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Custom Software Solution

Amal Xavier

2013-05-29 10:47:21

Q-It seems like more and more businesses are not only having an online presence, but they are also having built some most intricate eCommerce mechanisms to take care of their business. I want to do the same with my company, but I have some questions. What are the first things to consider before setting up an eBusiness? What about the legal ramifications? Do I need to consult with an attorney before opening up my eBusiness? Are there any other things I need to be aware of? I know you have written about this subject for the past several months, can you summarize the points you have made?

A-Last month we discussed some more of the benefits of eCommerce and eBusiness from one of our sources, http://www.streamcompanies.com. We will continue with more this month. Potential to Improve: Having an eCommerce business that is easy to discover is only part of the formula within eCommerce design. In addition, your customers will need a store that is accessible, and easy to navigate. Product Photography: Use only the very best photographs for your products, if it looks good on the site it will draw interest and the quality will shine through to your customers. Product photography can be very expensive but investing in your products image is key. Most web design firms offer a very competitive photography product service package and can give you a quote once you know what your requirements are. Potential to Increase Company Profits: As mentioned above, opening an Online extension of your store or moving your business solely Online are great ways to boost sales and potentially profits. Remember, just because SALES increase it does not necessarily mean that company PROFITS will increase also. Online businesses do have a greater chance of increasing sales and profits by opening up an eCommerce store to sell the items they offer. Sales and profits are the lifeblood of any company, so it makes sense to increase them where- ever possible and whenever possible throughout the existence of your company. More sales, more profits, bigger budgets, etc. eCommerce Marketing: eCommerce marketing began when the first shopping cart enabled sites started popping up all over the Net. As competition in major markets such as consumer electronics, gifts, clothing or apparel and outdoor goods started to grow so did the need for eCommerce marketing. Since the dot com boom, eCommerce marketing has evolved into a whole new mix of strategies and techniques designed to increase exposure from a multitude of channels to the eCommerce seller. Marketing Strategies & Techniques: eCommerce marketing today is typically made up of several creative or unique mixes of traditional and new-age marketing strategies that can include techniques related to direct mail, email marketing, search engine optimization, CPC or sponsored listings, building related links, establishing brand recognition and social media marketing. Tax Breaks for Conducting Business Online: Many eCommerce merchants qualify for such tax deductions and may find that they can save more in taxes than if they sold using traditional retail or a physical storefront. Home-based eBusiness can deduct many of the same things traditional businesses can. Traditional businesses can write-off utility, rent or mortgage bills as costs of doing business and Online merchants can also write-off certain portions of utilities. Vehicles are another common deduction along with office equipment and other time spent on setting up or running the business. Cheaper than Print Advertising: Traditional advertising is still a quality form of marketing, however it is not always cost effective, especially for small businesses. Print advertising can get expensive as there may be a need to update regularly, which requires new work be planned and generated. It is much quicker and more cost effective to update and maintain eCommerce marketing campaigns, especially as technology continues to improve. By conducting business Online and using the proven form of eCommerce marketing, merchants have the potential to generate far more in ROI with less spend than they could ever hope to expect from costly print advertising campaigns. Interactive Ads or Marketing Campaigns: Using advertising that engages potential customers is key in today’s fast paced, little time consumer shopping space. One benefit to eCommerce marketing is the merchant’s ability to develop and improve a number of interactive advertising or marketing campaigns designed to reach out and engage shoppers. Flexible Ad or Marketing Campaigns: Many traditional marketing strategies are limited in what they can offer and what kind of flexibility each initiative has. Merchants can develop more creative marketing ideas and launch them using the power and assistance of the Web (for both delivery and functionality). eCommerce marketing initiatives can be automated and are much more flexible than many of the traditional marketing or advertising methods.

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Custom Software Solution

Amal Xavier

2013-04-29 13:53:58

Q-It seems like more and more businesses are not only having an online presence, but they are also having built some most intricate eCommerce mechanisms to take care of their business. I want to do the same with my company, but I have some questions. What are the first things to consider before setting up an eBusiness? What about the legal ramifications? Do I need to consult with an attorney before opening up my eBusiness? Are there any other things I need to be aware of? I know you have written about this subject for the past several months, can you summarize the points you have made?

A-Last month we discussed some more of the benefits of eCommerce and eBusiness from one of our sources, http://www.streamcompanies.com. We will continue with more this month. Potential to Increase Overall Business Sales and Profits: eCommerce stores are a great way to boost overall business sales and potentially increase company profits across the board. Companies who already do business from a physical location are typically unaware of how much more they could be making if only they were to expand into their Online marketplaces. Potential to Decrease Some Costs: eCommerce stores can run with less employees including sales staff, customer service reps, order fulfillment staff and others. eBusinesses also do not need a physical location in order to stay operational, which can reduce costs related to building leases, phone bills, utility costs and other costs associated with running a storefront. Expands Geographical or Customer Reach: As mentioned, owning an eCommerce business typically means no limits as to who and where you can sell your products. Some countries outside the United States have additional regulations, licensing requirements or currency differences, but generally you will not be limited on the customers you can reach out to. At the very least, you should consider targeting U.S. buyers, but also consider, Canada, UK, Australia and others. Sell to anyone, anywhere, anytime! Allows for Smaller Market or Niche Targeting: Although your customer reach may expand beyond your local area, you may only wish to target smaller consumer markets and buyer niches for your eCommerce products. Owning an Online store gives the merchant much control over who they target and reach out to notify about the items for sale in their store. Currently, you can target women, men, a generation of users, a particular race and many more smaller niche markets. This is typically done by placing keywords that those niche markets use on a regular basis when shopping for the items you offer. Allows for Easier Delivery of Information: With an Online presence your customers will have direct access to product information, company information, specials, promotions, real time data and much more information that they can easily find just by visiting your site day or night. Not only does it benefit your customers, but it’s also generally easier for merchants to update their site rather than break down an in store display and put up another for the next event.

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Custom Software Solution

Amal Xavier

2013-03-25 14:11:39

Q-It seems like more and more businesses are not only having an online presence, but they are also having built some most intricate eCommerce mechanisms to take care of their business. I want to do the same with my company, but I have some questions. What are the first things to consider before setting up an eBusiness? What about the legal ramifications? Do I need to consult with an attorney before opening up my eBusiness? Are there any other things I need to be aware of? I know you have written about this subject for the past several months, can you summarize the points you have made?

