Beginner Ecommerce Mistakes

This is a short article because in the constraints of time and space preclude me from writing a 10 page article. Recently i built a ecommerce web site titled Cynscorion Products that sells knifes. I originally set out in July of 2004 to build an ecommerce site to bothe earn extra income and as a challenge to myself.

Along the way I learned several things about both myseldf and web site design. Fourth months and about $1,900 later I have a ecommerce web site that I could have built in about 45 days and for one third the cost. Yes, there were some expensive lessons I learned the hard way.

So, to help others who may be considering an ecommerce site i would like to offer a few tips.

1. Read books on ecommerce from both book stores and ebooks obtained from the internet. There are also a lot of free resources on the internet that you shouuld take advantage of. Do not just jump in with both feet like I did.

2. Start thinking about what you want to sell. If you make your own product, you should proceed to step 3. If you do not make the product you intend to sell then you first need to consider what you want to sell. If you have no preferences or if you have a hobby that you may potentially be able to turn into products market analysis is your next step.

3. Your need to determine if there is a market for your product. If there is no demand for your warm and fuzzy hand stitched bra's then attempting to sell them is failure waiting to happen. Most people fail intheir first ecommerce site because they sell what they like, not what other people are willing to buy.

4. Start looking for a product supplier of what ever you intend to sell. The store is no good with out merchandise to sell.

5. Review the web hosting companies and shopping carts available for price and features. Get a good shioping cart that offers flexiblity. Even if you do not intend to use all of the features immediately, you may want them a year from now. Do not box your self in.

6. Consider your Merchant Account or Payment Gateway provider carefully. This the part of the ecommerce site that accepts credit cards and transfers the money into your bank account. Comparison shop and check their monthly fees and percentage fees. Ask if they require contracts and they have a lot of experience with ecommerce sites and beginners. Do not assume anything when dealijng with a merchant account company. It will cost you money, because the error will be yours. I know this from personal expereince. Read the fine print!

7. Lastly, if this is your first site, find someone who has built an ecommerce site befor and learn from them. You do not need to waste time and money reinventing the wheel.

So there you have it. Just few things to watch out for. Check out my web site and see what I built and read the story of how I built it. It is a funny story. Just go to the bottom of the page and click on Ecommece Book. Oh one more thing, avoid any travelling online seminar that promises a quick onl;ine web store. It an't gonna happen. ecommerce stores take time and effort, but a person of average intelligence CAN do it. if you have any questions send me an email. i will try and help you if I can. Just to my web site and click on "contact us".

Good Luck.

The author recently built a working ecommerce site by hand from the ground up. The web site evolved from pay pal to an actual merchant account and transformed itself from a home made shopping cart to a professionally design shopping cart. See the site for yourself. Go to http://www.cynscorion.com

---

E-commerce Software That Will Safeguard Your Business against Fraud

Fraud is a huge issue when it comes to the... Read More

Are You Making These E-Commerce Excuses? (part 2)

Last time, we started to take a look at the... Read More

Electronic Commerce and WTO

The Internet may not be useful for all businesses, nor... Read More

Electronic Commerce Tax Jurisdiction and Principles of Permanent Establishment

The principle of "permanent establishment" is very important for avoidance... Read More

Intranet - The Benefits Realisation Plan

The Millennium ExperienceA successful project is one that delivers on-spec... Read More

The Top 10 E-Commerce Ways to Follow up with Clients - Part 2

Did you know that 80% of all sales are made... Read More

The Top 10 E-Commerce Ways to Follow up with Clients - Part 1

Did you know that 80% of all sales are made... Read More

Alternative E-Commerce Solutions

Over the past several years, the Internet has emerged as... Read More

Delivering Information Products Through Paypal Automatically

Paypal is one of the wonders of the web. Never... Read More

Two Pillars of a Successful Web Site

For a web site to get close to fulfilling its... Read More

Why Suppliers Should Use B2B Exchanges

Business to business e-commerce is on the rise! Worldwide B2B... Read More

Intranet Portals ? Search and Taxonomies

Knowledge Management for beginnersKnowledge Management (KM) can be defined simply... Read More

How To Implement E-Business Solutions Successfully

Pitfalls of E-business solutions installation processA large distribution company has... Read More

The ClickBank E-Commerce Solution

ClickBank.com can offer you multiple solutions for your e-commerce business.... Read More

Excuse Me, Are You Wasting Traffic?

The largest cost and concern of an internet business is... Read More

Old Habits Die Hard in the Third Age Years

I spent a lifetime in retailing and I'm still at... Read More

Expand Your Local Business Through the Internet

To obtain more local customers for your business, consider expanding... Read More

Looking For Free Advertising, Here It Is!

There are lots of ways to advertise for free but... Read More

Chinas Online Shopping May Be Booming In The Next Few Years

Data from China Internet Network Information Center (CNNIC) shows that... Read More

Implications Of E-Commerce For Tax Legislation

As e-commerce develops ambiguities in the current tax code in... Read More

eCommerce Software Solutions

All of the long, grueling nights and an unknown number... Read More

Prompt Delivery Rules ? Internet Product Sales

The Internet is the fastest growing source of mail order... Read More

Dont Get Ripped Off Getting A Merchant Account

Far too many people get ripped off when setting up... Read More

Intranet Project ? RAD or Waterfall?

Building BridgesI have often used the analogy of building a... Read More

Dont give up on your business!

Summer must be when many work at home Mom start... Read More

Make That 3 Billion

My previous article I wrote called "One Point Two Billion"... Read More

Bringing the World to Your Door

According to Internet.com, by the year 2008 nearly 30% of... Read More

What Are The Barriers of Implementing E-Commerce Solutions

What is electronic commerce?"Electronic commerce is about doing business electronically.... Read More

Drop-Shipping ? A Great Way of Making Money Online

Using the Internet to sell products and services to ever... Read More

Online Shopping: Legal Challenges for Taxing Authorities

E-commerce offers customers the chance to eliminate many stages in... Read More

The Five Steps of E-Commerce

You set up a retail business, you advertise in your... Read More

ECommerce Scenario in Pakistan

Pakistan with highest growth rates in 1960s and bad politics... Read More

7 Must Have Scripts to Look for When Shopping for E-commerce Hosting

When shopping for e-commerce hosting there are a lot of... Read More