Electronic Commerce

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Electronic Commerce Selling
on the Internet

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Source NUA Internet Surveys
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1.17 billion by 2005
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• What is E-Commerce?
• The use of diverse applications of the Internet
  such as Email, Usenet, Chat, FTP, World Wide Web,
  to conduct business operations.

Source Dr. Rob Moore, MSU
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E-Commerce Roadmap
While developing an E-Commerce presence, it is
important to know where you are now as well as
the appropriate destination for your business.
Level 5

• End-to-end
• Fulfillment
• Workflow

• Seamless connectivity to back-end system(s)
• Minimize/eliminate manual input on transactions.
• B2B automated processes

Level 4
Integrated

• Online orders, payments
• Order tracking, queries
• Funds transfer

Transactional
Level 3

• Registration
• Forms
• E-mail

• Secure transaction processing
• Online payment authorization
• Authentication and validation

Level 2
Interactive

• Advertising
• Marketing
• Information

• Web site connectivity to database application(s)
  and email accounts

Static
Level 1

• No company web site
• Can access other sites

• Web site
• Content development updates

Access

• Legend
• - Functions at Level
• - Requirements to achieve next level

No Capability

• Internet access through ISP
• Email accounts

Adapted fromwww.mepcenters.nist.gov/public/ecomme
rce-summit.nsf
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Source NUA Internet Surveys
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U.S. e-commerce retail sales ...

• 36 billion in 2001
• Approximately 1.1 of total retail sales

Source U.S. Department of Commerce August,
2002
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What people are buying on the Web . . .

• Airline tickets
• Computer hardware
• Apparel
• Toys/Video games
• Consumer electronics
• Hotel reservations
• Books
• Music
• Videos
• Software
• Food/Beverages
• Jewelry

• Health/Beauty
• Car rental
• Linen/Home decor
• Sporting goods
• Footwear
• Office supplies
• Tools/Hardware
• Small appliances
• Furniture
• Flowers
• Appliances
• Garden Supplies

Source Forrester
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Know why you are on the Web???
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• To make money ?
• To disseminate information ?
• To stroke your own ego ?

Reference Flanders/Willis Web Usability
Specialists
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The Internet Market Channel
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"With few other sectors of the economy turning in
double-digit growth, the Web continues to offer
compelling opportunities as a sales and marketing
channel." comScore Media Metrix
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U.S. small business stats . . .

• 80 have at least one computer
• Two-thirds have Internet access
• 37 have a Web site
• 27 are selling on the Internet

The Small Business Internet Survey conducted in
July 2001 by The Gallup Organization, Inc. Based
random survey of 500 U.S. companies with 50 or
fewer employees.
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Small businesses using Internet for customer
relations and marketing tool . . .

• gt50 with Web sites exchange e-mail
• with customers daily
• 20 with Web sites have an e-mail
• newsletter
• 36 use Web site to advertise and
• provide company information

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Small business Web site stats . . .

• 50 indicate Web site provided
• 100 return on investment
• Majority expect Web site business to
• increase

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Examples of Mississippi E-Businesses ...
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www.jubilations.com
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www.iceboxframes.com
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www.virtualcities.com/crown.htm
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www.dixiesnow.com
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www.pleasantgrovesoaps.com
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www.mcdonaldfuneralhome.com
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www.cjsbows.com
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www.dixiecraft.com
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Getting Started
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Who is going to design, build, and maintain the
site???
In-house vs. Outsourcing
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Outsourcing . . .
Know who you are hiring!
. . . and get it in writing!!!
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Source Dr. Gary Wingenbach, Texas AM
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What do you need for an e-commerce site . . .

• Domain name
• Web site/store
• Web server/host
• Site marketing

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What do you need for an e-commerce site . . .

• Domain name
• Web site/store
• Web server/host
• Site marketing

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Whats in a name???
EVERYTHING!!!
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www.yourname.com
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What do you need for an e-commerce site . . .

• Domain name
• Web site/store
• Web server/host
• Site marketing

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What do you need for an e-commerce site???

• Web store
• Online product catalog
• Shopping model/Ordering system
• Merchant account/Payment processing
• Customer communication system
• Tracking system

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What do you need for an e-commerce site . . .

• Domain name
• Web site/store
• Web server/host
• Site marketing

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ISP
Internet Service Provider
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What do you need for an e-commerce site . . .

• Domain name
• Web site/store
• Web server/host
• Site marketing

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Build It And They Will Come???
Advertising and Promoting Your Web Site
www.searchengines.com
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What do E-Customers Want?
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Factors driving repeat visits to a Web site . . .

