E-mail addresses play a crucial role in doing business online. I had my own free as well as company accounts and I use them however the situation requires. Often, when I correspond by using free e-mail accounts such as @hotmail.com, @gmail.com, or @yahoo.com, I don't get responses or I get refused when I sign up. What is wrong with using free e-mail accounts?
Obviously, if you are using a company e-mail address it is a sign that you're doing business professionally. Does your ecommerce package allow you to create custom company e-mail accounts? It may not sound like a big deal but in business, sometimes the little things mean big things. Your ecommerce package should be able to host custom e-mail accounts for you.
Free e-mail accounts matter not just to your customers, but to other merchants as well. Doing business to business ecommerce requires more professionalism, because your target market are fellow merchants. Your ecommerce package is key to showing them that you are willing to invest on B2B ecommerce. You don't want them to be signing up to your services using free e-mail accounts too, do you?
How to Build Your Ecommerce Name - Step 1 Domain Name
How to Build Your Ecommerce Name - Step 2 Web Hosting
How to Build Your Ecommerce Name - Step 4 Should You Spam?
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
ECOMMERCE STRATEGY 11 - Selling Online is Like Hiring
Do you know how much contact information about your company matters in your ecommerce site?
When I was out of college and was looking for jobs I didn't know the first thing about aggressive and efficient job hunting. Of course, I was a newbie. I needed work and learning about my prospective employers' background wasn't one of my biggest concerns. Back then, I had worked with all kinds of employers, and yes, some of them were unscrupulous, who didn't have good credentials, didn't pay government taxes (underground), and sometimes never showed up in the office! I learned a great deal after so many years of switching from job to job. Eventually I soon found out that when searching for a good job, the first step I would do is to check out my employer's background.
It's the same thing when selling services or products on the web. All merchants who own an ecommerce site should provide decent contact information online. This is one of the best ways to earn buyers' trust.
If I have access to a company's office address, phone number, email address, and even a short background on the owner and his staff on his ecommerce site, I can easily make inquiries. And if I can talk to the company representatives, that sets my mind at ease! Trust is a big deal when doing business online. Let your customers reach you, so they can trust you!
When I was out of college and was looking for jobs I didn't know the first thing about aggressive and efficient job hunting. Of course, I was a newbie. I needed work and learning about my prospective employers' background wasn't one of my biggest concerns. Back then, I had worked with all kinds of employers, and yes, some of them were unscrupulous, who didn't have good credentials, didn't pay government taxes (underground), and sometimes never showed up in the office! I learned a great deal after so many years of switching from job to job. Eventually I soon found out that when searching for a good job, the first step I would do is to check out my employer's background.
It's the same thing when selling services or products on the web. All merchants who own an ecommerce site should provide decent contact information online. This is one of the best ways to earn buyers' trust.
If I have access to a company's office address, phone number, email address, and even a short background on the owner and his staff on his ecommerce site, I can easily make inquiries. And if I can talk to the company representatives, that sets my mind at ease! Trust is a big deal when doing business online. Let your customers reach you, so they can trust you!
Sunday, October 28, 2007
WEB ECOMMERCE OPPORTUNITY 4 - Affiliate Marketing
Another possibility in ecommerce and small business is partnership through affiliate marketing. This gives opportunity to merchants who have only as little capital as a "personal blog" to earn money through promotion of relevant products. Google Adsense is famous for this democratic money making scheme.
Advertising has been the backbone of most existing businesses today. Ecommerce and small business owners pay for web space, bandwidth, design, maintenance costs, and other facilities and resources in order to give their products and services good exposure online. At the same time, they can also affiliate with other merchants who also sell relevant products and advertise them on their site for x amount of revenue.
Many merchants have made good money on affiliate marketing. If you are an ecommerce and small business entrepreneur, this is just one of the many avenues you can take. You either become a merchant who offers the affiliate program or the affiliate marketer itself.
