Selling Successfully Online: Over 300 top tips for running an ecommerce website

30/03/2011

By Chris Barling

Ecommerce is still the fastest growing retail sector and the barriers to entry are now so low that anyone can set up a web store. Selling Successfully Online - Over 300 top tips for running an ecommerce website is a new guide aimed at those just thinking about making money online, as well as the experienced internet merchant.

Featured below are extracts from the book

DECIDE: MARKETPLACE OR OWN WEB STORE?

The last few years have seen the rise of ’online market places’ such as eBay and Amazon. You can use their technology to start selling straight away and more importantly, they...

...will deliver visitors to your store from day one.

These are major benefits and are the reason why huge numbers of merchants have started selling online through this route. Many merchants with their own websites also sell through Amazon, eBay and others. The benefits are clear, so it’s worth outlining the issues.

• The first is cost, where listing and transaction fees will take a significant proportion of revenue.

• The second is control, where you must adhere to strict policies and your business can disappear overnight if you are deemed to have stepped out of line.

• The final disadvantage is slightly ironic. Because it’s so easy to start up, there is a constant stream of new competitors, many of whom are running their business in the evenings. The most common approach of these start ups is to compete on price, which puts pressure on margins for everyone. While some of these businesses do not last long, there is a constant stream of new ones to take their place.


HOW MUCH WILL IT COST TO SET UP A SITE FOR SELLING ON THE NET?

The answer varies according to the sophistication and volume of the site. You can get a simple site online for around... continued on page two >

 

 

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