If your business features products or services for sale,
undoubtedly the topic of eCommerce has come up. What is
eCommerce? Literally defined as ?the conduct of financial
transactions by electronic means,? it refers to purchases made
over the Internet. There are popular slang terms such as
ebusiness, click and mortar, dotcom, cyber-mall and multiple
spellings (eCommerce, e-commerce, E-Commerce), but they are all
basically the same thing. Don?t let the different phrases
confuse you, it all comes back to the same principle: selling
online. So how do you know if selling online will be beneficial
for your business? There are a few basic questions that can help
you with this decision. First and foremost, can you afford to
develop a professional eCommerce storefront on your Web site?
You?ve heard the phrase ?if you can?t do it right, it?s not
worth doing at all?. This is especially true in regards to
eCommerce because people will not purchase from your Web site if
it looks amateur and is poorly done. Custom developed eCommerce
sites can cost tens of thousands of dollars, but pre-built
shopping cart solutions such as WebSolutions? Marketplace can
provide your business with a professional eCommerce storefront
for a fraction of the cost. Another benefit of a program like
this is whereas a Yahoo or eBay store may be less expensive to
get going, it?s going to be less customizable, and as your
business grows, you?ll outgrow the site and need to start over
again. An option like the Marketplace provides a great starting
place with unlimited building potential and growth. After the
cost issue is addressed, you need to evaluate the potential of
selling your product or service online. Are any of your
competitors selling online? If not, have a brainstorming session
and try to think of any logical reasons why they aren?t. Could
it be that they tried and failed or is it that they just haven?t
thought about selling online yet? One key to remember is that
once you make the decision to sell online, your product and
pricing is now available 24/7 to anyone that stumbles upon your
site. After evaluating your competitor?s Web sites, you need to
look at your product line and determine your target audience.
Who buys from your now? Are you selling to businesses or
individuals? If the answer is businesses, are they generally
companies that are active on the Internet or businesses that
don?t rely on the Web as much (such as mechanics, restaurants,
etc.). If the answer is individuals, what demographic(s) are you
advertising your products or services to? You need to be sure
that the people you want purchasing your product have access to
the Internet and are willing to shop online. Few businesses
realize that over 80% of the world?s Internet access speed is
still dial-up, so loading huge catalogs, Flash files, and large
graphics will deter a prospect from purchasing. Finally, you
need to determine how you can make your business stand out from
all the rest. If you?re selling copier supplies, why is someone
going to come to your site versus the other millions of copier
supply Web sites? Are you going to sell based on price,
location, quantity, quality of service? Are you going to provide
online shipment tracking, account management, wish lists,
real-time credit card authorization and processing, and other
advanced eCommerce applications to make your site more
professional? These are all issues that need to be addressed
before you start designing your first product page. Taking the
next step of selling online is a big decision for your business
and isn?t to be taken lightly. There is significant cost and
risk involved, but there is also significant reward waiting to
be had. Be sure to consult with your Web developer to find out
which options are available to you and do your research ahead of
time. Not every eCommerce site is profitable, but if you
prepare, there?s no reason yours can?t be.
About the author:
WebSolutions is a professional Web site design, development, and
hosting company based near Chicago. Their expertise in eCommerce
has been highlighted in print and television. Jon Kee handles
all sales and marketing related activities for WebSolutions and
can be reached by phone at 630.375.6833 or email @
sales@wsol.com. Visit us online: http://www.wsol.com
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