Our Services and Solutions

eCommerce/Online Store

What is eCommerce or an online store?

An online store allows you to sell your products directly from your website and handle online payment processing for these orders. Good online store systems will allow you track transactions, provide shipping options, and develop reports for accounting and inventory purposes.

Can’t I just sell my stuff on Amazon or other third-party websites?

Yes, you can. However, if you invest in a custom-programmed online store, you will have more control over all the details such as how products are displayed, how products are priced, which products are featured, which shipping methods are provided, and the discounts for multiple purchases. You determine the experience, instead of somebody else, without losing a percentage of your sales to an outside vendor managing your products.

How does eCommerce drive results?

A custom eCommerce solution puts you in control and can increase sales. You are able to present exactly the products you want, in exactly the way you want. If you know that most people are looking for a certain book, you can feature it on the front page. If everyone searches for items by the broadcast date, you can make that a searchable field. A store that fits the way your customers shop will drive results!

More Resources

Keys to Collaboration

  • Know your customer.

    A online store perfectly laid out for your customer will see huge results. However, you cannot design a store or offer products for someone you do not know.

    Know your order processing/shipping internal processes.

    You want the orders generated by the website to be fulfilled by your warehouse or product management team. Make sure you know what sort of processes they use so the transition is as smooth as possible.

    Look at other online stores.

    Look around. See what works. What annoys you when shopping online? What do the big online stores do that work? Take notes and see if these same features will work for your organization.

Books We Like

  • eCommerce Best Practices cover
    eCommerce Best Practices
    By:
    Thomas M McFadyen and McFadyen Solutions
  • E-Commerce Logistics & Fulfillment: Delivering the Goods cover
    E-Commerce Logistics & Fulfillment: Delivering the Goods
    By:
    Deborah L. Bayles

Recommended Websites

  • Amazon.com

    Amazon is the big player in the online store world. You can learn a lot by observing how their website works.

  • Smashing Magazine

    Search for "eCommerce" on Smashing Magazine to get a design-oriented approach.

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