Every year, more small and medium-sized companies bet on electronic commerce. Thus, according to a recent DHL Express report, the number of SMEs that have opted for e-commerce has increased by 70% since 2019. However, this market growth has not been constant, in 2020 it was 42% and in 2021 24%, suffering the impact of the supply crisis that companies are currently facing.

Currently, Spain is the only European country to maintain the growth rate, 6% year-on-year, according to the Salesforce Shopping Index, showing the strength of the Spanish e-commerce market, compared to the rest of the world, where the market has fallen by 3%. But in order to maintain this growth, SMEs will have to overcome a series of obstacles that they currently have. In this context, and on the occasion of SME Day, Hubo, one of the fastest growing fulfillment providers in the United Kingdom, highlights the 4 main barriers that SMEs must overcome to achieve an increase in their sales through e-commerce.

Give importance to logistics
SMEs that begin to take their first steps in electronic commerce often leave aside the importance of logistics, neglecting not only the storage and delivery of their products, but also overlooking how a good logistics system can significantly improve the customer experience. This is confirmed by the data from the Report on Logistics and Electronic Commerce by Seven Senders, according to which 53% of buyers would not buy again in an ecommerce if the shipping experience was negative. SMEs that bet on the sale of products online must know from the outset the importance of logistics for the delivery of their products and, in the event that they cannot invest in a logistics and distribution center, that the outsourcing of these services is a good option for them.

Outsource services
One of the main barriers to be overcome by SMEs with regard to electronic commerce is the outsourcing of their fulfillment services, the comprehensive management of the logistics of their online orders. Many companies try to control the entire process of selling and distributing their products, losing sight of the quality of their products in the process. Despite the initial reluctance of many owners to relinquish control of this part of the process, the reality is that outsourcing these services can bring many benefits, from a lower workload to less investment in logistics.

Bet on gradual growth
During the pandemic, the number of SMEs that started selling online increased notably, specifically by 70% since 2019. Despite this great growth, one of the main barriers to overcome by SMEs is the high speed of growth that they hope to have, since they compare themselves with the big online sales companies and on many occasions they believe that growth itself is the only way to compete, a belief that could not be further from the truth. Thus, drawing up a growth plan in stages, which allows the SME to dominate each one of them, controlling at all times the quality of the products it sends and thus guaranteeing sustainable and organic growth, will favor the company in the long term.

Demystify excellence
Comparisons with the big e-commerce companies are constant for companies that are starting to sell their products online. Despite this, SMEs must understand that they are taking their first steps in online sales and, therefore, they will make mistakes in the early stages of implementing online sales that will be resolved over time. It is important to demystify operational excellence, understanding that there must be room for growth and understanding that any comparison with the large companies in the sector will be counterproductive for growth.