Starting an eCommerce Website - Merchant Services

Posted by Daniel Brain on November 30th, 2017

With new eCommerce (eCommerce Gateway) sites popping up every day, online shopping is becoming the easiest and most convenient way to purchase products and services. But, not all entrepreneurial ventures into the online market have been successful. The biggest contributor to eCommerce failure is lack of knowledge.

Simple User-Interface (Website) Design: A website’s look and feel is the first impression a customer gets of an online business. Neon signs in the window of a brick-and-mortar store might attract customers, but a flashy website design with all the latest bells and whistles meant to impress visitors may not. The more complicated a website the more difficult it is for a customer to find a product.

Market Research and Target Audience: Before launching an eCommerce website, get to know your competition and target audience. Competition for a local business may be limited to other stores in the same neighborhood, while competition for an online store can be worldwide. Make sure there is a market for the products or services.

Business Model: B2B and Retail: Business-to-business (B2B) is the sale of goods, services or information to businesses instead of consumers. It is predicted that B2B sales will soon exceed sales to consumers. Of course, online sales to individual consumers, called e-tailing, will continue to be a popular choice.

Website Marketing: It’s surprising that some people still believe the myth that, “if they create a website, people will automatically find it.” This worked in the 1989 fantasy sports movie “Field of Dreams” when a farmer heard the words, “If you build it, he will come.” And, it works to some extent for brick-and-mortar stores in attracting the attention of passersby on their way to somewhere else.

Online Inventory Management: Just like traditional businesses, eCommerce businesses need to keep track of inventory for the products displayed for sale on a website.

Customer Service: It’s nearly impossible to ignore a customer when face-to-face in a brick-and-mortar store, but easier when the only contact is via phone or email. Plus, communicating over the phone and through email can feel more impersonal. Home Page of Merchant Stronghold