Advertising has been the backbone of most existing businesses today. Ecommerce and small business owners pay for web space, bandwidth, design, maintenance costs, and other facilities and resources in order to give their products and services good exposure online. At the same time, they can also affiliate with other merchants who also sell relevant products and advertise them on their site for x amount of revenue.
Many merchants have made good money on affiliate marketing. If you are an ecommerce and small business entrepreneur, this is just one of the many avenues you can take. You either become a merchant who offers the affiliate program or the affiliate marketer itself.
Friday, October 26, 2007
ECOMMERCE WEB SITE SUCCESS TIP 3 - Use Your Backend Design to Your Advantage
It's funny how so much of the web has evolved. Back in the old days, all merchants could do is upload information on their products on a bulky program -- and it may take days, weeks, even months to see how the ecommerce web site will look like. Today if you have a good template and a product feed software, uploading data doesn't take an hour if you have a small product catalog.
But this is exactly why it's far better to invest on good ecommerce web site design these days. You are bestowed more flexibility when it comes to managing content for your store. Best of all, as you as become more well-versed in it, you can cut costs in the long run.
My opinion is that it takes certain experience to be able to pick a good ecommerce web site design provider that has everything that you want in one package. One that enhances the look of your store while giving your customers a good shopping experience, while at the same time making it easy for you to manage the content every time you make changes or add new products. Have you found the right provider yet?
Other articles:
ECOMMERCE WEB SITE SUCCESS TIP 1 - Three Rules of Thumb
ECOMMERCE WEB SITE SUCCESS TIP 2 - Build networks, Build Backlinks
But this is exactly why it's far better to invest on good ecommerce web site design these days. You are bestowed more flexibility when it comes to managing content for your store. Best of all, as you as become more well-versed in it, you can cut costs in the long run.
My opinion is that it takes certain experience to be able to pick a good ecommerce web site design provider that has everything that you want in one package. One that enhances the look of your store while giving your customers a good shopping experience, while at the same time making it easy for you to manage the content every time you make changes or add new products. Have you found the right provider yet?
Other articles:
ECOMMERCE WEB SITE SUCCESS TIP 1 - Three Rules of Thumb
ECOMMERCE WEB SITE SUCCESS TIP 2 - Build networks, Build Backlinks
Thursday, October 25, 2007
ECOMMERCE WEB SITE DESIGN TIP 3 - SEO WWWHATT?
People who have browsed the web long enough will attest to the fact that most of the websites appearing on Google search engine's top results page pretty much aren't heavy on the design department. In fact, most of them are simple web pages that have nothing but text on it. If this is the case, why do merchants have to spend so much on ecommerce web design?
Well, to attract more visitors of course. These days, with more and more people being glued to the "interactive tube", an engaging website design is one step to being ahead of the ecommerce merchant crowd. A plus is knowing an attractive ecommerce web design concept merging with good SEO techniques.
So if search engines crawl no-frills websites better than elaborately primped ones, why bother with ecommerce web design? The latter is still necessary to show that you are a professional dotcom business who is concerned about enhancing your customers' shopping experience. Simplicity of design, on the other hand, will favor promotion and more visibility of your site. Think of how awesome the results will be if you strike a good balance between the two.
ECOMMERCE WEB SITE DESIGN TIP 1 - Watch out for your designer's promises
ECOMMERCE WEB SITE DESIGN TIP 2 - Content is the Meat and Potatoes
Well, to attract more visitors of course. These days, with more and more people being glued to the "interactive tube", an engaging website design is one step to being ahead of the ecommerce merchant crowd. A plus is knowing an attractive ecommerce web design concept merging with good SEO techniques.
So if search engines crawl no-frills websites better than elaborately primped ones, why bother with ecommerce web design? The latter is still necessary to show that you are a professional dotcom business who is concerned about enhancing your customers' shopping experience. Simplicity of design, on the other hand, will favor promotion and more visibility of your site. Think of how awesome the results will be if you strike a good balance between the two.
