ISQA 407 Creating a Store Front

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ISQA 407 Creating a Store Front

• Dr. Sergio Davalos
• Summer 2002

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Issues in building a Store Front.

• What kind of person does it take to run an online
  store?.
• Initial capital to get the store up and running?.
  
• Equipment and software needed
• Location
• Employees number and finding
• Profit - income
• Advantages and disadvantages to running an online
  store?.
• Content do I need to generate?
• Laws and regulations covering online stores

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Issues in building a Store Front continued.

• What products
• Distribution.
• Virtual store
• Digital products
• Business model
• Competition
• How to succeed
• Promotion
• Internet technology spam, HTML code.
• Build it yourself or outsourc
• Online malls
• Credit card orders and other kinds of security
  risks References

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Web Store Business Models

• One-to-One Relationships.
• Narrow Interest Aggregation.
• Low Cost of Entry.
• Leveraging Technology.
• The Sea Is Changing.
• Choosing a Business Model.
• Which Model Works for You.

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Building Your Store

• Launching Your Online Store.
• Selecting a Name. Choosing a Legal Entity. A Tax
  ID and Resale Certificate.
• Working Out of an Office.
• Acquiring a Merchant Account to Accept Credit
  Cards.
• Setting Up with Distributors and Vendors.
• Choosing Your Web-Hosting Situation.
• Hiring a Developer vs. Doing It Yourself.
• Choosing the Right Software

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Building Your Store

• Stocking Your Store.
• Getting Product.
• Minimizing Your Inventory Risk.
• Knowing Which Items Are Hot.
• Importing.
• Getting Big by Keeping It Small

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Building Your Store

• Creating Retail Content Without Spending a
  Fortune.
• Informational Content.
• Interactive Content.
• Multimedia Content.
• Software Content
• Generating Good Content
• Essential Gravy

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Promoting Your Store

• Finding Customers Online
• Forum and Community Types.
• Making Use of the Usenet.
• Using Mailing Lists.
• Using Online Forums and Clubs.
• Other Ways to Spread the Good Word.
• An Easy, Personal Way to Reach Customers

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Promoting Your Store

• Promoting Your Store Online and Offline.
• Search Engines. Links. Bounty Programs.
• Online Malls.
• Working with Online and Offline Media.
• Never Underestimate Promotion

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Promoting Your Store

• Advertising.
• Why, When, and What to Advertise?.
• Where Should I Advertise?.
• Where Should I Advertise on the Internet?.
• Banner Ads.
• Calculating a Return on Your Investment.
• Do it, Mix it, and Maintain it

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Selling and Shipping

• International Sales.
• Processing an International Order.
• Promoting Your Store Internationally.
• International Telecommunications.
• Credit Card Orders.
• Internationalizing Your Web Store.
• Shipping Page.
• International Email Tips.
• International Access from Your Back Yard

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Selling and Shipping

• Payment Acceptance and Processing.
• Setting Up a Merchant Account.
• Before You Enable Transactions.
• Types of Payment and Acceptance.
• Major Credit Cards.
• Processing an Online Credit Card Order.
• Processing a Phone or Fax Order.
• International Orders.
• Secure Electronic Transaction (SET).
• Accept Credit Cards, But Be Careful

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Selling and Shipping

• Shipping.
• Setting Up a Shipping Account.
• Utilizing Each Courier's Strengths.
• Minimizing Your Shipping Rates.
• Shipping Supplies. Easier to Get Than You Think.
• Linking Shipping with Your Web Site.
• Pros and Cons of COD.
• Mistakes Happen and That Means a Refund.
• Reinforcing the Shipping Link

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Maintaining and Growing Your Store.

• Maintaining Your Store.
• Organizing Your Day.
• Redesigning Your Web Site.
• Invoicing.
• Organizing Your Site's Back End.
• Periodic Maintenance.
• If You Fail To Plan, You Plan To Fail.

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Maintaining and Growing Your Store.

• Building Loyal Customers Through Online Customer
  Service.
• Email Accounts and Customer Profiles.
• Creating Email Mailing Lists.
• Top Email Packages.
• How to Handle Phone Calls.
• Privacy.
• Customer Service Is an Investment.

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Maintaining and Growing Your Store.

• Fighting Off the Competition.
• Unique Aspects of Internet Competition.
• Tracking the Competition.
• Finding a Competitive Niche.
• Keeping in Touch with the Web Community.
• Take action

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Maintaining and Growing Your Store.

• Legal Issues.
• Jurisdiction.
• Tax Issues.
• Intellectual Property.
• International Law.