Selecting An Ecommerce Solution? Buyer Beware!

When selecting an ecommerce solution you must assess on the same criteria that your customers do when looking to buy from you online.

There are a lot of products out there. And there is a huge range of choices in functionality, security and price. Your main two options are to buy an off the shelf product or to have your web developer add ecommerce functionality to a custom made site. Consider the following essentials when selecting an ecommerce solution.

Ecommerce means complete sales functionality - end to end

It may sound simple but you need to be very thorough when planning your ecommerce strategy and selecting an ecommerce solution. You customer has to be able to complete the entire process, all in one sitting, as quickly as possible, without any glitches and with as few questions as possible.

Your ecommerce sales chain should be seamless. Imagine what a customer will need at every stage and provide it for them.

You might like to consider:

1. Numbered stages (so customers know where they are in the process)
2. Video or audio to talk them through and connect them to a human
3. Easy to access FAQs on every page
4. The safety net of a telephone, email or live chat enquiry system with accurate and guaranteed response time

Your ecommerce may expose you to a new market

Making sales via your web site can be a river of gold for your business. You may find that you access new customers in locations you might previously not have been able to. You may discover niche markets for additional products, not viable just selling in your local market.

This is why selecting an ecommerce solution requires careful planning. You will have to think outside the usual square of both your offline business and your usual online marketing and communication strategies.

You will need the three foundation ecommerce features

In terms of ecommerce nuts and bolts, your ecommerce system will require:

1. Product database or catalogue
2. Shopping Cart
3. Payment system

When selecting an ecommerce solution make sure you are shown exactly how each feature works, and ensure functionality that matches your level of knowledge and ability (if you don't have in house IT support).

There is NOTHING more important than security online

Fear of personal information being abused is the number one fear of all web users. Your ecommerce must include a secure payment gateway or no-one will buy from your site.

The standard security protocols used to be commonly known as SSL (secure sockets layer). They are now often referred to as TLS (transport layer security). This should be one of the first questions you ask of a salesperson or developer when selecting an ecommerce solution.

The standard for secure payment gateways is for a small padlock to show on the URL of the page, as well as signage from a reputable brand on your site (such as Verisign).