Is your business ready to sell online? 8 signs

There is no perfect moment to start selling online, but there are clear signs. If several of these sound familiar, your customers are already asking for it.

The signs

1. Customers already order by phone or WhatsApp. The demand is there; it is just arriving through the slowest channel.
2. Your phone lines are busy at peak times. Every missed call is a missed order.
3. Delivery apps take a growing share of your sales. More of your orders, and your customers, live on someone else’s platform.
4. You have loyal customers you cannot reach. They come back often, but you have no way to tell them about a new product or offer.
5. You run more than one branch, or plan to. Online ordering helps send each order to the right branch automatically.
6. Customers ask to pay by card or wallet. Cash only is starting to cost you orders.
7. You run offers but cannot measure them. You do not know which promotion actually brought orders.
8. Competitors near you already have an app or store. Your customers are getting used to ordering that way.

What to have in place first

• A clear product list with prices and good photos.
• A delivery plan: your own drivers, a partner, branch pickup, or a mix.
• Someone who owns online orders in each branch, so no order is left waiting.
• A system for prices and stock, such as your POS or ERP, so what customers see online is true.

Not ready yet?

That is fine. Start by fixing the basics above: organise your product list, decide how delivery will work, and agree who handles online orders. When those are clear, building the store goes much faster.

Ready?

The next decision is where to start: a website, an app, or both. We cover that in Website, app or both?

Want a second opinion on your situation? Book a free meeting and we will look at how your branches work today.