Main Pros & Cons of an Online Retail Business

eCommerce is still quickly gaining popularity among Web users young and old. It is particularly appealing to people in remote areas who can now visit their favorite stores online with just the click of the mouse. Shopping online is fast, convenient and buyers can shop in the comfort of their own home. This is why both buyers and sellers are eager to get into eCommerce and shopping online. Amazon, eBay and Dell were some of the first to garner success selling online, and many more individuals are jumping on board with their own Web stores. It is, however, important to realize the main pros and cons of starting and running an online business.

eBusiness Pros:

Lower start-up costs
Ubiquitous Web presence
International customer access
Business conducted 24/7
Quick response to customers
Lower overhead
Lower product cost
Work from home or remotely

eBusiness Cons:

No immediate customer visibility
You can’t physically see customers
Constant need to maintain sites
Late nights and long hours
Lack of customer trust due to location
Lack of immediate health care benefits
Disruption of business and family privacy

Keep in mind that these are intended as MAIN pros and cons and are not the only things to consider when starting an online business. Some of the pros can make things more complicated. For instance, international customer access means that you have a potentially global customer base, but it also means that you should be aware of the distinction between national and international shipping requirements. So some pros can actually be cons and vice versa, but knowing the difference between online business and traditional brick-and-mortars will help you maximize the benefits of owning an eCommerce storefront.

This article is one of several within our Getting Started eCommerce Guides.