SERVICES

E-Commerce

E-Commerce and Web Based Shopping Cart Development

While it may appear that there is a never ending flow of success stories about Internet entrepreneurs who made it big on the Web, it may surprise you to know just how difficult it is to create a successful Web storefront. In fact for some the hyper-competitive nature of the Web makes it more difficult than a traditional brick-and-mortar store. For this reason, it is very important for those interested in e-commerce to fully read this page.

Choosing a shopping cart

This is an extremely important decision as it can literally break the business. Below is a quick summary of some shopping cart options:

Start-Up – best suited for entry level or low volume e-commerce stores. The lower cost of entry (possibly as low as a few thousand dollars) helps those who are just getting started to begin to learn how their business will work (or not) without committing excessive capital.
Small to Medium Business – for those with specific needs or volume that aren’t satisfied by the basic shopping cart, there is an intermediate option. This option has more robust features, better integration with QuickBooks, perfect integration with shipping carriers, gift options, and more.
Large Business – for businesses that are ready to get big, the higher cost of an advanced platform pays for itself over and over again with its exceptional efficiency. Complete customization, A-B testing, Search Engine Optimization, refined user experience, advanced inventory management, and streamlined processes are just a few of the pieces that allow multi-million dollar enterprises to take full advantage of scalability.

Is this your first e-commerce business?

Making the leap to a Web-based business is every bit as challenging as making the leap to a retail store. What really makes the Web an attractive model is the ability to scale beyond anything possible with a traditional retail system. It is precisely here that most e-commerce stores fail. Between managing orders, managing customer communication, advertising costs, marketing, promotions, shipping costs, managing dealers, managing products, research, blogging, and the continually mounting workload it is extremely important to start with a manageable system. With our monthly retainer plan, you will have Wehrenberg Design right along side you helping you understand the nuisances of running an e-commerce business.

Do you have an existing Web storefront?

We have worked with many businesses that had an aging storefront and were extremely concerned that a mistake during the conversion could have a massively disruptive impact. We take these concerns very seriously and have had a great track record in these types of conversions. In fact, we found our conversions to be resounding successes on every level. Keyword rankings remained or increased, conversions increased, traffic increased, and management/maintenance costs decreased.

Do you have a brick-and-mortar?

Moving online will be quite a change from your existing business. We recommend viewing it as a completely new venture as even the most exhaustive planning will not allow you to avoid surprises. Every situation is different. With that said, there is an incredible opportunity on the Web and the scalability and efficiency of e-commerce businesses is a dream come true for many of our clients. Your experience with your products makes it much easier for us to produce an effective online store.