If your business features products or services for sale,
undoubtedly the topic of eCommerce has come up. What is
eCommerce? Literally defined as “the conduct of financial
transactions by electronic means,” it refers to purchases made
over the Internet. There are popular slang terms such as
ebusiness, click and mortar, dotcom, cyber-mall and multiple
spellings (eCommerce, e-commerce, E-Commerce), but they are all
basically the same thing. Don’t let the different phrases
confuse you, it all comes back to the same principle: selling
online.

So how do you know if selling online will be beneficial for your
business? There are a few basic questions that can help you with
this decision. First and foremost, can you afford to develop a
professional eCommerce storefront on your Web site? You’ve heard
the phrase “if you can’t do it right, it’s not worth doing at
all”. This is especially true in regards to eCommerce because
people will not purchase from your Web site if it looks amateur
and is poorly done. Custom developed eCommerce sites can cost
tens of thousands of dollars, but pre-built shopping cart
solutions such as WebSolutions’ Marketplace can provide your
business with a professional eCommerce storefront for a fraction
of the cost. Another benefit of a program like this is whereas a
Yahoo or eBay store may be less expensive to get going, it’s
going to be less customizable, and as your business grows,
you’ll outgrow the site and need to start over again. An option
like the Marketplace provides a great starting place with
unlimited building potential and growth. After the cost issue
is addressed, you need to evaluate the potential of selling your
product or service online. Are any of your competitors selling
online? If not, have a brainstorming session and try to think of
any logical reasons why they aren’t. Could it be that they tried
and failed or is it that they just haven’t thought about selling
online yet? One key to remember is that once you make the
decision to sell online, your product and pricing is now
available 24/7 to anyone that stumbles upon your site.

After evaluating your competitor’s Web sites, you need to look
at your product line and determine your target audience. Who
buys from your now? Are you selling to businesses or
individuals? If the answer is businesses, are they generally
companies that are active on the Internet or businesses that
don’t rely on the Web as much (such as mechanics, restaurants,
etc.). If the answer is individuals, what demographic(s) are you
advertising your products or services to? You need to be sure
that the people you want purchasing your product have access to
the Internet and are willing to shop online. Few businesses
realize that over 80% of the world’s Internet access speed is
still dial-up, so loading huge catalogs, Flash files, and large
graphics will deter a prospect from purchasing. Finally, you
need to determine how you can make your business stand out from
all the rest. If you’re selling copier supplies, why is someone
going to come to your site versus the other millions of copier
supply Web sites? Are you going to sell based on price,
location, quantity, quality of service? Are you going to provide
online shipment tracking, account management, wish lists,
real-time credit card authorization and processing, and other
advanced eCommerce applications to make your site more
professional? These are all issues that need to be addressed
before you start designing your first product page. Taking the
next step of selling online is a big decision for your business
and isn’t to be taken lightly. There is significant cost and
risk involved, but there is also significant reward waiting to
be had. Be sure to consult with your Web developer to find out
which options are available to you and do your research ahead of
time. Not every eCommerce site is profitable, but if you
prepare, there’s no reason yours can’t be