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  • Suggest You - Ecommerce Solutions: How to Take Your Business Online

    Cultivating Respect From Your Employees
    Respect is something that is earned. It doesn't just happen because you have been put in a leadership position. If your subordinates respect you simply because you can fire them, you are a very poor leader. By consistently working to cultivate respect over time you can raise the level of respect that your subordinates have for you.You earn respect in different ways. The biggest way to earn people's respect is to do what you say you are going to do. I've seen many leaders with a moderate amount of skill lose a lot of respect simply because they did not follow through on what they said they would do.Another way to cultivate respect is by having a very high level of technical skill at what you are managing. Your subordinates are going to run into roadbl
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  • Is comparatively inexpensive.
  • Provides branding not available in pre-built solution
  • Great for small businesses entering the online space for the 1st time.
  • Cons

    • Minimal flexibility
    • Cost may, or may not include graphic development of the site
    • Integration with business processes is lacking
    • No options for product configuration
    • Sometimes transaction based, or require a percentage of sales
    • Difficult to optimize for search engines

    3.) Custom Developed Solutio

    Global Reactions to Our Approach
    It was a noble effort, even if I was naive. Last week I returned from a thirty-day trip to Germany, China, Singapore, Japan, Australia, and New Zealand. In each country, I led Skilled Facilitator workshops. Some of you reading this participated in these workshops.For years, my clients have asked, "What do people outside the United States think about The Skilled Facilitator approach? Can it work in Europe and Asia, especially given the emphasis on saving face? How?" I set out on my trip, naively thinking that I could come back with ready answers. I have begun to form some answers; but mostly, I have developed more questions. If I have learned anything on the trip, it's that the issue of using the Skilled Facilitator approach in different cultures is a complex one.
    Online commerce is the way of the future, expand your market place, increase sales, work less, increase your revenue, etc. Really, but at what cost and what do you need to know to get started?

    Many businesses are weighing the costs of moving into the online space now that barriers to entry are lower than ever, but to determine the specific solution that meets your business needs is not as easy as comparing prices.

    In order to differentiate the common strategies that you may apply to sell your “widget” online, let’s take a look at three main ecommerce solutions on the market, and then ask some key questions that will better facilitate your decision.

    1.) Amazon.com/E-Bay/MSN Shopping as an eCommerce Solution

    With this means of e-commerce there is really no true e-commerce or shopping cart development that goes on. To bring your widget online you would simply create an account on one of the various web sites that are out there and begin selling products.

    Pros

    • Easy to implement
    • May have products on the web within an hour
    • Very low cost, great for out-of-home business

    Cons

    • Minimal flexibility
    • Usually transaction based, or require a percentage of sales
    • No automated integration into any back end systems
    • No options for product configuration

    2.) Templated eCommerce Solutions

    Templated ecommerce platforms are generally “packaged” sites that are very quickly setup and launched. To summarize the process:

    1. A business will purchase, or lease via a monthly contract the e-commerce solution.
    2. Customize their web site by selecting from several templates modifying it with a color scheme
    3. Add content to their new web site by way of a technology called content management.

    Content Management allows non-coders, the ability to update and modify the content of a web site. These solutions meet the typical needs of a business, but tend to fall short when customization is necessary.

    Pros

    • Easy to implement with little required development.
    • Getting a site up and running is not as fast as a pre-built solution, but much more rapid than a custom developed solution
    • Is comparatively inexpensive.
    • Provides branding not available in pre-built solution
    • Great for small businesses entering the online space for the 1st time.

