How's this for a wacky statistic?
What gives?
[Tweet “51% of Americans think shopping online is the best way to shop. Yet 46% of US small businesses do not have a website.”]The answer's pretty simple: setting up a retail website is really, really intimidating for most people. Raise your hand if you've wasted hours putting together a photo album on Facebook or populating the template on your blog.
Yeah…us too.
Solving Your Retail Website Woes
Getting your online store built by someone else is helpful, but it's not cheap, and it's not even necessarily faster.
These days, you also have to factor in the trend toward mobile ecommerce (as opposed to desktop). And let's not forget the growing list of customer expectations around the online shopping experience. (Product reviews! High-res images! Solid security!)
In other words, you can't just have a website to have a successful online business. You need a functional, flexible online space that can not only showcase your goods, but give your customers a good experience that keeps them coming back.
Oof! Tall order, isn't it? No wonder so many retailers are burying their heads in the sand.
If you've been putting off making the move to ecommerce, wait no more! A colleague at Xero tipped us off about a great new program that PayPal is offering.
It's easy.
It's functional.
It's all-inclusive.
It's Business in a Box.
The All-In-One Setup for Your Online Store
Brought to you in partnership with Xero and WooCommerce, Business in a Box joins the many “one-stop shop” startups aiming to provide support for the customer with a great idea for a business but no idea where to start. It's also PayPal's way of tapping into the huge influx of small online businesses joining the economy every year.
One of the hardest parts of building your online store is mixing and matching all the different tools you need to run it. There's the retail platform with product photos and descriptions. Then there's the inventory tracking component, and the payment processing setup. And of course there's your accounting software. (Did you think we'd let you forget that?)
Business in a Box aims to make all of that setup as simple and stress-free as can be. PayPal has put together a complete kit for opening your first online store, including:
- An online storefront
Accounting toolsExcuse us, beautiful accounting tools- Online and offline payment support
- Working capital loan options
- Discounts on online applications/services
And that's just for now. PayPal says they plan to keep adding more platform options so they can expand the number of services offered.
“PayPal is no longer just that little yellow button — we have built out an entire ecosystem for the small [online] merchant.”
Amit Mathradas, PayPal's head of small business for North America
Sounds Great…But Is It For Me?
Business in a Box is primarily aimed at new business founders who know what they want to do and just need the tools to do it.
But it also works great for established offline businesses that want to get their online presence up and running.
If you've already got an online store, but you're struggling with vetting different applications or getting your site to function and flow at an optimal level, Business in a Box provides a curated setup that simplifies your choices. It does allow you to pick and choose from its suite of services; however, you'll have to sign up for a PayPal business account to get started.
In sum, you know what you want to sell online and you just need an assist to make it happen, Business in a Box could be just what you've been waiting for.
The Bottom Line
“We’re in the midst of a profound structural shift from physical to digital retail.”
–Jeff Jordan of Andreesen Horowitz
Online sales accounted for more than a third of total retail sales growth in 2015, and analysts predict that 2017 will see ecommerce grow at triple the rate of the regular retail industry. If you've got a great idea or a great business, now's the time to jump in!
Wanna learn more? We knew you did.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ODLHcVT9cDA
