How Ecommerce Works
In the previous article I outlined why you should use eCommerce for your business and in this article I shall explain how ecommerce works and what is involved in running your own online shop.
For most small businesses there are two types of websites – a simple brochure website or an ecommerce website. On a brochure website you may have pictures or details of your products, whereas on an ecommerce website people can actually order them and pay for them on your site. Brochure sites were commonplace for years and are still perfectly adequate for certain types of business, such as business selling items which cannot be shipped or items which are too expensive to buy online, such as cars or combine harvesters. Ecommerce enabled sites can be used to sell anything which can be shipped or posted to a customer.
How Ecommerce Websites Work
Most ecommerce websites consist of two halves – the public side and the admin side. The public side is what your customers see and where they can view and purchase your products. The admin side is only seen by you, the store owner. This is where you check your orders, add or remove products, change prices etc. A user name and password is required to access the admin side of your ecommerce shop and only you know what these are, so only you can make any changes or see customer and order information.
How Ecommerce Works For Your Customers
Your customers will go to your website by either typing in your website address or searching for products, such as dog baskets, on Google and other search engines. Once on your website they are able to browse through your products, viewing pictures, product details etc. When they see a product they want to purchase they add it to their basket – usually done by clicking a button next to the product – and once they have chosen everything they want your customers then pay for their products by using a credit or debit card. Normally you would have your shipping details on your website so your customers will know when they can expect delivery of their products. Some of the main benefits of ecommerce for your customers are:
- They can shop from the comfort of their own home
- Your shop is open 24 hours per day, even when your real shop is closed
- Your customers can view all your products, pictures and details in their own time
Customers can use their credit and debit cards to purchase your goods on your ecommerce website
How Ecommerce Works For You – The Shop Owner
Ecommerce works in tandem with your real shop and once all your products are online running your ecommerce shop becomes much simpler. Every day you would log in to the special “admin” side of your ecommerce shop and check to see if you have any orders. The orders from your customers are listed along with their personal details such as name and address plus payment details such as credit card numbers. Once you have taken the payment (this will be discussed in another article) you simply dispatch the item to the customer – and thats it! You have the money and your customer has their product. In many ways it’s not much different to the customer coming into your real shop. Ecommerce is just another way of selling products to customers and marketing your business. Some of the main benefits of ecommerce for shop owners are:
- Your shop is open 24/7 to everyone
- You are not restricted to the town you live in or the location of your real shop
- You can check your orders anytime or from anywhere
- Ecommerce brings you more business from a wider area
- You gain customers you would never see in your real shop
Ecommerce is a win-win for both your customers and your business and can open new doors for you. Unlike your real shop, your customers can shop at their leisure and don’t need to visit your real shop at all. Your products are available to anyone who wishes to purchase them from Land’s End to John O’Groats and as long as they have an address your products can be shipped to them.
Don’t be afraid of technical terms, computers or jargon. Ecommerce is actually very easy to do and doesn’t require a lot of computer knowledge.
In the next ecommerce article I shall be outlining what you need to start your ecommerce business .
