E-commerce, a step further in digital transformation

E-commerce, a step further in digital transformation

E-commerce, a step further in digital transformation

Almost all businesses have been forced to switch to the digital environment. Although some of them were in the development stage for the last couple of years, for others it's been a starting point. 

Cristina Cueto

22/03/2021

Ecommerce

It's been a few years since it began to be developed, but thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic, electronic commerce or e-commerce has experienced an exponential boost. Today, a business with no online options is almost unthinkable and companies that try to resist will have a difficult path ahead of them.

The confinement we went through for the last couple of months, due to the COVID-19, made this busines model grow noticeably. According to the “7th Spanish Annual eCommerce Study for 2020: COVID-19 will change e-commerce forever”, online purchase frecuency has increased to 51% during the last few moths and currently 70% of the Spanish population shops online. These data are the consecuence of an abnormal situation such as the one we're experiencing, but e-commerce has come to stay. According to the same study, 25% of the people assure they wil keep on shopping online even after everything goes back to normal.

E-commerce shopping frecuency has increased to 51% in the last few months and currently 70% of the population shops online

Almost all businesses have been forced to switch to the digital environment, although some of them had been in the development stage for years, for other companies it was almost like a starting point. However, when analyzing e-commerce implementation, traditional sectors still have a long way ahead of them. COVID-19 has noticeably boosted their development and during the last year, traditional businesses have been forced to reinvent themselves and adapt to the use of new technologies to survive. According to IDG Research, half of the businesses did not have an Internet shopping channel before everyone had to suddently stay at home, so they were forced to create it as soon as possible to keep their clients and providers. On the other hand, there were companies whose digital channels were already developed, but although they were already half way they still had to face an exponential activity growth, a factor little few were prepared for.

Online shopping frecuency has increased to 51% for the last months and currently 70% of the Spanish population shops online

As shown by IDG Research, the businesses that optimally responded to this crisis were those where e-commerce and digital channels were already part of their digital transformation process.

As explained by the experts, the most important aspect in e-commerce is that it changes the aim of its presence on the Internet. Before COVID-19, the main goal of being present on the Internet was just as simple information, but now that's completely changed, the Internet is now a transaction tool.

The world is changing and whoever does not adapt will not be able to move forward. E-commerce is now an essential part of business digital transformation and if performed correctly, it will become a great ally.