12th March 2021 by William Aldred
Introduction
According to Kurzweiila.net if technology continues to advance every day, then at today’s rate we’ll most likely experience 20,000 years’ worth of progress within the 21st century. Imagine what we could be doing in 20,000 years? Especially when the last 30 + years have already shaped the way we communicate, interact and shop. It’s hard to think what the future can hold, especially if we look at our most recent inventions. We bet we’ll be in for some serious digital advancements.
Don’t believe us? then take a look at some of these digital inventions and imagine a world without them(Eva Crawford-McKee, 2018):
- World Wide Web was born on 1989
- Google launched on September 4th, 1998
- Facebook launched on February 4th, 2004
- Twitter launched on March 21st, 2006
- Instagram launched on October 6th, 2010
- TikTok launched in 2016
These have become so ingrained in what we do, that it’s easy to forget what the world was like before they were invented.
If you’re reading this while commuting to work, take the time to look around you, because statistically saying, one out of every four people you see could be an online shopper(Maryam Mohsin,2020). With the change of technology, we’re seeing more and more people going about their daily lives within the digital world. This is why it’s so important that every Canadian business has an online presence, whether it be a social media channel or website.
Below we want to showcase how important the Canadian Digital people are to small businesses.
The Canadian Digital People
Take 5 minutes to think about how the digital world affects your life?
- Do you use online platforms to shop, search and interact with others?
- Do you use online platforms to shop, search and interact with others?
- How do you digest the latest news and trends?
It’s evident to see the way the digital world affects our daily lives, especially the way we work and connect with friends and family. If we go about our daily routines within the digital world, then it only makes sense that Canadian businesses have a digital presence as well. How else will the digital consumer find you?
Don’t think so? Then take a look at these Canadian Online Shoppers Behaviour Statistics that you should Know (CIRA, 2019).
- Nearly 3-in-4 Canadians spend at least 3 to 4 hours online each day.
- 87% made an online purchase last year.
- 46% made a purchase from their mobile devices.
- 64% of Canadians prefer making online purchases from a Canadian retailer.
- 75% are comfortable making purchases on a Canadian retail or government site vs only 55% on a U.S. site.
It’s simple, digital people are surfing the web to interact and shop, therefore it makes sense your Candian company is there, ready to greet them.
Your Canadian Digital Business
We’ve seen year over year that e-commerce sales have more than doubled—with a 110.8% increase compared with May 2019
Jason Aston,2020
Despite the fact that e-commerce sales are on the increase and that Canadians are more likely to do business with Canadian companies, CIRA reports that 40% of small Canadian businesses still don’t have a website(Jason Faber. 2016). That’s crazy, especially when over 94% of the Canadian population have home Internet access (150 StatCan, 2019).
Even though it seems that the majority of Canada has access to the digital world, just over half of the small Canadian businesses are able to facilitate these digital people, which means that small Canadian businesses are losing out on potential income. Being online has never been so easy and simple, so why do small Canadian businesses struggle?
We believe through our years of experience that fear can be the strongest motivator in holding some business behind. Fear of the unknown, the uncertainty of where to start but we urge you, don’t let that happen to you, and get your business online.
Get your small business online
If you have an established physical business then the next step is easy. Getting yourself online, and there are numerous ways to do this. If you like the hands-on approach then building your e-commerce platform can be done through Wix, Squarespace, Shopify, or WordPress (requires more coding knowledge than the others). We would recommend doing your research on which platforms are better suited for your needs. (Or give us an email about your wants and needs and we can point you in the right direction)
There are over 1,834,066,095+ (LiveStatistics) websites online currently, and more are coming. That’s why it’s important to get your website built right because competing within the digital space can be a challenge. Don’t worry though, as there is a process to the madness, but for now, the simplest things you can do is to ensure you’re ranked on Google, and that your website is consumer-friendly and mobile-friendly. These will help overcome most initial obstacles.
But what else should I look out for? We’re glad you’ve asked!
Below we’ve created a series of questions that every business owner and entrepreneur should think about.
Small Business Questions
Questions you should ask yourself when your business is already established:
- Do you know the conversion rate for your industry(eCommerce sales)?
- If so, are you reaching these goals?
- Do you have a set of brand guidelines to ensure consistency in messaging and content?
- Are you able to track your website data?
- If so, do you know how to make business decisions on your informed insights?
- Are you tracking your social data?
- If so, do you have projections of where you want these platforms to be?
But what happens if don’t have a business yet and are thinking about starting one? Don’t worry we have some questions for you too!
About to start your own business?
Here are some questions you should ask yourself when starting your own venture:
- Do you have a brand for your business (logo, colours, and fonts)?
- What is your USP for services and products?
- Have you done any industry and competitor research?
- Do you know who your target audience is?
Simple, eh
We could go on, however, the one thing we can note is that the digital world is important to every Canadian business. So getting online is the first major hurdle, and the next is ensuring your business thrives to continually function for the foreseeable future.
Need help? Then don’t worry, we have tailored solutions for Canadian companies and entrepreneurs.
At Cordeeple, we want you to help you, help yourself.
Summary
When we live in an age where boomers, that’s right boomers (55+) are surfing the web with their mobile devices then you need to reconsider your business plans because that’s an increase in boomers using their mobile devices from 57% in 2019 versus 44% in 2017 and only 24% in 2015 (CIRA, 2019). It shows that our grandparents are willing to take the dive into the digital world, so it only means that your business should too.
64% of Candian consumers prefer making online purchases from a Canadian business.
CIRA, 2019
We’ve shown you the reasons why it’s important for your business success to be online and when you do, you’ll most likely have support from your fellow Canadians.
Court your digital people, with us Cordeeple.
Work Cited
- 150 StatCan. (2019). Canadian Internet Use Survey. statcan.gc.ca
- Blake Irving. (2015). Discovering very small businesses [INFOGRAPHIC]. Godaddy.com
- Canada’s Internet Factbook 2019 | CIRA. (2019). Cira.ca
- Eva Crawford-McKee. (2018). The History of New Media. Eva Crawford-McKee.com
- Jason Aston. (2020). Retail e-commerce and COVID-19: How online shopping opened doors while many were closing. Statcan.gc.ca
- LiveStatistics. Internet Live Stats. internetlivestats.com
- Jason Faber. (2016). Why no business is too small to have a website. Cira.ca
- Maryam Mohsin. (2020).10 Ecommerce Trends That You Need to Know in 2021 [Infographic].oberlo.ca
- Melody McKinnon. (2015). Most Canadian Micro-Businesses Don’t Have a Website (Statistics & Infographic). CanadiansInternet.com
- Michelle Mire. (2019). The Canadian Small Business Stats Everyone Should Know. wagepoint.com
- Ray Kurzweil. (2020). The Law of Accelerating Returns. Kurzweiila.net
- Statista. E-commerce in Canada – Statistics & Facts. statista.com
- Statista. Number of digital buyers worldwide from 2014 to 2021. statista.com
- Thomas J Law. (2021). 19 Powerful Ecommerce Statistics That Will Guide Your Strategy in 2021. oberlo.ca