• High quality content
• Ease of use
• Minimal download time
• Updated often

Source Forrester
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Reasons Why People Shop the Web . . .

• Easy to place an order
• Large selection of products
• Cheaper prices
• Faster service and delivery
• Detailed and clear product information
• No sales pressure
• Easy payment procedure

Source www.useit.com
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The key is consumer confidence . . .

• Fun and easy to navigate sites
• Pages that appear professional
• Clear and accurate product information
• and representation
• Real time answers through self help
• features, e-mail, and a toll-free telephone
• number

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The key is consumer confidence . . .

• Good prices and clear representation
• of all charges
• Payment options
• Secure transactions
• Easy to use return or exchange policy
• Quick processing time and delivery
• Shopper privacy

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The key is consumer confidence . . .

• Good prices and clear representation
• of all charges
• Payment options
• Secure transactions
• Easy to use return or exchange policy
• Quick processing time and delivery
• Shopper privacy

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Navigation
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• Navigational Tools
• Location
• Consistency

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• Where am I?
• Where have I been?
• Where can I go?

Dont make me think!!!
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(No Transcript)
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3 clicks and youre out!
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Professional Pages
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People want to do business with people they
believe to be professional.
Reference Flanders/Willis Web Usability
Specialists
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Product Information
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(No Transcript)
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Customer Assistance
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Contact Us

• E-mail
• Telephone number
• Fax

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Ordering Process
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(No Transcript)
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Payment Options
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• Snail Mail
• Telephone
• Fax
• Intermediary
• Online Processing

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Secure Transactions
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(No Transcript)
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(No Transcript)
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Shopper Privacy
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(No Transcript)
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Technical and Design Considerations
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Elements to consider . . .

• Bandwidth
• Browser compatibility
• Color palette
• Continuity
• Frames
• Homepage

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Elements to consider . . .

• User interface
• Screen compatibility
• Readability
• Text only default
• Accessibility

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Bandwidth
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Download time . . .

• 1-2 seconds
• lt 13 seconds
• gt 20 GONE!

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Decrease download time by . . .

• designing for 56k modem
• keeping page sizes lt50k
• applying the KISS rule

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Remove graphic increase traffic.
Its that simple.
Reference Dr. Jakob Nielsen Web Usability
Specialist www.useit.com
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(No Transcript)
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(No Transcript)
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Browser Compatibility
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NETSCAPE
EXPLORER
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NETSCAPE
EXPLORER
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Browser Testing - view your site in as many
browsers as possible

• Netscape
• Explorer
• AOL
• Web TV
• Lynx

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Color Palette
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Color Considerations . . .

• Artistic
• Cultural
• Sales
• Technical

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(No Transcript)
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(No Transcript)
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(No Transcript)
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Continuity
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(No Transcript)
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Frames
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(No Transcript)
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(No Transcript)
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Frames . . .

• Browsers dont like them
• Printers dont like them
• Search engines dont like them
• People/customers dont like them

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FRAMES
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Home Page
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(No Transcript)
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User Interface
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How are your customers accessing your site?

• Desktop
• Laptop
• Hand-held
• Web TV

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How are your customers accessing your site?

• PC
• Mac

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(No Transcript)
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Recommendation . . .

• Specify pages in terms that enable
• browsers to optimize the display
• for each individual users circumstance

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Screen Compatibility
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Recommendation . . .

• Resolution-independent pages
• 800x600 pixels (770x430)

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Resolution Testing - look at your site with
monitor set to resolutions

• 640 x 480
• 800 x 600
• 1024 x 768
• 1152 x 864
• 1280 x 1024

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Readability
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Hows this for readability?
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(No Transcript)
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(No Transcript)
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Recommendations . . .

• Good background/text contrast
• Avoid patterned backgrounds
• Easy to read fonts
• Make words count
• Short paragraphs
• Bulleted lists

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www.cedcc.psu.edu/ritter/web-demo/elements.html
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serif sans-serif
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Text Only Default
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(No Transcript)
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(No Transcript)
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(No Transcript)
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Accessibility
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The Law Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act
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(No Transcript)
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Selectable Image Bobby Approved Symbol. A
friendly uniformed police officer wearing a
helmet displaying the wheelchair access symbol.
Words Bobby Approved v3.2 appear to his right.
Links to http//www.cast.org/bobby.
www.cast.org/bobby
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The Bottom Line . . .

• Getting customers to come to your site,
• Getting customers to make a purchase
• once they get to your site, and
• Getting customers to return to your site and
• purchase again, again, and again!

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Beth Duncan, Ph.D.
Small Business Specialist Mississippi
State University Extension Service
bethd_at_ext.msstate.edu
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Electronic Commerce Selling
on the Internet