Ecommerce Solution - Software & Articles

According to a previously written blog (Communicating with Customers is a Must for E-commerce Sites, January 2007) I cited a few statistics about the state of American e-commerce, including its amazing 25.2 percent growth but only making 2 percent of total GDP.  I expect e-commerce to grow as potential buyers get used to conducting business transactions online.  The gist of that article was that we—retailers and customers—have a responsibility to ourselves and our customers (current and potential) to take the necessary security measures to ensure that people’s privacy is protected. However, the aim of this particular piece is to expand on the idea of attracting potential customers to your web site and enticing them to buy from you.  Assuming that you have taken all necessary security measures and have disclosed policies and other relevant information, what then?

Beyond security is to look at the products or services that you offer.  Do you have competitors?  If you do, how many are there online?  Have you taken the time to visit those web sites to see what they offer?  An effective way to assess the quality of your products and/or services is to do a “best practices” assessment of your competitors and unrelated companies.  Best practices assessments are not complicated and can be done with very little money but it does require that you invest some quality time to visit web sites.  Compare your prices with those of your competitors: are they underselling you or are you competitively priced?  Read their return policies, privacy notices, sales, specials, and promotions and compare them with yours; are there areas where you can improve?  Visit unrelated web sites for “best practices” that you might be able to adapt for your own web site without infringing on copyrights, or “borrowing” images or text.  Rather you can look for models that might inspire you to create or adjust your current or unwritten policies to develop original work and thus making them your own.

Conduct a “best look” assessment of your web site comparing it with your competitors and non-competitors.  Does your web site look sophomoric, cartoonish, and unappealing?  Do you have pop-ups, flashy banners, and/or animated cartoons dancing across your front page?  Ask yourself if you want to portray the serious side of your business or the silly side.  If you choose the serious side then you are on the right track to attract visitors.  If you chose the silly side, then expect a lonely online existence.  I may be wrong but the biggest turn-off for me is to visit web sites that are so visually busy with flashing banners, Google AdSence banners, and other annoyances, that the last thing I want is to spend longer than a second at that site.  Again, look for models that you or your webmaster might use as guideposts for creating original content and consider cleaning up your web site from clutter and make it appealing.

The final issue is to develop an action plan.  Lofty goals are usually unrealistic.  For example, a lofty goal such as “I want to lose weight” is likely not to be realized.  However, if you develop goals that are short-term, realistic, and achievable, then success will follow.  Thus, if you propose to lose weight and develop a daily, weekly, and quarterly exercise and nutrition plan then you are likely to lose weight.  The same applies for developing business goals: make short term goals that are realistic and achievable and only then can you develop a “lofty, but achievable” goal.  For additional details about appealing to potential customers read my first article (To Template or Not to Template: It’s a Matter of Survival, October 2006).

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According to a 2004 U.S. Census report about the state of e-commerce in America, retailer’s commercial activities grew by an amazing 25.2 percent, faster than any other economic sector and crushing even the most optimistic figures of economic growth when GDP peaked at 7.2 percent in October 2003 (CNN, 2003).  However, a more sobering finding is that despite its 25.2 percent growth, the share of total retail sales via e-commerce grew at a modest 2 percent ($71 billion), up from 1.7 percent ($53 billion) in 2003.  Notwithstanding these findings, there is money to be made in e-commerce (who wouldn’t want a piece of the $71 billion?) and no doubt that technological advances, internet connectivity, and increased comfort to buy online by consumers will contribute to the growth of e-commerce.  One way of contributing to the comfort level for consumers to purchase online is to ensure that your customers and potential customers feel reasonably safe to navigate, register, and use their credit cards to make purchases.  As a conscientious and lawful e-commerce merchant you have a responsibility to ensure that your customers’ privacy is protected.

Most e-commerce retailers have stepped up to combat online fraud.  According to an article by Merchant Fraud Squad in About.com (2002) 72 percent of polled merchants reported fraud rates of less than .5 percent of annual revenues, while less than 20 percent reported fraud rates higher than 1 percent.  These numbers are amazingly low despite the increased sophistication and aggressiveness of criminal elements that engage in spamming, phishing, and fraudulent credit card transactions.

