Kurt Wilson – Managing Director, Advansys Limited

Choosing the right eCommerce solution for your business can be a daunting task. If you are thinking of setting up an eCommerce business you must thoroughly investigate any potential eCommerce partner; there are lots of average companies out there. I say partner because that’s exactly the relationship you should be looking to adopt. Be sure to look at their track record, speak to their existing clients and above all ask yourself the following questions:

• Do they understand our business and what we’re trying to achieve?
• Can I work with these people on an ongoing basis?
• Do they have a wide range knowledge in-house that we can draw upon?
• Are they able to adapt as our business grows and our processes change?

There are various types of solutions available on the market each designed for a given budget. Static “off-the shelf” solutions suit smaller budgets but are limited in terms of their ability to be customised and tend to be involve more work to keep updated. Ideally you should look to implement a dynamic database driven solution with a content management system at the back-end. Database driven solutions enable you to keep the content fresh with little fuss via the convenience of a browser-based interface. Not only does this provide easier access but also provides zero roll-out cost; if changes are made to the ecommerce solution housed on the server those benefits are instantly available to all users via their browsers thereby removing the need to update software that may traditionally have been installed locally on their machines.

Extensibility is key too. Not only should your provider be able to offer a scalable solution but also one that is flexible and can adapt to the changing needs of the business. Modular eCommerce systems allow you to plug in additional functionality with the minimum of effort, for example integrated e-marketing, SMS capabilities and customer loyalty schemes. Taking matters further you should consider how your supplier deals with bespoke customisations of their solution and investigate the associated costs should you need to add any specific functionality which is unique to you and your ways of working.

Taking payments online is often misunderstood. There are several approaches that can be taken depending upon the situation. By far the best way to process payments is via a payment gateway in conjunction with an existing merchant account from a UK acquiring bank. This allows you to adopt an “inline” payment model where the user enters their card details via a secure page on your website. Not only does this look more professional but it also provides for a slicker user experience. The alternative to this is to use a “hosted” payment page where the user is re-directed away from your site for the payment to occur and then directed back to the website afterwards. Hosted payment pages serve a purpose for new businesses where it can sometimes prove difficult to obtain a merchant account due to a lack of trading history.

It goes without saying that marketing your eCommerce site is vital for its success. You should ensure that any solution you consider allows for website analytics of some kind. If you are looking to run a Pay-Per-Click (PPC) campaign you should make sure each product can have it’s own identifiable landing page to achieve the best possible conversion rates and therefore generate maximum ROI. Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) is also vital as a long-term strategy. It’s advisable to choose an eCommerce solution that is W3C complaint, accessible to WAI Priority 1 (Level A) guidelines and allows for page specific titles, keywords and meta data.

Pricing models between eCommerce suppliers vary immensely. At the lower end of the scale you may simply need to pay a low one-off fee which may exclude hosting, and at the other extreme, you may be asked to pay a significant fixed monthly fee for a fully managed service. Be sure to find the right balance based on your budget but above all weigh up which supplier offers the best value for money. Invariably cheaper solutions are just that; cheap. Minimise your risk by negotiating a fixed price with the supplier and be clear on the functionality being delivered for the agreed price. Be sure to look at previous works and get references before committing.

Above all remember that the web is a faceless environment and successful eCommerce tends to favour quality websites that instil confidence, turning browsers into buyers… Happy shopping!

1)       Choose a database driven eCommerce solution
There are many “cheap” ecommerce store building packages available off the shelf. These require you to install software on your PC and upload data each time you want to make a change to your site. Database driven solutions allow you to update your store in real-time wherever you are in the world via the convenience of a web browser.

2)       Adopt the KISS approach (Keep It Simple Stupid)
Keep your eCommerce project simple to start with and adopt a phased approach. You should concentrate on incorporating the core website functionality first so you can take orders from day one. Other features can then be added later on.

3)     Know your products and your market
Similar principles apply to setting up an online business as those relevant for an off-line business. Know your potential marketplace and identify your customers. Do your research carefully and ask yourself the question why would someone want to buy this product from my site?

4)     Be different
Selling online typically involves adopting a lower pricing strategy but be aware there will always be someone willing to undercut you – what other differentiators can you offer to gain customer loyalty and new business?

5)       Attract visitors and orders from day one by using PPC
If it’s a new business consider a sponsored advertising campaign (pay-per-click) to drive buying traffic to your site from day one.   Remember to allocate a realistic budget to cover this. 

6)       Outsource your Pay-Per-Click advertising
Anyone can run their own AdWords campaign but knowing the tricks of the trade will save your advertising budget and give you “more bang for your buck”. A managed campaign will save you more than the monthly management fees and prevent needless wastage of your advertising budget. You should also implement conversion tracking on your order completion page to give you an indication of ROI (Return On Investment)

7)       Get your site optimised for the major search engines
With a view to the long term a search engine optimisation (SEO) project should be undertaken to increase your exposure in the natural (free) search listings and drive traffic to your site. Be realistic about what can be achieved and what phrases are relevant to your site. SEO results cannot be guaranteed by anyone. Avoid any company or individual making these types of claims.

8)       Choose a partner not a just web design company
An eCommerce solution needs to change with the times and adapt to your business as it grows. Choose a company with a view to building a long term relationship with rather than simply viewing it as a one-off project

9)       Listen to the professional advice being offered during the project
Remember the purpose of the site is to generate orders so don’t get too emotionally attached to non-value adding details which may actually detract users from buying from the site.

10)   Update your site regularly
Changing content not only attracts your customers back but also search engine spiders and bots.   This can include maintaining the textual content of your site, adding articles of related interest as well as new products and services on offer.