Small Business Blog

Posts Tagged ‘Ecommerce’

Entry into the world of e-commerce requires that the site owner has there components planned:

- Products to sell

- Content to advertise the products

- A site host that will run scripts

These are essential before the site is set up. The first two offer direction to the web site, and give the tone for the whole project. The last one is the mechanism by which the e-commerce site will be set up. It will be used to store the content, and the framework, which serves the content, and provides an interface to the payment processing service provider.

The Content:

Every web site needs content. It is usually search engine optimized, added value information that persuades the visitor of the merits of the web site owner’ it is there to inform and build trust. It also needs to be able to be found by search engines, and linked in with the products for sale.

Many different content engines are available, and they each offer the possibility to integrate, with varying degree of flexibility and success, with e-commerce frameworks. However, it is often a good idea to choose an integrated solution, as it reduces the workload required to implement the site itself.

The product descriptions also become part of the content, and as such, there needs to be a way to access that content, and provide it to third parties. Typical mechanisms include XML (RSS) feeds, electronic press releases, and article repositories. All of which can be used to leverage editorial content and product information to drive visitors to the parts of the site managed by the e-commerce framework.

The Framework:

The e-commerce framework provides a container into which the content is placed. This includes the editorial as well as product specific content. The capabilities provided by the framework should include a decent template system, otherwise the site maintainer will spend a lot of time cutting and pasting code.

A full content management system might be out of reach for those starting out in business, but integration with the framework and any content management systems provided by the web space provider should be possible. What is important is that the framework:

- Provides reports

- Checks cards before requesting authorization

- Validates email addresses

- Retains customer data in a secure manner

The reports are important so that the site owner can keep track of the incoming funds, expected payments, and refund tracking. It is important that the card data is validated as far as possible before the authorization from the credit card processor is requested because each attempt is usually charged for. If the customer enters a wrong digit, it would be useful to pick this up before the charge is incurred.

The same is true of email addresses: each one is valuable, as it can be used to inform the customer of new products and site updates after the transaction has taken place. On the other hand, any information about the customer that is retained must be done in as secure a way as possible.

Summary:

The above should be enough to get started with an e-commerce framework, implementing a simple catalog of products. In essence, all that is required is a way to add items to a cart, accept payment for the cart, and track the fulfillment of the order.

Where care must be taken is in processing refunds, the manual work associated with keeping the site updated and fresh, and being careful to address issues with site navigation in a timely manner. There is nothing worse than making sure everything is in place, and then finding that none of the product pages are accessible due to a typo in the template providing the lookup URL.

“With the continuing explosive growth of e-commerce, small- and medium-sized businesses that are able to reap actionable information from a rich online platform are uniquely positioned to compete in the online marketplace,” says Michael Emaus, President and CEO of eEnterprise (www.eEnterprise.com), a global integrator of NetSuite, the world’s leading on-demand, Web-based business management software. “Today, e-commerce demands sophistication, in terms of the online shopping experience, which products are presented to customers, and how sales are tracked.”

According to the U.S. Department of Commerce, e-commerce sales rose to $25.2 billion during the first quarter of 2006, an increase of more than 25 percent over sales during the first quarter of 2005. Adjusted for seasonal variations, the first quarter 2006 growth of e-commerce over fourth quarter 2005 was more than double that of retail sales overall.

“Although online sales currently represent only about three percent of all retail sales, that number is sure to climb,” says Emaus. “It’s crucial that online retailers position themselves to take advantage of this trend. NetSuite business management software integrates a flexible e-commerce platform with the critical, real-time information e-tailers need to make sound decisions.”

With NetSuite, online retailers can easily increase sales by automating up-sell and cross-sell recommendations on the shopping cart page, as well as by allowing customers to purchase and use gift certificates and coupons online. “Because accounting is integrated into NetSuite’s e-commerce solution, a customer can shop with a gift certificate any number of times, until the balance is used,” says Emaus. “An e-tailer can even offer downloads for purchase, using NetSuite’s ability for password protection and license codes.”

