An online business relies on an exchange of value (product, service, or content) conducted via the internet, with a business model that generates revenue either recurrently or occasionally. The French e-commerce market surpassed 196 billion euros in revenue in 2025, according to Concilium.
The average basket, however, has decreased by 3% to settle at 62 euros, while the number of transactions has increased. This data changes the game for any online sales strategy.
Declining average basket: why recurrence takes precedence over unit sales
The growth of French e-commerce masks a phenomenon that many new entrepreneurs are unaware of. The volume of transactions is increasing, but each purchase generates less. Specifically, a site that relies solely on one-time high-margin sales is directly affected by this erosion of the average basket.
Models based on recurrence, customer loyalty, and increasing purchase frequency better absorb this decline. An online store that offers a monthly subscription, a loyalty program with progressive benefits, or an automatic renewal system transforms a one-time customer into a regular source of income.
Three concrete levers can anchor this recurrence:
- Automatic replenishment for consumable products (cosmetics, dietary supplements, supplies), which reduces repurchase friction and stabilizes retention rates.
- Behavioral segmentation of existing customers to trigger targeted offers at the right time, rather than generic promotions that erode margins.
- The creation of exclusive content reserved for recurring buyers (guides, early access to new products), which strengthens attachment to the brand without additional advertising costs.
Those who succeed online this year are building a customer asset, not just a product catalog. To learn more about Informations Web, the topic of online business strategy is addressed from several complementary angles.
AI agents and product search: an acquisition channel to structure
AI-powered assistants and agents no longer just answer general questions. According to KPMG France, AI agents are becoming a new commercial entry point for online sales sites. A customer asking a voice or text assistant “what is the best product for X” receives a response built from the structured data available on the web.
This evolution has a direct consequence on how to work on digital marketing. Traditional SEO on Google remains useful, but it is no longer sufficient. The AI agent does not browse a results page: it synthesizes information from multiple sources and recommends a product or service based on the quality of the data it finds.
Product data and brand reputation
To appear in an AI agent’s recommendations, two elements matter. The first is the quality and completeness of product data: detailed sheets, filled technical attributes, authentic customer reviews, real-time availability. The second is the brand’s reputation across the web, not just on its own site.
An entrepreneur launching an online store should therefore invest time in structuring their product sheets (schema.org markup, precise descriptions, quality visuals) as much as in their content or advertising strategy. Sites with fragmented or inconsistent information risk simply being ignored by these new recommendation tools.
Digital accessibility: a legal obligation for e-commerce
Since June 28, 2025, the European Accessibility Act applies to e-commerce services in Europe. B2C e-commerce sites that are non-compliant face sanctions. Microenterprises providing services benefit from an exemption under certain conditions, but the majority of online stores are concerned.
This regulation requires that web interfaces be usable by people with disabilities: keyboard navigation, compatibility with screen readers, sufficient contrasts, alternative texts on images. This is not a cosmetic detail. An inaccessible site loses both potential customers and is exposed to a concrete legal risk.
First steps towards compliance
Achieving compliance does not necessarily require a significant budget at the start. Automated audit tools detect the most common problems (insufficient contrasts, poorly labeled forms, images without alt attributes). Correcting these basic points improves the experience for all users, not just those with disabilities.
An entrepreneur creating a website in 2026 should integrate these criteria from the design stage rather than having to redo everything after launch. Accessibility considered from the start is cheaper than retroactive compliance.
Content strategy and online marketing: what still works
Content remains the foundation of an online presence, but its form is evolving. Generic blog articles saturate search results. What differentiates a high-performing site is the depth of treatment and thematic specialization.
A technical white paper on a specific problem in your sector generates qualified leads that a 300-word article will never capture. A weekly newsletter with concrete analyses retains an audience that social media alone cannot hold. Specialized content converts better than general content, because it attracts visitors already engaged in a purchasing or decision-making process.
The winning combination associates a well-structured website (optimized product pages, thematic blog, coherent internal linking) with an active presence on one or two social channels chosen based on the target audience. Spreading efforts across five platforms simultaneously dilutes the message and exhausts resources.
The online business market in France remains dynamic, driven by the growth of transactions and the adoption of new tools. Entrepreneurs who stand out are those who structure their data for AI agents, anticipate regulatory obligations like accessibility, and build a model of recurring revenue rather than chasing every isolated sale.
