It’s 2026, and if you are still relying on selling your services and products through a brick-and-mortar store, you may be missing out on a big opportunity. Studies show that virtually all consumers research products and services online before buying. One report found that 97% of consumers search online for information about what they want to buy. Likewise, over 99% of shoppers do online research at least sometimes before purchasing. This means a brick-and-mortar business without any web presence risks losing those potential customers who start their buying journey online.

Setting up payment processing and an online e-commerce business can come with many benefits, including a larger new customer base, no geographical limitations, and a competitive edge. Here’s why you should consider setting up an e-commerce business.

E-Commerce Business – 7 Major Benefits

More Reach = More Growth

A top benefit of e-commerce is access to a much larger market. When you sell online, your customer base is no longer limited to people in your immediate vicinity. Instead, you can reach buyers across the state, across the country, or even around the world. A U.S. seller can market products to consumers internationally – in fact, 52% of online shoppers look for products from other countries.

This global reach is nearly impossible for a stand-alone brick-and-mortar store. By going online, a small business in one town can find buyers in urban or rural areas far beyond its local market. Even domestic expansion is easier: e-commerce lets you tap into niche markets that may not exist locally. A specialty item that has too few local buyers can become profitable when sold online to customers nationwide or abroad.

This expanded reach translates into significant growth potential. The global e-commerce market is enormous and continues to grow rapidly. Worldwide online sales are projected to reach $6 to 7 trillion in 2025. U.S. e-commerce alone was over $1.19 trillion in 2024, more than double the level of a few years ago, and it is forecast to exceed $1.7 trillion by 2027.

These figures mean that a significant – and growing – share of overall retail purchasing happens online, and businesses that have no online presence are missing out on that opportunity. In comparison, physical retail sales have grown more slowly. With e-commerce, companies can capture a share of this booming digital market.

Advantage Over Competitors and More Market Visibility

Because consumers start most of their buying processes online, having an e-commerce site is becoming a competitive necessity. If your business isn’t visible on the internet, most potential customers won’t find you. Having a strong digital marketing presence is key to reaching potential customers.

Imagine a person searching for a product or service at 8 PM – if your store isn’t online, it will never appear in the results. Even for local businesses, nearly everyone uses online tools to discover services and read reviews. Almost all consumers (97%) now use online media to research products or services in their area. An e-commerce website or online listing acts like an always-on advertisement. It ensures that when customers search or browse on Google, social media, or other platforms, your business can show up.

Plus, a well-designed e-commerce site can actually build trust and credibility. It allows customers to read product details, view photos, and see ratings or reviews before buying. Almost 97-99% of online shoppers read product reviews before making a purchase. By providing transparent information and customer feedback on your site, you can establish trust and demonstrate professionalism. This trust factor can be a decisive advantage, as 49% of shoppers trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations.

Lower Operating Costs and Greater Efficiency

Running an e-commerce business generally costs less than maintaining a traditional retail store. Without a physical storefront, you save on rent, property taxes, utilities, and the labor needed to staff a store constantly. These savings can be significant. Even entrepreneurs with “limited capital” can easily set up an online business thanks to the growth of e-commerce. Start-up platforms and cloud services allow you to build a professional online store with minimal upfront investment.

Once the store is running, many back-office functions can also be automated. Inventory management, billing, order processing, and payment collection can happen through software, reducing the need for manual labor. This not only cuts payroll costs but also reduces errors and speeds up operations.

Additionally, e-commerce marketing and customer support can be more cost-effective than in-store methods. Digital marketing (SEO, social media ads, email campaigns) often offers a higher return on investment, and every dollar spent can be precisely tracked. In-person marketing (flyers, billboards, etc.) tends to be less targeted and more expensive. With e-commerce, you can use analytics tools to see precisely which promotions are working and adjust in real time. All these efficiencies mean that an e-commerce business can often sell products at lower prices or enjoy higher profit margins than a similar brick-and-mortar store, giving it a competitive edge.

Convenience and 24/7 Availability

A prominent perk of an online store is that it never closes. Unlike a shop with fixed hours, an e-commerce site is available 24 hours a day, every day of the year. This means customers can browse and buy whenever it’s convenient for them – at night, on weekends, or during holidays. Many consumers now expect this level of convenience. A large fraction of online purchases happens outside regular business hours. 43% of online shoppers have bought items from bed, and 23% have made purchases while at work – scenarios impossible with a physical store. 87% of shoppers turn to the internet when researching or shopping for a product.

This round-the-clock availability also attracts more customers. Busy professionals, parents, and tech-savvy younger shoppers often prefer the flexibility of online shopping. Mobile commerce (shopping by smartphone) is booming for the same reason: U.S. mobile retail sales are forecast to reach $710 billion by 2025 (up from $430 billion in 2022).

By having an e-commerce site, a business can capture these sales opportunities at any hour. Even if shoppers hesitate or abandon a purchase, it’s easy for them to return later – a feature that is typically not possible in-store. This means higher overall sales: with no closing bell, every late-night click or holiday sale adds to revenue.

