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The Facts of Going Online
Every businessperson knows someone who claims to have made a fortune by
‘going online’ with their business. Many organizations have successfully
transitioned to trading on the Internet, but an equal or perhaps greater
number have tried and failed.
It’s important to know what’s factual and what isn’t when evaluating
your online opportunities, and the first thing to know is that setting
up an eBusiness is not an easy thing to do. eBusinesses require
extraordinary amounts of time and money to come into being, and even the
biggest budget is no guarantee of success.
The most important considerations for a successful eBusiness relate to
the kind of business you have now. Some types of organizations are much
better than others to take online, especially as an adjunct to an
existing enterprise. Experience over the past ten years has given us a
wealth of knowledge in this area.
How’s Your Brand?
If you’re already well-known and established in your field it’s a lot
easier to go online and succeed than if you’re just starting up.
Consumers are justifiably concerned about dealing with strangers over
the Internet, especially when it comes to parting with credit card
details to make a purchase. They find it much easier to deal with
someone they already know.
One way around this is to offer only name brands, regardless of the
field you’re in. The bigger manufacturers aren’t likely to expose their
brands to shonky online traders and to a degree you’ll be known by the
products you offer.
Be Keen with Prices
It’s extremely easy to compare prices online and most Internet shoppers
are adept at searching for the best prices. The first rule is to be
competitive, but often that’s not enough to offset a better-known
competitor charging a slightly higher price. A bonus with purchases is
often used to overcome this issue.
Be Easy to Deal With
It’s almost unbelievable how difficult some sites are to make a purchase
from. First, it’s hard to find the merchandise. Then it’s a problem
finding the price. And finally, it’s harder still to complete the
transaction using a credit card or electronic funds transfer.
Online shoppers demand speed and simplicity. Once they decide what they
want they want to be able to place their order quickly and without
wasting any time providing unnecessary information to the website. The
‘mechanics’ of your website should be as easy to use as possible.
Reassure Visitors to Your Site
Shopping online, even with established businesses, involves a degree of
trust. Successful websites are able to reassure shoppers that they will
get what they pay for, in a reasonable amount of time and without risk
of identify theft.
Testimonials are one technique that’s often used to communicate the
experiences of previous customers to prospects. A well-written guarantee
is another way to impress visitors. Somehow you have to convince people,
often in other cities or even other countries, that it’s safe to deal
with you.
Fulfillment is Important
When someone orders online they expect their goods to arrive within a
reasonable period. Always state an estimated length of time until
delivery and if possible offer a choice of delivery methods – standard
and express or similar. Online shoppers usually don’t mind paying a bit
extra if it means getting their goods quickly.
You also need a refunds policy that’s going to appeal to people who are
trusting you to be honest and reliable. They need to know how they can
get a refund if they’re not satisfied with what they’ve bought, and to
be convinced they’ll be treated ethically if a refund is called for.
Promote Yourself on the Internet and Elsewhere
Online businesses need to be exceptionally good at promoting themselves
on the Internet. You’ll need to understand terms like ‘search engine
optimization’ and ‘exchanging links’ in this relatively new area of
business, and use all the promotional opportunities afforded by the
medium.
But just like any bricks-and-mortar operator you’ll also have to
advertise and promote in other media to really make it online. Get your
website address out there in as many places as you can, and use it on
every advertisement, item of stationery and delivery truck your business
has.
Join the World – If You Do it Right
Going online means you’ve become available to the world, but only if you
go about it the right way. You need to consider other languages, other
currencies, and even other cultures if you intend to truly become a
global operator.
The most practical approach is to take it slowly and gradually build up
your online presence. Promote yourself strongly but stay within a
reasonable budget and always keep in mind that your competitors increase
greatly in number the further you cast your net.
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