Expending your business through electronic commerce

• Getting and staying on the WEB normally takes more time and energy than small businesses expect…that is why three out of four small businesses do not operate web sites.. Myths of E-C

Expanding Your Business

through electronic commerce

Benefits of “being connected” and

E-Commerce

 Opportunity for increased revenue

 “ 24/7” = Convenience

to clients

 Enhanced Customer Service

 Potentially lowering overhead

More WWW Benefits for Small

Businesses

 The Power to Educate!

 Expanding into new

territories…including the

“global market”

 The ability to know your

industry and find new

opportunities

 The power to track sales

 The opportunity to compete

with “the big guys”

Factors to Consider Before

Exactly HOW will your

company utilize the web

to enhance services?

HOW will you

integrate technology

into your marketing

strategy?

How will you continue to develop great

customer service?

HOW will you create a meaningful presence?

How will you measure success?

Key Issues to consider before you

launch a web presence?

• Getting and staying on the WEB

normally takes more time and energy than small businesses expect…that is why three out of four small businesses

do not operate web sites.

• Consider the costs for “launching”

and maintaining.

• Do you have the resources?

- HR

- Money

- Time

Technology - Integration Business

Develop a plan that addresses the

following:

 Site Design & Maintenance

 Creating & Managing A Brand

Name

 Marketing & Promotional

Strategies

 Sales

 Customer Service

 Costs: Start-up and On-going

operational costs

Check out new rules for writing an E-Plan

www ecommercetimes.com

Myths of E-Commerce :

Easy Money!

• Setting up a web presence is

“easy” and “cheap”, with ample rewards!

• Yes, you can set-up an

“electronic flyer” for presence, but a true website will/could cost $10,000 to

$100,000 and take several months of planning, HR time and on-going maintenance.

More E-Myths

• Making Money on the

Web is Easy!

(less than 50% of commercial

websites are profitable)

• The Most Important

part of Website

development is

Technology (industry

knowledge rather than

technology is key!)

• You don’t need a Strategy to sell on the WEB! (go back to target marketing 101)

• Privacy and Security are no longer web issues! (there are still major

challenges to gain e-marketing consumer trust)

Myths of E-Commerce: “If you

build it, they will come.”

• Web sites need “Promotional

Support”

• Launching a web-site without

promoting or telling your clients

how to access it is like selling hot

coffee without the cup

• Keys to promoting the URL

include: linkage, promotional

material with the URL site, building

web-relations, utilizing banners, hosting

a chat room, writing articles on other

sites that link to yours…

E-Marketing Myths continue

• Customer Service is Not

as Important as in Retail Sales! ( do not overlook the follow-up or 3 rd “R” of

marketing,retention and answer those e-mails!)



Always makes the website better

(“more is not always

better…know your t-market”)

Follow-up on E-Myths

• CLICKS will cause

all Bricks to come

tumbling down (

web-base shopping will never

fully replace the need for

“real shopping.”)

• It’s too Late! (Don’t

worry, e-commerce is still

in it’s infancy There is

time!)

Strategies for E-Success

1 The basic success

strategies for starting an

E-Business are similar to

that of developing a

business- #1) PLAN.

2 Do your research and

analyze your

competition

Strategy into your overall

business strategy!

4 Consider focusing on a niche or a smaller pool of your target market

5 Develop a “customer community” one with similar interests

6 Make creative use of E-Mail, but don’t avoid it or spam your customers!

Most Excellent Strategies for

E-Commerce

• Develop and Maintain a website with

credibility, truth and timeliness (check

out TRUSTe)

• Form strategic alliances (on & off the web)

to develop web referrals

• Make the most of global reach (many e-customers are outside the USA)

• Promote your web site on and off-line

Killer Web-site Strategies

• Select the RIGHT Domain Name

(netnames.com)

- Short

- Memorable

- Close to your business name

- Easy to spell

• Make it Easy to Find!

• Establish Hyperlinks with other

businesses

• Give the customer what they want

Successful Website…

 Include e-mail, contact names and

numbers (toll free if possible)

 Have the service of tracking orders

online

 Follow a simple design that is easy

for the e-customer

 Assure customers that the

transactions are secure (verisign)

 Are frequently changed and updated

 Are professional in look and in

follow-up service

E-Commerce for Small Business Resources

• ecommercetimes.com

• www.paloalto.com (web

planning software and

information)

• bbbonline.org (better

business bureau)

code of on-line

business practices

• ftc.gov (look into rules & regs for online selling)

• sba.gov/managing

technology topics

• sbdcnet.utsa.edu

(Getting Started in E-Commerce Guide)

• Verisign.com