2. Business/Commerce
The buying and selling of goods, especially on a large scale, as
between cities or nations.
E-Commerce
Commerce that is transacted electronically, as over the Internet.
3. The Internet as Your Avenue
How can you make it work for you?
Where would you begin?
What is important in using the internet for business?
5. Step #2 -- Work with experienced
Ecommerce specialists
Once you have identified your Ecommerce
business model, you need to find specialists
Three most important Ecommerce vendors you will
work with are:
your Web developer
your Web hosting provider
your Web site promotion or media agency.
Sometimes you may be able to get a full service organization in
one-stop but more often than not, you will want to assemble
your own team.
6. Step #3 -- Create A Budget
Creating a budget, and measuring its effectiveness, is one of
the most important steps in developing a successful
Ecommerce site.
How much will your Ecommerce site cost? And how will you
know it was worth the investment?
7. Step #4 -- Identify your online
prospects and customers
Look realistically at your market and determine who your online
buyers will be!
8. Step #5 -- Promoting Your Site
Direct potential users to your Ecommerce site through your
current marketing materials. Feature your website address
prominently on your letterhead, business cards, catalogs,
brochures, advertising, etc.
There are many other things to think about when promoting
your site!
9. E-Commerce
To win in e-commerce you must promote. Your visitors won't
hear about you unless you tell them about you.
Test as many promotion methods as you can.
11. Public Relations
PR is about getting magazines, newspapers, and e-zines to
tell their readers about your site, and it’s not always easy!
REMEMBER: The editors demand interesting stories. To get
ink, you need a twist.
12. If you think you might make a good read, work hard on the
PR. Ink is gold.
What are some ways of getting PR?
Good vs. Bad PR; does it matter?
13. Referrals
If you have a great site, your visitors will want to tell their
friends about it.
Make it easy for them and provide incentives to do so.
Make it easy for them to send email to invite their friends to
your site.
14. Print Ads
Your potential customer reads magazines, so utilize them!
Run small ads in publications carefully targeted at your
customer.
Keep the message minimal - just tell us what you sell and list
your URL.
15. Banner Ads
Create a nice banner, then watch the orders roll in. Simple,
right?
Not always!!
Find out if banners work for you.
16. What You Need!
Create or purchase high quality banners.
Run the banners on several well-targeted sites!
How can you target the sites to run your banners on?
17. Affiliate Programs
You should get other sites to send their visitors to your site. But
how?
Give them something.
Provide a reciprocal link or give them a cut of the revenues
generated from their referrals.
18. Contests
Hold a drawing!
You need a compelling prize, a recurring
drawing, a database, and most importantly, a
well-crafted email campaign as an adjunct to
the contest.
Manufacturers of unique and interesting items
have the best chance of winning with a contest
promotion, but it can work well for many
different types of businesses!
19. Search Engines
All web businesses must implement an effective search
engine strategy.
Follow the basics –
submit to search engines
insert meta tags
use well-crafted titles
don't obsess.
21. Step #6 -- Creating a well-designed
Ecommerce site
Hire a professional if you can
if you’re doing it yourself concentrate on:
BRAND
Effective navigation
Fulfillment
Design
Up-to-date technology
Seals of approval from security-guaranteeing firms such as
VeriSign, BBB Online, TRUSTe and other Web-based
encryption and security providers.
22. Step #7 -- Take The Order
And Collect Payment
Implement a secure, efficient payment
processing system.
Payment Options
The types of payment options that are most suitable
for your business depend on a number of facts such
as:
The type of product or service you're selling
How your product is delivered
The security needs of your customers
The size of your business and your payment processing
capabilities.
23. Common Types of
Payment Options Offered
Offline - The consumer views your product online, but
orders by phone, fax or mail.
Online secure - The consumer orders online, and you
process their credit card information using a secure
server
Online secure with real-time processing - When the
consumer orders online through your secure server,
you can offer online confirmations and credit card
approvals within 10 to 15 seconds
24. Step # 8 -- Deliver The Order
Fulfillment - the industry term for "delivering the
order" - can mean the difference between success
and failure for any Ecommerce site.
