Technology Basics
Got a great product to sell online? Here・s what you will need to do it.
Ecommerce (electronic commerce) is the buying and selling of goods and services on the internet. Ebusiness (electronic business) is trading electronically with your suppliers and retail partners to automate, speedup and simplify businesses processes such as stock control and payment.
As a place for direct shopping, with 24-hour availability, global reach, and the ability to engage customers and interact with them, the internet is now a massive source of revenue even for the world's smallest businesses. You can reach customers that you might otherwise never find.
Getting Started
Doing business on the Internet has five specific requirements:
| • | Online store: You have a commerce-enabled website where what you・re offering can be presented and described, selected and bought. |
| • | Payment processing: Accepting credit card payment online is essential. |
| • | Order fulfilment and shipping: Delivery of goods is important, especially when your orders could be coming in from all over the world. |
| • | Customer service: Satisfy your customers and serve them properly and they・ll keep coming back regularly. |
| • | Promotion: Even the most wonderful website is useless if no one can find it. Without successful promotion your online business will fail. |
Are You Doing it Right?
People have to want what you are offering. That means good graphics, clear and precise explanations, short copy and a clean, logical structure. Take people through it, step by step. Ask yourself how you would want to be "sold to"? And make sure your site works the same way.
Remember, a website doesn・t have to sell to be successful. But every business that is serious about itself and its long-term success needs a presence online. It・s an easy way for people who are interested in your products and services to find you. It・s one of the most cost-effective ways for you to show and tell them in words and pictures how you can help them. There are no postal charges and no printing costs. You can update your website whenever you need to. You can capture the names, addresses and contact details of all the people who visit your site and want to know about your business services or buy your products.
Keep your site up to date. Make frequent offers to entice repeat business. Always remember that eCommerce puts the world at your fingertips. There may be opportunities for your business in other countries, in different markets.
Brilliant Effects
When you consider eCommerce and what it can do for you, it is easy to see how information and communication technology is a business enabler that:
| • | Simplifies processes |
| • | Speeds transactions |
| • | Improves your cash flow |
| • | Brings new customers |
| • | Creates sales opportunities |
It also gives you the chance to enhance your business efficiency and market penetration in astonishing ways.
Don・t Let Them Get Away!
People who visit your website are often ready to buy. You have to make your site interesting, attractive and relevant. It has to load quickly, be simple to navigate, offer a good selection of payment options and provide a first class shopping basket. Microsoft FrontPage features usage analysis reports that show how your website is being used in east-to-read summaries. Essential marketing data and customer information can be collected through the online form in FrontPage. Visitors simply complete the form and FrontPage collects the data and sends you the results.
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