How to Build Your Ecommerce Name - Step 3 E-mail Addresses

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?

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:

1. 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.

2. 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.

3. Product Information

   There's no better way to learn about shipping, privacy policies, refunds and exchange policies than in the product information area.

UGLIES

1. 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.

2. 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.

3. 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!