Consumers today, who are accustomed to
receiving catalog orders by Fedx and UPS or 2nd
day mail, expect similar turnarounds for their online
orders.
25. Step # 9 -- Provide Responsive Customer
Service
According to a study by Harvard Business Review, 68% of
customers defect to other online providers due to poor service,
but only 12% left due to an inferior product.
26. Step #10 -- Keep Evaluating & Improving
Your Site
Your Ecommerce site will be a continual "work
in progress."
You will need to keep evaluating it to make
sure
that your customers find it convenient and easy to use
that you're making the most of your selling opportunities
and whether you're encouraging customer loyalty
you will also need to keep up with the latest technology and
what other sites are doing.
28. Evaluation Questions
Use:
A. Strongly agree
B. Agree
C. Disagree
D. Strongly disagree
E. Don’t know
1. I found the presentation of material easy to
understand.
2. This Advantage session increased my
knowledge on the subject presented.
3. I will be able to use some of the information
from this Advantage session in the future.
4. The presenter was well prepared for this
Advantage session.
5. This presentation should be repeated in future
semesters.
Notes de l'éditeur
Just ask yourself the questions below to identify the Ecommerce business model(s) that best fit your current or proposed e-business. Do you plan to offer "content" (information) online? Is your aim to be the dominant player in your field? Will you be the first in your field to seriously invest in Ecommerce? Are there existing Ecommerce sites in your category? Do your customers expect you to have an Ecommerce site? Do you need to figure out how to compete? Is the purpose of Ecommerce site attract new customers - or supplement or replace an existing way of reaching new or existing customers? Will your Ecommerce site be speeding up or improving traditional business services by offering more convenient or money-saving e-business capabilities? Will you be simplifying major events (such as buying a home or car) for consumers by offering one-stop shopping for all related services? Will you be segmenting your customer base - and tailoring customized services to each segment? Will you be using the Internet to improve communication and collaboration between all parties in your supply chain? Will you be using Ecommerce to make your internal or external processes more efficient? Do you want to improve your overall marketing efforts by getting to know your customers and prospects better? Can your product be delivered more profitably online?
Once you have identified your Ecommerce business model, you need to find specialists like IMS, who have experience in that model. One of the best ways to do this is to look at Ecommerce sites similar to the one you are planning, and find out who created them. Make sure the sites are secure, easy to navigate, offer easy ordering options, and don't require customers to fill in registration forms. Another approach is to attend events at professional associations like Women In New Media and The New York New Media Association where you can talk to people in the field and get recommendations. Don't overlook working the Net through search engines, newsgroups and industry forums to gather data. Posting questions on Usenet's such as Deja News or the WACC list can provide fantastic word of mouth recommendations.
Ecommerce sites vary widely in their size, scope and complexity. And they are being created by every type of technology professional - from independent web designers to large corporations - in every price range. The best way to get a true picture of costs is to talk to an Ecommerce specialist - such as a web hosting service - who has created sites similar to the one you envision. Meanwhile, here are some price estimates to give you a rough idea of what to budget: They include all variables and support personal for maintaining the site. Full site monthly costs As low as... promote & site service Small catalog offering up to ten products Hundred of page views per day $9.95 /mo. $0 to $100. Medium site few hundred products Thousands of page views per day $50.00/mo. $2,500+ Large site catalog with thousands of products Hundreds of thousands of page views per day $100/mo. $30,000+ The rule of thumb is to spend approximately 10 times more on promotion than you do on development!
On the surface, identifying potential customers for your Ecommerce site doesn't seem too difficult to do. For example, if you sell books, your potential customer base is the vast universe of people who buy books ... as well as your loyal customers who frequently buy books from you. But are all these people pre-disposed to buying books online? Probably not. Some people prefer to browse in actual bookstores. And many don't have computers. Therefore, you need to look realistically at your market and determine who your online buyers will be - usually people who are comfortable with computers and the Internet and who have experience buying other products over the Internet. Once you determine the type of online customer you'd like to target, you will have to find out how to attract them to your Ecommerce site. Often your product in the real world defines your customer base. Just remember that their are no arbitrary boundries in Cyberspace. Make your product universal or concentrate on a set market. Niche' sites sell best.
