E-commerce is investing in itself. Online store report 2017

The e-commerce market has grown by 25% in Poland, according to the European Ecommerce organization, and industry institutions estimate its value at PLN 36-40 billion. Poles are not afraid to take risks and are looking for their chance in e-commerce.According to Bisnode, as many as 6-8 thousand stores are established annually, of which 9 out of 10 are small and medium-sized companies. The results of the survey in the new "Polish Online Shops Report" confirm these trends. They also show that the market is moving toward increasing professionalization of services.

The e-commerce landscape in Poland

2017 went without surprises when it comes to the dynamics of setting up new e-stores in the regions. Data from the Shoper platform shows that, as last year, residents of the Mazowieckie and Malopolskie provinces turned out to be the most entrepreneurial. In third place, but getting closer to the top, were Silesians. The smallest number of stores were located in the Lubuskie and Warmińsko-Mazurskie provinces.

As the "Polish Online Shops Report" shows, the largest number of stores, 40 percent, have been in operation for less than 1 year. On the other hand, 1-3 years of operation is behind nearly ⅓ of the stores, 10% have reached 4-5 years, and 20% more than 5 years. In the initial period of operation, for most owners this is an additional form of income. However, as the store ages, this proportion begins to change. Among businesses older than 5 years, those that are the main source of income for the owner already prevail.

The growth rate of the e-commerce market in Poland is promising and can provide revenue for several thousand more stores. In addition, many people are trying their luck in the industry because of the low entry threshold," says Jacek Zientkiewicz, Brand Manager of the platform Shoper. - At the same time, it should be remembered that as the market grows and the number of stores increases, so does the competitiveness; a store to survive must invest in knowledge and modern solutions. Regardless of the size of the business, in order to move forward, one must invest in marketing and promotion.

E-commerce is a readiness for change

Surveyed e-commerce owners know that e-commerce requires constant development. In the past year, 82 percent of them made changes to their business. The most common of these were changes in layout, with almost half of those surveyed deciding to do so. Entrepreneurs are also keeping their hand in when it comes to website visibility - following Google's warning about not displaying "unsafe" sites, almost half of those surveyed introduced an SSL certificate. Also at the forefront of responses was the introduction of quick payments, which will allow customers to finalize transactions without waiting several days for confirmation from a traditional bank.

E-commerce owners are versed in customer attraction activities and realize that social media is very important these days. They use it in their work 62 percent of those surveyed. They most often choose Facebook, but more than ⅓ have already recognized the potential of Instagram. Nearly half of e-tailers also use ads on the two largest networks - Google AdWords and Facebook Ads.

Plans for 2018

Plans for the next year also include the need for more changes, according to those surveyed. 97 percent of the surveyed e-shops plan to do so. Nearly 80 percent of them want to expand their offerings, almost half plan to improve positioning, and ⅓ plan to change the graphic design.

-E-shoppers' actions are increasingly based on knowledge and data rather than gut feeling. Sellers plan their activities in advance and check what the sources of revenue are, so that they can improve the performance of their business in the future," says Jacek Zientkiewicz, Brand Manager of the platform Shoper. - They also know they can count on expert support, and are increasingly opting for additional traffic acquisition tools provided by the Shoper Campaigns service.

Report.