The first step, and the defining factor for many businesses is, how do we define "e-commerce success"?



There are some common answers:

- The website needs to make a profit

- The business needs to meet the owner's income – passive income – goals

- Who will pay for the product or service?

- Why didn't the visitor buy the product or service from another website?

The last two factors are vital to any e-commerce business success. Not everyone who visits a website want to buy the product. However, thousands of people who never find the website want to buy the product. The key is to find out how those people search the web, what forums they participate in, what newsletters they belong to, where they have their 'private space', and how can you meet their needs.

Customer Service

The #1 reason why e-commerce businesses fail is because the business owner believes that customer service is not important in an ecommerce business. Nothing is farther from the truth.

Online customers have a choice. They can buy a product from the guy in their forum or who visits their myspace site, or they can buy from a perfect stranger who cannot be contacted.

Customer service in the www world is built on communication. Free chats, answering questions in forums, holding workshops, free information in blogs, newsletters, and even teleconferences are just some of the ways that people come in contact with the web owner.

There is an unwritten rule that 'there are no returns on the net.' That is why communication is so important. Most e-commerce businesses are not about the product, the information, the or the service. It is about the relationship between the business owner and the customer.

That is why sites like www.myspace.com, www.youtube.com , www.communati.com and other large communities are so successful.

Image is part of the customer service. The image shouldn't be condescending or 'I have it all and you need to buy it.' Instead, it should be 'I figured this out and I'll share my information with you.'

The design of the website must look and function with a professional edge. That is why many ecommerce sites are building their sites on mambo.com or Joomla.com platforms, using professional templates. There are other Content Management Systems that help web owners manage their content, forums, blogs, and chat rooms, but these two are the most popular, and easiest for beginners to use.

Target Audience

Most Dot Com utilised the latest technology, built the best websites, and forgot to tell their target audience how to use the site. All sites should have several navigation paths that let users find their way around.

They should also include a FAQ with basic and advanced questions. A full time business could also employ a live chat, or a video tutorial that will help users learn how to use the site. Always include a site map that has direct links to important pages in the site.

The next element should be 'instant' samples. This doesn't need to be a part of the product, but it can be power point presentations. In fact, one strong sale's tool is a MS movie maker slide show of the content in an article, or a power point presentation. This gives extra 'value.' Also, the audio features make it possible to add streaming audio/podcasts to the website adding extra value for the visitor.

However, don't use features that some people do not share. A blatant example of web features that limit users is Javascript and Macromedia Flash. It is also important to make sure the website works in both IE and Firefox. Most of the people in the world do not use Internet Explorer, but instead use Fire Fox.

Payment Gateway

The next factor that needs to be addressed is the payment gateway. Most people are afraid of entering their credit card information into a website. That is why www.paypal.com and ebay stores are so popular. The webmaster can assure their clients that their information is secure and their money protected.

This is another way that an ecommerce business can put their customer's needs first, and improve customer service, while improving their chances of success.

Customer Power

Ignoring the customer is the number one way to loose future sales. Customers are one of the most powerful marketing tools. Customers tag good websites on technorati and digg. They talk about them in their blogs. They suggest favorite websites and services while chatting with their friends. A happy customer will spread the word ten times faster, and farther, than a $10 000 Pay Per Click campaign.

Learn how to master the skill of web-based customer service. Learn how to make your customers think that your only reason for running a business is to solve their problems. Last, learn to become part of the web community, and you'll protect your business from becoming another dot-bomb.