The Essential 9C’s of
E-Commerce Implementation

9C’s of E-Commerce Implementation:

Implementing an e-commerce platform without understanding all of the requirements and commitments can lead your company in an endless circle. After many years of prudent research and analysis, i95Dev has come up with 9 essential items for successful e-commerce implementation. Before you implement your e-commerce store, make sure your company is ready with the 9 C’s of e-commerce.

1. Customers

Consumer need is the reason our businesses merely exist. It is crucial for businesses to understand their customers’ needs, preferences, level of engagement and activity on the web. Some customers do not even have a broadband connection, and others prefer not to use their credit card over the web. In these instances, successful companies would offer other solutions according to their customers’ needs.

2. Communication

Every customer is unique and from a different background and culture. Your company needs a way to communicate with all of them. Your e-commerce system will need to be compatible with multiple languages so your company will convey the same message and image to all potential customers.

3. Competitors

Successful businesses understand what their competitors are doing and adapt their companies accordingly in order to compete. Your competitors are a great source of information on the consumer demographic. By analyzing their pricing, advertising, and client base, you can use that information to incorporate it into your e-commerce store and position yourself better against your competition.

4. Currency/Cash(Payment Options)

If your customers cannot pay you by their preferred method, they will not choose to do business with you. It is very important for your company to have multiple payment methods available for your consumers. An e-commerce system which supports multiple payments channels offers customers a rich variety of options. Look for ones that include traditional methods of cash, credit, and check as well as new options like PayPal and mobile POS.

5. Conversion

Conversion rates show the progress of your company. They indicate not only the amount of traffic to your site but also the amounts of sales or actions that have resulted. After an e-commerce implementation, a good conversion number signifies your business is on the right track. Start by defining your company’s goals after implementation and the key performance indicators of success.

6. Content

Content is crucial to any successful e-commerce implementation. Content written in one language may not attract the same amount of customers when translated into a different language. This means your company will need an international content strategy in place to target your global customers. A great e-commerce system will support content management systems (CMS).

7. Channels

An e-commerce system works efficiently and effectively when integrated with numerous marketing channels. This increases the volume and variety of customers to your store and spreads your brand across a wider spectrum. A good e-commerce platform should easily integrate with your POS, CRM, ERP systems, Mobile devices and various social networking sites like Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter etc.

8. Customer Service

Consistent, quality customer service is the key to success for any business. Your chosen e-commerce system should support call back options, live chat, email, and other options that allow your customers to interact with you. In addition, it should provide up to date inventory as well options for upselling or cross selling products to give customers a quality, personalized experience every time.

9. Cost

The other 8 C’s are only effective if they are not overshadowed by the cost of deploying the e-commerce system. The ROI, breakeven point, Cost Benefits Analysis should be analyzed before implementing an e-commerce store. If the cost is too great, another solution or another time should be considered.
Analyzing the 9C’s before implementing your business will have a better understanding of the minefield it is getting into. With close attention, your company can enhance its performance, drive more traffic to your web store, and increase sales and profits.