Small business owners are at the point where they understand that having an online presence is important to their success. But when do they need to start thinking about or planning to add e-commerce features to their website?
The answer is now.
There are many moving parts to running a successful online selling business. E-commerce is really a different division of your business; it’s like starting a new branch. Many times, the online sales process must be coordinated with your other existing processes to ensure your business continues to run smoothly and without major confusion.
If you talk to your web developer about the plan ahead of time, you will realize the potential challenges ahead of time. And that spells fewer headaches for your employees.
Questions You Need to Ask
- How will you count the inventory for online products?
- How will you ensure you always have enough stock for online and in-store sales?
- How will you accept payments?
- Will you offer different payment options?
- Will you be taking wholesale and retail orders?
- Do you need to establish special customer groups that receive customized discounts and payment options?
- Do you need to connect your website with an already established merchant service relationship?
- Do you know who your merchant service provider is right now?
- Do you know how many employees will be affected by this new endeavor and if it will change their schedules?
- Do you have a computer in your office that is reliable?
- Do you need flexible support for salespeople who are on the road?
- Do you need options for tax-exempt customers?
- Do you need to support coupon codes?
- What shipping providers will you use and what rates will you charge?
- Do you need to exclude certain states or countries?
As you can see, the questions are vast. But discussing these things with a seasoned professional will make sure you get things done right.
