Planning for e-commerce

There are several different ways you might use e-commerce in your business. Many businesses use e-commerce for the direct selling of goods or services online.

For some businesses such as those selling software or music, the sale and delivery of goods can be made online. For most, the supply of goods will continue to require a physical delivery.

Direct sales

Online direct sales can streamline your operations, allowing customers to purchase products or services directly from your website. This method can greatly increase your reach and accessibility. It serves customers who prefer shopping from their own homes.

If you plan to sell online, you may need to rethink many of your business activities. You will fundamentally change how you interact with customers.

For example, they will place orders online instead of talking to a salesperson. You will also need to work out how every part of a transaction is handled. This includes order confirmation, invoicing, payment, and deliveries and returns. See fulfilling online orders. 

Pre-sales

You can use your website for pre-sales activities and generate sales leads. At its most basic this can mean having an online version of your promotional materials on your site. Other options include email campaigns, search marketing or online advertising to attract visitors to your website. Effective pre-sales strategies can significantly boost your customer base and potential revenue.

Post-sales support

You can also use the internet to automate parts of your customer support. This could help cutting the number of routine service calls. You can do this by using your site to answer common questions or you can put technical info online.

Automated follow-up emails can encourage further sales and enhance customer satisfaction. Efficient post-sales support is crucial for retaining customers and fostering loyalty.

Ensuring success

However you use e-commerce, you should define your goals from the start. What level of sales are you hoping to make? How many sales leads are you looking to generate? What percentage reduction in customer telephone calls are you expecting to achieve?

Put in place targets. They will let you measure the success of your e-commerce activities. See your marketing objectives.