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Accepting Payments Online: An ECommerce Web Site Overview
There are a seemingly infinite number of choices and configurations to accepting payments online. Choices range from almost total "do it yourself" programming to turnkey packages. You can accept online payments from an ECommerce Web site in two...
Ecommerce that Makes Sense
We weigh the merits of ready-made and custom solutions to add ecommerce to your site.
In our last Tips we cautioned that just having a shopping cart on your website isn't enough to make ecommerce work. This month we'll weigh the merits of...
Introduction To Ecommerce
Many people new to websites and/or ecommerce are confused at the in and outs of ecommerce. Even many people who are fairly adept at scripting can set up a store using some popular package such as OSCommerce and then are left stumped by the idea of...
Search Engine Optimization in an eCommerce World
Before one can fully understand the importance and necessity of implementing a search engine optimization program into their marketing mix, it is important to look first at the phenomenal statistics regarding Internet use. For example: There...
Surviving the Ecommerce Competition
Just as putting up any other business, e-commerce has also its own trade secrets. Not applying those trade secrets could detrimental to the survival of an e-commerce site.
While many webmasters believe that content is king, if you only depend on...
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The Seven Pillars of eCommerce Defined
A study released by research firm "Gartner Group" predicts 75% of all
e-business projects will fail due to poor planning and unrealistic
expectations of technology. In order for any company to conduct successful
business on the Internet, a process of evaluation must be utilized. One
framework to which companies often compare their business is "The Seven
Pillars of E-business equation".
Pillar 1) Online Marketing has been in existence since around 1994, when the
first wave of mainstream companies jumped onto the web displaying their
rudimentary html pages containing product information. Still today, some
companies do little more than place their information on the Internet using
a pleasing layout; in hopes that someone will stumble upon their site and
buy the product. Many companies have not yet reached pillar one. According
to the Yankee Group, only 31% of small business and 51% of medium-sized
businesses in the United States have a website.
Pillar 2) Online Ordering is the process of allowing a customer to submit
order information through a company website. Online Ordering is quite easy
to set up through an online web-form created in static html. When the
customer clicks on "submit", the information is forwarded to a company email
address. Customer follow-up and billing occurs offline through traditional
business channels. Many tourism companies are at this level, receiving a
request forma and even a credit card number. They think that they are now in
the online business. However, all of the information has to be processed by
the vendor. In reality, this is another form of fax ordering.
Pillar 3) Online Selling takes the Online Ordering process one step further
whereby the customer's transaction is actually conducted online. For the
ease of the customer, credit card information is recorded and through
traditional business channels, the company provides goods or services to the
customer. Credit card information is authenticated directly online and
customers are supplied with proof of payment. The vendor receives payment
direct to its Merchant Bank.
The third pillar is a stage most companies cannot seem to master. It
requires sophisticated database-driven websites, intensive strategic
planning, a large programming and insurance budget, and a bank that allows
online credit card merchant accounts.
This is where www.TravellersMall.com and its services becomes the enabler.
We provide all of this capability without the individual problems that the
vendor would encounter, at a very low cost.
Pillar 4) Online fulfillment happens after the customer has been marketed
to, placed an order, and the financial transaction has occurred. This step
is divided into two categories:
a) physical products
that cannot be distributed over the internet;
b) non-tangible products and services that can be delivered to the customer
online.
For the travel and tourism industry the fulfillment process is the
confirmation of the reservation, booking and backroom movement of the
information to the Vendor Databases.
Pillar 5) Online consumption is possible with only a few types of companies.
It is not synonymous with travel. The closest use would be a virtual tour of
the experience and the use of travel articles to satisfy the consumer's
interest for information on destinations, activities, etc.
Those selling information can actually have customers consume purchases
online. For example, someone subscribing to the Wall Street Journal
Interactive Edition can browse various newspaper articles online.
Pillar 6) Online Support can be offered regardless of whether the product or
service is fulfilled and consumed by the customer online. Many companies
have an online support process in place. Customers can email or visit a
special section of the company website for support. More sophisticated
database-driven company websites will allow users to track orders online and
receive support information through the use of a password or other form of
identification code.
Pillar 7) Online direct one-on-one marketing. Once companies have got to
this level of use of the Internet, they should be using their customer
database and market data to continuously communicate and market their
services to their customers. This requires planning and marketing
management. An example of this would be an online last minute club targeting
specific customers on seasonal or regional specials.
