E-commerce - What it takes Part #1

What does it take to succeed in E-commerce?

The most common reaction I get to e-commerce is from business owners who remember the UPS commercial where they build a website - and all of them stand in front of their computer looking at the order counter. It starts with a big fat zero - and then 1, 2, 10, 50, 5000 orders come flying into their systems.

Let me state clearly - E-commerce does NOT work that way. (Well, unless you are willing to put large amounts of money out into many channels to bring those customers).

Most small operations, making the transition from brick to click - this is not what happens.

And more importantly - what would happen to a small organization that normally does 10-50 orders a day - and suddenly they are inundated with 500 orders. In one day.

I can tell you what will happen. Lots of phone calls with very angry customers asking where their orders are.

So - what does it take to succeed in E-commerce?

The very first thing you have to have is realistic expectations.

And often times, those expectations are hard to manage as the people wanting the e-commerce sales are not technical. Not computer literate, and certainly not E-Commerce literate.

That's where I come in often. I know what it takes, and what works.