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What you need in order to establish a virtual store?
There is a great importance to getting acquainted with the processes and order of activities required toward establishing a business on the Internet. There are no shortcuts to the proper combination of the various elements required. Intelligent and proper execution of all stages is the recipe for success in internet businesses and for their transformation into a profit generating system.
The first and most important - albeit not exclusive - ingredient in the desired success is the product. A product (or group of products) that requires and is suited for Internet marketing is an important starting point.
Any attempt to market inappropriate products on the net may lead to failure, even if all of the other ingredients are appropriate and operational.
The other ingredients, essential to operating a store on the net, are as follows:
1. Appropriate and efficient software for operating a virtual store.
2. Hosting on servers operated by a company that guarantees and provides the highest level of availability at minimum faults.
3. A logistical system that ensures that the product is transported from the seller to the buyer at a minimal time and price and maximum efficiency and security.
Proper website graphic design can only help.
All of the rings of this chain are essential. The absence or weakness of one of them may damage the success of the entire project and even question its survivability. It is important to remember - a chain is always as strong as its weakest link. A cliché? Indeed, but true.
1. E-commerce software
Assuming that we have a product that is right for Internet marketing, the appropriate software must be selected to operate the system. This software must be user friendly and easy to use, both for the store operator and - especially - for the buyer. All this, without detracting from its ability to meet the requirements set for an effective system for operating an e-commerce site on the Internet.
The basic elements that are essential in this software, are:
1. The ability to display the products as quality images with appropriate text.
2. Quick search and finding of each item, based on various characteristics.
3. A "Shopping Cart" system for picking up products and totaling their price.
4. A customer debit and payment system, including the security required for performing credit card charges.
5. A logistical interface system for improving supply efficiency and product delivery to the customer.
6. Compiling figures, processing data and performing statistic interpolations for appropriate management and conclusions.
7. A user friendly control board for operation and control over the various store components.
2. Sales Site Hosting
To ensure ongoing and current operations, uninterrupted availability and quick access to the e-commerce site, hosting servers backed up by a reliable and efficient operator must be selected.
The server must enable hosting volumes that leave great reserves for future growth, with a bandwidth that enables high traffic at any given moment. System reliability must be high, providing maximum site availability to the user. In other worlds: minimizing the timeouts in ongoing site activities, derived from faults or preplanned maintenance.
The server support and service system must back up system activity and ensure its proper operation, 24 hours a day, all days of the year. Availability is considered good when a system is up over 99% of the time. Hosting sites declaring 99.9% availability, if they are being accurate, are definitely worthy of attention when reaching a decision on a site hosting supplier.
3. Logistics
In terms of e-commerce, the term 'logistics' relates to all activities that complement the completion of the sale. Businesses with inventories that support their Internet sales will transfer the orders received to a team in charge of inventory management for packing and delivery to the customer.
An appropriate e-commerce software package will also enable the issuance of "order forms" required for preparing the deliveries, stickers for delivery and attached paperwork, as well as inventory management as well.
Numerous Internet businesses try to save the cost of inventory, storage space and the staff required to handle it and send the products to the customers, and thus reach agreements with the manufacturers and suppliers whose products they offer for sale, to the effect that they send the products directly from their inventory to the customer.
This technique, no doubt, saves a great deal of money, but requires complex agreements and rigid accords with various suppliers, trust in their reliability and ability to meet timetables.
The site operator is required to demonstrate a high level of maneuverability in tying the ends and ensuring that the customer receives the ordered products, accurately, securely and in a timely manner.
In conclusion: This technique saves a great deal on costs and expenses, enables the large scale operation of a business with a minimal investment, but is exposed to problems that risk the reputation of the selling business and may even cause its downfall.
ATPLogic -The Obvious Choice
Establishing and hosting a commercial Internet site is a service that includes the consolidation of various elements. A situation in which one company performs all of the required steps is, of course, ideal.
Is there a company capable of providing all of the required elements at outstanding quality?
We, the staff of ATPLogic, do not only respond affirmatively, but we also meet the challenge successfully every day.
ATPLogic is the leading company for establishing, operating and hosting Internet e-commerce and catalog sites.
The proper combination of the various teams that are employed by ATPLogic, enables us to make this declaration and stand behind our words. The graphic team will help you with ideas to design the site, toward achieving the maximal effect to serve your objectives. This team performs the graphic design and animation - if required - to your full satisfaction.
The software professionals will be involved with the software required to operate the site as well as its functions (in most cases, the sales site established by the team will be based on software packages that we developed in the past and with which we are experienced). If software adjustments are required in order to obtain maximum performance from the sales site you are establishing, a software professional will be available to you.
Interested in e-commerce? Want to sell over the Internet? Click here for details on the Kenyon On-Line System.
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