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Exactly How Far Can Ecommerce Expand By Taking Cryptocurrencies?

Cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and Dogecoin are constantly in the news, but will they really transform e-commerce and what do business need to know before taking them as payment.

Posted: 7th June 2021 by
James Gardner
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Businesses today must keep up with the times to entice all customers and give them little or no reason to go elsewhere. With the world getting smaller by the day due to the internet and how it is used by businesses and customers alike, companies who aren’t riding the wave could find themselves struggling to keep up with their competitors.

The best way in which you can boost your business is to be on top of the latest technology trend and use it to its maximum advantage, and embracing cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and Ethereum would certainly do that.  However, before you decide that taking Bitcoin will make your business explode overnight, there are a few other things you need to consider first.

The rise of Bitcoin

Bitcoin is very much a hot property, as is Ethereum and, as of this moment, Dogecoin. They are in the news every day, and ‘Bitcoin prices’ is one of the most searched terms on Google. It would be easy to assume that cryptocurrencies would naturally be used to purchase goods in the same way we once used cash.

However, this is not currently the case. It is not because Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies are not safe and secure (because everybody already knows this is not the case), but instead, it seems to be a problem of perception, which is always a critical factor in the mass adoption of anything new.

Cryptocurrency trading

While those with a decent working knowledge of Cryptocurrencies do not share this bias, there is a strong current perception (especially in the face of daily stories about the rising price of Bitcoin) that Bitcoin is something you invest in, not something you use to buy everyday items.

It could be argued that, given the current perception of Bitcoin almost as a commodity, that the person in the street is as likely to pay for a newspaper or a can of Red Bull with Bitcoin as they would using a bar of gold.

Accepting Bitcoin for everyday payments

This looks to be the main barrier in the way of accepting, for example, Bitcoin as a method of payment online. The technology should never be a problem; but instead, it is the willingness of the customer to use it.

Social media can play a significant role in this by normalizing the use of Crypto for everyday purchases. Seeing influencers using Crypto as a currency and not something that just sits in exchanges like Coinbase will increase the ability of regular users to see digital currencies the same way they see the ones they use every day.

Final thoughts

Suppose you are not sure about using cryptocurrency or feel that perhaps this is not the way forward. Just think about how customers used to pay on sites like eBay 20 years ago, which was mainly cheque or cash through the post. Paypal was not really trusted as a payment method, whereas now it is most definitely preferred and indeed requested by most if not all sellers.

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