eCommerce - Trading Online
Is your host up to it?Fancy doing it yourself? See our recommended reading list first then buy from Amazon at reduced rates!
Should You Do It?
It depends...
On many things...
- Is your product or service marketable?
- How much competition is there?
- Can you make it return a profit in a reasonable amount of time?
- Have you got the support of your bank?
- How much will it cost?
- How long will it take?
- What are the risks?
- Can you cope with expansion?
The list can seem endless but many of the answers to these questions are simple. The thing that should be remembered is that trading online should compliment offline trading. If you haven't got a successful offline trading model then it is unlikely that an online model will succeed.
Success Stories
We'll give you a brief list of some business types that succeed on the net.
Accommodation Providers
All types of accommodation providers have had success on the net; bed and breakfasts, hotels and self catering. The size of the business generally determines how much they spend on web site functionality and promotion but even with a good basic site these types of business can be successful.
Holiday booking and availability systems are proven to be successful as long as they are implemented sympathetically.
Service/Attraction Providers
Often it is possible to get customers to book for services in advance if they are confident that the transaction will be honoured. Success stories in this area include boat and bus tours, fishing/bird/whale watching trips, adventure activities and a host more. Even if these businesses don't want to offer online booking, showing availability can be a real bonus for the visitor and the administrators.
Shops
The online shopper is becoming increasingly more important to today's business. Providing the shopping experience is targeted at the visitor's requirements there is no reason why all retail business, no matter what the size, shouldn't have an online shop. Arts and crafts, gift shops, local produce - the list is almost endless.
Payment methods are normally seen as a stumbling block for small businesses but there are solutions available. Contact us to find out more.
