From brands like Boohoo and Jacamo- both based in Manchester- to a host of technical specialists responsible for creating, designing, and innovating new platforms for others to sell their wares on, eCommerce is currently one of the fastest growing industries in northern England. And the North West is a particular hotspot.

Over in Liverpool, for example, Shop Direct is now the region’s biggest online retailer, with a revenue of almost £2billion per year. Our own hometown, on the other hand, is home to four of the top five eCommerce companies in this part of the world, including rentalcars.com, our own client.

The company isn’t the only bright star within the sector we have worked with, either. LEDHut.co.uk, rentalcars.com and TyresOnTheDrive.com can be added to the list. And this is in addition to the number of ‘click and brick’ clients we have serviced, such as Silentnight, who sell online while retaining a strong physical presence.

Part of our appeal boils down to the fact that we build reputations on and offline, to tremendous commercial effect. Our strong knowledge of Google, allied to digital marketing overall- from editorial link building to setting trends on social media, perfectly places is to support eCommerce business. An integrated skill set, this is before we mention our involvement with influencers, which ensures our remit also covers a key sales concept by way of securing endorsements and spokespeople. All essential ingredients an eCommerce business should be looking for in its comms agency partner.

The numbers speak for themselves when it comes to how much this sector is expected to continue growing over the coming years, with accessibility a key driver. The country is home to just under 65million people. Of those, 92% are now considered to be ‘internet users’. The average person is spending between £75 and £80 every time they shop online, and mobile traffic now accounts for 30% of all eCommerce transactions-  a figure that is increasing annually as connections get faster and technology improves.

This might not be news to anyone- well all know that more and more people are opting to get their retail therapy fix, or simply buy groceries, without having to leave their homes, and the notion that smartphones and tablets are fast becoming the most popular means of getting online is rather self evident. But what does all this mean for the average business, which may not consider this area particularly essential?

Firstly, nobody wants to miss out on an entire demographic- in this instance the online shopper. By not embracing all the opportunities presented by modern day eCommerce, you are effectively rejecting this slice of the consumer pie. More so, the potential for online to actually guide your brand is huge. Not only is eCommerce fully scalable- you can add more product lines and increase shipping coverage without expanding the physical business- it also provides plenty of insights into where you should be taking the company next to maximise on profit and attract more customers.

Again, this may be stating the obvious, yet it’s really just scratching the surface. Today, the scope of what eCommerce can achieve, not to mention how easy and cost effective it can be, is rather mind-blowing. But don’t take our word for it. Next week- on 11th and 12th October- we will be partnering with Prolific North for the eCommerce Show North at EventCity in Manchester, which will host 120 businesses and 4,000 attendees and showcase exactly what the sector can achieve for your firm. To book your place at the event, which runs  at EventCity in Manchester, click here.

Looking for more advice on PR, social media, and marketing? Why not get in contact or submit a brief to inject a little ingeniousness into your brand.