In 2004, Enquiro.com conducted a study of the search behaviors of men vs. women. They found that women spend more time in their searches and at specific sites. The study also revealed that women tend to be more deliberate in reading search results, linger longer at sites and have a greater satisfaction in the overall shopping experience. Another study conducted by iProspect.com revealed that women are more apt to click the paid search advertising because they find it more relevant to their searches than do men (WebProNews - July 14, 2004).
What does this mean? It means that if we understand the searching and shopping patterns of our target audience we are better able to create marketing strategies to effectively drive traffic to our sites. Don't yet have a website?
Electronic commerce or ecommerce is used to describe doing business over the Internet. Selling products and services to customers over the Internet can be accomplished a number of ways and various levels of sophistication.
The first thing you need is a professional Web site with its own domain name. You need to design and promote a Web site. You'll need access to expertise that can regularly design and maintain this Web site for you. A good website which gets visitors to return is constantly evolving and therefore, require ongoing attention. There are thousands of resources available for you to take advantage of, many of which are free. You can surf the Internet for what you need or you can simply visit www.WECAI.org to see the many resources we have listed. We have resources for guests and if you are a member we have even more resources to help you get started. In fact, you can search our domain registry and purchase your own unique domain name at www.wecaidomains.com.
Developing a business over the Internet requires many of the same major activities as starting any other business. You need a business plan, something to sell such as a product or service; you need customers and you may even need financial backing to get started. In addition, you need to market products to your customers, exceptional customer service practices and many other resources just as you do with traditional bricks and mortar enterprises. They may include inventory, fulfillment, shipping banking relationships and more.
Your store will need a "merchant" account, or the ability to process your customers' credit card transactions over the Internet. This includes needing a "secure server," (security certificate such as Versign or Geotrust) so that thieves cannot gain access to your customers credit information. Your merchant processing can be as simple as accepting payments through PayPal or as complex as a custom designed shopping cart system you pay for.
Getting a Merchant Account - If you have a good relationship with your bank and they don't require a security deposit this may be your best option for setting up a merchant account. Alternatives to getting a merchant account through your bank are to go through a broker, a fulfillment house, or using third-party billing.
For more information on establishing an ecommerce presence check out the e-book entitled: Show Her the Money ? The Woman's ECommerce Handbook for Online Transactions (www.showherthemoney.com). If you are, or become a member of WECAI ? www.wecai.org, this resource is yours with your membership.
Excerpted from The PMS Principles - Powerful Marketing Strategies to Grow Your Business © 2005 - Heidi Richards
Heidi Richards is the author of The PMS Principles, Powerful Marketing Strategies to Grow Your Business and 7 other books. She is the owner of Eden Florist & Gift Baskets and the Founder & CEO of the Women's ECommerce Association, International http://www.WECAI.org (pronounced wee-kī) ? an Internet organization that "Helps Women Do Business on the WEB." BASIC Membership is Free. She can be reached at http://www.HeidiRichards.com or heidi@wecai.org. You have permission to publish this article electronically or in print, free of charge, as long as the bylines are included. A courtesy copy of your publication would be appreciated.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|


Much of my consulting work comprises writing 'Outside Opinion' reports... Read More
When shopping for e-commerce hosting there are a lot of... Read More
If you have been wrestling with the idea of applying... Read More
Drop Shippers, the manufacturers or distributors who are willing to... Read More
When it comes to e-commerce everything is a little bit... Read More
If your business features products or services for sale, undoubtedly... Read More
According to NOP World, 48% of all Internet users have... Read More
I had a rude awakening recently. I checked the days... Read More
If you want to sell on the internet, your need... Read More
Businesses, which are still sitting on sidelines and not doing... Read More
You did it again, didn't you? Forgot until the last... Read More
BENEFITS OF A DATABASEBy maintaining your list as a database,... Read More
Knowing which credit card merchant account to get can be... Read More
Shopping Cart Installation And SetupShopping cart technology has evolved to... Read More
Maybe no business requiring little or no capital pays as... Read More
E-commerce offers customers the chance to eliminate many stages in... Read More
Data from China Internet Network Information Center (CNNIC) shows that... Read More
Many people are saying that the internet is dead. So... Read More
Let me share with you a secret that most marketing... Read More
To increase sales on your website, you must accept credit... Read More
My Business is Afraid of the InternetBill Gates, CEO of... Read More
Our website, Best Of The Home, has been listed in... Read More
Overview:What is web advertising?Internet Advertising is popularly known as web... Read More
Paypal is one of the wonders of the web. Never... Read More
The process of learning how to accept payments on the... Read More
Did you know that 80% of all sales are made... Read More
My previous article I wrote called "One Point Two Billion"... Read More
Fraud is a huge issue when it comes to the... Read More
What is the Internet?In order to provide a discussion on... Read More
There are so many metrics surrounding direct marketing. So many... Read More
Business-to-business service providers have a wide range of tactics they... Read More
The fourth step of how to start an Internet business... Read More
Are you familiar with Froogle? If you are an online... Read More


Do you sell something online? Do you have a business... Read More
Participation in B2B Exchanges is increasingly becoming one of the... Read More
The birth of the Internet and the mass availability of... Read More
This may not be a popular view, but I think... Read More
The concept of linking is that sites with common interests... Read More
What does 'the can' mean? Well, its literal meaning relates... Read More
What a great idea! Start accepting credit cards and watch... Read More
Last time, we started to take a look at the... Read More
When most people think of a retirement gift, they think... Read More
1. To find out what type of content visitors want... Read More
Many surfers already know about Froogle, Google's shopping portal that... Read More
Did you know that one of the best ways to... Read More
How four partners build and manage an exclusive art posters... Read More
In spite of the increasing attention on how the Internet... Read More
Many people online today still believe that buying tobacco products... Read More
The fourth step of how to start an Internet business... Read More
Only a few manage to sell everything under the sun... Read More
Whether you sell a product or merely sell time to... Read More
Three years ago I was doing some work for a... Read More
Over the past several years, the Internet has emerged as... Read More
The European market is a multi-billion $ sector which you... Read More
If you are serious about selling on the world wide... Read More
Are you a website owner or a web designer/developer? If... Read More
The problem with most e-commerce marketing strategy today is that... Read More
Most people who get into business know what's involved. They... Read More
Concept of ServiceThe current work deals with marketing offer of... Read More
According to NOP World, 48% of all Internet users have... Read More
China's IT industry is expected to see a sales revenue... Read More
Merchant Account BasicsA Merchant Account is a commercial bank account... Read More
Nothing has helped international brokerage business more than the internet:... Read More
Understanding business and product sales can sometimes put me in... Read More
"What's in a name? That which we call a rose... Read More
Online shopping can be a little frightening to people who... Read More
E-commerce |