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The E-Business Formula for Success: How to Select the Right E-Business Model, Web Site Design, and Online Promotion Strategy for Your Business PDF

360 Pages·2001·2.95 MB·English
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The e-Business Formula for “Shows you how to apply the proven ‘e- Success business formula for success’ to any new or existing business How to Select the Right Model, Web Site Design, and of any size.” Promotion Strategy forYoure-Business Susan Sweeney, C.A. THE E-BUSINESS FORMULA FOR SUCCESS Other Titles of Interest From Maximum Press Marketing on the Internet, Fifth Edition: Zimmerman, 1-885068-49-2 Business-to-Business Internet Marketing, Third Edition: Silverstein, 1-885068-50-6 Marketing With E-Mail, Second Edition: Kinnard, 1-885068-51-4 101 Ways to Promote Your Web Site, Second Edition: Sweeney, 1-885068-45-X Internet Marketing for Less Than $500/Year: Yudkin, 1-885068-52-2 Internet Marketing for Your Tourism Business: Sweeney, 1-885068-47-6 Internet Marketing for Information Technology Companies: Silverstein, 1-885068-46-8 Exploring IBM ~ iSeries and Personal Computers, Eleventh Edi- tion: Hoskins, Wilson, 1-885068-39-5 Exploring IBM RS/6000 Computers, Tenth Edition: Hoskins, Davies, 1-885068-42-5 Exploring IBM ~ iSeries and AS/400 Computers, Tenth Edition: Hoskins, Dimmick, 1-885068-43-3 Exploring IBM S/390 Computers, Sixth Edition: Hoskins, Coleman, 1-885068-28-X Building Intranets With Lotus Notes and Domino 5.0: Krantz, 1-885068-41-7 For more information, visit our Web site at www.maxpress.com or e-mail us at [email protected] THE E-BUSINESS FORMULA FOR SUCCESS How to select the right e-Business model, Web site de- sign, and online promotion strategy for your business Susan Sweeney MAXIMUM PRESS 605 Silverthorn Road Gulf Breeze, FL 32561 (850) 934-0819 www.maxpress.com Acknowledgements This book was very much a team effort and I would like to extend my thanks to Ed Dorey, Andy MacLellan, and Matt Bell—part of the dyna- mite team at Connex Network. It was an extremely busy year, but we did it! Thank you for your time and dedication on this project. Special thanks to my mom and dad, Olga and Leonard Dooley. As always, special thanks to my husband Miles, and our three wonder- ful children—Kaitlyn, Kara, and Andrew—for their love, encouragement and ongoing support. Love you more than the last number. Thanks to Maximum Press. As always, it has been a pleasure to work with Jim Hoskins and Donna Tryon. Thanks to ReNae Grant of PageCrafters for all her support and patience. I look forward to working on future projects with you all. I would like to end by thanking all those individuals and organizations that share their information so freely with everyone on the Net. Sites like WilsonWeb.com (http://www.wilsonweb.com/), E-commerce Times (http:// www.ecommercetimes.com/), Portals like Internet.com (http:// www.internet.com/), About.com’s e-Business section (http:// ebusiness.about.com/industry/ebusiness/mbody.htm) and great newsletters such as AudetteMedia’s I-Sales and I-Search, as well as WebPromote Weekly (http:/ /www.webpromote.com/), ICONOCAST (http://www.iconocast.com/) and iEntry’s WebProNews are all truly invaluable resources. Disclaimer The purchase of computer software or hardware is an important and costly business decision. While the author and publisher of this book have made reasonable efforts to ensure the accuracy and timeliness of the information contained herein, the author and publisher assume no liability with respect to loss or damage caused or alleged to be caused by reliance on any infor- mation contained herein and disclaim any and all warranties, expressed or implied, as to the accuracy or reliability of said information. This book is not intended to replace the manufacturer’s product docu- mentation or personnel in determining the specifications and capabilities of the products mentioned in this book. The manufacturer’s product documen- tation should always be consulted, as the specifications and capabilities of computer hardware and software products are subject to frequent modifica- tion. The reader is solely responsible for the choice of computer hardware and software. All configurations and applications of computer hardware and software should be reviewed with the manufacturer’s representatives prior to choosing or using any computer hardware and software. Trademarks The words contained in this text which are believed to be trademarked, service marked, or otherwise to hold proprietary rights have been desig- nated as such by use of initial capitalization. No attempt has been made to designate as trademarked or service marked any personal computer words or terms in which proprietary rights might exist. Inclusion, exclusion, or definition of a word or term is not intended to affect, or to express judg- ment upon, the validity of legal status of any proprietary right which may be claimed for a specific word or term. Your “Members Only” Web Site The Internet world changes every day. That’s why there is a companion Web site associated with this book. On this site you will find updates to the book and other Web site promotion resources. However, you have to be a member of the “e-Business Formula Insider’s Club” to gain access to this site. When you purchased this book, you automatically became a member (in fact, that’s the only way to join), so you now have full privileges. To get into the “Members Only” section of the companion Web site, go to the Maximum Press Web site located at www.maxpress.com and follow the links to the companion Web site for “e-Business Formula for Success.” When you try to enter, you will be asked for a user ID and password. Type in the following: (cid:127) For your user ID enter: formula (cid:127) For you password enter: cold You will then be granted full access to the “Members Only” area. Visit the site often and enjoy the updates and resources with our compliments— and thanks again for buying the book. We ask that you not share the user ID and password for this site with anyone else. Publisher: Jim Hoskins Manager of Finance/Administration: Donna Tryon Production Manager: ReNae Grant Cover Designer: Lauren Smith Designs Compositor: PageCrafters Inc. Copyeditor: Andrew Potter Proofreader: Kim Stefansson Indexer: Susan Olason This publication is designed to provide accurate and authoritative information in regard to the subject matter covered. It is sold with the understanding that the publisher is not en- gaged in rendering professional services. If legal, accounting, medical, psychological, or any other expert assistance is required, the services of a competent professional person should be sought. ADAPTED FROM A DECLARATION OF PRINCIPLES OF A JOINT COMMITTEE OF THE AMERICAN BAR ASSOCIATION AND PUBLISHERS. Copyright 2001 by Maximum Press. All rights reserved. Published simultaneously in Canada. Reproduction or translation of any part of this work beyond that permitted by Section 107 or 108 of the 1976 United States Copyright Act without the permission of the copyright owner is unlawful. Requests for permission or further information should be addressed to the Permissions Department, Maximum Press. Recognizing the importance of preserving what has been written, it is a policy of Maximum Press to have books of enduring value published in the United States printed on acid-free paper, and we exert our best efforts to that end. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Sweeney, Susan, 1956- The e-business formula for success : how to select the right e-business model, web site design, and online promotion strategy for your business / By Susan Sweeney. p. cm. Includes index. ISBN 1-885068-77-8 (alk. paper) 1. Electronic commerce. 2. Internet marketing. 3. Internet advertising. I. Title. HF5548.32 .S94 2001 658.8’4—dc21 2001000317 Table of Contents vii Table of Contents Part 1: Understanding e-Business Chapter 1: e-Business Overview 3 What Is e-Business? ........................................................................... 4 Industry Overview............................................................................. 5 Chapter 2: Demystifying e-Business Myths 8 Myth #1 “Anyone Can Build a Web Site.” ........................................ 8 Myth #2 “If You Build It, They Will Come.” .................................. 10 Myth #3 “My Online Store Will Offer the Same Products and Services as My Offline Store.” ..................................................... 11 Myth #4 “My Web Developer Takes Care of That.”....................... 11 Myth #5 “My Web Site is the Same As My Corporate Brochure.”.. 12 Myth #6 “E-business is e-Business is e-Business.” ........................... 13 Chapter 3: The e-Business Formula 14 Understanding the Formula ............................................................. 14 Everyone is Different ....................................................................... 15 Applying the Formula...................................................................... 16 vii viii THE E-BUSINESS FORMULA FOR SUCCESS Chapter 4: Laying the Foundation 18 Some Things to Consider................................................................. 18 Taking Payment............................................................................... 20 The Advantages of Taking Online Payments ................................... 20 Acquire an Internet Merchant Account ........................................... 21 Protecting Your Customers.............................................................. 23 Locate a Payment Processing Company........................................... 25 Storefront Solutions......................................................................... 27 Select Storefront Features That Meet Your Objectives..................... 28 Shopping Cart.......................................................................... 28 Backend Integration ................................................................ 29 Thumbnail Image Capability................................................... 30 Searchable Product Database .................................................. 30 Tax Calculations...................................................................... 31 Shipping and Delivery Options................................................ 31 Automatic Purchase Notification............................................. 34 Customer Email Notification................................................... 34 Order Tracking........................................................................ 35 Customer Information............................................................. 35 Ship-to Addresses..................................................................... 36 Technical Support.................................................................... 36 Tracking and Report Generation............................................. 37 Payment Platforms .................................................................. 37 Promotions and Discounts ...................................................... 38 Third-Party Support ................................................................ 39 Domain Name Support and Storefront Hosting ...................... 40 Maximum Product Limit......................................................... 40 Digital Content Sales............................................................... 40 Template Customization.......................................................... 41 International Options.............................................................. 41 Flexibility and Value-Add Components ................................... 41 Use a Storefront Template Service.................................................... 43 Using an ASP................................................................................... 46 Purchase Storefront Development Software..................................... 46 Program and Develop Your Own Storefront ................................... 48 Table of Contents ix Use a Hybrid Storefront System....................................................... 50 Customer Service............................................................................. 50 Internet Resources for This Chapter................................................ 51 Part 2: The Right e-Business Model Chapter 5: e-Business Model 1—Electronic Order Taking 55 Is Model 1 for You?......................................................................... 55 Exploring e-Business Model 1.......................................................... 56 Ordering Alternatives ...................................................................... 57 Behind the Scenes ............................................................................ 59 Chapter 6: e-Business Model 2—Accepting Electronic Payment 60 Is Model 2 for You?......................................................................... 60 Exploring e-Business Model 2.......................................................... 62 Chapter 7: e-Business Model 3—Storefront Selection and Payment Automation 67 Exploring e-Business Model 3.......................................................... 67 Who Uses e-Business Model 3?........................................................ 68 Before You Get Started.................................................................... 69 Storefront Solutions Recap .............................................................. 71 Storefront Template Service..................................................... 71 Using ASP Services .................................................................. 79 Storefront Development Software............................................ 82 Developing Your Own Storefront and Hybrid Solutions ......... 88 Other Considerations ...................................................................... 88

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