That's it. I am drawing a line (throws down hat, draws line), no more eCommerce sites.

Aha! I hear you say, but you have just launched Roadkilltoys.com and that is an eCommerce website... Well, yes...and no.

We shaped Roadkilltoys.com into being a lot more than that. It is a brochure site and blog site with lots of lovely keyword rich content - and you can also buy the products from the site. It is not just an online shop with hundreds of products and a complicated 'automated' eCommerce workflow behind it. The power is still there, but it is more 'plugged-in' and modular, than custom built.

I get the impression that non-web savvy people think that online sales are the soft option, that it is an easier and more automated approach than selling in a real world shop or by mail order. In fact, quite the opposite is true, and requires far more work and systems preparation on the back end to make it easy for the user on the front end, as a website can't think for itself or call the manager when it is not sure...

The result of this, is that 60-70% of all carts/orders are abandoned before the sale is complete. Selling on the internet is a highly competitive area and the next shop is only a back button click away. You may increasing your target audience by selling on the web, but you are also multiplying your competition as well.

I find that the majority of the would-be dotcom entrepreneurs that approach me, don't actually know anything about the web or how their target audience use it, and think that their 'big idea' is the one that is going to succeed - when thousands of other sites using exactly the same model have failed miserably.

If you are going to do this and you do want want to succeed; Research, Research, Research. And approach it in an objective and business-like manner with an awareness of the common pitfalls.

For instance: Don't base your ideas on the competition's site for example. You are assuming that a style or method or approach is working for them but they might be failing all the while. Websites tend to look the same whether people are buying or not, especially after they have invested so much money into them.

Learn about your market, learn about web 2.0 and the newer approaches to the web/internet. Learn about blog marketing and social networks. Learn about basic usability and search engine optimisation. With this knowledge you will then be able to make informed decisions about how to shape and run your web based business with a greater chance of success.

Seo Basics for eCommerce

I found this video on YouTube. Everything he says on the video is serious and correct, but I think he is presently it in a slightly tongue-in-cheek manner.

Important eCommerce Web Pages

Another video by the same guy, taken up a notch. Please note: eCommerce is not rock and roll (unless you are iTunes Music Store).