feature Top 6 Things to Think About When Choosing an eCommerce Solutionby Matt Cooper

Here are 6 key features to consider when choosing an eCommerce software package for a web store:

#1 Treat your eCommerce store like a real store.... it is!
If you have been through the process of opening a brick and mortar store, you know how much work it is. Opening a virtual store may not be as much physical work but most people starting an online store can overlook the amount of effort it will take. Your virtual store will need constant attention. Customer reviews, pricing updates and countless tweaks that will consume a large amount of time. Planning your resource needs ahead of time can make the process run a lot more smoothly.

#2 What features do I need?
There are a few standard features that an online store should always have. The following are some of the most critical features anyone opening an online store should include.

• Web based administration - Although most eCommerce solutions are web based today, there are still some specialty stores that may need software installed on your computer to work. Make sure any solution you select can be administered using a web-based control panel.
• Optimized for SEO - Ensure that the solution has been optimized for Search Engines. This increases the chances of your products being returned as search results from any search engine.
• Google Analytics integration - Google Analytics is a free tool that allows you to measure and analyze the traffic to your site. Ensure the solution you select can integrate with Google Analytics when you purchase it.
• Designer friendly - Most eCommerce solutions offer a plethora of professional templates. While these templates are great, it is critical that you select a platform that allows a designer to modify the look and feel.
• Security - There are two security features every store should have. One is an SSL Certificate. This ensures that all information entered into the website is encrypted and protected. Customers are educated enough to look for this feature and will abandon their shopping experience if you don`t include it. The second is PCI compliance. There are a number of solutions that will ensure any customer information is stored in accordance with the Payment Card Industry, make sure to select one that offers this security.
• Support - Most eCommerce solutions on the market offer a user friendly way of maintaining and administering your online store. However, it will be important to ensure you have someone you can call should you need it.

#3 How will I measure success?
Measuring success can be more complicated than just gross revenue. Tools like Google Analytics will help you measure not only traffic but other important information like cost to convert a visitor into a customer, the average value of a customer and what advertising campaigns are working.

It`s important to note that unlike most other physical stores this is one advantage online stores have over traditional. Spend adequate time to understand where your customers are going, what`s working and what`s not. Making changes to your online store will likely be easy. Making the right changes will be more challenging.

#4 What about social media?
Social media continues to play an influential role in how successful online stores are. An ever increasing number of customers are discussing the products they buy and the customer service experience they encountered.

Customers have come to expect that businesses that are online have a presence on sites such as Facebook and Twitter. This is a great opportunity for your new online store to expand the customer relationship further than the purchase. With this in mind, it's important to make sure your investment in social media be focused on building relationships with your customers and not selling to them.

#5 Do I need a mobile store?
As smart-phone adoption continues to outpace expected growth, more and more of your customers will be open to making a purchase using their phone. A number of the eCommerce solutions do offer the ability to activate a “Mobile Version” of your store. Therefore  there are no reasons why you shouldn’t be considering platforms that support a mobile user experience.

#6 What’s the marketing plan?
Spend time coming up with your online and offline marketing plan before selecting an eCommerce solution. This exercise will undoubtedly reveal questions you will have for the solution providers you are looking at. Google recently announced a website dedicated to starting and marketing a business online. This will be a great place to start.