If the past 18 months has taught consumers anything, it’s that the eCommerce boom is certainly here to stay. From January to May of this year, demand for online orders has risen 35.6% despite the country opening back up. It’s more than safe to assume that the pandemic introduced many consumers to a habit that will be difficult to break. If you run an eCommerce business, you must take advantage of these trends, especially if you want to build a sustainable brand, which you can do by embracing tools that encourage paperless policies.
A To-Do List
A successful and organized business is built around the To-Do list. Without one, it’s easy for you to fall behind on essential projects. But, if you’re still using a notepad, you’re doing it wrong. Right now, everyone has a ready-to-go to-do list on their smartphone and computer which they can use to keep track of what needs doing. You can use tick boxes to remove completed items, and you don’t need to decipher your scribbly handwriting, either.
Easy Online Catalogues
Keeping track of all of your products can be a challenge, especially if you run the business entirely by yourself. This is why your online catalogue is so important. Gone are the days of printing hefty booklets full of your seasonal range. Now, people want the convenience (and sustainability) of online catalogues. Businesses of all sizes can use image APIs to automatically recognise product types and improve metadata, which makes cataloguing easier, helps customers find what they need, and will ensure these products rank better on search engines.
'Paper accounts for around 26% of total waste at landfills' Share on XReceipt Scanning
Receipts are an essential element of running a business and keeping your finances for when the tax season comes around. But, these receipts also waste paper. Some companies, such as Decathlon, have brought in the option to email a receipt, whereas supermarkets give you the option to print the receipt or not. These are useful, but not always ideal. So, a small business can opt for receipt scanning. While this still prints the receipt, scanning the image will allow you to store it digitally, which cuts down on storage space and gives you the easy option to recycle it as soon as you’re finished.
'With all the paper we waste each year, we can build a 12 foot high wall of paper from New York to California!' Share on XFile Storage and Sharing
Going paperless relieves the need for bulky storage solutions. Apps and services such as Google Drive and Dropbox have been revolutionary for companies who want to eliminate a paper trail and share, edit and view documents. Every company should look at investing in these services to eliminate the need for printing, sending, copying, sending back, and more. With these tools, you can view suggested changes and even the edit history, allowing you to track changes and see how a document has improved in real-time. If there is anything you don’t agree with, you can also use this to speak to the editor and find a solution.
'10 litres of water is needed to make one piece of A4 paper' Share on XPaperless
If you’re trying to build a sustainable brand, you should start by getting rid of as much paper as possible. Embracing technology and finding new and effective ways to help the environment puts your company in a superb position, so don’t sleep on its benefits, because customers will look for a business that focuses on helping the environment.
Stats via The World Counts
