Cash. Who needs cash? These days, you better have a credit/debit card. If school children – you know, the same children that rip open presents faster than Usain Bolt can run the 100 meter – are just as happy to get a gift card from Target for their birthday instead of an actual present, then let’s face it folks, cash is no longer King. Enter stage left, E-Commerce.
The whole world seems to be bursting with E-Commerce ideas. A search on Mashable’s site for E-Commerce lists 388 recent stories, just in the last week, featuring companies like Teen Vogue Magazine, who is allowing readers to purchase products online that are featured in monthly issues. Mashable also talks about E-Commerce from India to Pakistan to right here in the U.S., where fashionistas can now purchase dresses worn by celebrities on the red carpet the day after the event, with all proceeds going to an online fundraising site. Wow…
Forrester reports that e-Commerce generated $231 billion in sales in the U.S. last year, is expected to increase this year by 13% to $262 billion, and by 2017, it will count for a full tenth of all retail sales in the U.S.., reaching $370 billion. According to Forrester, there are two factors contributing to this growth.
First, the amount of time consumers spend online has skyrocketed, as have the number of smartphone and tablet users. Second, traditional merchants are giving consumers more online choices, like ordering out-of-stock items. And they are moving up from small items like books or movies to big purchases that often require a lot of thought and research, like furniture, art or appliances.
If you are a merchant, it’s necessary to jump into the E-Commerce world. But jumping doesn’t have to be scary. Whether you need to set up your own payment page or utilize a mobile payment processing solution, Bluefin Payment Systems makes it EASY. Bluefin’s payment gateway, PayConex, gives your customers a preferred way to pay while keeping their information safe and secure. And our mobile application, SwipePlus, turns your phone into a mobile payment device and features an encrypting card reader that allows you to swipe all credit and debit cards.
So jump! All of the consumers, even those crazy kids, are ready for you to step into the E-Commerce world!
