Wednesday, April 21, 2010

Business Plan for E-commerce

A well designed e-commerce website in itself is an e-commerce plan in visual form. However, be reminded that strategies for e-commerce pivots on aesthetics and how the global sourcing and import/export visitors perceive it. The ability to track global sourcing visitors & import/export competitors, bring them back and offers of value added products/services play a huge role.

Don't forget that ability to execute e-commerce tricks like online buying, processing payments and shipment tracking are the few major issues which can lead to deserting you by global sourcing parties.

-Checklist for E-Commerce Business Plan

Success for import and export via e-commerce depends much on not perceiving e-commerce as a separate entity. Here is a checklist for the purpose.

1. What is your offline strategy for import/export? Are you planning to relate them?

2. What is your objective? More international customers? Or more sales with cost effective customer support?

3. Which are your target market; global sourcing or direct import and export? How does your e-commerce website help global sourcing agents?

4. Do you have a contingency plan/insurance in place? Can you continue services/sales when you are firefighting?

5. Are a sure your payment preferences/modes don't exclude customers' choices and are they secure?

6. Can you reduce your already competitive price in the face of aggressive competition? Remember, global sourcing agents may move on without a clue to the next competing e-commerce for their import/export needs.

7. Are you responding/listening to customer (global sourcing and import/export agents) complaints and queries?

8. Is your e-commerce website search engine friendly; did you know website promotion is different from promoting e-commerce and import/export?

9. If you are not an import and export e-commerce house, do you have arrangements with those having import/export licenses in place? In any case, can you process online orders readily vis-à-vis ready stock?

10. How do you plan to keep your customers in good humor so that they have a nice experience and can possibly return to you?

11. How do you plan to use your database of customer details? Have they permitted you to send them occasional offers and reminders? Remember, e-commerce isn't by chance but by persuasion.

All said and done, promoting import/export e-commerce sites includes web promotions the normal websites are done with, regardless of your purpose of website; your revenue depends on global sourcing and import and export visitors whereas e-commerce sales rest on multiple factors of import and export besides global sourcing competitiveness.
 
Source : articlesbase

No comments:

Post a Comment