eCommerce, or Electronic Commerce, is the purchasing and selling of products and services over the Internet. Establishing an online shopping cart for your business can be a potentially lucrative investment. There are many excellent eCommerce programs that can be integrated into your website. However, good software alone does not make an eCommerce system work. There are several key components to any great E-Com business, and we’ll highlight those below.

Security: You’ll be handling clients’ personal information, including credit card data. The Internet is a breeding ground for hackers and identity thieves. Your software must be in tiptop shape to defend against potential threats. The latest encryption tools and a secure transaction process are must haves.

Usability: No one is going to buy products from a site they can’t understand. Navigation should be simple, yet sales oriented. Products should be easily found and plainly listed. All of today’s top eCommerce sites involve some type of membership program, which facilitates returning customers and by extension more purchases. The entire experience must be user friendly and highly intuitive.

Scalability and Customization: As your business grows, your needs will change. The right choice in eCommerce software will allow you to add and morph the database to the way you want it. The ability to add features is an important, and often overlooked, one.

Those were the do's of eCommerce. Here are the don'ts.

Sell the right things. Certain products are not easy to sell over the web. Cars, for instance, have no place on the internet.

Don't make a faulty layout. As stated above, a poorly designed eCommerce program will turn off potential clients and you will lose sales.

Be informative. Offer as much information as possible for each product. Serial numbers, warranty information, rebate links are all good. Make your clients feel informed.

Keep your buyers updated. Tracking the products shipped will go a long way to increasing client trust and repeat buyers.

Customer service is king. Like any business, establishing trustful relationships with clients will only do good for your entire operation. Be friendly.

Deciding to sell your products online is a big decision. The risks are big but the rewards are great. eCommerce is a complicated procedure, though, and it's impossible to explain the entire process in one short blog post. Visit our eCommerce page and click on the button below to learn more before you make a decision.