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Whether you call it Internet commerce, or ecom, or ecommerce, or immense, it basically means the same thing. These terms mean buying or selling something electronically, and the time has never been better to jump in. If you have something you'd like to sell on the Net, new technologies have opened up an array of ecom options there's one to suit every need and requirement. Most importantly, ecom is safe. Experts tell us that online transactions are every bit as safe as face to face transactions -- although neither can be guaranteed to be 100 % risk free. You " re just as likely to be mugged on your way to the Bank Machine as you are to run into security problems with Internet commerce!
Electronic Commerce: A Beginners Guide Electronic Commerce seems to be everywhere these days. It's nearly impossible to open a newspaper or magazine without coming across an article about how Electronic Commerce is going to change all our lives. Businesses of all sizes are bombarded with adverts that seem to imply that any company not investing in E-commerce will be left behind. The problem for many small businesses is that while they appreciate the potential of doing business on the Net, it is difficult to determine the best way to start off. Essentially, doing business on the Web can be broken down into five main requirements. The obvious requirement is an on-line store, or commerce-enabled Web site where goods or services can be described and selected.
While it is possible to run an on-line store without accepting on-line payments, this is cumbersome and rarely successful. Accepting on-line payments is therefore essential - and at the moment this means credit cards. Ok, so you " ve made your sale and now you " ve got to deliver the goods. Just package them up and ship them off.
Easy - except what happens if you get dozens or hundreds of orders a day? Support, Complaints, Returns - the biggest complaint about E-Commerce is the poor level of customer service in the event of problems. The big one! Even if you do everything else right, without successful promotion your on-line business will fail There is no right or wrong way to start up an E-business, but any business plan, even if drawn up on the back of an envelope, should address these five topics. There are so many Web-store and payment, processing sites around that it's difficult to know where to begin looking for the software and services you need to put your business on-line. The hand-picked selection of links below will help start you off in the right direction.
How to Succeed in Electronic Commerce It is now very easy to set up an on-line store. Unfortunately, a high proportion of E-Commerce sites started by small businesses or individual traders is unsuccessful. The main reasons for these failures are usually obvious and often down to not paying enough attention to a few basic rules. Basic guidelines for setting up a successful E-Commerce site. This seems blindingly obvious, but if you haven't got anything worth selling don't bother.
Many people get so carried away with the idea of having an on-line store that they forget that someone actually has to want to buy what's on offer. If you don't have a product or service, but still want to get in on the E-Commerce action, consider an affiliate or associate program... Have a USP (Unique Selling Proposition) Competition the Web is intense. If you have a good idea for making money on the Web, the chances are dozens of people have thought of it already.
What is needed is a USP (Unique Selling Proposition) - something that makes customers use your site rather than other similar ones. There is no magic formula for this - use your imagination. Something has to make your site stand out from the rest if it is to succeed. , (Incidentally, a snappy site name is very important. The reason Yahoo has been successful is that the name is easy to remember.
Lets get this straight. If you are serious about selling on-line then you need to accept credit cards. Forget about personal checks, cashiers checks or money orders. (although offering the option to pay by personal check is OK if you accept on-line credit card payments too). Accepting credit cards only by fax or phone isn't too smart either - these days it is extremely easy to set up an on-line payment facility. The main attraction of the web is its immediacy. If I want to buy something I want to buy it there and then.
I don't want to have to mess about mailing checks and order forms. If you don't accept credit cards on-line, take a look at Payment Processing for ideas on how to get wired up. This really goes without saying - it applies to all types of business. However, on the Net e-mail allows you to keep customers up-to-date with all aspects of their order. Personalized order confirmations, payment receipts, dispatch notification and post-sales satisfaction enquiries are cheap and easy to set up and give customers a positive impression of your business. The Big One!
If you haven't noticed already, this is really what can make or break an on-line business, especially during the start-up phase. Everything else can be perfect, but if you are unable to bring customers to your site then it is doomed to failure. I would reckon that, if you want to succeed, about 80 - 90 % of the work involved in starting an on-line business should be concerned with marketing. Its one thing attracting customers to your site, but generating repeat business is essential in developing a commerce site. Where appropriate, "community" features such as bulletin boards, newsletters and regular competitions can encourage customers to return to a site. These tools are quite easily added.
It is quite easy to create an OK web site. It is very difficult to create an outstanding web-site. For most sites, competence is sufficient. Ease of use and reliability are far more important than flashy graphics or cool Java applets. Keep it simple. Good advice on web site design can be found at Webdesign.
Remember, computer whiz-kids and entrepreneurs are rarely outstanding graphics designers - if you want something creative it is probably worth while paying a professional to do it for you. Nothing puts customers off more than a slow unreliable response. Web-hosting can be quite cheap, and it is often worth paying just a little more for a hosting service with a good reputation and fast reliable links to the Net. Hosting services can be compared and Contrasted at the Ultimate Web Host List Sell to international customers The Internet is international. It is easy to send packages to international destinations and it costs less than you might expect. Don't underestimate the amount of effort involved in setting up a successful web-store.
It is not sufficient simply to set up a site and wait for the cash to roll in. The above guidelines will help, but as with all business ventures, the secret of success is having a good idea, in the right place, at the right time. Bibliography:
Free research essays on topics related to: e commerce, electronic commerce, credit cards, unique selling proposition, small businesses
Research essay sample on Unique Selling Proposition Electronic Commerce