    Cons

    • Minimal flexibility
    • Cost may, or may not include graphic development of the site
    • Integration with business processes is lacking
    • No options for product configuration
    • Sometimes transaction based, or require a percentage of sales
    • Difficult to optimize for search engines

    3.) Custom Developed Solution

    An Older Domain, is a Better Domain
    First of all, getting page rank, and traffic (the two are not synonymous) takes time. Anyone offering to get it for you in 24 hours, is either lying, or is doing something underhanded that could get your site in serious trouble. Take a page from the old drug war, and "Just Say No".Search engines prefer domains that have been active for a while, and, they prefer sites that have been active for a while, even if they are small sites, containing minimal information, as long as there are a couple of hundred words with good solid information. If the information is important in the least, it will be indexed. Domains and websites are like fine wines, they get better with age.It is possible to get to the top of a particular keyword or phrase in a short time, even w
    merce solutions on the market, and then ask some key questions that will better facilitate your decision.

    1.) Amazon.com/E-Bay/MSN Shopping as an eCommerce Solution

    With this means of e-commerce there is really no true e-commerce or shopping cart development that goes on. To bring your widget online you would simply create an account on one of the various web sites that are out there and begin selling products.

    Pros

    • Easy to implement
    • May have products on the web within an hour
    • Very low cost, great for out-of-home business

    Cons

    • Minimal flexibility
    • Usually transaction based, or require a percentage of sales
    • No automated integration into any back end systems
    • No options for product configuration

    2.) Templated eCommerce Solutions

    Templated ecommerce platforms are generally “packaged” sites that are very quickly setup and launched. To summarize the process:

    1. A business will purchase, or lease via a monthly contract the e-commerce solution.
    2. Customize their web site by selecting from several templates modifying it with a color scheme
    3. Add content to their new web site by way of a technology called content management.

    Content Management allows non-coders, the ability to update and modify the content of a web site. These solutions meet the typical needs of a business, but tend to fall short when customization is necessary.

    Pros

    • Easy to implement with little required development.
    • Getting a site up and running is not as fast as a pre-built solution, but much more rapid than a custom developed solution
    • Is comparatively inexpensive.
    • Provides branding not available in pre-built solution
    • Great for small businesses entering the online space for the 1st time.

    Cons

    • Minimal flexibility
    • Cost may, or may not include graphic development of the site
    • Integration with business processes is lacking
    • No options for product configuration
    • Sometimes transaction based, or require a percentage of sales
    • Difficult to optimize for search engines

    3.) Custom Developed Solutio

    Pixeleted?
    The milliondollarhomepage was a great innovative marketing success in 2005. On this site a million pixels were sold to advertisers at a dollar each for five years. Uniqueness saw it become an advertising icon.Since then there have been countless imitations. The cost of pixels has varied and they have emanated from many countries.Anyone can now have a pixel page and maybe hope to make a fortune.There has now been many variations on the pixel marketing idea. Some sites sell space on particular themes so as to assist the advertiser in targetting the market sought. Others have large background images which produce a jigsaw effect, which rather detracts from the advertising! Another has a battleships idea involving the advertising! There is a very goo
    business

    Cons

    • Minimal flexibility
    • Usually transaction based, or require a percentage of sales
    • No automated integration into any back end systems
    • No options for product configuration

    2.) Templated eCommerce Solutions

    Templated ecommerce platforms are generally “packaged” sites that are very quickly setup and launched. To summarize the process:

    1. A business will purchase, or lease via a monthly contract the e-commerce solution.
    2. Customize their web site by selecting from several templates modifying it with a color scheme
    3. Add content to their new web site by way of a technology called content management.

    Content Management allows non-coders, the ability to update and modify the content of a web site. These solutions meet the typical needs of a business, but tend to fall short when customization is necessary.

    Pros

    • Easy to implement with little required development.
    • Getting a site up and running is not as fast as a pre-built solution, but much more rapid than a custom developed solution
    • Is comparatively inexpensive.
    • Provides branding not available in pre-built solution
    • Great for small businesses entering the online space for the 1st time.

