Setting up shop online: four things to do before you start
Tuesday, 11 October 2011 00:00
Selling online has been the fastest growing sales channel for many businesses in recent years, but what’s the best way to get up and running? And how do you maximise your online sales? In the first of a series of posts, Nick Kington, MD of ecommerce specialist, Actinic, offers his thoughts on getting started with ecommerce.
1. Get informed. The more you know, the better the decisions you will make. So look out for ecommerce articles in the press or on the internet, attend a trade show or two, and talk to people who are selling online already. Shop online whenever you can. Search on Google for related themes such as ‘ecommerce’ and ‘shopping carts’.
2. Make sure ecommerce is right for you. If you are selling goods that customers do not need to touch, taste or smell before buying, at a fixed price, then the web is the place to be – especially if your products are hard for customers to find. The web can offer your customers the convenience of being able to shop when it suits them, without having to travel or queue. You may want to check out the competition by looking on Google for similar products.
3. Budget for sales and marketing. It’s all very well opening your shop on the internet, but you need to think about how customers are going to find you and how you will persuade them to buy. The less you spend on getting your site up and running, the more you can afford to spend on promoting your site and bringing in customers.
4. Plan your business operations. You will need to plan in advance how every aspect of a transaction is handled, including payment and delivery. Processing payments is obviously a critical part of the process and there are several alternatives available for both start-up and established businesses (this will be covered in more detail in a future article).
A sale is also not complete until your customer receives the goods, so you will need to research delivery services to get them from the warehouse to the customer’s front door. Royal Mail offers a range of small package delivery services, while http://www.parcel2go.com/ enable you to compare courier services.
And finally, for more general ecommerce advice, or to ask specific questions, take a look at www.ukbusinessforums.co.uk/forums/ (or you can chat to other members of Enterprise Nation’s own community when it’s up and running shortly – ed)
Nick will be covering the full range of ecommerce topics in coming weeks, including choosing the right ecommerce platform, presenting products and making the sale. Actinic have also produced a free ebook with tips for selling successfully online.
Written by Nick Kington, Managing Director of ecommerce supplier, Actinic. Originally published on Enterprise Nation.