In recent years, the rule for entrepreneurs is to lean on eCommerce tech and platforms to make money. The opportunities are booming, so businessmen and women thought eCommerce was the best way to be successful. And, lots of entrepreneurs and business owners believe this to this day.

Although it’s hard to argue against using eCommerce platforms in some shape or form, you mustn’t see it as the Holy Grail. Yes, it has benefits, yet it has drawbacks too because nothing is perfect.

You’ll find four of them below. As novel as it sounds, these might convince you that a physical store is the answer.

You Won’t Consider the Competition

Being able to set up and launch a company without any resources is seen as a plus point, and it is in many ways. However, it’s also harmful because it blinkers your vision. In your excitement to put your plan into action, you’ll forget about the hundreds of thousands of other entrepreneurs doing the same thing. Aside from the fact that 80% of them fail, market saturation decreases your chances of succeeding as you’re bound to have less of a share of the sector. A failure to devise a plan to beat your rivals could see you bankrupted in a relatively short period.

The Playing Field Is Level

Again, it sounds like all your Christmases have come at once. Finally, the little guy can mix it with the big guys! But, with a bit of perspective, you’ll see that a level playing field makes it tougher to progress. Yes, the eCommerce industry is booming, yet that doesn’t mean the resources are distributed evenly. Therefore, you’ll have to face off against the likes of Amazon and eBay, two giants, without their resources. If anything, this makes carving out a lane and filling a niche pretty challenging.

Customers Want to Touch Products

No matter how accessible and straightforward eCommerce becomes in the future, it will struggle to overcome a basic consumer need – the desire to inspect the product. You, on the other hand, can use suppliers such as Eye Designs Group to ensure that your products catch customers’ eyes. With the right furniture and visual merchandising tactics, you can grab their attention and eliminate their doubts in one fell swoop. Never underestimate this feature of brick-and-mortar stores. A significant reason behind the failure of eCommerce sites is that they can’t instill trust within the buying process.

They Work as One

Unfortunately, too many entrepreneurs see physical stores and eCommerce website as two competing elements. The reality is that they work in conjunction to generate leads and boost sales. After all, both features are accommodating in either environment. Take click-and-collect shipping as an example. By offering online customers the chance to pick up items in-store, Macfarlane Packaging points out that you do more than make their life easier. You also bring upselling into the equation. After all, they’ve got to set foot in the store, which is why you attempt to sell them products and services that complement their original purchase.

What are your thoughts on eCommerce?