Own a retail store and like to start selling online - Multi-channel

Why should you be starting to sell online Multi-channel if you have a traditional retail business?

There are many people right now thinking of selling online due to the current economic issues and opportunities. In 2013 Australian online retail sales will exceed $37 Billion and worldwide exceeded US$1 Trillion in 2012. In Australia eCommerce is growing at a rate in excess of 20% year over year, and mobile commerce more than 40% annually. There are over 2.5 million small to medium sized businesses in Australia and New Zealand but less than 12% have an online store. A 2010 survey by Forrester found that the web influenced more than 53% of all retail sales, and that percentage is growing annually, so failure to have a web presence with your product catalogue means it is harder to be successful and grow sales.

When you are considering starting to sell online you also have to look at what your competitors are doing online. You should never copy what your competitors are doing but you can use it as a guide and then even improve on what they offer.

So getting started means doing some research so that you are best informed and ready to move forward.

You can get more information about how to start and online business - click here.

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There are a few things that you have to do apart from starting an online store

Following is a quick summary: You need a domain name. You need a business email addresses. A website with a shopping cart like our cloud hosted online store package.  You may need to have a design and some development for your website We have Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) built in so no additional costs Setup a Google Webmasters account. When your website is live you may need to do Search Engine Marketing (SEM) – pay per click (PPC) with Google Adwords as an example. You may need an SSL Certificate (recommended if you accept credit cards). You will need a payment gateway or payment provider and maybe an online merchant bank account. You will need a shipping company - like Australia Post to deliver products. Don't forget the traditional business costs, taxes, charges etc. You will need some human resources - maybe that is just you. But if you have a full time job remember that the online business will not look after itself. Web analytics to track visitors and business conversion data. Social media accounts - we recommend Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, Linkedin and YouTube. Although not essential social media will help you get started. You can also setup accounts at eBay, Shopping.com, Google Shopping and Getprice to sell your products via multiple channels.

Includes Everything You Need

 

Unlike other solutions when you use a Hosted eCommerce Store from eCorner everything is included. Our solution is managed, maintained and upgraded regularly by eCorner. You hear a lot about cheap online shopping carts but be aware there are hidden costs which are often not made very clear.

 

If you have a business and want to start selling online then eCorner will have an ecommerce solution that's just right for you.  The first place to start is to understand and document your requirements. It's much easier to review and select an appropriate packaged when you have a good understanding of what you're looking for.

The package you need will be determined by the features required (marketing options, integration requirements) and the size of the store (number of products and categories). We have made some recommendations for that packages that will suit your requirements at the bottom of this page. These are the eCommerce packages that are most often used by retailers that enter the world of eCommerce to grow their business.

So what do I need to get started?

The first thing you need to do is choose an eCommerce provider and purchase a 'hosted' eCommerce package. You can do as much or as little of the design and setup of the online store as you feel comfortable or you can 'outsource' some of the work (design and setup) to us.

There are a couple of other components that you will need to acquire to get your online store up and running and they include:

1. Domain name. This is your web site address and is typically displayed as http://www.yourbusinessname.com.au. eCorner can acquire your chosen domain name for you. Domain names start at $99.00 and are valid for 2 years
2. Email accounts. Your business will look a lot more professional if you have email accounts that are connected to your domain name. eCorner can supply email accounts starting from as little as $99.00 per year.
3. SSL certificate. An important component in setting up your new online store is the implementation of an SSL certificate. The SSL certificate provides additional security measures to your customers, authenticates your website and provides warranty assurances for purchases made through your website.

Recommended packages that might fit your requirements