Ecommerce Frequently Asked Questions

Q-Why do 85% of ecommerce stores fail?

A- The reason that 85% of ecommerce stores fail is because of the assumptions that most new business owners make about internet marketing in general. There is a very common assumption that having an ecommerce store is all you need, and that the sales and customers will find you.

This is of course a mistaken assumption. The ecommerce store is only the first part of the story. There are many important aspects that need to be integrated into the ecommerce store in order to have a successful online presence.

For example, here a few of the critical components:

  • Design – the design of the ecommerce store needs to convey a sense of trust and professionalism to the visitors. The design needs to be tailored to your specific target market. All markets are different and respond better to different designs. Never use a generic design or you will turn visitors away.
  • Functionality – the functionality of the website is also very important. For this reason, you need to ensure you use a reliable, safe and stable software platform. Besides this, the website needs to be functional for your visitors. This should be built into the ecommerce software.
  • Usability – if your visitors cannot engage with your website then they will just leave. The most usable websites have a clear navigation. Everything should be accessible within one or two clicks. You need to make use of your “online real estate” in the best way possible. You should also have the ability to recommend products, up-sell customers, cross-sell customers and let them recommend products to their friends. These simple additions make an incredible difference in your sales bottom line.
  • Marketing – marketing is the lifeblood of your business. You must have a marketing strategy that lets you bring new prospects into your sales funnel. You also need to have ways to contact them regularly, offer products and services and make sales. If your ecommerce store cannot do these things for you, then you need to look elsewhere.
  • Retail management – retail management is also very important to your business. You should have systems established which deal with all aspects of handing your ecommerce store. You must be able to answer questions, deal with products return, update stock, deal with delivery details, take orders, manage customers through the sales cycle and much more.

If you want to have a very successful online store then you need to factor all of these things into your plans. They must be part of your ecommerce solution or you will be disadvantaged in your marketplace. The most successful ecommerce stores are those that also have a retail presence, in our experience.

Q-What is involved in creating an ecommerce store?

A-there are a number of very important factors when creating an ecommerce store. Over decades of experience, we have created a very specific process which takes these factors into account. Here is the successful process that we use:

  1. The first step that we take is to produce a project plan. This plan outlines the functionality and layout out of the store. You can compare this to the way an architect would plan your house before the construction phase begins. Failure to fully engage in this process will lead to many problems down the road. We have found that this stage of the process is the key that leads to a profitable, fully functional ecommerce store for our customers.
  2. In phase 2 of the project, we begin to design the look and feel of the store. This is generally known as the design phase. We have expert and creative designers on our team to ensure the final product is personalised to your company and your target market.
  3. After the design is complete, we begin to convert it into HTML. This is the code that will be uploaded to the internet via your server. You will have complete ownership of the IP rights. At this stage of the project we also begin to implement our search engine optimisation strategies on your website. This is the best way to have your website listed and ranked highly the Google, yahoo and msn search engines.
  4. During stage four, we integrate the design into Able Commerce. This is a very powerful piece of software which has been tested and proven over and over again. We use this platform as it is so reliable and stable. At this time, we also integrate the custom functionality that your business needs. Because we take such care to fully customise the software to your needs, this is usually the longest phase of the project.
  5. Stage five is when you have the chance to test the personalized ecommerce store. We welcome any feedback at this stage. Our customers are delighted with the outcome as we have gained their full requirements before starting.
  6. The final stage is the website launch phase. This is the most exciting time.

Q-Do you offer ongoing support?

A-Yes, we are happy to offer ongoing support once your website has been launched. You can discuss this with us during the planning phase if you wish.

Q-How can I accept online payments?

A-There are a numbers of ways in which you can accept online payments. You can use paypal.com which is free to setup and use. The only fee that they charge you is when you receive a payment. PayPal can also be integrated into your online store, and they also have a shopping cart service.

Alternatively you can also use a merchant account service. This is usually seen as the most professional method of accepting online payment, and often the safest. You can search for reviews online or ask our team for suggestions.