THE E-COMMERCE PROJECT:

FROM ILLUSIONS TO SOLUTIONS

Debates are often heated between web developers and new e-merchants who are starting to sell
online and who decide to use what the eCommerce market offers less expensive to get started.

The advent of content management systems like Shopify has completely shaken
up eCommerce codes and now it's the gold rush. Unfortunately, many newbie e-merchants
overlook the strategic and technical skills that help eradicate the gray areas that surround site
development that is so specific to the technologies that can be deployed.

THE SUCCESS OF THE E-COMMERCE PROJECT DEPENDS ABOVE ALL

ON STRATEGIC CHOICES

I have trained many clients who have experienced the throes of entrepreneurial failure due to
an eCommerce project that did not integrate any digital strategy: why sell a product on the
internet when you do not know how to assess the interest it arouses in research? Why create
an online store when you do not develop an ability to understand the challenges
of eCommerce?

Before looking at the functional needs of an eCommerce store, you must be able to assess the
commercial potential of this type of activity. The eCommerce can be experimental and it is true
that it is a playground for all curious entrepreneurs and connected. However, the digital
strategy must make it possible to set an action plan that will allow the generation of qualified
traffic. Without this step which consists in formalizing its objectives, online sales fail.

DROPSHIPPING OR THE GET-RICH-QUICK CONCEPT SCAM

The neophyte e-merchant has this unfortunate tendency to neglect strategic marketing and to
favour technical solutions that allow him to go quickly. The economic situation encourages
some entrepreneurs to turn to eConfident eCommerce, but independent sellers still find it just
as difficult to assess the resources required to develop an online sales activity. Hastening the
development of an e-shop is a bad choice for the entrepreneur and it is a big mistake to think
that dropshipping can be profitable for an e-merchant.

There are a lot of micro-entrepreneurs coming out of nowhere who think they can make a
fortune from dropshipping. The euphoria is very short-lived when the e-merchant understands
that in drop shipping, it is impossible to negotiate his purchase price from a wholesaler. As
the sale price depends on the purchase price, it is difficult to imagine a very high margin rate
when we position ourselves on the sale of a product whose cost is non-negotiable.

CLOSED-SOURCE TECHNOLOGIES ARE FLOODING THE E-COMMERCE

MARKET

Shopify is a SAAS -like e-commerce platform that attracts many e-merchants. The basic
subscription costs $ 29 and can satisfy the ambitions of undemanding sellers. The platform is
devoid of the technical complexity that characterizes web development and this is what
reinforces its popularity with entrepreneurs.

However, behind this confusing accessibility and this communication that extols the merits of
a universal eCommerce solution, I detect several constraints to using this Closed-Source type
content management system (Shopify is developing a proprietary site model with source code
inaccessible).

1. System migration is not possible

2. Immutable proprietary source code and site infrastructure
3. Data hosting in the Google cloud
4. Unusable backup outside the Shopify framework
5. Closure of the account which results in the deletion of data
6. Expensive visual extensions and themes
7. Lack of flexibility for page customization
8. Technically constrained SEO referencing

OPEN-SOURCE CMS TO THE E-MERCHANT'S RESCUE

As you can see, this is not very advantageous to develop a web project with feet and fists ...
Neither systematically related to hand the portfolio to empower the functionality of
its platform for selling online. When you start eConfidence eCommerce, you have to be able to
take on the technical, editorial, and commercial management of your online store, without any
restrictions. By favouring Open-Source solutions, we facilitate the commercial development of
our eCommerce activity because these technologies are free and customizable.

WHAT ARE THE BEST OPEN-SOURCE CMS?

Concretely, it is the one that will allow you to achieve your goals! The choice of the CMS is
essential but, we must not neglect the quality of the web hosting because it has an impact on the
availability of your online store and its operationality.

Prestashop Vs Wordpress

PrestaShop is for e- merchants who want to record a large volume of sales and manage
thousands of combinations of products. The CMS allows you to market more than 100,000
products.

WordPress is more limited since the WooCommerce module offers a lot fewer options
relating to the management of products and sellers. You should also know that the system
begins to show its limits if your product catalogue exceeds 2000 references.

Site design and ergonomics

The WordPress CMS offers a host of page builders aimed at site managers who do not have
technical skills in web integration. A layout can be achieved by exploiting a visual interface
and a working environment that Prestashop does not offer.
On Prestashop, the ergonomic optimizations and the layout are more difficult to understand
because the platform offers a very specific process to manage the appearance and the
positioning of the modules on each web page. The hooks or attachment points facilitate
the front-end development, but only for experienced users.

