Selling products, whether online or offline may seem an easy task at first, but when you dig in, there is an ocean of information to deal with for managing it efficiently. There are many ways to sell products in this customer-centric business world. Based on the likes, current market, and business interests, it is you who needs to decide the mode of selling. In this blog we will be discussing about the difference between an eStore and an online store as well as the necessary information you must know regarding both the selling options.
What is the difference between an eStore and an online store?
The ideaology behind both, an eStore and an online store is the same; sell products or services to the customers in need. An eStore or an electronic store is a physical or brick and mortar store with some technical improvements and an online store is a platform/ store/ website that is dedicated for selling products or services online. The technical improvements in the eStore may include IT services, virtual services, and so on. The eStore may be anything that a retailer sells online and the audience may be limited for the same. For instance if a brick and mortar store is accepting order through a phone call and delivering the same in the nearby locations, it can be termed as an eStore. On the other hand an online store is a platform that sells goods and services to customers around the globe. Below is a table that can help you with getting a better understanding of the differences between an eStore and an online store:
| Differences | eStore | Online Store |
| Orders accepted | From specific locations | From around the globe |
| Payment | Limited to the eStore location | Worldwide payment options |
| Shipping | Local shipping options | Global shipping options |
| Products or Services | Vary with the availability | Specific to a particular niche |
| Mode of ordering | Calls, emails, etc. | Direct ordering through store |
| Secure payment & delivery | Depends on the retailer service | Assured security with a secure store link |
| Customer service | Limited until order delivery | Dynamic service even after order delivery |
Which is the right choice for successful selling of products or services?
As shown above, the benefits of selling online with an online store are more than an eStore. Following are a few reasons that would convince you to sell online with an online store:
- An eStore would gain less visibility and hence lower selling options as compared to an online store.
- The number of customers for an eStore is limited to the location it serves.
- The chances of finding new customers are significantly low with an eStore which is otherwise possible with an online store.
- The eStore has limited products or services, whereas an online store can sell unlimited products or services to customers from around the globe.
- An eStore business model is not customer-centric which considered as a major drawback in the competitive ecommerce market.
- The product information is limited in an eStore while in an online store; you can get the detailed specifications to make an informed buying decision.
- An eStore does not have the facility to get customer feedback that is most essential for the development of the business.
- The services of an eStore are limited to the operating time of the retail store while in an online store, a customer can purchase products, ask queries, get customer support, and get deliveries round the clock.
How to create an online store?
There are two major ways to create an online store; one is to plan the layout of the store and hire a professional online store builder and the second is to create a fully customizable online store, all by yourself, using an online store builder. Now, what is an online store builder? It is an online platform that lets a user create an online selling store using pre-designed themes and templates. For instance, Builderfly Ecommerce Platform is a do-it-yourself platform that lets the user create a beautiful online store as well as an Android and iOS mobile app. It is a fully customizable store wherein any user with sellable products, without the knowledge of coding can create an online store. Moreover, the user has the option to sell physical as well as virtual products. Below are the basic steps required to create an online store with Builderfly:
- Visit builderfly.com home page.
- Register with Builderfly within three stages and start the 14-day free trial.
- Explore the features of Builderfly within the trial period.
- Before or after completing the trial period, upgrade your plan to connect an existing domain.
- Design a beautiful online store without any technical aid.
- Create a dynamic mobile application with relevant subscription plans.
- Connect an existing domain to the online store and make it live.
Apart from the easy selling procedure some of the perks of selling online with Builderfly include 24/7 dedicated customer support, zero transaction fee, easy-to-understand training documents, user manual, help desk, and FAQs, multiple selling options, inbuilt store optimization, one-year free maintenance services, and the list goes on.
This was one of the easiest, economic, and most efficient ways to sell online. As mentioned earlier, the other way is to hire a professional online store designer to create an online selling store for you. However, it is a costly option and choosing it depends on the financial health of your business. Also, you may find many platforms that let you create an online store for free; here we break the bubble, those may sound an easy way out, but lack the power of customization which is most important to get a store the way you like and that which defines your brand name.