A-Thank you for your comments. Yes, I will begin a series of summaries on all of the topics I have discussed and written about over the past few months. I have used many sources in providing this information to you, perhaps the biggest of which is www.ecommerceoptizimation.com. This month we will cover the benefits of eCommerce and eBusiness. The processes involved with conducting business on the Internet and opening an eCommerce shop to sell from have several benefits to both merchants and the customers who buy from them. The biggest benefits of conducting business Online include a cheaper upfront cost to the merchant, it's easier to set up and open the store, and it's faster to get an Online business up, running and making sales. Helps Create New Relationship Opportunities: Expanding or opening an eBusiness can create a world of opportunity and helps to establish new relationships with potential customers, potential business associates and new product manufacturers. Just by being in an easy to find location that is accessible to users all over the world, you will be available for others to find and approach you about new opportunities. Customers who don't know you exist will know about you, product suppliers will request you add their items and other businesses will approach you about partnership opportunities. Many of these opportunities would not present themselves without an Online presence or site for them to discover you on their own. Open for Business 24x7: An eCommerce site basically gives you the ability to have unlimited store hours, giving your customers 24 hours a day, 7 days a week access to shop and buy items from you. Some merchants choose to limit their hours to 5 days a week, but orders can still be made over the weekend and customers can still make contact 24/7 via email, phone or fax. In addition, the costs associated with having your store open 24/7 are much less than maintaining a physical storefront or phone operator with 24/7 operation capability. You can literally take orders and let customers shop while you sleep, take vacations or from remote locations. Increases Brand or Product Awareness: Having an Online business means that you can literally reach out to millions of consumers looking for what you sell anywhere in the world. By reaching out to new markets and displaying your site prominently in front of them, you will be able to help increase your company/domain brand name and also increase awareness about your product line. By giving users 24/7 access in an easy to find location, you will help to create more word of mouth buzz for your eBusiness, in turn helping to promote your brand name and products. Users who haven't heard of you will discover you exist and help spread the word about you. Next month, we will talk about customer loyalty, increasing overall sales and the company’s profile, and how eCommerce and eBusiness can actually help decrease costs.

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Custom Software Solution

Amal Xavier

2013-03-01 10:57:52

Q-It seems like more and more businesses are not only having an online presence, but they are also having built some most intricate eCommerce mechanisms to take care of their business. I want to do the same with my company, but I have some questions. What are the first things to consider before setting up an eBusiness? What about the legal ramifications? Do I need to consult with an attorney before opening up my eBusiness? Are there any other things I need to be aware of? I know you have written about this subject for the past several months, can you summarize the points you have made?

A-Thank you for your comments. Yes, I will begin a series of summaries on all of the topics I have discussed and written about over the past few months. I have used many sources in providing this information to you, perhaps the biggest of which is www.ecommerceoptizimation.com. This month we will start with “What is eCommerce and eBusiness? eCommerce Defined: eCommerce, which is short for electronic commerce, is the process used to distribute, buy, sell or market goods and services, and the transfer of funds online, through electronic communications or networks. Electronic commerce is commonly referred to as Online commerce, Web commerce, eBusiness, eRetail, eTailing, e-tailing, ecommerce, eCommerce, e-commerce, ecom or EC. Beginning & Future of eCommerce: eCommerce basically began (although debated) in 1994 when Jeff Bezos started Amazon.com out of his own garage. Well known eCommerce stores include sites like eBay, Dell, Walmart and many more. Since 1994, businesses of all shapes and sizes have began launching or expanding their Online presence. At any given time, there are approximately 8 million consumers worldwide that actively shop and buy through Web based stores or retailers (nearly one tenth of our world population). Online studies have claimed that online retail revenues will surpass the quarter-trillion-dollar mark by 2011. eCommerce Site Features: Typical business web sites do not usually have the same features as eCommerce enabled web stores do. In order to effectively distribute, market and sell goods or services Online you will need certain features only found on eCommerce sites. Features may include a shopping cart, ability to process credit cards, online product catalog, automated inventory system, databases, bulk email program, statistics tracking and other non-computer technologies such as product warehousing and shipping transportation. Next month, I will feature a summary of all the points I made under the topic of What are the benefits of eCommerce and eBusiness.

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Custom Software Solution

Amal Xavier

2013-01-02 14:22:05

Q-It seems like more and more businesses are not only having an online presence, but they are also having built some most intricate eCommerce mechanisms to take care of their business. I want to do the same with my company, but I have some questions. What are the first things to consider before setting up an eBusiness? What about the legal ramifications? Do I need to consult with an attorney before opening up my eBusiness? Are there any other things I need to be aware of?

A-Last month, with assistance from www.ecommerceoptizimation.com and other sources, we began to talk about some of the latest trends, techniques and strategies regarding website marketing. This month we will continue with several associated and related topics. eCommerce Marketing Defined: eCommerce marketing can be defined in many different ways and can include both Online or Offline campaign strategies. Most often, it's considered to be the marketing of goods and services over the Internet or any other electronic network (like a mobile phone or pda). eCommerce marketing is commonly referred to as ecommerce optimization, online marketing, search engine marketing (SEM) search engine optimization (SEO) catalog optimization (Catalog SEO), Product SEO, merchant marketing and many more variations of those terms. Beginning & Future of eCommerce Marketing: eCommerce marketing began when the first shopping cart enabled sites started popping up all over the Net. As competition in major markets such as consumer electronics, gifts, clothing or apparel and outdoor goods started to grow so did the need for eCommerce marketing. Online retailers who first began to market through the Internet saw huge potential for success Online and many of them saw enormous profits all the way up until the dot com boom. Since the dot com boom, eCommerce marketing has evolved into a whole new mix of strategies and techniques designed to increase exposure from a multitude of channels to the eCommerce seller. Marketing professionals have spent countless hours testing, experimenting and reporting on which strategies work and which seem to have no positive effects. Now there are many different ways to market an eCommerce enabled site. Marketing Strategies & Techniques: eCommerce marketing today is typically made up of several creative or unique mixes of traditional and new-age marketing strategies that can include techniques related to direct mail, email marketing, search engine optimization, CPC or sponsored listings, building related links, establishing brand recognition and social media marketing. There are many other ways to market an eCommerce store and new ways of reaching out to potential customers are always being discovered and tested. Q: What are the Benefits of eCommerce Marketing? A: The processes involved with marketing products on the Internet and increasing company or brand recognition among consumer markets have several benefits to both Online shoppers and merchant store owners. The biggest benefits of eCommerce marketing include less costs than print advertising, helps build customer relationships, brand credibility and it costs less to get an eCommerce marketing campaign running and operational. Tax Breaks for Conducting Business Online: It is common knowledge that conducting business Online has certain tax advantages compared to brick-and-mortar selling. Many eCommerce merchants who qualify for such tax deductions may find that they can save more in taxes than if they sold using traditional retail or a physical storefront. Home-based eBusiness can deduct many of the same things traditional businesses can. Traditional businesses can write-off utility, rent or mortgage bills as costs of doing business and Online merchants can also write-off certain portions of utilities. Vehicles are another common deduction along with office equipment and other time spent on setting up or running the business. Consider the tax benefits you could reap by conducting business through eCommerce.

