E-commerce has literally exploded into a huge part of the entire retail economy in recent years and as a result, no business can afford to exist solely in the offline world. Online purchases now account for billions of pounds worth of transactions a year and are still growing rapidly; 2010 estimates show online sales growing 12% in the UK and 20% across the EU.
However, as more than one businessman has said before, “it’s called the net, because it’s easy to get tangled up”. Far too many companies see online customer sales support as an afterthought rather than as a necessity. Other businesses get distracted by the lures of a new untapped revenue stream and end up focusing on the customer-facing front-end of the website, before cobbling together the essential ‘process driven’ back office.
This is a fundamental mistake. Always remember that every online transaction should be as straightforward and simple for the customer as possible. Every crease, crack and niggle that exists will lose you customers and money.
With this in mind, consider the following top tips:
1. Give web shop customers the same level of service they would expect in a regular store
Customers expect to find what they are looking for, and to find it quickly. It should be easy to find the answers to all questions. Information about returns and customer support should be highly visible, to help create trust. Provide customers with a personalised customer experience. Finally, ensure all commonly used online payment solutions are accepted; there is no excuse for losing customers at the final hurdle!
2. Avoid the price trap. Make sure you have more than just price to compete with
If price is the only competitive advantage offered, services such as kelkoo.co.uk may quickly tell potential customers that someone else is best within this category. Good selection, good service, and easily accessible, can also be important competitive advantages.
3. Be “search engine friendly” and consider web advertisements
It does not help to have the best products, reasonable prices and a pretty web shop if no one visits. Any online site has to ‘get found’. Web shop must be optimised for search engines such as Google and Kelkoo. Also consider web advertisements and various paid services provided by the search engines. As part of this, it is crucial to keep sites up-to-date. Out-dated products and information will only make customers run to the nearest competitor. Furthermore, regular updates will further enhance internet visibility, as well as increasing customer confidence.
4. Select an integrated e-commerce solution
Due to the commoditised nature of online retail – Internet margins tend to be very thin and customers expect short delivery times. So process efficiency is key, particularly when there is a high volume of low value sales. As a rule websites need to be integrated with accounting, payment, stock control and logistics systems. Manual processes to handle web orders will be too expensive, inefficient and prone to error. In short, Businesses that spend lots of time updating various systems that are not compatible, lose out on sales through having the wrong choice of e-commerce solution.
Obviously, this is far from an exhaustive list; but it does provide a solid framework for you decision making. A successful foray into the online world can be a huge boost to a small business; make sure that is the story you get to tell, rather than being left with an IT nightmare.
For additional advice on e-commerce and IT check out: http://www.mamut.com/uk/