If you are considering e-commerce or are in e-commerce, you might consider the following tips to help fight fraud and protect consumers:

1. Be clear about your privacy policy.

Review your privacy policy and if you don’t have one, write one!  Ask yourself the following questions: is my privacy policy as thorough and clear as possible?  Am I committing myself to protecting customer’s information against fraud, unsolicited emails, or the transfer or selling off of customers’ information to third parties?  Have I clearly stated how I will use customers’ information once I have it?

1. Don’t get annoying

Do you want to keep customers and attract new ones?  If you do, consider cleaning up your website by removing annoying pop-up windows, flashy ad banners, and visually painful cartoonish and sophomoric looking animations that make your website look less like legitimate e-commerce sites and more like a bad version of Cartoon Network.

1. Publish an “About Us” page.

Write a short bio about your company, how it got started, and what it stands for.  Write a mission statement which includes your business ethics (which can be tied to your privacy statement).  Include, for example, a subheading such as “Why buy from us” and give persuasive reasons why potential customers should buy from you.  You could include a short summary of warranty and return policy benefits, generous discount offers, security measures you have taken to protect customer’s privacy, and even naming the reputable companies you might be in business with to make your e-commerce possible.  Here’s an example:

Secure Transaction:
We utilize Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) encryption protocol. SSL protects customer information such as credit card numbers, names, and addresses during the exchange between your computer and our server…

Our secure payments are backed by:

·         PayQuake (FDIC insured), one of the premier online Merchant Account providers.

·         Authorize.Net, the leading secure payment management company.

·         Ipowerweb.com, one of the highest rated Internet Service Providers

·         Equifax Secure Inc. (a subsidiary of GeoTrust, Inc., a leader in trust solutions for the Internet security infrastructure).  Simply click on the lock symbol on your browser to view the certificate.

(Source: www.oceanusgifts.com/about.php)

1. Clearly publish your warranty and return policies

Ethical and honest e-commerce sites will clearly publish reasonable return and warranty policies.  Don’t be so restrictive that it becomes a disincentive for potential customers to buy products or services.  Be thorough and direct but not so wordy that people won’t read your policies.  Be mindful of the tone and language that you use to write your guidelines by not coming off as preachy, condescending, or patronizing.  Avoid CAPPING words (rubs off the wrong way and it usually gets interpreted as yelling).  Do not overuse exclamation marks (!) (in fact avoid exclamation marks altogether).

1. Invest in SSL certificates

Take reasonable steps to secure your site with SSL certificates.  There are reasonably priced certificates out there that will not break the bank.  Make sure that SSL certificates are up-to-date.

While these tips might not be all-inclusive, they provide starting points for developing policies and standards that clearly portray your intentions as a retailer.  Your potential for economic success will be improved with these tips because they will help to create a safe and pleasant online environment for your visitors.

References

About.com (2002).  E-merchants are successfully fighting fraud despite rising sophistication of fraudsters.  Retrieved on January 11, 2007 from: http://retailindustry.about.com/library/bl/02q2/bl_mfs061702.htm

CNN. (2003, October 30).  U.S. economic growth sizzles:  Third-quarter growth of 7.2 percent is strongest in nearly two decades; will job growth follow?  Retrieved on January 11, 2006 from:

http://money.cnn.com/2003/10/30/news/economy/gdp/index.htm

U.S. Census.  (2004).  E-Stats.  Retrieved on January 11, 2007 from:  http://www.census.gov/eos/www/papers/help 2004/2004reportfinal.pdf