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Custom Software Solution

Amal Xavier

2012-10-02 14:11:27

Q- It seems like more and more businesses are not only having an online presence, but they are also having built some most intricate eCommerce mechanisms to take care of their business. I want to do the same with my company, but I have some questions. What are the first things to consider before setting up an eBusiness? What about the legal ramifications? Do I need to consult with an attorney before opening up my eBusiness? Are there any other things I need to be aware of?

A- Last month, with assistance from www.ecommerceoptizimation.com and other sources, we talked about eCommerce Marketing. This month we will continue by talking about site optimization. Customers love fast sites. As realms of business go, eCommerce is one of the fastest – and is populated by some very impatient people. You can have the greatest product in the world, but it won’t matter one bit if your pages load so slowly that interested parties leave, searching for faster waters. And as the speed of the internet continues to increase, the patience of online shoppers will continue to decrease, leaving the savvy eCommerce owner no choice but to make sure his sleek, well designed website loads fast. Thankfully, this isn’t as hard as one might think. Thanks to the proliferation of programs that let you build your own website without knowing code, many eBusiness owners are building websites that may look nice, but load slowly. All it takes is a businessperson with the willingness to spend some time familiarizing themselves with the basics of website performance to optimize their site and make it load faster than those competitors relying on computers to put their sites code together. And so, since you are one of those willing business owners, let’s talk about three of the most important things to remember when making your website faster: Keeping It Simple It is an unassailable fact that websites take time to load, especially the first time someone visits it, before it has been cached in their system. And since some security-concerned consumers won’t even cache their websites, it makes sense for an eBusiness owner to be sure their website loads fast, while still getting all the necessary information into their front end. While there are many ways to optimize your website, one of the simplest ways any owner can make their site load faster is to make sure that your page is simple, but effective. I know you’ve spent a lot of time designing that alluring front end – after all, we already discussed the importance of “user experience” but a good business owner should remember that it’s easy to clutter up the storefront windows with too much stuff. If consumers have to wait to window shop, it won’t matter how nice the experience is. If you find your website is loading too slowly, consider cutting some big images, or just combining several image requests into one big image. Or, even better, remember to keep it simple when you design the user experience itself. Keeping Up With Technology “Once you’ve been coding for a while, you begin to take something for granted.” This is a quote by Jeffrey Way, one of the top web developers in the world. Sadly, even those of us who don’t mind mucking about in coding can find ourselves falling prey to a much more difficult problem than keeping it simple. We can slip into patterns and habits that mean we lose track of how the world is moving around us, and therefore fall behind. This complacency can be costly in the world of technology, and even if you’re a small business owner who has hired someone to do your coding for you, it makes sense for you to know the technology, just to make sure your website is as fast as it could be. After all, there’s no guarantee that this business will be as important to your webmaster as it is to you, so you should make sure that you have a practical knowledge of things like HTML and CSS scripts (or even useful add ons), even if it isn’t a working knowledge, so that when you ask your webmaster why the page is loading slowly, your eyes won’t glaze over under an assault of “technobabble.” Knowledge is power, and while learning code may be too much to pile upon your other responsibilities, you should know when there are better ways to make nice windows for your storefront, since better windows give a better view of your product, which is what you want,right? Keeping Up Appearances And speaking of windows, there’s an important fact to remember about the internet – one that can’t be stressed enough. Appearances matter, and a page that looks like it’s loading faster can sometimes be every bit as effective as one that actually does load quickly. Clean windows are as good as really advanced windows when properly presented, and a consumer that feels like the site has improved will feel catered to. It shows them that you really care, which is good for business/consumer relations. So remember, if you really can’t part with your new, hard won UX design, a little reorganization of the HTML can make it appear to load faster without cutting anything. And be careful using automated webpage designers, as they rarely use efficient code. All in all, it’s important to remember that, as a small business owner, your website is your responsibility. Having one that loads fast reflects well on you. Whether you code it yourself, hire a webmaster, or use an off the shelf program, you should know enough about emerging trends to keep up with the technology. Knowledge is power and will keep you from falling behind, getting fooled, or just having a slow website (no matter how well designed). So make sure to keep the windows clean, sweep the floors, and we’ll be back next month.

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Custom Software Solution

Amal Xavier

2012-06-08 15:10:43

Q: It seems like more and more businesses are not only having an online presence, but they are also having built some most intricate eCommerce mechanisms to take care of their business. I want to do the same with my company, but I have some questions. What are the first things to consider before setting up an eBusiness? What about the legal ramifications? Do I need to consult with an attorney before opening up my eBusiness? Are there any other things I need to be aware of?

A: Last month, with assistance from www.ecommerceoptizimation.com and other sources, we talked about the top reasons why online retailers might fail. This month we will talk about exploring the potential of your online business and operation of the same. Since you are here reading this article series, I will assume you’re either thinking about opening up your own eBusiness or have already opened a store and are looking for some tips, tricks and guidance on getting started and exploring your eCommerce potential, or are doing these things to assist someone else who might be. The question that one should ask himself/herself at this point is “Do I really have what it takes to become an entrepreneur and run a successful eBusiness of my own?” If the answer is enthusiastically positive, then you definitely have what it takes to become successful in this industry and your attitude reflects that. Having a positive attitude about running your own eCommerce store and becoming a successful entrepreneur is the first step towards achieving that success, provided you are willing to do what is necessary to be successful. Many of today’s brightest entrepreneurs all have something in common. They had a clear vision of what they wanted to accomplish and set out on the path to develop the knowledge and skills necessary to succeed in business online or off. Before you personally decide to jump into eTailing head-first, let’s make sure you’ve got a clear image of where you are currently and where you want to go in the future. You will need to access your current situation in order to establish what direction you should head or what steps you need to take in which order to get started the right way. Depending on your situation, you may need to take more or less steps than others who have tried the same things. Like many entrepreneurs who have started an eBusiness, you may be in one or more of the following situations: •You are a professional home-maker or stay at home parent. •You aren’t satisfied with your current work environment. •You work at a temporary job or unstable work situation. •You are thinking of changing careers and the Internet is for you. •You want to supplement income or create additional revenue. •You know of a unique way to sell a niche product or service. •You have invented something or thought of something to sell. •You know of a great product source and want to take advantage. •You have always wanted to be your own boss and make decisions. •You want a flexible job that allows you to control more time. •You want to challenge yourself by seeking a new endeavor. •You want greater control of your future. •You know you want to make a living doing something you love. Once you have assessed your current situation, ask yourself the following questions to see if you have what it takes to become successful: •How much time will you have to commit to this eBusiness? •Do you have the financial resources to start-up a new eBusiness? •Do you know about eCommerce, marketing, sales and technology? •What level of desire do you have about starting a business venture? •Are there personal obstacles that may interfere with the business? •Are you passionate about it and will you remain passionate? Asking yourself the questions above should help you to determine more about your current situation and can help put things into perspective for you. It may also help you establish which areas of skill or knowledge you need to improve before jumping into eCommerce head-first. Next month we will retrace how the Internet has taken Retailing into a new world level of eCommerce, eBusiness and eRetail.

