Currently Browsing: E-commerce
Jan 20, 2010
Posted by admin on Jan 20, 2010 in E-commerce | 0 comments
As a long time web designer I’ve dealt with any number of eCommerce options over the years. In general you’ve always had two major options:
1) You build and code from scratch. This required a great deal of knowledge in various coding languages in addition to the ability to design an attractive interface which will work within the construct of the website’s structure.
2) You pay a company with pre-built systems. This was not only extremely expensive but rarely allowed you freedom to create any sort of pleasing design as it would have to conform to their limited header/footer customization.
Well, I’ve seen the light now! The future is here and (unfortunately for people in “the business” like me) it’s unbelievably easy to do.
These free solutions are Open Source based online shop e-commerce solutions that are available under the GNU General Public License. They all contain a rich set of out-of-the-box online shopping cart functionalities that allows store owners to setup, run, and maintain their online stores with minimum effort and with no costs, fees, or limitations involved. Most of these Open Source solutions provide an e-commerce platform, which include the powerful PHP web scripting language and the fast MySQL database server. With no special requirements, they are able to run on any PHP 4.1+ enabled web server running on Linux, Solaris, BSD, Mac OS X, and Microsoft Windows environments.
Unbelievable right? Well,, it’s true and I’m loving it.
In addition to the obvious advantages of these open source stores, there are many less obvious benefits such as.
- Active user forums where you can get answers to most any question without dealing with charges or “canned responses” from a profit company.
- The ability to change the design of your store nearly instantly by simply selecting a new “template” from within your administration panel
- Countless free “add-ons” and “modules” which add all types of additional features to your store.
- As the projects continue to grow and the stores improve you can upgrade, and of course the upgrades are free also.
In my opinion once of the greatest of the above features is the ability to change the design and/or appearance of your site with the ease of a few uploads and button clicks (ONCE YOU HAVE A DESIGN DEVELOPED). The most common complaint I found from OS users was the same one I’ve heard about other e-commerce packages. People weren’t aware of how much work would be involved in getting an original design put together. They would get to a certain point, hit an unexpected bottleneck, and be unable to keep going. The majority of the work involved in getting your store up and running was getting a design to function within the limits and restrictions of the store’s code. Every implementation will run into these problems, and everything takes longer and costs more than you plan for it, whether it’s proprietary or open source. There are now; however, easy solutions for this issue which will prevent you from getting overwhelmed. Many businesses on the web (example: http://www.bg-website-templates.com & http://www.bluegelmedia.com.com ) who focus on web template development have entered a whole new era in template design. They have begun development of stunning designs for Open Source eCommerce solutions such as OScommerce, ZenCart, and CRE Loaded (the most popular of these Open Source eCommerce solutions). This allows you to easily implement a perfect store design within minutes. While these design templates are not free like the eCommerce solution, they are worth the mere $50 average price, saving you weeks of frustrating design.
You can find more information on these Open Source eCommerce Solutions at their hub sites. Just type in the OS solution name you wish to research into your search engine and their home pages will show up. The most popular solutions are ZenCart, OScommerce & CRE Loaded. But there are many other ones out there to choose from; however these three have proven themselves over time and have such large user bases and support groups that I would recommend trying one of them first before attempting to delve into lesser known solutions.
To sum this all up. While large companies will always need a custom built solution for their online stores, the average small business no longer needs to spend five or ten thousand dollars to have a quality store developed. The use of a free OS solution along with an inexpensive design template will have you selling online for pennies on the dollar compared with a custom built store. Even if you don’t feel you have the skill set to work with the OS solutions, you can hire any competent developer to implement it for you. Sure you’ll be charged, but the price will be a small percentage of what you would have paid.
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Jan 9, 2010
Posted by admin on Jan 9, 2010 in E-commerce | 1 comment
This very slogan was introduced by CITIZEN Watch Company presenting their innovating technology called ECO-DRIVE. The Eco-Drive watch has become a real step towards the future. The original idea of these watch coined in 1995 is a complete realization of contemporary development in the sphere of high tech.
Citizen, the world’s largest watch company, was established in 1930. All the products manufactured by this company are known all over the world. Printers, calculators, machinery and of course watch have invariably good quality.
