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Amal Xavier
Amal Xavier, A techno-marketing professional who thrives on Software Project Management, Business Process Automation; Software Solution Design, Development and Deployment. He is the Owner of Blue Horizon Infotech, headquartered in Cochin, Kerala, India. Blue Horizon Infotech is a company whose primary focus is the building of customized software applications and solutions for businesses throughout the world. Blue Horizon has employees and contracted personnel with more than 65 years combined experience in virtually all software applications, including but not limited to PHP/MySQL, Open Source technologies, Adobe AIR, Adobe Flex, ActionScript 3.0, Flash Media server, JavaScript, Ajax, XHTML/CSS and jQuery. Chart Marketing, Inc. is the marketing arm of Blue Horizon in the United States. You may contact Amal by sending an email to sales@chartmarketing.com.
Custom Software Solution
2012-03-22 15:54:56
Setting up your eBusiness - series
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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