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As per spokesmen James Griffith, in July of 1997 eBay had 6,500 officially registered users, shown on the site alphabetically by his or her email addresses. Nowadays, email addresses are no longer user ID’s, and listing all eBay users would be hard work— being as how eBay has grown to over 153 million officially registered users world wide, making it maybe the seventh or eighth largest ‘nation’ on the planet. Basically, according to A.C. Neilson analysis, there are almost 750,000 USA traders who intend to start a part-time or permanent working on eBay. Is it possible to increase on this tremendous growth?
eBay believes so. To grow its traders and expand trade and income, eBay started the latest version of its traveling road show known as eBay University in July 2005, teaching three courses on how to notably trade on the site. Since after that and through the rest of 2005, eBay University will have visited 43 cities, and is going to continue the program in 2006.
eBay University is promoted to registered eBay users through emails and a link on the eBay site. The three, day-long courses are “eBay Basics,” “Beyond The Basics” and “eBay For Business,” all taught by a group of eBay and common business experts, many of whom have written how-to guidance on notably trading strategies for the site or their areas of expertise. The payments are moderate —59,9 USD for each course, with a ‘package’ payment of 89,9 USD for the ‘Basics’ and “Beyond the Basics’ classes.

The moderate prices can’t start to cover eBay’s costs for running a program such as this, but after that eBay’s agenda here is to promote the site, and the eBay University program does merely that. In addition to the “eBay Basics” course — which is aimed to segue eBay purchasers and non-users into the trader mode — the two advanced courses strongly promote PayPal, selective features, egg on International trading, and propose strategies designed to propel puny volume and occasional eBay traders into Power Trader status.
This reporter caught up with eBay University at the Jacob Javit’s Convention Center in New York City in late October and sat in on the “eBay For Business” and “Beyond The Basics” courses. Though trading on the site starting from 1998, I expected to find cues and tips that were effective in future trading. These I found, along with much basic business and mail order data and insights that would be helpful for anyone trading online.
Each course is accompanied by a 100-plus page guidance covering in detail what the presenters discuss. Some course experts can be exuberant, by using demonstrations sprinkled with such adjectives as “awesome” and “very awesome” (whatever that might be), but they are all skilled speakers, and the offer problems are demonstrated by a 20 foot projection screen, emphasizing and summarizing each point.

eBay for Business
In comparison with the other two courses, eBay for Business is presented once rather than twice over the three-day program, possibly because of the schedule of its tax/legal issue expert, attorney Cliff Ennico, a nationally syndicated columnist and author on the subject. Issues include selecting from the different types of business entities, that which suit’s the individual situation — such as sole proprietorship, partnerships, “C” and “S” corporations, and limited liability companies — each presented by using the pros and cons in a clear, concise manner.
The demonstration moves on to legal liabilities for trading on eBay — warranties, express and implied, legal disclaimers, refund and return policies, etc. Under dealing with deadbeat bidders, you can call and threaten to sue, but it’s advised that you can’t imply that the debtor has committed a crime, call in the midnight, or threaten to attach a debtor’s wages or property — unless you really intend to do it!
The final suggestion is to consult an attorney before calling a deadbeat bidder.

Tax difficulties are complex and covered in detail, starting by using the basics of tax compliance such as Federal and local tax ID’s, filing on time, tax payment schedules, requirements for trade tax collection, and the same. Deducting home office space used to automatically trigger an audit, but this is no longer the case, though home office space must be precisely measured, and a baby’s stroller or any other non-business item in the space kills the deduction.
Accounting and bookkeeping difficulties are also covered at length, including what to look for in an accountant or bookkeeper. Also covered are the legal aspects and responsibilities of hiring and firing employees. Under the delicate topic of firing a worker, it is advised to lock he or her out of the computer before the meeting, fire on a Monday, instead a Friday, have a viewer present, keep emotions out of it, and, strongly emphasized — the less said, the better.
In all, Ennico’s demonstration should provide highly useful data to all but the most experienced and savvy entrepreneurs.
The Business course after that transits into operating an eBay business, beginning with creating objectives, and the first of several pitches touting Power Trader status and why and how to accomplish it. (Power Trader status starts at ‘Bronze’ with trade of at least 1,500 USD a month, and extends into the stratosphere to ‘Titanium,’ at 200,000 USD a month.)
There are common sense suggestions, like avoiding the use of music in listings and keeping image sizes reasonable (since 50% of the U.S.A. still uses low-speed dial-up connections,) taking in account your competition, avoiding spelling errors and combative trader terms, and, in general, doing an attractive demonstration in your trade.
The section on Analysis Tools should be useful to many eBay traders. Trading something without making analysis the past performance of item is a way for wasting time and, often, losing or leaving money on the table. eBay presents several services that provide insight into what moves on the place by using a link in it’s Marketplace Research page, accessed via web browser at http://solutions.ebay.com
The first of these is the “What’s Hot” page linked through Trader Central. By clicking on “Trade By Category,” then “In Demand,” a trader can resolve prevailingly popular items in most categories.
Relatively new to the area is the “Want It Now” page linked through the eBay home page. There, purchasers post items they would like but can’t find on the site.