THE 3 KEY POINTS FOR GETTING STARTED IN ECOMMERCE

First, you have to set up effective project management and plan your actions. Whether you
decide to develop your eCommerce store alone or entrust its realization to a digital agency. To
achieve your objectives, you have to define your targets and assess the means that must be
implemented to develop the eCommerce activity. The strategic process which consists in
organizing and planning its actions makes it possible to guarantee the feasibility of the
eCommerce project.

Secondly, it is necessary to assess the resources and skills available to achieve effective graphic
communication. If the visual brand identity is neglected, it will be difficult to promote
the eCommerce concept and the products that need to be promoted.

Finally, thirdly, you should never underestimate the technical and financial constraints linked to
the launch of an online sales activity. The stability of the online store depends on the quality of
the site development. Do not give in to the simplistic explanations of certain agencies which
promise you infallible technical solutions. Creating an eCommerce store is a technical
challenge, even for seasoned developers!

In most cases, the e-merchant must rely on the skills of a web developer to free themselves from
the technical headache of creating and updating an online store.

6 ADVANTAGES OF AN ECOMMERCE SITE FOR YOUR B2B BUSINESS

B2B eCommerce is valuable for managing information and transactions exchanged between
businesses.

The advantages of selling online are numerous and are multiplying rapidly with the growth in the
use of digital in business: increased reach and sales, transparency, and much more.

B2B organizations are currently seeing eCommerce as a new challenge. Electronic selling is a
way to increase revenue and drive customer acquisitions while differentiating yourself from the
competition.

1) Increased range

B2B eCommerce sites provide an accessible way for businesses to increase customer reach and
market their organization and products faster and to more potential customers.

People who browse through search engines will see your pages, can easily access your product
information and order. Each of them will therefore represent imminent business opportunities, as
well as sales.

2) Rationalization, transparency, and efficiency

B2B eCommerce is also a tool for streamlining interactions with customers through a reliable
and efficient ordering process. This is vital in today's trading climate where demand is high and
turnaround times short.

Combining your website with an external ERP-type tool will allow you to optimize your
product management time so that the time between shipping and ordering is negligible.

Errors in the ordering process or order fulfilment regarding inaccurate inventory counts can be
avoided because up-to-date counts from your warehouse are integrated with your eCommerce
site, allowing sales agents and customers to always know the stock of products available.

When a product no longer has available stock, the customer will no longer be able to place an
order but may request to be notified when the product will be back.

With ERP, customers can order online whenever they want and customer service can focus on
real customer service tasks instead of just being order takers and the need to relay information
through systems. independent is abolished.

3) Better management of suppliers and customers

The concept of B2B eCommerce offers better management of suppliers and

customers. Essentially, the whole initiative is a win-win.

Your customers will have a tailor-made portal detailing their browsing history, personal
information, shipping costs, and tracking data as well as a wish or shopping list. They will have
more control over the entire process, which not only enables efficiency and transparency but
also eliminates low value-added call or email contact actions.

In addition, you will have better supplier management since you will be able to see what raw
stock is available and when, as well as the progress of orders.

4) More sales

Not only will you reach new customers, but eCommerce will also allow you to quickly
implement an automated upselling and cross-selling referral program, providing suggestions to
customers on your site and getting them to buy complementary products or products. more
complete products.

In addition, the B2B eCommerce site, which showcases your products and services, saves
overhead costs which are a feature of the physical storefront or physical booth of the show and,
as a result, increases the bottom line.

5) Analytic

The B2B eCommerce site is the ideal platform for the company to monitor the behaviour of its
customers through an internal dashboard on the platform.

Or launch a deeper analytics campaign with Google Analytics, which provides eCommerce
tracking. Integrating analytics with ERP also provides much more relevant information with
deeper analysis.
6) Better commercial engagement

The physical sales team will also benefit from the launch of an eCommerce site. It will increase
the visibility of sales teams on new products, customer orders, history, and prices. Indeed, all
this information will be gathered in a single place which they can access at their place of work,
on the move, or even remotely.

The little green extra: The itinerant sales agent makes a lot of kilometres on the road and this
can be reduced by creating B2B eCommerce sites.

CONQUER ECOMMERCE THANKS TO NEW SKILLS

Setting up a B2B eCommerce site has many advantages that we have just seen in this article. It
is now possible to test the creation of such a site on open-source platforms that are inexpensive.

Entrepreneurs who start eCommerce often suffer from a skills shortage and a lack of autonomy
which penalize them in the editorial management of the website. Indeed, the "DIY" works to a
certain extent, but it is indeed successful visual marketing that allows the competition to be
relegated to the background. To be noticed, you have to know how to shine and stand out thanks
to an eCommerce concept that influences the customer's perception. It's always very positive
to get into eCommerce with a lot of enthusiasm and spontaneity ... But, develop and
consolidate skills to masterfully lead an eCommerce project, is more coherent and essential to
master the ins and outs of online sales.