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Custom Software Solution

Amal Xavier

2012-04-19 14:31:01

Q: It seems like more and more businesses are not only having an online presence, but they are also having built some most intricate eCommerce mechanisms to take care of their business. I want to do the same with my company, but I have some questions. What are the first things to consider before setting up an eBusiness? What about the legal ramifications? Do I need to consult with an attorney before opening up my eBusiness? Are there any other things I need to be aware of?

A: Last month, with assistance from www.ecommerceoptizimation.com and other sources, we talked about the top reasons why online retailers are successful. This month we will talk about the top reasons why online retailers might fail. Many startup and beginning merchants sometimes wonder what some of the most common reasons are that eCommerce retailers may fail in their attempts to successfully launch and grow an Online retail business. Why is it that some succeed where others have failed? What am I doing wrong that they are doing right, or vice versa. This article is meant to outline many of the common reasons why retailers might fail selling online. Remember, the merchants who have failed selling Online probably wouldn’t have had they known what to learn in the first place and what to expect from an online retail business. Generally, the merchants who are not successful probably failed to either conduct quality market research, didn’t understand their customers, overlooked competitor researching or just didn’t learn very much about how retail online works before jumping in. Fails to Conduct Market Research Perform as much quality research about your potential market as possible. Conduct research on competitors, consumer demand, product performance, target market and anything else you can think of that might give you an edge over your competition. Knowing everything there is to know about your market can be the difference between eCommerce success or failure. Fails to Understand Customer Needs In addition to knowing your target market, you’ll need to know equally as much about your customers’ needs. Understanding customers’ needs can be important if you hope to develop and improve your products or site to cater more towards a specific group or demographic of customers. Researching consumer markets and knowing about the ones you target can be the difference between eCommerce success and failure. Fails to Research Competitors Knowing as much about your competitors as possible will help you to understand what you will need to overcome in order to remain in a certain market and sell competitively. Learn about their marketing initiatives, who they target, what makes them successful and anything else you can use to learn from their time selling Online. Knowing about competitors can be the difference between eCommerce success and failure. Fails to Understand Retail Online In general, you’ll want to learn all you can about selling online, marketing online, designing a usable site, keeping customers happy, instilling customer trust, engaging customers, who your competitors are, who your customers are, legal issues, Online business issues, market research, pros, cons, success and failure factors and anything else you can possibly think of within your eCommerce niche. Understanding how Online retail works can be the difference between eCommerce success and failure. Fails to Change, Grow, Adapt or Expand During any retailer’s time in business online there will be certain leaps and bounds that should be made. Industries change and grow, customers come to expect more, products change. As time passes, if a business fails to adapt to industry or niche changes it can affect later success and marketing efforts may even go to waste. Failing to adapt to changes or expand and grow when needed can be the difference between eCommerce success and failure. Fails to Find Niche Products Some retailers experience failure right at the beginning by not finding a product niche or industry niche to sell within. Entering an already saturated market when first starting out can create a gap where more work is needed to yield the same type of return as if a niche had been established. Find niche products or a consumer niche to sell in. Not having a niche can be the difference between eCommerce success and failure. Fails to Design a Usable Site Try to consider as many eCommerce design and usability best practices as possible. Create a site that is simply laid out, easy to use and easy to navigate. Display the items you customers want in the places they expect to see them and make it easy for them to buy from there. If customers cannot use your site, or if you design a site that is difficult to navigate, it may be the difference between eCommerce success and failure. Fails to Design an Attractive Site Once the site is usable, you’ll want to include aesthetically pleasing graphics and other design elements that make the site pleasing to look at and attractive to the customers you target. Use vibrant colors and branding elements within your design, keep up on new graphic design trends like gradients and reflections often found on Web 2.0 site designs. Not building an attractive site that looks pleasing to your customers can be the difference between eCommerce success and failure. Fails to Plan Financially Over budgeting and spending too much of a budget in one place can cause many financial issues down the road. Many merchants will budget too little towards marketing and too much towards design, or vice versa. You will want to create a clear plan of where all your finances are to be used and when there will need to be additional finances set aside to continue any of your campaigns or steps. Consider using a financial adviser or someone who has a sense for sound financial planning to help get you started in the right direction. Not effectively planning out your finances can be the difference between eCommerce success and failure. Fails to Provide Customer Service Many merchants succeed at launching their retail business but end up shooting themselves in the foot later by not providing adequate customer service. Some merchants do not plan the time required to deal with customer issues brought up during the Online buying and fulfillment processes. Leaving phone calls unanswered for days, not responding to emails and keeping customers out of the sales or shipping loop can be devastating to any Online business. Be sure to provide quality customer service from the very moment your store launches, it could be the difference between eCommerce success and failure. Fails to Gain Customer Trust Before you can properly service your customers they will need to trust your brand and the site they are purchasing from. Use an active SSL, trust certificates and security badges so that customers who visit your location online are not hesitant to purchase products from your site. Respond to issues or complaints right away and keep customers in the loop regarding any orders or fulfillment. Not gaining the trust of your customers can be the difference between eCommerce success and failure. Fails to Learn About Legal Issues Know where you stand legally. Learn as much as possible about federal, state, county, city or other jurisdictional laws related to your Online retail business. Research what you need to do to become fully legitimate and learn about special taxes or business structuring laws. Consider using a legal adviser or attorney who specializes in the type of law you require assistance with. Not knowing about the laws or legal ramifications about conducting business Online can be the difference between eCommerce success and failure. Fails to Develop Competitive Edge Develop ideas and strategies that will enable you to build a competitive edge within your niche or industry. Formulate new ideas and campaigns that help you to stand apart from other competitors. You can gain an edge through marketing initiatives, branding ploys, link bait, contests, prizes, special offers and more. Anything that can assist in gaining that edge over competitors is worth exploring. Not developing unique ideas to build a competitive edge in business can be the difference between eCommerce success and failure. Fails to Commit Fully in Business Don’t second guess yourself and the decisions you make in business. Not knowing the answer and taking certain risks is OK, but the second you start wondering, if something is going to work, you’ll likely find it is already failing. Be positive and confident in your decisions, if something isn’t working refine it or remove it. Instead of saying to yourself, “is this going to work,” think of it more in a sense of, “when it works.” Having confidence in yourself, your abilities and your decisions can be the difference between eCommerce success and failure. Fails to Track Return on Investment Track everything!! It’s a rule I will always preach and it’s pretty clear why. Without knowing what you are yielding off of spend you won’t know what is working and what needs to be eliminated. Use tracking tools and metrics for all your campaigns (especially marketing spend) so you know what you make off of what you spend on a given initiative. Track off site sales, on site sales, customers, emails, walk-in business, everything. Not tracking ROI affectively can be the difference between eCommerce success and failure. Fails to Price Products Competitively Knowing what your competitors are charging for the items you sell will help greatly when deciding on how to price the products you sell. Keep prices competitive, don’t overshoot and don’t charge to little. Use sources like comparison shopping engines and eBay to see what others are asking for the same types of items. Be flexible and consider changing prices during changes in the market trends or niches. Not having prices that are competitive in the market you sell within can be the difference between eCommerce success and failure. Fails to Sell Quality, Unique Products In addition to finding a niche, you’ll want to be sure that the items you sell are indeed quality, unique products that are in high demand. If you sell items that are manufactured poorly and end up breaking upon delivery or first use, you’ll have a harder time becoming known as one of the best in your niche. If you sell the same thing as many others, in the same manner, within the same channel, you’ll find it harder to reach your selling goals. Selling items that are quality and unique can be the difference between eCommerce success and failure. Fails to Remain Passionate, Looses Focus The biggest reason why many Online retailers are not successful is that they fail to remain passionate about their niche, product or customers. In addition, if the merchant loses focus on the main goals of the business or gets side-tracked, it can be harder to overcome the difficulties of selling Online and may hinder any chances of future success. Stay positive, don’t lose focus of why you started the business, try not to let frustration get you down on yourself, remember others have dealt with the same issues. Don’t be your own worst enemy, stay positive and remain passionate about your business, products and customers. Loosing focus or passion can be the difference between eCommerce success and failure. Next month, we will talk about exploring the potential of your online business and operation of the same.