Behind the scenes, NetSuite gives a business owner or marketing team real-time, actionable information that they can leverage to increase their exposure to potential customers. “Instead of simply seeing which paid keyword campaigns are driving traffic to the site, an online retailer can see which campaigns are generating the most sales revenue, and make adjustments as necessary,” says Emaus.

The same holds true for inventory management, since NetSuite allows just-in-time restocking by dynamically calculating reorders based on seasonal demand or historical sales data. “Successful e-tailers don’t have inventory sitting around, nor are they caught with an item out of stock,” says Emaus.

He continues, “NetSuite removes the limits imposed by a traditional Web architecture and provides the online retailer with a marketing powerhouse. Small- and medium-sized businesses simply don’t have the resources to support the in-house staff necessary to design and maintain the e-commerce solution that NetSuite provides. Best of all, NetSuite is a Web-based application that can ‘turn on’ fully supported global resources in about five minutes.”

With the growth of online sales clearly outpacing traditional retail sales, NetSuite helps small- and medium-sized businesses level the playing field.

WHAT IS ECOMMERCE?

According to Wikipedia, electronic commerce or ecommerce, as it is more commonly referred to now, is defined in the following excerpt:

“Electronic commerce, commonly known as e-commerce or eCommerce, consists of the buying and selling of products or services over electronic systems such as the Internet and other computer networks. The amount of trade conducted electronically has grown extraordinarily since the spread of the Internet.”

From small businesses to major corporations, ecommerce has been the buzz word on everyone’s lips for the last few years. Although it’s been a hot topic whose benefits have been heavily written about and reviewed by a myriad of different resources, there still remains a lot of misconception in the minds of companies who want implement an ecommerce system within their business strategy. Many contemporary businessmen think of ecommerce as merely setting up their website and selling the products online. The reality is that ecommerce is not simply a website selling online products – in fact, ecommerce is a complete drift of your business strategy from conventional to online.

In order to be successful, businesses must realize that ecommerce requires a complete business model – just as you operate your businesses, similarly, you need to form a model for ecommerce business. And since this is different from conventional business, the model also needs to be different. However, although they may be aware of the importance of ecommerce from a business standpoint, most of us need to turn to the experts in order to properly facilitate ecommerce strategies so that our online presence is maximized.

THE IMPORTANCE OF ECOMMERCE INTERNET SOLUTION

In today’s increasingly competitive online merchandising methodologies, ecommerce-enabled web sites have become a must-have for nearly everyone with an online presence. At Ecommerce Partners, for example, they specialize in custom enterprise level ecommerce solutions, in other words an ecommerce solution provider that empower some of the country’s most recognized brands by giving them the ability to simplify their businesses, manage product offerings and provide their consumers with unparalleled service on the web.

DID YOU KNOW…Approximately 60% of all ecommerce shopping carts are abandoned before checkout because of confusion, impatience or mistrust? Avoid this common mishap and consult one of our team experts to find an ecommerce solution to fit your company’s needs, budget and goals. We’ve streamlined our web designs to make each shopping experience not only easy, but memorable, even for the least-experienced user. Don’t forget to ask us about ECP eShop (cart functionality checklist), an innovative custom shopping-cart solution that will provide your company with the service, expertise, and tools to build a successful Web business. E-Shop will enable your business to reach new markets while increasing your bottom line – without the need for experienced technical staff!

They offer the following benefits:

• Flexibility – Our team will customize ECP E-Shop to support your unique business requirements.

• Business Focus – Our software puts the manager in control of your Web business, eliminating the need for technical staff to run a powerful e-commerce system – all through an intuitive Web interface.

• Scalability – ECP E-Shop works as well for 10,000 products as it does for 10, without additional performance or service issues.

• Integration – Our solutions work with your existing site, our suite of e-business solutions, and leading third-party transaction and fulfillment technologies.

• Best-of-Breed Features – ECP E-Shop goes beyond transactions, offering the best tools available to build and grow your business successfully.

With nearly a decade of experience in custom ecommerce, EcommercePartners.net, understand the importance of your company’s unique identity – they will tailor your website to meet your specific needs, each and every time.