Being successful with an online catalog requires more than just a shopping cart. Like any business it requires merchandising, marketing, sales and service.

Remember, ten minutes on the phone can make the difference. Call with your questions...1-888-397-2474

Before you begin building an online catalog you need to understand it is going to take a considerable amount of work to be successful. Below is a list of some of the most important things you need to consider before creating your online catalog.

• Is there a market: Search the web for other companies that sell the same things you do. Look at the features they are offering on their site, the pricing, delivery costs, etc. Remember, price is not necessarily the deciding factor for making an online purchase. Trust, simplicity and convenience play an important role. And don't worry if you find sites that will be competing with you. Take a close look at the site and note the features, services and pricing. This information will help you decide what features your site should include.
  
  
• What competitive advantages do you bring to the table: Don't consider price, service or product quality as competitive advantages unless you are the clear leader in the market. Look for ways you can give your customers added value...faster delivery, lower shipping, free gift wrapping...any added value your competitors are missing.
  
  
• What are the marketing costs for your market: Do keyword research to find out what keywords are being used and what your chances are of getting top 10 position with natural keyword searches. Also look at the cost of pay-per-click for those keywords.

• Can you afford the opportunity costs: Starting a professional e-commerce site requires an investment in developing the site and an investment in time to manage and market the site. Do you have the resources to give your e-commerce site an opportunity to succeed? We generally suggest that you have a minimum of the development cost (including your time) and at least one year hosting and maintenance cost.
  
  
• Do you have access to the necessary expertise: Operating a successful e-commerce site requires technical and online marketing expertise in addition to your business expertise. You will need access to that expertise to be successful. If you don't have it you will need to choose an e-commerce partner that can provide it.
  
  
• Register Your URL: Your URL is your web address. If you don't already have one you need to register one. You can do this through one of the many URL registration companies online. Check out our brief article on choosing a URL.
  
  
• Choose an E-commerce Solution Provider: There are dozens of e-commerce solutions available to create your online catalog including ours. Here are just a few of the things you need to consider when choosing a solution. 
  • Is it easy to maintain?
  • Is it easy to process orders?
  • Does it provide the most important marketing processes?
  • Can it be customized if necessary?
  • What kind of support do they offer after the sale? In addition to technical support do they provide:
    • Marketing help
    • Search engine positioning help
    • Promotional help
  • How long will it take you to learn how to use the solution?
  • What kind of training is provided?
  • Is it flexible enough to be able to add custom features when you need them?
    
    

• Establish a Merchant Account: To take orders over the Internet you need a credit card merchant account. This account allows you to receive credit card purchases and transfers the money to your checking account. Many retail merchant accounts do not allow you to accept "remote" payments (mail order or online orders). If you already have a merchant account check with your account manager to see if they allow orders that originate online. If you need a merchant account for online orders, see our Merchant Account page. If you have questions feel free to call us for help.
  
  
• Choose a Payment Gateway: An online payment gateway automatically processes credit card "sales" and "authorizations" online. A payment gateway is not required with LetMeShop but in many cases a gateway will dramatically reduce the processing time for each order. LetMeShop can also be customized to export orders to your back-end billing program if necessary. If you are considering a payment gateway see our Payment Gateway page.
  
  
• Key Word Research: Key word research is an absolute necessity if you plan to optimize your site for search engines or use pay-per-click advertising. For more information on key word research see our Key Word Research page.
  
  
• Create a marketing plan: Like your physical location, your online location will require advertising and marketing. There are thousands of online advertising opportunities. However, your primary marketing focus will probably be getting listed in the major search engines. Since this can take months of continuing effort you need to understand the search engines and what you need to do before you open your site. For more information on optimization see our Search Engine Optimization page.
  
  
• Making the decision: Review our pricing options and request a proposal.
  
• Call Web Transitions, Inc. - (888) 397-2474