eCommerce

A number of forces at play are dramatically changing the entire retail landscape across the world. The latest and probably the most powerful of these is the emerging power of the internet. It is widely believed that any retailer who fails to recognize and capitalize on this revolution is at a grave risk. Shopping on the internet or eShopping is clearly catching on throughout the world and many countries around the world are witnessing an over 70-100 percent increase in eCommerce sales each year. A web store motivates customers from across the world to register their orders on the internet, accessible to customers 24 hours a day and all 7 days of the week and offer tremendous convenience to their computer oriented customers.

It has been proved that the number one factor motivating online shopping is convenience. Customers have found eShopping the easiest to adapt.  The variety of goods and services being purchased over the internet are also increasing, though computer hardware and software, books of all categories, Music CD/DVD’s, travel items are the most popular items being traded on the web. However other products like games, clothing, and automobiles are fast picking up an increasing percentage of the customers gradually getting hooked onto the internet way of shopping

Most of the major retailers have already begun marketing a wide variety of their merchandise on the web, while the others who have not yet done so are wither already in the process of developing their virtual store or seriously considering doing so. Developing an e-retail strategy has now become synonymous with developing an overall business strategy and cannot be overlooked under any circumstances.

In spite of all the benefits that online shopping offers, the biggest concern it raises is the question of security in the use of credit cards and passwords. Most online shoppers prefer to pay by credit card and require absolution security or secrecy of their passwords and privacy of consumer information – two major concerns that still need to be resolved today. As a result much of the web sales that take place till this day are executed with a fair level of risk. However apart from the actual sales that take place on the web itself, the customers are also offered information about the various products that they wish to purchase.  Many retail companies have already created some very attractive web stores which are extremely user friendly and very comprehensive. On these web stores, the companies provide a large amount of information about themselves as well as about the products that they stock. One of the biggest advantages of eCommerce is that the retailer is virtually selling 24 hours a day without any additional costs to the company and that customers can also access their products around the clock, seven days a week.

The process is simple… Once a customer has logged on to a web store, they can choose the items they wish to purchase, the prices of which are usually given alongside. They can then proceed to the mode of payment and enter the details of their credit card along with the tendered amount. this order is instantly registered with the web store who immediately arranges to dispatch the desired goods to the customer usually by mail or own logistics arrangements. Although the growth of such click sales is increasing rapidly, its volumes are far too small to sustain pure web retailing. In fact their percentage compared to the brick sales of retailers are still very nominal. Many pure e-retailers who overestimated their sales have had to suffer immensely and some have even decided to start their own brick stores to sustain themselves. It is thus widely believed that a combination of the brick and the click is undoubtedly te winning combination of the future in the retail business. In other words multi-channel retailing is the key to the future….

If you are looking to invest in an eCommerce solution it’s crucial to go about it the right way as erroneous decisions can be expensive. So whether this is your first journey into eCommerce or if you are looking to build on existing online revenue stream what solution features should you be looking for?

Discover below the 10 essentials of successful ecommerce and how Pathfinder can help:

A Great looking site

A striking and professional site is important to draw customers in and give them the confidence to buy. Pathfinder’s ecommerce sites are clean, artistic, easy to navigate and good-looking; from the initial impact right through to purchasing. We are also more than happy to work with your existing designs or design team.

Performance & quick ROI

Your customers will look elsewhere if your site is slow, crumbling and difficult to navigate. Pathfinder ecommerce solutions are fast, robust and provide a great shopping experience. Our customers can expect to see a major improvement in both turnover and profitability providing a quick return on investment.

Scalable

To avoid expensive re-designs you must make sure that your brass tacks are sound. Once business picks up your website must cope or you will risk losing your new customers. Pathfinder’s ecommerce solutions are scalable, provide a solution that fits your needs and budget, but is also very capable so you can easily add extra features and functionality as you grow – keeping your well earned reputation intact.

Function rich & innovative

Today’s on-line shopper is refined and expects a high level of functionality, which is why our Pathfinder ecommerce solutions comes with some amazing features as standard. Our creative team of programmers use leading-edge technology to give your customers a personalized shopping experience. 

Seamless Back office Integration

If you sell your stock across multiple channels it’s imperative that you have one integrated system to maintain customer service and reduce your workload. In addition, customers expect to be able to interact with your different channels seamlessly. Pathfinder’s ecommerce solution contains a very powerful back office module which not only manages stock between your channels but also provides cross-channel benefits such as reserve on-line and pick-up in store.

Flexible is our middle name

We can provide the whole solution or just the bits you want us to. We can overlay your existing website design onto our solution, and we can work with your in-house design team and developers. Ongoing you can administer your own content changes or ask us to do it for you. Extra modules, features and channels can be added easily – providing you with the flexibility and freedom to grow your on-line business.

Reasonably priced

We understand that if you have a budget for a new website you are probably going to want to spend the bulk of it on marketing and advertising. We therefore provide solutions for every budget and aim to achieve a fast return on your investment.

Secure sites & payments

Your customers are much more likely to buy if they feel they are in a secure on-line environment. We secure our client websites with SSL certificates. Our software comes equipped with out-of-the-box support for most of the major payment gateways, and can be adapted to suit just about any gateway or payment provider of your choice.

A Total Solution

Pathfinder provides all the services you need to help you make your on-line goals a reality; Design, content management, hosting & support, SEO marketing, as well as integration with payment providers, and 3rd party stock systems. Our skilled team are friendly and won’t perplex you with jargon.

Nothing succeeds without Marketing

Launching a new website is a marvellous achievement; however you will need effective web marketing and SEO to make it a success. Our sites are designed to perform well, and we will work with you to create a marketing strategy that will make a real difference to your online market share.