Positive experiences with online commerce have gradually increased confidence in virtual stores. That is why every day more consumers choose online platforms to make their purchases. SMEs have seen on the Internet a way to survive the crisis and have found in sales on the network a hope to save their business. Given this trend, new initiatives such as the creation of virtual shopping centers are emerging. “A simple solution for those who do not have time or enough expertise to create their own online store,” they say from CiudadMarket, the first Social Shopping channel.
Internet is not necessarily the only way to sell, but it is a support and a contribution to the physical business. The objective of creating collective sales platforms on the Internet is for SMEs, chains and franchises to have the same visibility and opportunities as major brands. There are already many neighborhood businesses that are integrating to this type of platform, benefiting from the tools it offers them. Entrepreneurs can easily access the latest available technologies oriented to local commerce. In this way, it is possible to launch a virtual showcase, offer promotional coupons, make social advertising, interact directly with users of the platform.
The variety of shops that are integrated into a virtual shopping center and the great advantage of being able to share opinions and doubts with other users, allows Internet users to live a complete and satisfactory shopping experience. The possibility of finding information and recommendations, purchasing products or services of different categories without having to leave the same page facilitates the purchase process to consumers. In addition, sharing space with businesses that can represent competition becomes an advantage. Among affine businesses, a constant and growing flow of traffic is created that arises from the comparison of prices, variety and quality of products.
The fundamental tool when it comes to differentiating each company is geolocation. This allows users to point out the presence of a trade in their area of interest or, simply, where they are. Thanks to this, the visibility of a company increases significantly because, in many cases, a trade is disadvantaged because it is not located in the area where consumers usually go. Another advantage is the notoriety that manages to acquire a small business that can not afford huge investments in advertising.
Applications and mobile technologies
The continuous appearance of mobile applications and portals adapted to mobile phones has changed users’ consumption habits. The speed of access from mobile devices has helped to boost the use of these terminals for electronic commerce. Mobile applications allow you to browse the products of the store and make purchases easily and simplify more and more the possibilities of buying products online.
“The mobility and immediacy of the information are complemented to benefit consumers and users by providing them with information in real time” they point out from CiudadMarket. In addition, the combination of mobility, information and geo-positioning allow to bring proximity commerce to potential customers.