Could Businesses In NI Do More To Release The Potential Of Online Sales?

Data released by Amazon has revealed that there are more than 1,000 small to medium size businesses in Northern Ireland that use their online platform to make sales. These sales through the online retailer totalled more than £40 million in 2022. But online sales expert and founder of specialist Amazon agency, Chris Turton, believes that thousands more businesses in NI are not realising their full potential by not driving more online sales through platforms like Amazon.

The Figures At Amazon Speak For Themselves

Here is what Chris said about why he thinks businesses are crazy to ignore the opportunities that Amazon gives them to push through more sales, as copied from an article in the Belfast Newsletter . He said:

“Amazon is often seen as the enemy of small business, but the figures speak for themselves,

“Around 100,000 UK-based SMEs sell their products with Amazon and last year those businesses recorded over £3 billion in sales in 2022.

“I find it mind-blowing how many businesses I have spoken to who think they don’t need Amazon for their business or ecommerce growth,

“They say things to me like: ‘If people want our product they will find it on our website’, but that simply isn’t the case. I would go as far as saying if you’re not on Amazon your brand is not going to be a category leader.

“There are 13.5 million people in the UK alone who pay for a Prime membership – Amazon is their go-to shopping channel and if a business is not on there, a keyword search will lead them to a competitor. They will never find your product, even if your brand has a reputation.”

There Are Plenty Of Things Businesses Can Do

He went on to say in the article that businesses need to do more than simply have an online presence on Amazon. He said:

“Getting the best out of Amazon can seem like something of a minefield, but there are plenty of things businesses can do to get this right, from making sure their pages look the part to optimising keywords. Businesses need to be on Amazon, but they also need to make sure they are as committed to it as they would be to a physical shop.”

Amazon is a gigantic online platform that has a huge presence for better or for worse, but there is no doubt that there are great opportunities for businesses who can learn to use it effectively to drive more sales.