Rich Product Information and Personalization

Customers shopping online want detailed information before they buy. An e-commerce platform lets you provide comprehensive product descriptions, specifications, photos, videos, and technical datasheets without cluttering up a store. There’s virtually no limit to how much information you can include for each item. This transparency helps buyers feel informed and confident, which tends to increase sales.

In addition, online systems can offer personalized recommendations based on browsing history or past purchases. Over 70% of consumers expect personalized experiences and become frustrated if brands ignore their preferences. E-commerce allows businesses to meet that expectation easily through data-driven personalization.

Data and analytics are another advantage. Every page view, click, and purchase can be tracked in an online store. This means you can gather insights on customer behavior and buying habits – for example, which products are most viewed, what items are frequently abandoned in carts, or which promotions drive traffic. By analyzing this data, a business can continuously refine its offerings and marketing. If analytics show that a particular product page has many views but few purchases, you might improve its description or images, or run a targeted email campaign. This level of data-driven decision-making is far more difficult with a purely offline business.

Plus, e-commerce naturally incorporates social proof and trust signals. Many platforms let customers leave reviews or ratings on product pages. Given that 97-99% of online shoppers check reviews before buying, having positive feedback visible can significantly boost conversion rates. It turns satisfied customers into advocates who help sell to new buyers. This trust-building happens automatically in e-commerce and is a unique benefit that no traditional store can offer, such as peer reviews right on the shelf.

Lower Barriers to Entry and Scalability

Launching an e-commerce store is relatively easy and affordable compared to opening a new physical location. You can start small (often just a website and some drop-shipped inventory) and test the market. As sales grow, scaling an online business is straightforward. You can add products, integrate with global shipping carriers, or expand into international markets without signing new leases. Many e-commerce platforms and marketplaces (Amazon, Shopify, etc.) even handle global payment processing and multiple currencies for you.

Whereas, expanding a brick-and-mortar business requires significant capital outlay – new store build-outs, staffing, and local advertising. E-commerce sidesteps most of that. Because overhead is lower, an online retailer can handle peak demand (say, a holiday rush) by simply increasing server capacity or outsourcing additional order fulfillment for a short period. Once the season ends, costs can be scaled back.

This flexibility makes it easier for an e-commerce business to grow rapidly. In fact, the number of e-commerce websites worldwide is already enormous – tens of millions of online stores operate globally – and continues to rise. The U.S. alone hosts a considerable fraction of them. The point is: with internet access as your base, there are almost no limits to how large your online business can grow.

Staying Competitive and Future-Proofing

Finally, having an e-commerce business helps future-proof your company against market changes. The COVID-19 pandemic showed that businesses with robust online channels fared better when physical stores were forced to close. Even beyond crises, consumer behavior continues to shift towards digital. E-commerce growth rates, while leveling off from their pandemic spike, still outpace traditional retail. E-commerce will make up roughly 22-23% of all U.S. retail sales by 2027 (up from ~17% today). By building an online presence now, a business gains a competitive edge over rivals who lag.

Plus, being online makes it easier to adopt new technologies and trends. Social commerce (selling via social media apps) and mobile shopping are growing rapidly. An e-commerce infrastructure allows you to plug into these channels (e.g., add “Buy Now” buttons on Instagram or Facebook) and reach customers wherever they spend time. Many retailers also use their websites to create omnichannel experiences – letting customers order online and pick up in store (BOPIS). These modern shopping conveniences are only possible if you already have an e-commerce foundation.

Other Benefits to Consider

Beyond the significant advantages above, running an e-commerce business offers many additional perks. Your store can literally be open all the time, so a late-night shopper or someone browsing at 2 AM can make a purchase when your competitors’ shops are closed. Detailed product catalogs and data sheets are easy to provide, allowing customers to quickly learn everything they need to know about what they want to buy.

Since every interaction is tracked, you can analyze customer buying habits (e.g., which products sell best at which times) and tailor promotions accordingly. Real-time customer reviews and ratings on your site serve as powerful social proof, with studies showing nearly all online buyers consult reviews. Over time, positive reviews from past customers can serve as free marketing for new visitors.

Not only this, but an online business often has multiple traffic channels feeding it. Customers might arrive via search engines (SEO), paid ads, email newsletters, affiliate links, or social media – all of which you can measure and optimize. You can also run targeted remarketing campaigns (e.g., ads for people who abandoned carts). This marketing flexibility means you are not dependent on a single customer source.

Conclusion

If you think e-commerce is optional, then you are already in heavy losses. Today, it has become an essential part for growth, competitiveness, and long-term success. With nearly all consumers researching online before they buy, businesses that build strong e-commerce operations can reach larger audiences, operate more efficiently, and stay open 24/7.

Lower costs, greater scalability, richer customer insights, and increased trust through reviews all give online sellers a decisive edge. Simply put, going digital expands your opportunities, future-proofs your business, and helps you thrive in a marketplace that is rapidly moving online.

Frequently Asked Questions