For those who wish to tie his or her trade to eBay’s promotions, there is the “Merchandising Calendar” linked through Trader Central that gives advance notice of offers — one tool particularly effective to Store traders.
The course segues into common sense solutions for finding merchandise to trade on eBay, suggesting the usual suspects — garage and estate trade, flea marketplaces, thrift shops, auctions and the like, as well as cueing traders into the “Whole Sale Lots” category on the site, then using search words such as ‘bulk,’ ‘pallet,’ ‘case,’ ‘lot.’ The problem with this strategy is that many traders are wholesaling goods for some reason and it is basically because the item can’t be sold individually on the site. In the “Beyond The Basics” course, finding independent eBay certified wholesalers is dealt by using in detail.
The afternoon sessions offers micro detail cues on how to begin, create and expand an eBay business in the auction and Stores formats — from pricing, listing, keyword strategies to shipping advice and virtually every issue in within. Interspersed throughout are touts for eBay product or services such as PayPal, payments that are offered by a huge majority of eBay traders. eBay claims that traders who demonstrate PayPal average 5-6% higher trade-through costs than those who don’t.

eBay — Beyond the Basics
There’s a particular amount of redundancy between the ‘Business’ and ‘Beyond the Basics’ courses, but deeper detail and additional demonstrations, such as International Trading, add to the worth of this course.
International Trading covers an untapped source of income for many eBay traders. The truth is, eBay claims that 48% of his or her trade are now international, and that cross-border trade average 6.5 % higher than domestic trade-through payments. The demonstration whets the appetite of the audience by using the fact that someone in Germany was willing to pay 79 USD for a 3.99 USD five-pack of Oreo cookies. Whether anyone else will ever again pay 79 USD for the same cookies on eBay is another matter, but the point that many products in USA can do well overseas, is reality.
The demonstration covers the basics of how to fill out a customs form, legal issues including accurate and honest declarations, the most price efficient shipping (ordinarily USPS), language and money conversions, and foreign purchaser- friendly ways to list. And, again, pushing traders to use PayPal. eBay claims that foreign traders who use PayPal payments average 16.5% higher trade-through prices. This makes sense because transferring funds from overseas can be costly and troublesome for international purchasers who don’t have an expedient such as PayPal, Bidpay or Western Union checks payable on banks of U.S.A. For anyone who trades principally or exclusively to overseas purchasers, PayPal is a necessity.
In the “Beyond the Basics” course, eBay screams the following: Grant the purchasers what they expect to have! To this effect, huge number complicated search and marketing report tools that help in nailing down what is hot and when, are covered. One such pay-for, eBay certified site is Terapeak, which demonstrates sophisticated data on category results, key ratios, listing features and successful duration times, among other features. Free and choicely eBay features like “Trade Report Plus,” are also covered in considerable detail.