ECOMMERCE WEB SITE DESIGN TIP 1 - Watch out for your designer's promises
ECOMMERCE WEB SITE DESIGN TIP 2 - Content is the Meat and Potatoes
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
ECOMMERCE STRATEGY 9 – What's Your Favorite Color?
I like buying stuff from Victoria's Secret store a lot. I either visit their brick and mortar store in Texas or browse on their ecommerce web site. One thing I appreciate about VS is that although they don't employ the best web site design, they allow me to see the dresses that I prefer in various colors. They do this by letting me click on the color patch. Then the model's dress changes to that shade that I have picked.
If you cannot provide this ability for your customers to see the outfits (or any product) in the colors that they pick, there's a high likelihood that they will not buy. I would say this is where employing this type of shopping flexibility becomes handy for your ecommerce web site. If you can't work this tactic, a customer might just abandon the shopping cart halfway.
So take notes. Victoria's Secret is well known for classy, sexy, and affordable outfits for women. Their ecommerce web site may not be the most impressive (their models are, of course), but they allow me to see the dresses that I like in my favorite colors. This is a huge convenience if I'm not able to visit their landbased retail store on a stormy day in the Lone Star state!
If you cannot provide this ability for your customers to see the outfits (or any product) in the colors that they pick, there's a high likelihood that they will not buy. I would say this is where employing this type of shopping flexibility becomes handy for your ecommerce web site. If you can't work this tactic, a customer might just abandon the shopping cart halfway.
So take notes. Victoria's Secret is well known for classy, sexy, and affordable outfits for women. Their ecommerce web site may not be the most impressive (their models are, of course), but they allow me to see the dresses that I like in my favorite colors. This is a huge convenience if I'm not able to visit their landbased retail store on a stormy day in the Lone Star state!
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
ECOMMERCE STRATEGY 7 – Underpromise, Overdeliver, Not a Cliche!
Underpromise, but overdeliver. How many times have you heard this statement in the online business circles lately? You can almost call it one of the biggest cliches in web ecommerce 2.0 today!
But here's the deal: merchants and customers can't live without this cliche. The bigger the surprise, the better. In fact, it is outstanding for an online merchant to exceed his customers' expectations by "underpromising, and overdelivering".
One perfect example is when you ship products ahead of expected receiving date. This will astonish your customer and immediately give you positive feedbacks. Success in web ecommerce does require you to still stick to tradition sometimes. You can also make this trick work to your advantage if you are a merchant who sells digital or downloadable products.
In this web ecommerce era, everyone lives by the power of a mouse click. Therefore if you are selling digital files (software) online, try your best to give your customers access to the full version as soon as they have purchased. Their satisfaction will always reflect on your sales.
But here's the deal: merchants and customers can't live without this cliche. The bigger the surprise, the better. In fact, it is outstanding for an online merchant to exceed his customers' expectations by "underpromising, and overdelivering".
One perfect example is when you ship products ahead of expected receiving date. This will astonish your customer and immediately give you positive feedbacks. Success in web ecommerce does require you to still stick to tradition sometimes. You can also make this trick work to your advantage if you are a merchant who sells digital or downloadable products.
In this web ecommerce era, everyone lives by the power of a mouse click. Therefore if you are selling digital files (software) online, try your best to give your customers access to the full version as soon as they have purchased. Their satisfaction will always reflect on your sales.
Monday, October 22, 2007
SHOULD WAL-MART'S ECOMMERCE STRATEGY BE EMBRACED BY SMALL RETAILERS?
Ecommerce shipping success brought about by Wal-Mart's example has spawned a good number of online retailers now offering buy online, in-store pick up option. Can this be the beginning of zero shipping costs and quantum leap on sales conversions by online retailers? Is this going to be the ultimate ecommerce strategy that will break the "shopping cart abandonment tradition"?
