MarketQwest Associates

Second in a series on eCommerce basics.

In this series, we’ll talk about the basics of shopping carts, payment gateways, pay per click, and search engine optimization.

But, before we get to talking about eCommerce specific topics, I’d like to spend a few minutes talking about general marketing and business decisions that you need to make first.

Who is your target market?

When I teach marketing, I stress to my students that this is the single most important decision that any marketer makes.  Every other decision is based on your definition of your target market.  There are lots of different ways you can segment a market, based on attitudes, interests, income.  You can serve multiple target markets, but you need to define each one clearly, and understand their needs.   When I meet a new client,  the first question I ask is “who is your target market?”  If the client answers “We have something for everyone”, I know we are in trouble.

Why are you different?

The internet has changed the way we think about distance.  Put simply, everything on the internet is one click away from everything else on the internet.  Therefore, if you are not giving your customers a reason to choose your product or your service, they will click over to someone else.    And price can not be the main selling point.  Yes, you need to be priced competitively, but there will always be someone ready to undercut you.  Your difference needs to be something that makes a difference to your target market.

An internet business is a *business* first. So, before we even begin to think about eCommerce (we’ll get there, I promise) you need to be clear on the same basics that every business needs to be clear on.  Who are your customers?  And why should they buy from you?

Define your product or service.

Do this carefully.  If there are options, define them exactly.  Be sure you know exactly what you are going to sell, and how much you are going to sell it for.  While this is important for most businesses, it is crucial for eBusiness.  The reason is that customers do not have the chance to examine the product before hand, so you have to be extra clear on what you are selling.  We’ll talk more about this in future installments.

How are you going to spread the word?

Even though you probably won’t execute your communication strategy until after you have built the site, it is important to think about it.  The days of “if you build it, they will come”, are long since over, assuming they ever really existed.

The internet is a BIG place.  How will your customers find you?  You need to have a plan in place before going any further.

The answer t0 these questions will have a major influence on which shopping cart you select, and how you implement your store.

And that will be covered in our next installment