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Custom Software Solution

Amal Xavier

2012-03-22 15:54:56

Q: It seems like more and more businesses are not only having an online presence, but they are also having built some most intricate eCommerce mechanisms to take care of their business. I want to do the same with my company, but I have some questions. What are the first things to consider before setting up an eBusiness? What about the legal ramifications? Do I need to consult with an attorney before opening up my eBusiness? Are there any other things I need to be aware of?

A: Last month, with assistance from www.ecommerceoptizimation.com and other sources, we talked about the different elements of success. This month we will talk about the top reasons why online retailers are successful. Many new merchants wonder what the most common reasons are that certain Online retailers are successful in eCommerce and some aren’t. I would like to outline many of the common reasons why retailers are successful selling Online. Remember, the merchants who have managed to become successful selling Online all got there by doing certain things correctly, not by some chance happening or miracle. Generally, the most successful merchants tend to work really hard, take time to understand their customers/business, they make use of cutting-edge technology and they have learned and follow suggested eCommerce guidelines. Here is a quick “Top Reasons” list: Excellent Product Niche – Find products that are unique and fall within a particular niche market. Conduct product research to find out the demand and whether it’s wise to sell Online. Having an excellent niche product idea can be the difference between success and failure in eCommerce. Usable Web Site Design – Create a web site that is extremely easy for any shopper/customer to use. Certain sites are more usable than others. Design a site that is clean, easy to navigate and easy to buy from. Having a web site that is usable can be the difference between success and failure in eCommerce. Attractive Web Site Design – Build a web site using attractive colors, graphics and wording. Lure shoppers/customers in with clean, elegant designs that are pleasing to look at and use. Keep product images clean, high resolution is best. Having an attractive web site can be the difference between success and failure in eCommerce. Quality Customer Service – Provide quality, speedy and fair customer service to each shopper or custom inquiry. Answer emails immediately, offer phone and live chat support, display the contact information prominently and return messages. Offering quality customer service can be the difference between success and failure in eCommerce. Conducts Market Research – Research products, potential customers and main competitors. Know what you’re selling, who you are selling to and who is competing against you like the back of your hand. Knowing everything there is to know about your niche including products, customers and competitors can be the difference between success and failure in eCommerce. Changes, Adapts or Grows When Needed – Adapt to industry changes, technology changes and other changes that may affect the way you conduct business Online. Scale when the time is right, add useful tools or site features, upgrade technology as needed and keep up with your competition. Being able to change, adapt and grow at the right times can be the difference between success and failure in eCommerce. Understands Customer Audience – Make an effort to understand your customers and their different searching, shopping and buying habits. Research customers, conduct polls, offer surveys, ask for feedback, be empathetic, talk to customers and start to foresee new issues during customer service calls. Understanding everything about your customers can be the difference between success and failure in eCommerce. Keeps Prices Competitive – Price items according to standard market values. Use suggested retail price or higher if possible and keep margins within a higher range. Asking too little or too much within an Online retail site can be the difference between success and failure in eCommerce. Unique Marketing Ideas – Create unique marketing ideas and implement those ideas into your marketing strategy. Offer promotions, sales, specials, coupons, email notices, newsletters, guides, articles, anything that can possibly increase buyer awareness and attract more visitors to the site. Using unique marketing ideas within a marketing campaign can be the difference between success and failure in eCommerce. Establishes Word-of-Mouth – Attempt to establish word-of-mouth buzz surrounding your company, brands or product line. Use viral campaigns, social media and the power of the Web to increase word-of-mouth awareness about your business. Having an established word-of-mouth buzz surrounding a company, brand or product line can be the difference between success and failure in eCommerce. Established Customer Trust – Implement and practice as many ideas or features to help establish trust with customers as possible. Use security banners and trust certificates, have an active SSL certificate in place, display contact information, create clear policies, use live chat and implement a quality customer service strategy. Establishing trust with shoppers/customers can be the difference between success and failure in eCommerce. High Product Price Margins – Keep your product price margins as high as possible and attempt to only set up relationships with product sources that offer the best price margins. Research vendors, distributors and manufacturers in an attempt to locate the best prices on products you hope to offer. Typically, the higher up the ladder you go, the higher your product price margins will be. Having a high price margin can be the difference between success and failure in eCommerce. Plans Well When Taking Steps – Plan everything thoroughly before moving from one step to the next, especially large steps or steps that affect several different business processes or functions. Make a plan, write down the steps you need to take, work towards the steps one by one, implement the steps and track what they yield. Proper planning can be the difference between success and failure in eCommerce. Tracks Return on Investment – Take the necessary steps and implement the necessary technology to track ROI across all channels. Use Web analytics, distinct phone numbers, tracking software, customer data management tools, email campaign tracking and any paid listing tracking solutions. Having a system in place to track ROI across a variety of channels can be the difference in success and failure in eCommerce. Sells Quality Product Merchandise – Attempt to sell high quality items at affordable prices displayed through high resolution graphics on a web site. Research product sources, find the merchandise with the highest quality, not cheap, trashy or easily breakable items. Having a store that offers high quality products can be the difference between success and failure in eCommerce. Multiple Shipping Options – Offer as many different types of shipping options as available in the market in which you sell. Sign up with USPS, UPS, FedEx, DHL and possibly even other local carriers. Having a variety of shipping options can be the difference between success and failure in eCommerce. Multiple Payment Options – Offer as many separate payment options as possible, according to the common or available options within your market. Sign up with a merchant account provider like Authorize.net, use PayPal, Google Checkout and even options like Bill Me Later. Having the ability to accept a variety of payment options can be the difference between success and failure in eCommerce. Bleeding-Edge Technology Features – Employ and utilize as much new technology as possible. Keep up on technology trends within the market in which you sell. Always try to beat your competition to the next level of technology. Improve and expand the technology you offer. Having the latest bleeding-edge technology employed on your site can be the difference between success and failure in eCommerce. Next month, we will begin to talk about the biggest reasons why Online retailers fail.