Include the name and email of the referrer in that email. These will be some of the best leads you generate.
Start with the cheapest classified ads in the best publications you can afford.
Do not affiliate with mediocre sites. Choose wisely with whom you affiliate! This can be important and make you look small time vs. big time
Old Navy is a great example of an online business that uses contests effectively. They often have multimedia games on their site, and offer prizes such as free shipping, dollars off of purchases, etc.
Submit your website address to search engines , such as Yahoo, so that prospects will learn about your company when they're researching the type of product or service you offer.
Brand : Customers trust established brands, so if you have one - flaunt it - by using established logos and graphics. If you have a new product or service, you can create your own "brand" by creating an easy-to-remember name, compelling graphics - and by promoting your brand through other media - such as TV and print advertising. Effective navigation : In order for online buying to be accepted, it needs to be as easy - or easier than -- ordering by mail, phone, or at a store. Currently, many online consumers are frequently frustrated by slow site performance, time-consuming order forms, and confusing navigation. And so, they naturally gravitate towards Ecommerce sites that are the most convenient to use. Fulfillment : Online consumers expect fast shipments and need to be reassured that anything they order can be conveniently returned without a hassle. Design : Like any traditional catalog or store, your Ecommerce site needs to be well-designed to highlight your products' unique benefits. Up-to-date technology : Your Ecommerce site needs to stay current with the latest technology - otherwise, consumers will be drawn to more up-to-date sites offering faster ordering, more personalized service, and more attractive graphics. Seals of approval from security-guaranteeing firms - such as VeriSign, BBB Online, TRUSTe and other Web-based encryption and security providers.
Customers need to trust you with their money, and secure information! This is KEY!
Offline - The consumer views your product online, but orders by phone, fax or mail. This is a good option if: You haven't yet set up your Internet merchant bank account to accept payment online. You can set up an online catalog, but then have consumers order by traditional means - either by faxing out a printable order form or by phone. Online secure - The consumer orders online, and you process their credit card information using a secure server. This is a good option if: You are a small business processing a relatively small number of orders. You will need: A secure server - which is easy to get through a web hosting service or Internet Service Provider (ISP) for a minimal additional fee. A way to process credit card information through the banking networks for approval. Many companies use CardService International for this purpose. Once you receive approval, you can then ship the merchandise. A way to protect consumer credit card numbers. You can either set up a secure database or delete the credit card information from your server once the product is shipped. Online secure with real-time processing - When the consumer orders online through your secure server, you can offer online confirmations and credit card approvals within 10 to 15 seconds. This is a good option if: You are a medium to large size business in a field where customers expect instant ordering. Or if you offer an online product - such as software, video clips, music, etc. - that can be immediately downloaded. You will need: A secure server with real-time processing capabilities. Obviously, this is a more expensive alternative, but can be well worth the extra investment in terms of customer satisfaction and ordering efficiency. A way to protect consumer credit card numbers. You can either set up a secure database or delete the credit card information from your server once the product is shipped.
You will need to match up your fulfillment plan on how you deliver goods and services with your online order entry process. Multiple e-mails can go to both the seller and their order fullfillment house. Fedx and UPS have set in place coop warehouses within their main 30+ regional distribution centers to handle "one touch" delivery for over 5 million products! Many businesses are doing this manually quite successfully, but many companies are stepping in to help automate this handoff with great efficiency. Talk to your Ecommerc consultant or hosting provider to see if they can help you with this.
An online customer service department can offer three times as much support for your customers - at a fraction of the price it takes to operate an offline customer service department. It should include: One or more phone numbers for customer calls A dedicated e-mail address, such as help@yourcompany.com Real time online communication with your customers such as chat room and or a bulletin board A fax number and mailing address You can also set up a centralized online "Customer Service Desk" which includes commonly used forms such as: Change of name Change of address Subscription renewal Change of password Returns Complaints FAQs and customer feedback Online instant talk button ..tied to a call center