E-commerce

Theory

Although e-commerce may require different tactics, and present new opportunities and challenges, the conventional strategic apsects of commerce are also applicable to e-commerce. Remember the strategic issues:

budget

resources

timescales

market research

advertising and PR

brochure / catalogue

trials and promotions

selling and order handling

customer care and after sales support

Practice, Experiences and Views

Make sure that you have a strong Internet presence before purchasing an e-commerce service for on-line orders. Make sure you are attracting the right sort of people to your Web site. Are you attracting potential customers?

To have a commercial presence on the Internet you will need, as a minimum, the following:

Web site

company information

product / service catalogue

order form and contact details

e-mail

To actually take electronic credit card payments on-line you will also need additional tools and services:

order form, shopping basket, checkout

customer details, shipping details, (credit card)

currency and taxes

secure servers, encrypted transactions (SSL), authentication

Tip

Questions to ask yourself:

Will I own or run my own server? Do I need to?

How will my site/server be connected to the Internet?

Who will design my site?

Who will maintain my site, and at what cost?

Do I want to accept orders on-line?

Do I want to take payments (credit cards) on-line?

Will I need to or want to interface my web page with existing databases, order systems or accounting systems?

Other perspectives on e-commerce are referenced below. These examples are not necessarily recommended by Acro Logic. In such a fast changing market your are advised to shop around immediately prior to selecting a provider.

Tip
If you want to take electronic credit card payments on-line you will need a Merchant Account. The cost for setting up an account varies but may run to hundreds of pounds or more.

Tip
Include pictures of the product. Most people will not buy if they do not know what your product looks like, even if they have seen the exact same product somewhere else.

An article reviewing various aspects of e-commerce: E-Business Defines Relationships

An example of real tools, services and costs from First Star

If you are interested in the tools to build your own e-commerce site have a look at CNET Builder

For more advice, guidance and information on this topic contact Acro Logic.