Who knows, but this is when finding the answer to the question really matters. Why? Because since the trend has been set by big online retailers such as Wal-Mart or Ace Hardware, many smaller retailers aren't likely to follow their footsteps. An ecommerce strategy that would allow buyers to find the product by going to the nearest store itself after showing the intention to buy it from the online store may cost them more money than profit itself.
For example, niche apparel stores such as Nike, American Eagle, or Callaway Golf may find it actually more difficult to profit by shipping smaller or fewer items to fewer stores nationwide. Sure, they can adopt Wal-Mart's ecommerce strategy but they would have to ship products on longer time frames -- weeks, instead of days, to save costs. I'd say the question now can only be answered by individual small retailers themselves.
Who knows, but this is when finding the answer to the question really matters. Why? Because since the trend has been set by big online retailers such as Wal-Mart or Ace Hardware, many smaller retailers aren't likely to follow their footsteps. An ecommerce strategy that would allow buyers to find the product by going to the nearest store itself after showing the intention to buy it from the online store may cost them more money than profit itself.
For example, niche apparel stores such as Nike, American Eagle, or Callaway Golf may find it actually more difficult to profit by shipping smaller or fewer items to fewer stores nationwide. Sure, they can adopt Wal-Mart's ecommerce strategy but they would have to ship products on longer time frames -- weeks, instead of days, to save costs. I'd say the question now can only be answered by individual small retailers themselves.
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
eCommerce and Small Business SPOTLIGHT - eBay.com
eBay is just huge. When you think of the amount of labor put in the site to make it the ultimate buying and selling portal in the web today, it is almost impossible to replicate its success. Ecommerce and small business owners register, advertise, trade, and communicate with customers for almost nothing. I've known a few who actually make good money off trading on eBay. And I'm talking about merchandise that aren't the easiest in the world to find such as shells, coins, and rare jewelry, and yes even pinball machines.
I'd think the major advantage for ecommerce and small business members in eBay trading is the ability to find items with only a few clicks and having access to the right tools to help them sell. For example, features such as accounting assistant, promotional tools, sales reports, etc. are provided as a member. For buyers, resources such as product reviews, guides, and lists of categorized items are indispensable.
eBay is second to Amazon.com on the list of top 50 ecommerce sites that people voted for. Although it is the epitome of the online flea market today, many ecommerce and small business owners still look for options such as joining merchant malls or building their own ecommerce site. This is because they can customize everything and even create a shopping cart suited for their store better than what they use in eBay.
I'd think the major advantage for ecommerce and small business members in eBay trading is the ability to find items with only a few clicks and having access to the right tools to help them sell. For example, features such as accounting assistant, promotional tools, sales reports, etc. are provided as a member. For buyers, resources such as product reviews, guides, and lists of categorized items are indispensable.
eBay is second to Amazon.com on the list of top 50 ecommerce sites that people voted for. Although it is the epitome of the online flea market today, many ecommerce and small business owners still look for options such as joining merchant malls or building their own ecommerce site. This is because they can customize everything and even create a shopping cart suited for their store better than what they use in eBay.
Thursday, October 11, 2007
Spotlight: Amazon.com
SPOTLIGHT: AMAZON.COM
Amazon.com wouldn't be on top if positive customer feedbacks didn't overwhelm the negative ones. Here's a good example:
Customer 1: Amazon provides an exact shipping date but delivers it earlier than expected.
Customer 2: Amazon doesn't have good enough graphics and can't show an enlarged picture in the same window. Why do they have to put the large picture on another window?
Customer 3: I got so many choices with Amazon and the best thing is that they give big discounts on everything, every time!
GOODIES
Another good thing is that Amazon.com has so many value-added items. Some of the ones I like best are:
Amazon Daily
Lets me customize the content on the Amazon Daily blog. I love reading blogs and this one is a good place to learn what's new or hear other's expert opinions on the latest products.
