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Physical Store vs Online Store
When it comes to selling products or possessions, you can sell them physically at a store, or you can have your store online on the internet. Both physical and online stores have their pros and cons. By knowing the pros and cons of each, you put yourself into a better position of understanding which will work better for you.
There are some things you can do with physical stores that you cannot do with digital stores. Same goes with digital stores that you cannot do with physical stores. Read the below and make a decision on what would work best for you. The below is a non-exhaustive list, which upon further research you can discover more pros and cons.
Pros of physical store
Pros of physical stores include but are not limited to
- Confidence that the store exists and has a physical location
- You can provide friendly face value customer service
- Storage space for items you will sell
Cons of physical store
Cons of physical stores include but are not limited to
- If you are not online, it will be difficult to reach a further market
- Usually rent, utility bills, store maintenance and upkeep costs come with a physical store
- There needs to be staff or personnel present in the store
Pros of online store
Pros online stores include but are not limited to
- The store could run 24/7 with a good website
- You do not need to pay for as much staff
- There are no rental or bill costs associated with the online store
Cons of online store
Cons of online stores include but are not limited to
- Some website visitors could think your store is not legit
- Ensuring your website and payment gateway is always functioning and fixing the problem if it crashes
Decider
Having regard to the above, if you are still unsure, it might be a good idea to speak to people that run or have run both an online and physical store and take these opinions on board.
Conclusion
In conclusion, while you can earn more trust with physical stores quick than online stores, you can earn trust with your online store once you start receiving good reviews. Weighing up the pros and cons, one method might work better for one person, whereas another person would prefer the other method.
Alternatively, one could look at having a store that has both a physical location and an online presence.
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