E-Commerce Challenges for Small Business

So now you have a Web site, but as Shania Twain might say, “it don’t impress me much”. Don’t be discouraged, it’s a common feeling after the first attempt at joining the Internet economy.

It is easy to spend a lot of time, effort, and money to launch a Web site and still accomplish very little. But don’t give up and write off the investment. Extract as much as possible from the learning experience. And give yourself credit for not ignoring the New Economy. At least you are trying to participate in the Internet gold rush that seems to be happening exactly 100 years after the original Klondike. Then too, a lot of brave souls suffered pain and hardship to be part of the adventure and get their share of the bonanza.

To succeed with the next step up your own Chilkoot Trail to Internet glory let’s look back and learn from the experience up to this point. Were your objectives and plan clear from the start? Were you committed to the plan and to the resources required? Did you ignore the obstacles and resistance from affected employees, customers, and channel partners, instead of resolving them in advance? Could the negative consequences have been avoided? Can you now build on this experience to deliver better results?

Remember the Internet is like baseball and golf – it’s not good enough to swing and hope. You have to study, prepare, train, practice, and do it a lot before you get good at it. So now that the first step is behind you let’s move on to the next step – doing it better.

It’s more than the wrong choice of graphics and colours.

What is the source of your discontent? Aside from the time and money invested, where exactly have the results been disappointing? No visitors? Too little activity? Or just negative feedback? Be willing to ignore the amateur critics who will happily give you their opinion on the look and feel of your site. But pay attention if there is strong consensus that says your site is badly designed, too slow, or hard to navigate. That is valuable feedback that can be used to make fixes and confirm that you are committed to your e-commerce strategy and that you appreciate your customers’ input.

Was it the wrong destination or the wrong route?

After reviewing feedback and the site analysis reports, it’s time to re-think the original objectives and the plan. Do they need revision? Should you be more ambitious, aggressive, and even radical? Or should you just get the bugs out and fine tune before adding more functionality or content.

Your objectives should have a primary focus on one of the key success criteria – increasing sales, reducing costs, improving customer service, or enhancing customer image. If progress is being made then you are on the right track. Increasing activity may be simply a matter of pumping up the marketing effort, both online and in the traditional channels.

Evolve with your customers.

The Internet has become a key resource in developing the customer relationship. Customer expectations have evolved. The early attraction of customers may have been based on low price and good service. That may not be sufficient to retain the customer when he or she is promised a lower price and better service somewhere else. Customer loyalty will be developed when there is also an appreciation of the additional value of your knowledge, experience and competence. But the most valuable long-term customer relationship arises when there is a strong trust arising from personal experience and recognition of shared beliefs, attitudes, and values.

This level of customer relationship can be enhanced through your Web site. It cannot be automated. (No software or animated sales robot will ever replace a friendly customer service phone call or a visit from a knowledgeable, reliable sales person.) But your Web site should reflect more than your products, prices, and service policies. It should reflect your corporate personality. Is it cute and perky, or calm and professional – like you?

The technology and techniques of the Internet should be used in the same fashion you would direct your staff to deal with customers. Polite and persuasive sales people, not aggressive or annoying. Friendly and helpful customer service representatives, not young renegades lost in their own funky, high tech world.

The abuse of e-mail marketing can also make you as unpopular as the guy that sent the LOVE BUG virus around the world. Online customers have learned to appreciate the approach of permission marketing. It is as simple as explaining why you would like to have any personal information and how you will use it, and then asking for permission to send a newsletter, promotions or product information via e-mail, or regular mail.