only be saved at the moment of the transactions, but also transmitted to a central database. This allows the shipping process to begin in a timely and accurate fashion. With no human involvement warehouse workers receive the incoming order.
App Development
The cornerstone of e-commerce is apps. While e-commerce has historically been relegated to company websites, the advent of e-commerce apps offers convenience to consumers that results in increased sales for businesses. By offering your online retail services on mobile platforms, you and your customers can both benefit from virtually limitless access to your products and services. However, software development is notoriously difficult, and it tends to take a long time and cost a lot of money. Thatâs where APIs come in.
Application Programming Interfaces are software development platforms that are built with the specific purpose of allowing businesses to develop an app more quickly. Essentially, APIs are shortcuts that make the process much less time consuming and costly, and this benefit has enabled the widespread proliferation of e-commerce apps. However, itâs important to keep in mind that APIs are readily available to businesses and hackers alike, and that can allow hackers to pinpoint the weaknesses of some apps by first scouting the corresponding API. API security has become a necessity for businesses that use this handy shortcut.
E-commerce has proven to be an effective business strategy, and the recent surge in its popularity makes it a necessity for any business model, where applicable. These tips can help you implement an e-commerce strategy into your business without breaking the bank.