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Amal Xavier

2012-02-27 14:02:09

Q: It seems like more and more businesses are not only having an online presence, but they are also having built some most intricate eCommerce mechanisms to take care of their business. I want to do the same with my company, but I have some questions. What are the first things to consider before setting up an eBusiness? What about the legal ramifications? Do I need to consult with an attorney before opening up my eBusiness? Are there any other things I need to be aware of?

A: Last month, with assistance from www.ecommerceoptizimation.com and other sources, we talked about the main pros and cons of an online retail business. This month we will talk about the different elements of success and why top online retailers or “eTailers” are successful. While the regular format of this publication is not use pronouns like “I,” “we,” “ours,” or “us,” since most of this article is going to talk about my experiences and the experiences of others in a non-commercial fashion, I have been given permission to use these. The thing that sets most successful (personally and financially) eBusiness owners apart from the ones that have limited to no success is the characteristics that are developed and perfected along the way by individual entrepreneurs. These characteristics allow them to become innovative thinkers and managers in today’s fast paced, technology driven society. You may already posses some or all of the elements discussed in this article, but just don’t realize it yet because they come naturally to you. Remember to always reflect on your own values and personal attitudes so you can properly and fairly assess where you stand when determining which elements you should cultivate. Desire: When I first started out on the Internet and got into eCommerce for the first time, it became my number one priority, which I wanted more than anything in the world. It became my obsession and all my thoughts revolved around making the venture the best I could with the knowledge I had. Setting up the business and Online store consumed my mind twenty-four hours a day. It wasn’t enough to have the ideas floating around in my head I also had to take action and follow through, so I attempted to act on as many of my ideas as possible. After about six months of acting on my desire to be successful I sat back and assessed where those actions had landed me. After my assessment it was obvious to me that spending all that time and effort reflecting and acting on my desire paid off big time. I had turned a dream of mine into reality. Most people simply dream about what they hope to accomplish and never get around to doing accomplishing much. The true test of desire is turning the idea into physical reality. Drive: In the face of adversity, that driving force inside you will help you get through moments of uncertainty. Human drive takes away ambiguity and replaces it with the energy to see things through. When I first decided to learn search engine optimization and marketing I knew that I needed to learn everything there is about traditional advertising, sales, search engines, marketing, site design and business in order to accomplish all that I wanted. Part of what drove me was the need to get my ideas, brand and products out in front of the customers I wanted to attract. Another key aspect to drive is patience. It’s best to understand that making a profit doesn’t happen overnight and most eTailers don’t get rich the first time. I can’t count the times I have heard of an eBusiness owner giving up on their idea before it has even had a chance to turn a profit. A friend of mine sold his online store for pennies because it wasn’t making him much profit. The person who purchased the store from him now makes over $500,000.00 per year in sales just by continuing where my friend left off and not giving up. The most successful eBusiness owners have enough drive to solve their problems instead of simply giving up because things don’t go as planned. Dedication: When the day comes that you finally decide to dedicate yourself to running an Online business, it will require your attention, time and lots of energy. Try to reflect on your past and current work ethic. How well did you perform your last job? Have you had a good work ethic your whole life, or is it something you should work on developing? It’s far easier to be dedicated to something when things seem to be going well, but true dedication is personal work ethic plus perseverance. Dedicating yourself to your eBusiness means that you may have to sacrifice things and activities you have been used to doing in the past. Make sure that you are fully prepared for this. Make sure that your family, peers and loved ones are prepared for this. It’s important that those closest to you understand that your eBusiness is now a main priority in your life. When I first started consulting and running my own stores, it took nearly all of my free and personal time. My decisions to continue building my businesses meant I would have to forgo the personal time I had. It was only through practicing dedication that I was able to build many successful eCommerce businesses and I have seen others do the same. Awareness: Recognizing opportunities when they present themselves is one of the most important aspects of becoming a successful eBusiness owner or entrepreneur. Once you have made the choice to start a business online, you must become a keen spectator of your surroundings and practice predicting where your business will be in the future. You never know when or where your next big ideas will come from. You might be offered an unbeatable price or get insider knowledge about a new product supplier. Many times these ideas will come to you unexpectedly and you will need to be aware when they do. You do not always have to wait for opportunity to present itself to you. Many eBusiness owners become successful by creating their own opportunities and being proactive. Knowing what’s going on in your marketplace is important. Conduct research online to find out more, take a business class or one that relates to the product you sell, read trade publications and journals related to retail sales and about your product. Always be aware of future trends and always be aware of what competitors are doing to be successful. Innovation: Many eCommerce professionals try to think of different ways to accomplish things. Some of these individuals are also inventors who want to market and sell their own product or service. Others have found a product niche and have devised a savvy marketing strategy. Innovators are constantly looking for creative ways to solve new and existing problems in setting up and running an online business by thinking outside the box and by analyzing the problem in ways that have never been done before. Try to reflect on experiences you have had in the past and assess how you might have come up with a creative way to solve a difficult problem. Being innovative is about seeing ALL the possibilities and spotting solutions that others don’t readily see. You should be able to use innovative plans and solutions to make your eBusiness different from and better that your competition. A great way to set yourself apart from the competition is to study what they do right, and then attempt to do it better. Motivation: Motivation is a source of inspiration that helps you to act on plans, goals and following-up. Your dream to become an internet retail success and to make more money can be good sources of motivation. Motivation helps you to get out of bed in the morning. I remember certain days where I really just didn’t want to get out of bed and it was my extreme motivation that forced me to get up and continue working on my computer and phone. Without motivation, you will have a much harder time accomplishing your goals and following through on your ideas, which may result in a slower success rate or eTail failure. Next month we will talk more about why top online eTailers are successful.