More than a decade ago Citizen introduced the revolutionary Eco-Drive collection which has become the world’s most popular collection of light-powered watch. The collection is being improved constantly trying to achieve perfect quality, reliability and attractive design. The idea of Eco-Drive watch is perfectly simply – the power source is widely available, free of charge, inexhaustible and harmless. This is the sun power.
The watch is equipped with a special lithium-ion battery that is charged by an amorphous silicon solar cell located behind the dial. Depending on the model, a fully-charged cell could run with no further charging for more than 6 months. If the watch are kept in the dark for a long time, a sleep mode activates, and in case of this the dials of the watch would stop running but the internal quartz movement would still keep track of time.
The design of the first Citizen Eco-Drive watch was influenced by technical factors only. That is why the first collections were equipped by large accumulators that resulted in the huge size and not very attractive appearance. Unlike early solar-powered watches, the solar panels in latest Eco-Drive watch are almost invisible. Moreover, while earlier manufacturers were limited in choosing the color of the dial, now the variation of colors, shapes and materials can attract the most fastidious and capricious clients.
The latest Eco-Drive models developed by highly qualified and extremely talented designers and engineers of Citizen company are constituted according to the last world trends both in technology and in fashion. One can be really impressed by thin, elegant, stylish and at the same time classical design of the watch. Citizen offers a variety of materials that the body of watch is made of.
It is undoubtedly obvious that the Citizen Company succeeded to find the niche for its Eco-Drive brand. It comes as not surprise that ecological technology used in the watch together with smart appearance and progressive technical innovations have gained wide recognition all over the world.
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Dec 2, 2009
Posted by admin on Dec 2, 2009 in E-commerce | 0 comments
E-commerce or electronic commerce can be defined as the buying and selling of goods and services on the Internet, especially the World Wide Web. For proper implementation of e-commerce it is of immense importance to have an e-commerce site where one can get involve with the buying and selling of goods and services. To be successful, E-commerce site should contain a shopping cart system and a payment processing system.
Timely delivery is one aspect that requires careful attention. In fact, timely delivery is one of the three main dimensions of competitiveness, the others being quality and cost. Timely delivery is also dependent, like quality and cost, on productivity, managerial effectiveness and infrastructural support. Delays have been part and parcel of the economic system for the ages, hindering the progress of an organization. Delays in delivery occur due to a variety of reasons. Delays in manufacturing, shipping delays and delays in transporting the manufactured products to the ports upset the delivery schedules. E-commerce is the one way which can minimize these delays.
For e-commerce fulfillment, the use of high-class communication technologies is vital. If companies have to achieve global industrial competitiveness, in the first place it is essential for them to bridge the technology gap in industrial production. The companies should produce what the overseas markets need and produce them to their technological specifications and standards. Upgrading technology is also the durable route for price competitiveness and quality improvement. The companies have to do their bit by opting for the latest technology, adapting it, working out technology tie-ups and by committing higher investment for technology upgradation. Even in the post-liberalization era, technology upgradation has been the missing ingredient. But thanks to its all-time availability, global reach, and interaction and information delivery capabilities, the Internet is rapidly becoming a multi-billion dollar source of revenue for business across the globe.
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Oct 2, 2009
Posted by admin on Oct 2, 2009 in E-commerce | 1 comment
Have you ever wondered why your perfectly fine classified ad fails to attract the attention you desire? There should be dozens—no, hundreds—of perspective buyers swamping your e-mail inbox with offers. After all, you are offering a mint baseball card, a vintage coat, pristine used car, those wholesale-priced sporting goods, and whatever other attractive items are in your inventory. Instead, you only have a slow trickle of questions, a handful of sales. What gives? More than likely, your sales are slow because you have not mastered the three techniques of writing a classic classified ad.
Of course, give yourself credit for recognizing one important facet of today’s selling world. You decided to sell your stuff at an online classified site. As anybody in the business knows, online classified ads get you more privacy, a broader selection of buyers, and a wealth of tools to help you keep tabs on your transactions. When compared to a newspaper, cyberspace is also a wee bit more spacious. There are billions of pages on the Web, and only a few dozen in your typical neighborhood rag. For you, that means a lot more space for your ad to say the least.