Customer Reviews
Although I try my best not to be influenced by customer opinions in every product I view I still think that it's worth taking a read at what they have to say. They give me a lot of freedom to learn more about the product, whether reviewed in good or bad light. Customers can even compare one product to the other to find out which one looks and feels better.
Product Information
There's no better way to learn about shipping, privacy policies, refunds and exchange policies than in the product information area.
UGLIES
Slow loading pages
Whether it's my internet connection or not that's responsible for the slow loading pages, it still sucks. Like any other ecommerce store, Amazon can't satisfy all customers with such high traffic from all over the world.
Too many ads
Amazon like any other ecommerce website thrives on ads and customer purchases. But the layout does get confusing and sometimes I find myself not knowing where I was or what to browse.
Everything in one place
Don't get me wrong – I like multitasking and seeing a lot of items here. But I get overwhelmed by so many things to see at one time. I'd wished Amazon.com has a better way to organize things than to cram all items and details in a single page.
So needless to say, I've had my share of Amazon.com's best and worst, like all you guys do. Did you have your own goodies and uglies with Amazon.com too? Share them with us!
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
Top 50 E-Commerce Stores - Like 'em or Lump 'em!
Now what could be more enlightening than coming up with a list of top 50 e-commerce merchant stores today? I must agree that they're making gargantuan profit, but there's a lot that the common eyes can't see. Curious about our analysis? Check out the list and we'll let you know what we think!
1. Amazon.com
2. e-Bay.com
3. Wal-Mart.com
4. BestBuy.com
5. JCPenney.com
6. Target.com
7. Kohls.com
8. Overstock.com
9. Google.com
10. Sears.com
11. OldNavy.com
12. CircuitCity.com
13. LandsEnd.com
14. LLBean.com
15. QVC.com
16. Yahoo.com
17. Blair.com
18. Macys.com
19. LaneBryant.com
20. HomeDepot.com
21. VictoriasSecret.com
22. Chadwicks.com
23. AE.com/American Eagle
24. Haband.com
25. ColdwaterCreek.com
26. Gap.com
27. Lowes.com
28. EddieBauer.com
29. Newport-News.com
3o. Costco.com
31. Newegg.com
32. TigerDirect.com
33. HSN. com
34. Buy.com
35. Zappos.com
36. Roamans.com
37. SmartBargains.com
38. AOL.com
39. MSN.com
40. WomanWithin.com
41. Cabelas.com
42. EastBay.com
43. SierraTradingPost.com
44. Kmart.com
45. KingSizeDirect.com
46. Forever21.com
47. Dell.com
48. SamsClub.com
49. CasualMale.com
50. FashionBug.com
2. e-Bay.com
3. Wal-Mart.com
4. BestBuy.com
5. JCPenney.com
6. Target.com
7. Kohls.com
8. Overstock.com
9. Google.com
10. Sears.com
11. OldNavy.com
12. CircuitCity.com
13. LandsEnd.com
14. LLBean.com
15. QVC.com
16. Yahoo.com
17. Blair.com
18. Macys.com
19. LaneBryant.com
20. HomeDepot.com
21. VictoriasSecret.com
22. Chadwicks.com
23. AE.com/American Eagle
24. Haband.com
25. ColdwaterCreek.com
26. Gap.com
27. Lowes.com
28. EddieBauer.com
29. Newport-News.com
3o. Costco.com
31. Newegg.com
32. TigerDirect.com
33. HSN. com
34. Buy.com
35. Zappos.com
36. Roamans.com
37. SmartBargains.com
38. AOL.com
39. MSN.com
40. WomanWithin.com
41. Cabelas.com
42. EastBay.com
43. SierraTradingPost.com
44. Kmart.com
45. KingSizeDirect.com
46. Forever21.com
47. Dell.com
48. SamsClub.com
49. CasualMale.com
50. FashionBug.com
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