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Custom Software Solution

Amal Xavier

2012-01-26 11:24:06

Q: It seems like more and more businesses are not only having an online presence, but they are also having built some most intricate eCommerce mechanisms to take care of their business. I want to do the same with my company, but I have some questions. What are the first things to consider before setting up an eBusiness? What about the legal ramifications? Do I need to consult with an attorney before opening up my eBusiness? Any other things I need to be aware of?

A: Last month, with assistance from www.ecommerceoptizimation.com and other sources, we talked about your skills…those you have, those you will need. This month, we will talk about the main pros and cons of an online retail business. eCommerce is still quickly gaining popularity among Web users young and old. It is particularly appealing to people in remote areas who can now visit their favorite stores online with just the click of the mouse. Shopping online is fast, convenient and buyers can shop in the comfort of their own home. This is why both buyers and sellers are eager to get into eCommerce and shopping online. Amazon, eBay and Dell were some of the first to garner success selling online, and many more individuals are jumping on board with their own Web stores. It is; however, important to realize the main pros and cons of starting and running an online business. eBusiness Pros: • Lower start-up costs • Ubiquitous Web presence • International customer access • Business conducted 24/7 • Quick response to customers • Lower overhead • Lower product cost • Work from home or remotely eBusiness Cons: • No immediate customer visibility • You can’t physically see customers • Constant need to maintain sites • Late nights and long hours • Lack of customer trust due to location Lack of immediate health care benefits • Disruption of business and family privacy Keep in mind that these are intended as main pros and cons and are not the only things to consider when starting an online business. Some of the pros can make things more complicated. For instance, international customer access means that you have a potentially global customer base, but it also means that you should be aware of the distinction between national and international shipping requirements. So some pros can actually be cons and vice versa, but knowing the difference between online business and traditional brick-and-mortars will help you maximize the benefits of owning an eCommerce storefront. Next month, we will talk about the different elements of success and why the top online retailers are successful.

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Amal Xavier

2011-12-27 09:50:50

Q: It seems like more and more businesses are not only having an online presence, but they are also having built some most intricate eCommerce mechanisms to take care of their business. I want to do the same with my company, but I have some questions. What are the first things to consider before setting up an eBusiness? What about the legal ramifications? Do I need to consult with an attorney before opening up my eBusiness? Any other things I need to be aware of?

A: Last month, with assistance from www.ecommerceoptizimation.com and other sources, we talked about the need for multi-tasking and what things to expect and not to expect as you set up your online eBusiness presence. This month, we will begin talking about your skills…those you have, those you will need. Owning an eBusiness will make you aware of skills you never thought you had. You will also find that you may have to take on the task of learning new skills you weren’t aware of or didn’t think you needed in order to be a successful online seller. If you are just starting out selling online you will soon find out that the one person who continuously handles decisions or issues as they come up is YOU. When the store needs to be redesigned, you will be editing the files. When it comes time to pay taxes, you will be the one learning Turbo Tax. When you need to get the word out about your products or business brand, you will be learning how to market yourself online. If you are already an established merchant seller, you may already have the skills it takes to launch an eBusiness, but it’s a good idea to explore other useful skills, like management, so you can help the business to grow steadily and begin to oversee employees. The best way to succeed in recognizing the skills you need to be a successful online merchant is to perform a personal evaluation of yourself. During the evaluation be sure to note all of your strengths and weaknesses. Improve upon your weaknesses by learning new skills and expanding your personal strengths. Nurturing Skills: The most successful eCommerce merchants have great nurturing skills. Many of them even treat their Online businesses as if it were their child or a favorite pet. You’ve heard people refer to their car as their “baby.” The same should hold true for an eBusiness, it’s also your “baby.” This attitude is possibly one of the most important skills needed to start, manage and grow an eBusiness. If you do not love what you do, protect your investment and help it evolve you will have a harder time seeing success in the beginning. No one, other than you, will be that guiding force into greatness. It always reminds me of that saying “If you want it done right, do it yourself because no one else is going to do it for you.” Now I am not saying you shouldn’t hire others to help you eventually, it’s just better that you have the attitude that YOU will be the one handling everything. It’s important as it will help you not to feel overwhelmed during the set up and launch process. Your new business venture will need constant nurturing including attention and protection as it gets off the ground, your guidance as it starts to grow and your wisdom to help direct it towards your overall goals. Business Skills: Although having some understanding of business and certain business skills can help you get your eBusiness up and running quickly, it’s not absolutely necessary as many of the business skills you will need can be learned as you go or shortly before you begin. Rather than becoming a business guru, it’s more important to become a rational thinker when it comes to managing your eBusiness. Develop a working understanding of all the daily, weekly and monthly tasks or aspects of running the company. The most critical elements of your business will deserve the most attention. Elements including client and customer follow-ups, budgeting, decision making and eCommerce laws including shipping and online payment. Here’s a list of business skills you may need when running an eBusiness: • Basic accounting and bookkeeping skills • Business communication skills (emails, fax, invoices) • Negotiation skills (product sourcing, pricing) • Filing and other office keeping skills • Multitasking and organizational skills • Good record keeping and memorizing skills It can be hard for every eBusiness owner or entrepreneur to take interest in all the details of the business, however you should realize that it is still important to address them whether it’s physically you who does it or someone you trust such as a business partner or associate. There are many other aspects to running the business such as site design, maintenance and marketing. It can be easy to forget about all the other aspects, so be sure you remember to give attention to all the nooks and crannies of your new eBusiness. Management Skills: Being a good manager requires the ability to make good sound decisions about your business. Managing is basically the ability to make reasonable decisions and to execute them in the most efficient way possible to achieve maximum results. Although you may be the only employee at times, as your eBusiness grows you will eventually need some assistance. Some questions you may want to ask yourself about management potential: • How good are you at making decisions? • Can you manage a group of employees? • Can you objectively handle each situation? • Will your co-workers respect you as their manager? It’s important to always act professional and maintain a certain level of credibility and dignity with employees. Not only current and future employees, but also those you encounter during the course of your business. Being a good manager means being a leader. If you have leadership skills you have management skills. At the same time, good management is good leadership and a good leader is a benevolent leader. Although it’s important to maintain a professional attitude and sometimes you may have to discipline, employees who are happy with their boss are typically more productive and loyal workers. Next month we will talk about more of the skills that you will need as they relate to organization, communication and technical.

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Amal Xavier

2011-11-17 13:26:30

Q: It seems like more and more businesses are not only having an online presence, but they also have built intricate eCommerce mechanisms to take care of their business. I want to do the same with my company, but I have some questions. What are the first things to consider before setting up an eBusiness? What about the legal ramifications? Do I need to consult with an attorney before opening up my eBusiness? Any other things I need to be aware of?

