The Why and How of E-Commerce Development
by Brent Proctor, Sr. Web Development Project Manager
Since 1995 I have been involved with the internet, computers, or e-commerce in one capacity or another. I watched it's birth, it's continuous growth, and the technological advancement that only the internet can bring. With the wave of social networking, Web 2.0, now 3.0, it is a continually evolving process that can be very confusing. I have helped small to large businesses determine their needs and develop solutions to meet those needs. I've been in the trenches and have been where you are right now. My goal with this site is to bring my experience to help those that don't understand how it works or how to integrate it into their current business. With too many implementations to count under my belt, I feel my experiences with e-commerce have got to be worth something to those that are searching for the answers.
What Do You Need Before You Consult an E-Commerce Developer?
I always like to start with documenting requirements or building a road map. What are your goals with your e-commerce project? What do you want your customers to take away from your online experience? What current systems do you use on the backend of your business for shipping, invoicing, order processing, etc.? Are you willing to look at alternatives to those systems or is it necessary to keep them? Can your business handle doubling it's sales in less than 6 months with production requirements? Do you have the internal staff to handle the increase in order volume or customer service requests?
All of these questions and more need to be thought out before implementing a solution. Obviously depending on the size of the company and product offering it could be an easy transition or one that needs to be mapped out well in advance. The Help Documents listed on this site will help you determine your framework for your e-commerce solution.
Outsourcing, Hosting, Equipment, what???
There is even more to think about with your e-commerce implementation that most small business users don't even think about. 75% of small businesses have less than 6 employees. You probably don't have your own IT department or even try to handle it yourself. If anything more technically advanced than creating a Word or Excel document arises, the need for outsourcing is more than likely at hand. Sometimes more than an internet connection is needed to run your e-commerce effort and sometimes that is all you need.