    Cons

    • Minimal flexibility
    • Cost may, or may not include graphic development of the site
    • Integration with business processes is lacking
    • No options for product configuration
    • Sometimes transaction based, or require a percentage of sales
    • Difficult to optimize for search engines

    3.) Custom Developed Solutio

    Mortgage Broker Training Article: A First Step to Realtor Marketing
    Today's mortgage broker training article will be short and to the point. Don't let the length of the message fool you though. Some very strong points will be made in this article. We will be discussing an effective way to get the attention of your target agents. Many times I have heard the complaint that realtors just don't seem to pay attention to mortgage brokers anymore. They are either already using a mortgage broker that they are happy with, or they just don't seem to have the time to be bothered by just one more mortgage broker.Have you experienced this? My suggestion to those of you who are shaking your heads yes, is to set a little bit of time aside each week for some education. What I want you to do, is jump onto your favorite browser (Google, MSN, Yahoo
    veral templates modifying it with a color scheme
  • Add content to their new web site by way of a technology called content management.
  • Content Management allows non-coders, the ability to update and modify the content of a web site. These solutions meet the typical needs of a business, but tend to fall short when customization is necessary.

    Pros

    • Easy to implement with little required development.
    • Getting a site up and running is not as fast as a pre-built solution, but much more rapid than a custom developed solution
    • Is comparatively inexpensive.
    • Provides branding not available in pre-built solution
    • Great for small businesses entering the online space for the 1st time.

    Cons

    • Minimal flexibility
    • Cost may, or may not include graphic development of the site
    • Integration with business processes is lacking
    • No options for product configuration
    • Sometimes transaction based, or require a percentage of sales
    • Difficult to optimize for search engines

    3.) Custom Developed Solutio

    Attracting and Keeping the Right Graduates
    It’s that time of year again – recruiting and starting the graduates. This whole area is one which needs to be considered and reviewed as it is a major commitment for the organisation. Getting it right can help the future of the business – the alternative is just an expensive waste. In this article I will cover some key points to help you increase your success rate in both getting and keeping the right graduates. I will pose some questions for you to consider at the recruitment phase and ideas or reminders of things to do when they are working for you. The aim is to make the whole process worthwhile for you.I often wonder how many organisations, including professional practices, really do a full opportunity costing of this annual exercise and then evaluate t
    /li>
  • Is comparatively inexpensive.
  • Provides branding not available in pre-built solution
  • Great for small businesses entering the online space for the 1st time.
  • Cons

    • Minimal flexibility
    • Cost may, or may not include graphic development of the site
    • Integration with business processes is lacking
    • No options for product configuration
    • Sometimes transaction based, or require a percentage of sales
    • Difficult to optimize for search engines

    3.) Custom Developed Solutions

    Custom developed solutions are exactly what their name implies. The user interface of the web site, product catalog and check out process are all custom-developed to meet specific needs. The look and feel of the web site is typically original, utilizing graphics that are targeted to a specific market or customer.

    The key reasons for looking at a custom developed e-commerce solution are to support a business process that your company may have which cannot be completed with a templated design. (i.e. integrating back office systems such as accounting, ERP, or fulfillment applications), or to support some level of service during the check out process like a custom product configuration.

    Pros

    • The site is developed to your specific business requirements
    • Custom features or applications may be added to the site at any point in the future, providing growth
    • Integration capabilities are limited only by the ability of your developer
    • Site may be optimized for Search Engines, (SEO)
    • All forms of shipping, handling and fulfillment are options to integrate
    • Virtually unlimited number of products and categories may be supported
    • Your site will have a unique look and feel tailored to your business
    • Great for established ecommerce providers, and large businesses looking to go online

    Cons

    • Typically more expensive
    • Longer development times
    • Require more active involvement from you.

    Questions that will help you target the right ecommerce solution for your business:

    1. Will my business survive if the web site is unsuccessful?
    2. Do I have back office applications that need to be integrated into the web site? For instance, accounting systems, inventory management or ERP systems, Point of Sales Systems, etc.
    3. Do I need custom shipping integration?
    4. How important is search engine optimization?
    5. How will I administer the e-commerce application? For instance, how easy is it to add, edit, or delete products and how do I view the business that the web site is doing?
    6. How will I differentiate my site from my competitors?
    7. Does my business currently have the expertise to man

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