Ecommerce NOW, not later!

Many times I’ve come across a potential web site customer who wants to wait because they are not ready for e-commerce. I’m referring to small and medium-sized businesses that may not even have a web site, or if they do they do not have e-commerce set-up (a product catalog, shopping cart, ability to accept payment, etc.) The comment I frequently get is that they have hundreds or thousands of products to put online and they don’t have the time or finances to do this. First of all, the obvious is that any business should be online no matter what. E-commerce or not, you should never miss out on redirecting online traffic to your business via phone or physical visits. You need to provide information, tell your story and build a brand image without having to speak directly to your customer. That saves time and leverages any other marketing and advertising you are already spending money on. All these things are accomplished very well with a web site and should never be postponed because you are not ready to create an e-commerce presence.

What I propose is that the business owner take small steps and be smart about developing their e commerce so they are not wasting time and get the largest return for their efforts. Regardless of how many products you have a few are your best sellers. You should test your online shoppers with the best products or services you have. Test? Yes, I say test because the reality is that a product that does well in your store or via catalog/direct mail, etc. will not perform exactly the same online. Its a different presentation, market and customer that you’re reaching. I always recommend testing the web site with a few of the top sellers and see where that gets you. You want to test placement (does something work better on your home page or on a page where you provide expert information?), test grouping items at a discount, offer free shipping on orders over XX amount, etc. While doing this on a small scale you are certainly not wasting a lot of time uploading and placing your entire product line into the e commerce. The fact is that most of your items will not move so I prefer that you work with the top few items that bring in 80% or more of your sales. Its a much smarter way to run a business. You are going to entice more repeat visits with the best products on showcase rather than filling the site with items that no one has an interest in. I do believe that in the long run you should have everything available in your e-commerce store. It should be built up gradually as time and finances permit. However, you will always have your “best sellers” or “favorites” set up (you can call this section whatever you wish). This section will be great to test and drive traffic, get them into the web site and move about to the rest of your entire catalog if they need more. Bottom line is that no online business should wait to be an e-commerce presence. Its actually smarter and more affordable to start with small steps. Feel free to contact me and I can show you how quick, easy and affordable e-commerce can be! For more information and details about the e-commerce solutions I offer take a look at my Internet Solutions Web Site.

Race ahead of your competition

In the last post I talked about out why every business should be online. Now I want to say a few things about getting there as fast as possible.
Too many businesses hire a developer/web designer or agency that take weeks or months to complete projects. While the site is being worked on you are missing out on site traffic and promoting your business. I strive to get a new site up and “live” in a few hours or maybe a day or two from the time the project starts. Once the site is up we can revise and updated it as much as we want. Also, I use a platform that allows my clients to make edits and add or change anything on the site themselves with help from toll-free customer support, 70+ hours per week. The reality is that a web site is NEVER FINISHED and unlike published print work it can be modified over and over because it is a living, breathing stream of content that you create and offer. I am not talking about sites with hundreds of pages for large corporations or international organizations. I am referring to web sites for the typical small to medium-sized business. There is no reason why a web site with 8-15 pages can’t be designed and uploaded quickly. Even if the site has e-commerce… and e-commerce will be another post for the future.

Too many miss out

Every business should have a web site. It is amazing that in this decade there are still so many small and medium sized businesses that are not on-line. Having a presence on-line is essential for creating credibility as well as exposure. It used to be a standard that any business would have a toll free 800 number. Then fax machines came along and you could not do business without. Then email became a part of daily life at home and in the work place. With a small budget any business can get a basic web site that will be essentially an electronic business card. The more you put into the site the more (ROI) you’ll get back. By the way, do NOT get a free web site by hosting with certain companies or use a dirt cheap web site where you pick templates and fill-in the info. That is the equivalent to using free business cards that are free because the printer has their contact info on the back. It says your cheap and don’t care enough to present yourself with any dignity. Why would a client/customer expect you to treat them well if you don’t treat your business with respect? Would I go to a client meeting wearing jeans? No!

Bottom line is that you need to be part of the online community otherwise you are missing out on clients/customers, providing information without spending a lot of time (leveraging your efforts) and able to either save money or make your advertising so much more effective by having a web site. Talk to a professional who should explain the entire process for you if they really are a pro! At Uson Consulting, llc. we offer a free web site built just for you so we can run through a demo presentation. The presentation is about 35 minutes and you get to see how a web site can increase revenue and cut operating costs.

Hello world!

Welcome to my blog. I look forward to sharing ideas and information… and more! Would love to hear from you, contact me.