| If you have a product oriented business, the | | | | Research your Options |
| Internet offers a unique ability to reach a | | | | |
| broad audience. With new technology, it is | | | | Once you have defined your needs, you can |
| easy to build your own e-commerce store. | | | | then begin researching your options. There |
| | | | are two basic paths you may follow when |
| E-commerce Store | | | | building an e-commerce store - either buy |
| | | | ready made software or build a custom system |
| Today's world is an E-commerce (electronic | | | | with components and parts according to your |
| commerce or e-com) world. E-commerce, clearly | | | | requirements and budgets. |
| termed as web commerce, basically means | | | | |
| selling of merchandise or services over the | | | | Flexibility |
| Internet with electronic transactions and | | | | |
| also through a secure network. E-com is not | | | | Some business firms offer gifts and well |
| merely buying and selling or providing | | | | placed impulse products for better marketing |
| services but it is also a method of | | | | approaches. This requires an e-com solution |
| advertising and marketing through an | | | | to be flexible enough to allow various |
| electronic system as well. E-com also means | | | | give-aways, coupons and promotions. Also, if |
| facilitating the progress of commercial | | | | your product comes in a variety of models or |
| transactions electronically. Right now e-com | | | | styles, with different options and different |
| is a well-established technology in all major | | | | prices then you must communicate these |
| countries. In most cases Internet marketing | | | | factors and portray them distinctively in |
| requires you to have your own E-commerce | | | | your online store. A true businessperson will |
| store for maximum return. | | | | certainly follow the patterns of his or her |
| | | | usual clients as well as those who directly |
| Requirements of an E-commerce Store | | | | visit the site. Web statistic tracking tools |
| | | | can be a great help to this end. |
| Building an e-commerce store is not an easy | | | | |
| job. Software is required that can manage | | | | Ease of Use |
| customers as well as their needs. E-commerce | | | | |
| software should be able to handle inventory, | | | | Some e commerce stores are very easy to use |
| shipping and handling costs, taxes, | | | | and require only a few minutes to learn while |
| dispatching and payment processing of | | | | others are more complex with so many features |
| client's orders. You may encounter many | | | | that they can be overwhelming. Being able to |
| options when setting out to build an e | | | | see a demonstration of software before buying |
| commerce store. Before choosing any of them | | | | it is a great help to determining ease of |
| it is important to have a clear view of your | | | | use. |
| requirements. Technical requirements might | | | | |
| include coupons, tracking systems, customer | | | | Scalability |
| login options or any number of other things. | | | | |
| Other requirements include what type of | | | | Being able to grow with your company is very |
| impression you want to provide to your | | | | important. If you choose a very simple |
| valuable clients. | | | | solution now, then require a more robust |
| | | | solution down the road, you will lose time |
| Study the Sales and Marketing Cycle to | | | | converting your store. If the URL structure |
| Determine Your Needs | | | | of your store is not consistent, you can also |
| | | | lose search engine rankings by changing e |
| Before you opt for any of solutions for | | | | commerce solutions. Therefore, it is |
| building e commerce store, study the basic | | | | important to choose an e commerce solution |
| model of e commerce that represents the | | | | that can grow with you. For example, some |
| entire sales and marketing cycle. The first | | | | stores owners may not want coupons in the |
| building block of this cycle is audience in | | | | beginning but then down the road decide it is |
| which you define what type of customers you | | | | a good idea. Some stores may also have limits |
| will target. Second are commodities, in which | | | | on number of products, inventory control and |
| you characterize the types of products you | | | | tracking that down the road will be very |
| will put on the market. Third is customer | | | | important. |
| support where you will answer the questions | | | | |
| and offer solutions to clients' or potential | | | | Security |
| clients' problems. Next is advertising, | | | | |
| marketing and endorsement where a business | | | | Of utmost importance to online stores is |
| promotes the products or services. Then there | | | | transaction security. The priority for any |
| is transaction processing, the most important | | | | business firm should be secure transactions. |
| technical phase of the cycle, which will | | | | Thanks to Netscape for introducing SSL |
| handle orders, taxes, payment processing and | | | | (secure socket layer), data can be protected |
| order delivery. | | | | by online store owners. SSL is an encryption |
| | | | technology that encrypts a message and the |
| Transactions may be automatic or manual. In | | | | receiver decrypts it by using RSA security. |
| manual processing you have to enter credit | | | | To enable SSL on your web server you need a |
| card information manually through an offline | | | | digital ID (a form of identification that |
| terminal. In the case of automatic processing | | | | will recognize you). Many web hosts provide |
| a client's order form will be setup with a | | | | SSL installation for anywhere from a few |
| program that processes and charges the credit | | | | bucks to a few hundred bucks per year. |
| card for you. After that there are post-deal | | | | |
| services regarding how you provide solutions | | | | Overall, in building your own e commerce |
| and services after the sale. Last but not | | | | store, four things are essential - |
| least is brand name with which you will | | | | flexibility, ease of use, security and |
| create a distinctive business image to | | | | scalability. Research your options before you |
| correspond with customers. Nobody is going to | | | | make a final choice, and whenever possible, |
| pay attention to your online store unless | | | | get a free trial of your solution before you |
| something catches their eye. | | | | buy. |
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