Under the topic of search engine marketing, there’s also an interesting demonstration on the necessity of having a ‘top-30′ search result placing on Google and Yahoo!, as well as ways of achieving the top five results, or “before the fold,” which yields the greatest results in search engine queries. This is achieved by bidding on a pay per click (PPC) basis for top placement on the search engines. Bids or costs paid per click-through range from a few pennies to 100 USD. Also covered in detail are important keyword cues for linking with purchasers and many other aspects of search engine marketing. This should be a fascinating demonstration for all those, who like myself, are semi- to totally clueless on the process and its worth.
While many aspects of the “Beyond The Basics” course are covered elsewhere, here they’re covered in marvelous detail. Under finding merchandise to trade, for example, eBay certified but independent wholesalers who don’t trade on the site (and thus don’t, theoretically, compete against you) are offered, as are others. (The rub here’s that basically you have to buy BIG: one speaker contacted wholesaler on the minimum order for an item and was told it was five shipping containers — for 150,000 USD.)
eBay claims that it takes 20 minutes to manually list a trade, and if you list one-of-a-kind-items as I do, this can precisely be the case. eBay demonstrates a variety of absolutely free and selective charge automation tools like Turbo Lister, which can be useful for any trader who deals in bulk listings. File Exchange, a new eBay tool that’s platform independent, allows medium to high volume traders to record o eBay auctions, fixed-price or Stores by using a single application from an MS Excel spreadsheet, MS Access or other software.
Cross-merchandising and offers are covered, as well as linking to stores and external web pages by using free and selective eBay tools.
The rest of the course demonstrations advanced suggestions and solutions for virtually every other aspect of eBay trading — from photography, headers and descriptions through packing and shipping to feedbacks and trade and inventory management. It is mentioned that the dreaded task of packaging isn’t thankless: well-packed goods give a sense of professionalism, and do lead to more positive feedback — not to mention that the item doesn’t spin back because it broke in transit.

The demonstrations are lively and upbeat, interspersed by using anecdotes and eBay success stories by using examples that would incite greed in a hermit, like the absolutely free box at a garage trade which contained a fish lure that sold for 33,000 USD. (On the screen we see a rather silly looking lure, in our hearts we feel money passion.)
eBay University is also offered online, but the live demonstrations are recommended. For most people, the impact of the live demonstrations accompanied by a 20-foot square projection screen and frequent question and answer periods should enhance and ease the teach yourself experience over just reading a downloaded guidance or PC screen.
Overall, eBay University by using its moderate prices constitutes a bargain in today’s ecommerce solutions marketplace, and should prove itself valuable for many, if not most, eBay traders.

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Virtually, we count everyday activity as part of shopping context. Put variously, ecommerce now becomes an integral part of our daily deal, rather than a distinctive activity. There is no more need to accumulate or remember a long list of things to buy, nor make separate trips to the mall or Web sites.

Consumers became more demanding; they also become the agents or personalized expert for the products they use. Our family and friends influence on us than those terms of what to buy. This has some interesting business implications. For example, if you buy a shirt because you like it when you see your pal Edward wearing it, Edward might get a commission. To retailers, their ecurrent product owners now become chain for marketing and sales. And those owners are caused to wear or use the merchandise so as to increase their commissions.

For most homeowners, home is probably the one most important physical asset and the biggest investment in their life. It is also the place where they spend many of their hours spending in a broad range of activities. Thus, it comes as no surprise that the home is a big market for technology products and services, including phones, TV, fax machines DVD players, game consoles, PC, cameras, cable modems, and so on. Despite of the high perviousness of such technologies and the growing availability of wireless home networks and broadband Internet access, direct online services to consumer homes still bdirectly exist.

Imagine a landlord trying to install a lighting fixture. It doesn’t work normally, and he needs get an expert assistance. What should he does? First, he would seek for help, probably in phone book or possibly through a keyword search on the Google, or ask a his friend. He would assess the possibilities (an example - home improvement and hardware stores, private contractors) and make a selection. Then he would make a call, try to describe the problem, and decide what to do. Perhaps he would take notes and go return the ladder to give it another attempt.

The above circumstances shows a common call for micro service –customer services that come at a highly granular level.

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