The Ten Best E-Commerce Strategies

Written by Steven Pruner


Strategy #1 - Copy

Smaller e-commerce sites must strive to increase their customer base whilerepparttar costs are still low. Smaller e-commerce sites can see whatrepparttar 109041 multi-million dollar sites are doing and simply copy much of what they are doing. Althoughrepparttar 109042 copying strategy is not a strategy of a market leader, smaller e-commerce ventures rarely haverepparttar 109043 resources to be market leaders.

Strategy #2 - Build Loyal Customers Base Now

Whilerepparttar 109044 costs are relatively low, now isrepparttar 109045 time to build a loyal customer base that can serve asrepparttar 109046 core business. Small e-commerce ventures should be spending money now to increaserepparttar 109047 size ofrepparttar 109048 customer base. Lock in advertising rates and establish ad programs where prices can be grand-fathered in. It will cost a lot more later.

Strategy #3 - Allow For Frequent Site Updates

Keeping your site fresh will keep your current customers coming back to your site without being bored or put off because your site has not changed. The motto, "Content is King" applies to e-commerce sites too! Shoppers and customers need helpful, educational information that keeps them coming back to your site.

Strategy #4 - Move Inventory Around

Just like in a bricks and mortar store, you need to moverepparttar 109049 inventory around. Place different items on sale. Create timely sales. Put items on special and bring them torepparttar 109050 homepage. Feature items with more information. Put up special graphics for sale and special items. Offer a clearance sale or a clearance section to your site.

Strategy #5 - Auctions for Profit

Supplementing your e-commerce sites with selling on auction sites can be an excellent sales and advertising opportunity. Put items for auction onrepparttar 109051 auction sites and make sure it has a link back to your own e-commerce site.

Strategy #6 - Watchrepparttar 109052 Backend

Now that you haverepparttar 109053 order, you have to finishrepparttar 109054 shopping experience for repparttar 109055 customer. You should have in place a system to make surerepparttar 109056 order is shipped in a timely fashion and thatrepparttar 109057 customer is kept informed ofrepparttar 109058 order status. Email is sufficient for keeping in touch. Make sure you are handingrepparttar 109059 shipping in good time.

The Seven Pillars of eCommerce Defined

Written by Stuart Martin


A study released by research firm "Gartner Group" predicts 75% of all e-business projects will fail due to poor planning and unrealistic expectations of technology. In order for any company to conduct successful business onrepparttar Internet, a process of evaluation must be utilized. One framework to which companies often compare their business is "The Seven Pillars of E-business equation".

Pillar 1) Online Marketing has been in existence since around 1994, whenrepparttar 109040 first wave of mainstream companies jumped ontorepparttar 109041 web displaying their rudimentary html pages containing product information. Still today, some companies do little more than place their information onrepparttar 109042 Internet using a pleasing layout; in hopes that someone will stumble upon their site and buyrepparttar 109043 product. Many companies have not yet reached pillar one. According torepparttar 109044 Yankee Group, only 31% of small business and 51% of medium-sized businesses inrepparttar 109045 United States have a website.

Pillar 2) Online Ordering isrepparttar 109046 process of allowing a customer to submit order information through a company website. Online Ordering is quite easy to set up through an online web-form created in static html. Whenrepparttar 109047 customer clicks on "submit",repparttar 109048 information is forwarded to a company email address. Customer follow-up and billing occurs offline through traditional business channels. Many tourism companies are at this level, receiving a request forma and even a credit card number. They think that they are now inrepparttar 109049 online business. However, all ofrepparttar 109050 information has to be processed byrepparttar 109051 vendor. In reality, this is another form of fax ordering.

Pillar 3) Online Selling takesrepparttar 109052 Online Ordering process one step further wherebyrepparttar 109053 customer's transaction is actually conducted online. Forrepparttar 109054 ease ofrepparttar 109055 customer, credit card information is recorded and through traditional business channels,repparttar 109056 company provides goods or services torepparttar 109057 customer. Credit card information is authenticated directly online and customers are supplied with proof of payment. The vendor receives payment direct to its Merchant Bank.

The third pillar is a stage most companies cannot seem to master. It requires sophisticated database-driven websites, intensive strategic planning, a large programming and insurance budget, and a bank that allows online credit card merchant accounts.

This is where www.TravellersMall.com and its services becomesrepparttar 109058 enabler. We provide all of this capability withoutrepparttar 109059 individual problems thatrepparttar 109060 vendor would encounter, at a very low cost.

Pillar 4) Online fulfillment happens afterrepparttar 109061 customer has been marketed to, placed an order, andrepparttar 109062 financial transaction has occurred. This step is divided into two categories:

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