1. E-commerce and International Markets

2. Key topics What is e-commerce? Why should small businesses trade online? How can it help a small business reach international markets?

3. What is e-commerce? Using the Internet to trade and communicate with customer and suppliers

4. How e-commerce can be used Pre-sales – Offer product information / frequently-asked questions – Provide samples – Customer testimonials Making the sale online – Customer places order to meet requirements – Take payment & delivery instructions – Allow customers to track status of order Post-sales – Customer support: post sale questions – Adjustments / returns / complaints – Follow-up sales, upgrades

5. Making the shop-front work Professional e-commerce software packages can build credibility of small businesses Important for products to be displayed out intuitively (including search) Pricing and product information has to be sufficiently detailed User-interface is crucial – customers need to know where they are in the buying process

6. http://www.vinceremos.co.uk/ Allow potential customers to search easily Clear explanation of what the website sells Sales promotions to encourage purchase Intuitive use of categories to group products

7. Taking payments Customers expect to be able to pay for goods & services online Online trading requires dedicated banking / payment set-up (“merchant account) – Credit / debit card account – PayPal is a popular alternative for start-ups Online sales generally good news for a small business cash flow

8. Reaching an international market Online trading allows even the smallest business to reach a more global audience The products still have to be relevant and priced competitively Likely to be achieved using paid online advertising + search engine traffic Care needed on: – Payment security – Shipping & delivery + handling returns

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