A: Last month, in this series, with assistance from www.ecommerceoptizimation.com and other sources, we talked about the differences between online retail and traditional retail. This month, we will talk about some inherent and learned skills that would be good to have….primarily in the area of multi-tasking. Also, we will touch on a few things to expect…and not to expect. Owning an eCommerce business and managing the day to day tasks it takes to make that business successful requires that merchants perform various roles and become flexible in the roles they are able to play. Often times, a merchant may even find themselves involved in multiple roles or tasks at the same time. Many online retail startups have little or no staff at the beginning and typically the business owner is the only person available to manage all the sales, marketing, billing and service related tasks. It’s easy to get caught up in the daily duties involved in running an eBusiness, and when things get really busy, the constant bombardment of problems that require immediate attention can be overwhelming. The ability for online merchants to multitask is crucial and can greatly affect whether or not an eBusiness venture will succeed or fail. It’s important to keep accurate records and maintain a working file system that you can continue to use as the business grows. Get as much as you can organize in the beginning so that as you get more issues stacked on your plate you have time to address them in a timely manner. Many eBusinesses online today have several separate departments to handle different aspects of the business. When you launch your business, you will become the head of the sales department, shipping department, customer service department and, of course, the complaints department. In order to manage all these different business aspects, you will need to be skilled in the art of multitasking. You may not feel that you need to learn how to multitask, or that it’s one of your strong points, but you will certainly need to develop those skills as they are crucial, especially in the beginning stages of starting a business. Quite simply, if you hope to own and operate a successful eCommerce storefront, you had better be good at multitasking. In the area of a few things to expect and things not to expect, let me provide the following… I can’t count the times I have seen individuals get into the business of selling online for all the wrong reasons. Many eBusiness owners get into selling online because they are under the belief that it will make them rich beyond their wildest dreams or that it is somehow easier than opening a traditional brick and mortar storefront. Selling online does have certain advantages and it can be easier to get started making money from your investment and effort, but you shouldn’t have unrealistic expectations about what you are getting into and what you will get out of it. One major part of your potential success selling online is in avoiding the pitfalls that many first time merchants encounter upon starting a new venture. Don’t convince yourself that running a business online is any easier or any less time consuming than it would be for you to open a traditional brick and mortar business. Expect: You are going to have to work hard to create a place for yourself within a particular niche and it won’t happen overnight. You will be a 24/7 business capable of servicing customers all over the world at all hours of the day. You will have to invest time and money to get the word out about your products and store brand. There will be times where your sales are through the roof and there will be times when you get no sales. You need to test different strategies, analyze data and refine your processes to bring your business to optimal potential. You will have to learn a lot about selling online and take time to continue your education. Do not expect: To get rich beyond your wildest dreams the first time you attempt running your own online business. That you will have help and support from those around you during the setup and launch of your store. To bring customers to your store without putting in any work yourself and learning how to market online. Your customers to be any different than a typical customer or that they expect anything different from you. That you will already know how to sell online and that your present knowledge of technology will be sufficient.

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Custom Software Solution

Amal Xavier

2011-10-24 14:05:23

Q: It seems like more and more businesses are not only having an online presence, but they are also having built some most intricate eCommerce mechanisms to take care of their business. I want to do the same with my company, but I have some questions. What are the first things to consider before setting up an eBusiness? What about the legal ramifications? Do I need to consult with an attorney before opening up my eBusiness? Any other things I need to be aware of?

A: Last month, with assistance from www.ecommerceoptizimation.com and other sources, we talked about finding the right niche product, legal ramifications and consulting with an attorney before opening your online business. This month, we will talk about the differences between online retail and traditional retail. Often times, it is easy to overlook the differences between selling online through a shopping cart and retail selling through a brick and mortar storefront. Online retail is different from selling through a store in many ways and you should become familiar with the differences so you can better understand the many benefits of selling online compared to selling through a physical storefront. The obvious differences are the way the products are displayed to customers and the way in which they enter your store to browse around. Here are the main differences between online retail and physical storefronts: Display: By shopping at a brick and mortar store the customers are able to physically touch and handle items they are interested in buying. Online retailers are forced to display items using only pictures, graphics and text based product descriptions. Expense: Typically, there are major differences in the amount of funding or startup capital needed to open the store. Brick and mortar stores usually require a bigger budget since you have to lease space, rent property and pay for other location expenses. Online store owners do not usually have to worry about building leases or property expense. Location: Online retailers are not limited to one location and have no geographical boundaries like a traditional brick and mortar storefront has. Physical business locations can limit the amount of customer traffic and foot traffic from shoppers, especially if they are not in a bigger city or metro area. Online retailers have no limits and can typically service local, national and international customers. Communication: It can be harder to communicate with customers through an online store compared to the face-to-face interaction customers get by shopping at a brick and mortar store or physical business location. Online retailers may have a hard time getting information across to the customer and must be sure to answer all possible buyer questions through text and graphics on the site so there is no confusion during the purchase. Technology: Another main difference is the types and amount of technology needed to run each type of business. Most online store owners find that their technology is constantly changing and there is a bigger need for them to keep up and adjust as it improves. The technology used to run brick and mortar businesses has been around for years and rarely changes as often as it does in the online selling world. Next month, we will talk about some inherent and learned skills that will serve you well.

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Custom Software Solution

Amal Xavier

0000-00-00 00:00:00

Q: It seems like more and more businesses are not only having an online presence, but they are also having built some most intricate eCommerce mechanisms to take care of their business. I want to do the same with my company, but I have some questions. What are the first things to consider before setting up an eBusiness? What about the legal ramifications? Do I need to consult with an attorney before opening up my eBusiness?

A: It sounds as if you have thought this out more than many merchants actually do. Let me provide you with some input over the next several issues that may be of assistance. First things first It is always good to first find a niche product line that sells well online. Without a niche product, you will have a difficult time seeing success on the Internet, no matter how elegant your online store designs and layouts are. Be sure that the products you choose to sell can be sold online. In other words, if you sell an item that costs $10.00 and weighs 80 pounds, the low-value-to-high-weight ratio makes this item more difficult to sell. Quality online products should have a high value-to-weight ratio (i.e. a $30.00 item that weighs only five pounds). Conduct product research to find out how many others potentially compete with you and who they are. If you can offer store customers a better price or have the ability to innovate the way in which it’s sold, then you have successfully found a niche product line for yourself and should consider adding those items to your product/service mix. Legal and licensing It is always a wise idea to consult with an attorney before venturing into any new business arena, whether online or off. Often times, most individuals fail to remember this when starting up their own eBusiness and online store. If you already have legal insurance or are required to get it, you would be wise to consult with an attorney or Internet law experts. You may even be able to find one that offers advice free of charge online through blogs, forums and other avenues of research. Like anything researched online, take what you read with a grain of salt and if you have any doubts about the validity of what you find you may want to consult an attorney just to be sure. Some merchants are required to obtain certain licenses to sell certain goods online. In these instances, you should consult with an attorney and have them make you aware of any risks associated with selling the goods and/or obtaining a license to sell them.