With the recent problems in the "dot com" world, the importance of business basics has become very apparent. E-commerce is another tool or medium for a business to reach their customers. E-commerce is not a substitute for thoughtful business planning and rigorous attention to implementation of the plan. For a business to be successful, the owner/entrepreneur still has to have a clear understanding of the following:
- How they will meet the needs of their customers and how to differentiate their product or service from their competitors.
- The management team and human resource necessary to implement the business plan.
- The financial resources, along with a management system, to monitor the company's performance.
Without a clear vision of how the above items are accomplished, the impact of e-commerce may not provide the desired impact. Visit the Business
Start-up Guide and
Business Planning sections of this website to see if you have done the background work necessary to have a strong business concept. You can also contact one of our business
consultants to provide assistance in determining your e-commerce capabilities and Building a Website
There are four general reasons to have a website:
- sell products and services
- give information
- increase visibility
- provide additional customer service
First decide if any of these reasons make sense for you. To sell products and services on the Internet, success involves:
- having a great product
- attracting a targeted market
- selling and satisfying your customers
E-Commerce is a six step process and all online businesses will go through the first three steps:
- Create the online content.
- Host the content on the Internet.
- Market the website and content.
Businesses conducting online sales will need to continue through the final three steps:
- Collect and record customer orders.
- Process payments.
- Fulfill customer orders.
Before committing valuable cash and precious time pursuing an Internet website, use the online
E-commerce Assessment Tool to determine if your business is Internet ready. Your responses will be instantly analyzed. A custom report for your business will point out your company's e-commerce strengths and weaknesses.
(Thanks to the Arkansas Small Business Development Center at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock for allowing us to use this material)