In the last few years, we have been witnessing a sustainable growth in the eCommerce industry. In fact, the Bulgarian market is slowly but steadily catching up as far as the number of online purchases is concerned. Annually, the percentage of Bulgarian customers that decide to make a transition from buying goods from a physical store to an online one is growing exponentially. According to the latest researches conducted by the National Statistical Institute in Bulgaria, 21.7% of all customers have made at least one online purchase throughout the year. This is an increase of approximately 1% from the previous year.

It is a well-known fact that locally and globally, more customers start relying on the Internet when it comes to purchasing a good or service. And the reasons are more than clear – it’s faster, time-saving, and instead of going to a physical store, products are coming directly to your home. What’s more, the Internet has become а compulsory tool for building trust between customers and companies!

Therefore, all kinds of small businesses to large enterprises in Bulgaria and globally decide to start creating a corporate website and building their online presence. A place where to put all the essential information for their company and products together. A way to engage with their prospects and build a trustworthy relationship with their customers!

2009 - 2019 – How has the online business scene in Bulgaria changed in the last decade?

Thorough research conducted by the National Statistical Institute in Bulgaria shows that 50.7% of the Bulgarian companies have a website in 2019. In comparison, this percentage was equal to 42.5% back in 2009 — a surprisingly high rate given the country’s economic situation and the financial crisis that it went through.

“We have established ICN.bg back in 2004 and for the last 15 years we have experienced all the economic changes in our country. What we have noticed during the financial crisis of 2008 and 2009 was that a vast majority of the business owners decided to keep and maintain their websites, despite the rough times the economy has been going through. For us, that was a solid proof that the market and its businessmen and women are mature enough to understand that being online is a vital part of the success of any business” - said Julian Borislavov, CEO of ICN.bg.

As a matter of fact, 50.7% is far from being a low percentage. In comparison, in one of the most, if not the most, developed economies in the world – the USA, over 40% of the SMBs do not have a website.

A growth rate of 42.5% to 50.7% is far from accidental. Actually, it is the normal response of the market to the constant rise in Internet usage. The number of people that have access to a computer or the Internet and the amount of eCommerce sales is growing daily. Ecommerce is expected to accumulate more than $6.5 trillion in 2022 (according to Statista). An amount that should be a red signal to all of the business owners out there who are still postponing the creation of their corporate website!

How important is for your business to be online in 2020?

The Bulgarian tech industry, as well as the global one, is constantly changing and improving for the better! Along with that, the consumers’ behavior is adjusting to the latest inventions and trends, so people are strongly relying on the Internet when it comes to purchasing goods or services.

To back these statements up with facts, we are going to present you with some statistics from the National Statistical Institute. Their latest survey showed that at the end of 2019 75.1% of the Bulgarian households have access to the internet. What’s more, for the last decade, the growth rate is equal to 42%. Moreover, 66.8% of the 16-74-year-olds use the Internet every single day or at least once per week at work, home, or another place, and 53.9% are using the Internet several times a day.

“Nowadays, there are hardly any obstacles in front of business owners when it comes to building their corporate website. Back in the days, it might have been expensive, or you had to have the deep technical knowledge to create a webpage, but today – there are countless opportunities to build one! They might decide to use a Content Management System like WordPress or work with a Sitebuilder software. Both options can offer a fast and easy way of building a good website. As a matter of fact, both platforms allow people with a tight budget and none experience in web design whatsoever to start building their website immediately. For those business owners with enough budget, I recommend finding a web design studio that is going to build them a website, following the latest trends and SEO optimizations. More importantly, every minute in which a business does not have an online presence, is a loss in prospects and potential revenue” – commented Julian Borislavov.

It is of great importance to carefully choose a reliable and high-quality hosting service when you start building your website. Find a hosting company that can offer security and speed optimization for your webpage. As far as the domain registration is concerned, try to come up with a name that is short, simple, and easy to remember. Do not make it hard for your customers and prospects!

Furthermore, remember that more than half of the Internet traffic comes from mobile devices. Keep that in mind, when you build your website. It has to be with a responsive design for you to be sure that it will look perfect on any mobile device. Do not forget that it is crucial for your business to be online in 2020. But it is more important to do it the right way. And the right way is to be customer-oriented!

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