With that space, however, comes great responsibility—and great potential. The extra room gives you the freedom to include as much product description and sale copy as you want. You can’t just slap together a whole bunch of information, though. You need to use the three special ad writing techniques that will attract buyers and seal the deal: attention, interest, and action.
Attention. Make sure the buyer stops at your ad instead of the thousands upon thousands of others out there in cyberspace. Your ad’s title is the first lure to grab his or her attention, and the first component of a catchy title is the item’s best feature, whether it’s the price, the item’s rarity, or its popularity. Next, be sure the title includes keywords or other synonyms for your item that a buyer might use in a search. For instance, a buyer could search for “automobile” instead of “car,” “pullover” instead of “sweater.”
Interest. Once you have the buyer’s attention, hook them with details. There is a direct relationship between the amount of information you provide and the number of sales you’ll make. So describe the item as completely as possible—size, color, material, designer, model—and provide a clear, digital photo to finish the job where your words leave off. Even offer your prospective customer the item’s history if possible.
Also, try to list as many possible benefits that your sales item could offer the buyer. Come up with some that the buyer probably wouldn’t think of on his or her own. And zone in on specific benefits. Use what you already know about your target. For instance, if you were selling a car, you know that whoever is looking at your ad is in need of a vehicle. If your car is compact, perhaps the buyer is in search of great gas mileage. Or perhaps it’s power he or she wants if your car is a sports model.
Action. Finish your ad strongly. Don’t just suggest to the buyer that you offer a great deal. Tell them it’s a fantastic offer that they can’t pass up. Use phrases like “Call me now before someone else does” or “Buy now, this opportunity won’t last long.” Be cordial while you’re pressing the issue, of course. Thank them for reading your ad and make sure they know you appreciate their business.
Most importantly, your customers will also value your honesty throughout the whole ad. So whether it’s the attention, interest, or action you’re shooting for, never lie or exaggerate. Go so far to include any defects if your product is not in mint shape. Your honesty will build trust, and trust above all else makes an ad work. What’s more, it makes for repeat customers.
Remember, if you use all three of these elements—or four if you include honesty. When you’re finished with it, it should read something like the two examples below.
Example 1:
Discover the beauty of a Forest Hill Home
2500 sq. ft. home, 4 bedroom, 3 baths, double garage, upgraded kitchen, 12 ft. ceilings
This open concept house is situated in a historical landmark district of Rhode Island. It’s a wonderful neighborhood to raise your family, with nearby schools and amenities.
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Sep 12, 2009
Posted by admin on Sep 12, 2009 in E-commerce | 0 comments
When we talk about a nook, we are simply identified a very focused area of business. There are a zillion sites selling movies, but very few selling French movies from the 1960s. If there is sufficient interest in such movies, you could build a business around selling such classic movies. This concept applies to any business area regardless of whether you are selling products or offering services.
You need to do some daydreaming. Most people make the mistake of focusing on a subject that they think will make a ton of money. Problems can occur with this approach because if you have no inherent interest in the area besides money, you will eventually grow disillusioned with it. If you are going to start a business, you want it be enjoyable. If it is just another job, you have made a bad mistake. This brings us back to daydreaming.
You need to give serious thought to your interests, and not just your interests today. What have you always been interested in? Don’t worry about how you will make money, just focus on the subject matter. Remember the cliché – find something you love and the money will follow. This is exactly what you want to do. Once you have an idea, it is time to figure out how to make money off of it.
For a web business, you want to focus on something known as keyword research. Keyword research is crucial because you can type in a phrase and see the exact phrases people have used to search on Google, Yahoo and MSN that incorporate the world. Even better, you can see how many people use the phrase each day. Doing keyword research lets you determine if there is enough interest in your area and the exact phrases your prospects are using to find things in the area. It doesn’t get much better than that!
There are a variety of tools you can use. Overture offers a free tool that will give you a general idea, but is not the most accurate. Wordtracker is much better, but will set you back a few bucks. Keyword Discovery is similar, but runs a few more dollars yet. Regardless of your choice, make sure to use one of these for keyword research.
Once you identify the phrases used by your prospects, you can determine if there is enough interest in your nook. You can also identify the exact phrases they are using and tailor your site and marketing to those phrases.
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