Archive for June, 2011

eCommerce is not just an ‘online shop’

By On June 14, 2011 In eCommerce With 5 Comments Permanent Link to eCommerce is not just an ‘online shop’Permalink

The benefits of eCommerce – selling your product or service online – are huge. No longer restricted to your local market, you now have the opportunity to easily put your business in the eyes of a national or even an international audience.

Selling online, however, is not always an extension of what you’re currently doing offline – in your shop for example. Sure, eCommerce presents you with lots of opportunities, but there are also risks.

1. Too much, too fast.

If you are currently making 100 sales per day in store then online might provide you with another 100. You could even hit 1000 sales – it’s possible if you have a good product. So imagine your business grows by 500% – that means you’ll need more staff to cover the workload.

Solution. You could use temporary staff to start with to test the water or you could outsource your web fulfilment to another company. Outsourcing means that you can keep the core of your business under control whilst having the flexibility of a specialist company handling your online orders.

2. Managing your Stock

If your website shows you have 1 product left and somebody orders it online at the same time as somebody buys it in store then you’re going to either have to get more stock quickly to fulfil your order, or you’re going to have to let the online customer down which is not good for business – the online customer can easily go elsewhere.

Solution – You could allocate stock for online and offline or could integrate your offline and online stock systems so the chances of this happening are slim. You could also ensure that once your product reached 5 in your online store then you would get a reminder to replenish the stock.

3. Shipping your product

Before, you sold your product exclusivley in store. You may have wrapped it up or put it in a box but then it’s the customer’s responsability to get it home. Now you’re selling online, you need to work out the best method of delivery and you need to think about covering the costs, either by charging the customer or by offsetting it against the fact you’ll have more orders.

Solution – If you know you’re going to be shipping 1000 orders a month you may be able to get a deal with a shipping company. It’s worth shopping around as there is big variation from the services/price that each of companies offer.

4. Online/Offline propositions

One day you are competiting with a few shops in your local area, the next you’re dealing with market leaders on a global scale. The proposition therefore is different online to offline and you’re going to have to reflect this, otherwise you will fail in at least one of your channels.

Solution – Doing your homework is important with other online competitors. If you can’t offer anything close to what they are then maybe you need to refine your offline business before you proceed with your online ventures.

5. Payment

Normally you may take cash or credit card but now the customer is going to be able to have to deposit money into your account without the use of physically handing over the cash/credit.

Solution – Set up an eMerchant. There are plenty available. Some charge per transaction and some charge a flat fee. Take a look through some such as PayPal or SagePay and see what’s best for you.

6. Customer service

A customer would normally bring your product back into the shop but the process is not the same online. You’re going to have to first discuss over e-mail or the phone and then you’re going to have to replace/refund the customer by the same method they paid with originally.

Solution – Learn to use the computer and get involved in how your online shop works. This way you can answer support questions straight away. You’ll also need to think about your returns policy and any other terms and conditions when selling online.

Do you have any experience of selling online? What were the biggest risks for you? Comments below, please.

Web Design: 5 seconds to impress

By On June 4, 2011 In Web Design With Comments Off Permanent Link to Web Design: 5 seconds to impressPermalink

They say first impressions are everything – and this couldn’t be more true with websites – the process therefore for web design is crucial.

The first 5 seconds a visitor spends on your website could be the last, so we need to make sure we have their attention and retain what is notoriously a fickle audience.

Clocks

0.01 – Impressions: Before your page loads the visitor is wondering what the site will be like, but it has to load first! Speedy loading times with your logo/menu appearing first at the top of the page means that the user can sense check they are in the right place and start to formulate a decision of what information they require. This is also your chance to push them in the right direction – like supermarkets do with clever advertising and store orientation. Although the average visitor knows nothing about web design they do know when they see a bad one and it could be as quickly as the first few seconds that they decide that this site is not right for them – and why shouldn’t they? There are millions mores sites out there, right?

0.02 – Definition: Once the visitor knows that they’re in the right ballpark (i.e. they don’t find a Hairdressers when they are looking for a Letting Agents) they now need to know who are you and what makes you so special. Your landing page must communicate unique value, not just what you sell. Also, your visitors don’t always land at your homepage, so don’t ignore the sub-pages pages. The question is: Does all the content on your site do justice to your business?

0.03 – Relevance: Can your visitor continue to follow up on their original hunch that your website (and ultimately, business) is what they were looking for after arriving on your page? However they got to your site, whether by Google or a link on another web site, your visitor will want to find what they came for pretty quick. If they arrived from a Google search for “spa days”, can they find a reference or picture that indicates how they’re going to get what they’re after?

0.04 – The Hook: Some people look for the deal – “20% off” or “Buy one, get one free” might tempt the visitor further into the site. Others want to know more, and they want to know that YOU know more about the product or service. Examples, contextual images, further reading and opinions such as a blog are all ways to put your arms around the visitor and ensure them they’re in the right place.

0.05 – Action: Once your visitor has found what they are after they now asking “what do I do now?” You’ve kept got them to this stage but it counts for nothing if they don’t follow through. Strong calls to action are critical in this moment – “Buy Now!” or “E-Mail us for a trial” give clear and concise actions to let the customer know what they need to do next.

Ok, so 5 seconds might be a bit of an exaggeration, but you get the point; the idea of engaging your visitors is the same. Everyone is different but all visitors have one thing in common: their time is prescious and they have better things to do that trowel through websites that can’t give them what they want – even if the business behind the website is the best in it’s category.

The best way to test the theory is browse for something yourself. Take a note of the sites that you stay on for more than 5 seconds and ones you close straight away as you might even do it without noticing!