When my clients ask me if they should invest in e-commerce I ask them these basic questions:
- Do you have a product to sell that is unique or hard to find?
- Have you looked to see how many of your competitors are offering the same product at a discount?
- Do you have the time and/or staff to support a “second” location (if you already have a brick and mortar location)?
- Can you afford to invest your time or hire staff to enter and maintain your online inventory and database?
- Can your product be shipped for a reasonable fee? If it is oversized or overweight is it in high enough demand that people will pay the shipping costs?
- Who is your target market? Will they shop online?
If you can answer “yes” to most of these questions, you are ready to seriously consider creating an online store.
If you cannot, you may want to consider a standard website that tells people what you do, where to find you and why they should call or visit you to buy your products or services in person.
I have been consulting with small businesses for more than 25 years. I started this business because I understand that today’s small businesses are overwhelmed with information and I enjoy helping you sift through the hype to determine what is best for you to meet YOUR goals, objectives and budgets.
Before you spend your time and money on one of our hosting solutions, please consider making a small investment in a one hour consultation. We can meet over the telephone and I can help you make decisions based on your personal situation before you spend money in the wrong place.
There is so much more to having a successful website than purchasing a hosting account and software. Let us help you make good choices from the start.
Harmony Coburn, CEO – Coburn Enterprises