E-commerce

If you already take orders over the phone or by fax, or your business is suitable this form of sales operation, it is very likely that e-commerce would be a benefit to your business.

Setting up an e-commerce enabled site need not be expensive. You can dip a toe in the water for a modest outlay and see how this goes. It is certainly possible to spend a fortune setting up a site, especially if you are spending other people's money! However, it is probably better to gain some experience of on-line sales, and refine your approach in the light of experience, before making a major investment.

Software Packages

It is quite possible to make on-line sales without purchasing a dedicated e-commerce software package. We have done this, and sold goods all over the globe in this way. The dedicated software packages vary in price from very little up to well over £100k. These are based around databases and are the only sensible route to take if you have more than a few line items.

The level of customisation offered, number of line items to handle, number of different currencies handled and the ability to integrate into other back-office systems are the features that help determine the choice of e-commerce package. If you have up to about 5,000 or so lines, only wish to sell in Pounds Sterling, and are not looking for full integration into other systems, then you are safely in the modest investment bracket!

Advice

We have build a number of e-commerce sites at the modest expenditure end of the market, and have been involved with evaluating and implementing 'high-end' systems in a management capacity. If you think that our experience could be of help to you, please get in touch. Call us on 01327 264497.