How to make the most of e-commerce

Mar 15 2010 by Hina Joshi, The Journal

THE internet continues to play an important role in our everyday lives, with an increasing number of UK consumers going online to purchase goods and services.

As a business owner, it is therefore important to be aware of the opportunities presented by e-commerce and how this might benefit your business.

There are several ways in which e-commerce can be implemented within your company, and Business Link has a useful, step-by-step guide on planning for e-commerce on their website www.businesslink.gov.uk/ northeast which provides details of the opportunities presented by e-commerce and how to exploit them.

A key use of an e-commerce site is the direct selling of goods or services online.

When using e-commerce in this way you will need to rethink your business activities as this sales method will fundamentally change the way in which you interact with your customers. You will need to work out how every aspect of a transaction is handled, including order confirmation, invoicing and payment, and delivery and returns.

As well as considering the impact on how you do business and planning for the changes, it is also vital that careful consideration goes into the design and functionality of your site. The ease with which a customer is able to use an e-commerce website plays an important part in its success and is key to your online brand image.

There are three elements of the shopping process that influence how easy and enjoyable the customer finds it to shop on an e-commerce site – the shop front, shopping cart and payment software and each should be carefully planned with customer needs in mind.

The shop front plays a key role in the success of the site as this is the interface presented to the customer. It is important that customers can easily find the products they are looking for quickly.

Likewise, the shopping cart should be easily signposted and able to process orders quickly, with a summary and the option for a printable receipt. Finally, as most customers will want to pay for their purchases with a credit or debit card, careful consideration should be given to payment software.

The key tool for delivering e-commerce services is the business website, which must be specified, designed, hosted and maintained. The website specification should clearly identify what the site is trying to achieve and how its various components will contribute to this.

An understanding of the intended user audience is required for both technical and marketing purposes. Domain names are also an enormous consideration in the branding of a business. This should be memorable and related to what your business is about to ensure potential customers don't approach your competition instead.

And website hosting is also crucial, requiring fast internet connection, a suitable server and the provision of technical support, whether you host your own site or have an internet service provider.

Finally, it is important to recognise the ongoing commitment associated with an e-commerce project. Consider the time and expertise required to maintain the site on a day-to-day basis, as well as the various marketing and security issues.

For more about Business Link see www.businesslink.gov.uk/northeast  or call 0845 600 9006.

Hina Joshi of Business Link