E-Commerce Consultation
Quick Summary:
- Investigate before providing recommendation
- We learn all we can about your company and competition
- Draw on past experience and similar work
- Provide insights into online marketing strategy
- Deliver results with emphasis on profitability and ROI
- Online presence integrates with existing marketing strategic plan
In most fundamental terms, find somebody that understands e-commerce.
Your online presence and e-commerce solution must integrate into the overall strategic marketing plan and existing processes. This requires some investigating into how you are conducting business presently, and how changes to your online strategy can yield best possible results.
Asking the right questions
Think about going to the doctor…they should never be prescribing anything until they completely understand what is ailing you. Your developer needs to be asking you questions that go well beyond simple website aesthetics and functionality before providing recommendation:
- How are you currently acquiring customers?
- How are you differentiating yourself from your competition?
- What are your Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and possible Threats?
- Is there a sales force or are you relying on Search Engine Optimization?
- Who are your customers and what do they care about most?
- What technologies do you have in place? …will you have in place?
- What is your strategic plan for the next year, 3 years, 5 years and beyond?
- Are there new markets or opportunities we should be considering?
Spending time on the front end
You developer must learn about your competitive set and what they are doing. While they’ll never understand your business as well as you do, there is a fair chance a good design firm has worked with comparable groups in the past and may have insights which may not have been considered.
Spend extra time communicating on the front end before making any decisions. This will go a long way toward minimizing surprises, delays and extra costs. Your developer should welcome lots of communication as well…because it accomplishes the very same thing for them.