The power of being able to deliver direct marketing programs at the press of
a key has enormous cost saving implications versus the more traditional mail
or general advertising mediums. It makes the necessary analysis of the
return on investment of these types of programs much more favorable.
As you can see, there are several important steps in the equation to selling
online. When planning an e-business strategy, it is necessary to take these
seven pillars of e-business into consideration. Ask yourself these
questions:
How far do we want to take the e-business equation?
How far will our business model and the nature of our product offerings and
services allow us to take the e-business equation?
www.Banff.com - The Canadian Rockies Internet Guide features the e-business
solutions provided by www.TravellersMall.com
Visit us to streamline your e-commerce solutions today!
About the Author
Stuart Martin
stuartm@banff.com
www.banff.com
403-609-7092
Banff, Alberta, Canada
"Where every day seems like a Holiday!"
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| E-Commerce Times: Because E-Business Means Business |
| Everything you need to know about doing business on the Internet. Information for C-Level executives and small-to-mid-sized business managers. |
| www.ecommercetimes.com |
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| ECommerce-Guide to News, Reviews and Technology Solutions |
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| www.ecommerce-guide.com |
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| Electronic commerce - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia |
| Electronic commerce (also referred to as EC, e-commerce or ecommerce) ... Even in product categories suitable for e-commerce, electronic shopping has ... |
| en.wikipedia.org |
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| E-Commerce News for IT Managers |
| Daily e-commerce news for managers of business covering marketing, transaction processing, security, retailing and service delivered over the Web. |
| www.internetnews.com |
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| New Zealand Government E-Commerce |
| Resource containing information on electronic commerce, including law, trade, tax, privacy, consumer protection, and help for businesses. |
| www.ecommerce.govt.nz |
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| eCommerce Guidebook for web hosting |
| The eCommerce Guidebook provides many resources, including a directory of online transaction providers, a tutorial, and many other resources. |
| www.online-commerce.com |
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| Includes columns with commentary and analysis on a wide variety of internet marketing subjects ranging from B2B marketing to search engine marketing. |
| www.clickz.com |
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| Shopping cart software integrated into Frontpage, Dreamweaver, CSS and Golive ecommerce software templates. |
| www.ecommercetemplates.com |
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| Information from the FTC on E-commerce and the Internet. Includes anti-fraud tips. |
| www.ftc.gov |
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| Economy & Work: eBusiness | Europa - Information Society |
| The e-business concept goes well beyond e-commerce (buying and selling ... A pilot study on E-commerce and the Internet in European businesses (2002) was ... |
| ec.europa.eu |
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| Online Business |
| If your e-commerce site currently accepts online payments, and is really, really, ... They are looking for entries from ugly e-commerce sites to win a new ... |
| onlinebusiness.about.com |
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| eCommerce Info Center- ONE-STOP for eCommerce info, services ... |
| eCommerce Info Center, created and maintained by Slim Baltagi, will make it easier and faster for you to find out relevant eCommerce information, ... |
| www.ecominfocenter.com |
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| eCommerce Innovation Centre |
| Practical resources for small business involved in or considering eCommerce implemetations. Expert Advice and Assistance. |
| www.ecommerce.ac.uk |
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| Web Marketing Today -- E-Commerce, E-Mail, Internet Marketing, and ... |
| Articles, tips and advice on e-commerce and effective Internet marketing strategies. |
| www.wilsonweb.com |
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| Web Marketing Today Research Room for E-Commerce |
| The largest collection of annotated links to web marketing and ecommerce articles and resources to be found at any single place on the planet. |
| www.wilsonweb.com |
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| The 2005 E-commerce Awards - Welcome |
| The UK national E-commerce awards organised by the DTI and Interforum. |
| www.ecommerce-awards.co.uk |
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| Mal's e-commerce |
| Mal's e-commerce ... Customize the look and feel of your store; No scripts or applications to install; Build as large an e-commerce site as you want ... |
| www.mals-e.com |
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| Howstuffworks "How E-commerce Works" |
| E-commerce has exploded in the last 10 years. Find out how e-commerce works and how you can harness the potential of e-commerce, from affiliate programs to ... |
| www.howstuffworks.com |
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| Ecommerce Guide - Terms You Need to Know to Do Business on the ... |
| An online computer dictionary and internet search engine for internet terms and techincal support. |
| e-comm.webopedia.com |
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| Shopping Cart Software Ecommerce Solutions |
| Ecommerce solutions by Volusion will take your business to new heights. Volusion offers the best prices in the industry for a complete ecommerce web ... |
| www.volusion.com |
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