This document provides an overview of e-commerce essentials. It defines e-commerce as buying and selling of products or services over electronic systems like the internet. The document then discusses different types of e-commerce businesses and why e-commerce is important. It outlines the key components of an e-commerce process including the customer experience, online sales platforms, payments, shipping and returns. Finally, it provides advice on first steps for those starting in e-commerce and recommends learning from top Australian and international e-commerce sites.

1. Ecommerce Essentials

2. Introduction
On your table:
Introduce yourself
• Name
• Business
• Last thing you
purchased on-line
Report Back

3. Retail 360
•We work with retailers to build
capacity for growth
•Help identify opportunity and
capacity for e-commerce
•Identify and map the customer
experience
•Training and team building in
sales

4. What is e-Commerce?
1. The
Who, What, When, Where, Why of
e-Commerce
2. Important tools
3. First steps…
4. e-Commerce examples

5. WHAT is Ecommerce?

6. What is e-Commerce?
Electronic commerce, commonly known as
e-commerce is …buying and selling of product or
service is conducted over electronic systems such as
the Internet.
Modern e-commerce typically uses the WWW at least
at one point in the transaction’s life-cycle, although it
may include e-mail, mobile devices, social media as
well. Source: wikipedia.org

7. e-Commerce
Electronic commerce draws on technologies such
as mobile commerce, electronic funds
transfer, supply chain management, Internet
marketing, online transaction process, electronic
data interchange (EDI), and inventory
management systems, and automated data
collection systems.
Source: wikipedia.org

8. Types of e-Commerce businesses?
Pureplay – an online retailer who
only sells online without the
support of physical outlets.
(No bricks – just clicks)
Multi-channel or Omni-channel
–market and retail via every
possible channel.
(Bricks + Clicks)
+

9. http://www.appliancesonline.com.au/

10. http://sw.com.au/
1 online
store
+
11
physical
stores

11. Number 1 rule:
You are (still)
selling to
people

12. WHY e-Commerce?

13. A new way to reach customers
outside of the traditional confines of
a bricks and mortar shop and
create profits.

14. Sources: Quantum, Frost & Sullivan and PWC, Digital Media Research 2011

15. Australian Online retail spend

18. • 96% of online shoppers now search the web for
product information, price comparison and peers
reviews before making a purchase online
• Over 65% of in-store purchases are initiated on the
web.
ACT retailers need to step up their game and take
advantage of the opportunities that e-Commerce
offers.

19. HOW do we do
e-Commerce?
(what’s involved)

20. Same considerations as a shop-front
1. Pre-planning & strategy
2. Competitors
3. Suppliers
4. Buying
5. Visual Merchandising
6. Customers & Staff
7. Stock Management, Logistics and Outsourcing
8. Payments & Security
9. Shipping, Collection & Delivery
10. Performance & Optimisation
11. Marketing
12. Reporting

21. E-commerce Process:
Customers

22. Find store /
Browse
Shopfront
Add products
to the cart
Shopping cart
/ purchase
product
Checkout /
Payment
gateway
Process
payment
Confirmation
and shipment
Receive Goods
(unboxing)
Returns /
Repurchase
Customers

23. Different consumer profiles
A.The value consumer
B.The busy consumer
C.The local consumer
D.The bored consumer
E.The digital consumer
Source: Australian centre for retail studies 2011

24. http://birdsnest.com.au

25. http://www.shoesofprey.com/

26. http://www.sneakingduck.com/

27. E-commerce Process:
Platform / The shop

28. Find store /
Browse
Shopfront
Add products
to the cart
Shopping cart
/ purchase
product
Checkout /
Payment
gateway
Process
payment
Confirmation
and shipment
Receive Goods
(unboxing)
Returns /
Repurchase
Customers
Platform

29. Shopfront (selling platform)
Use existing platforms / marketplaces
• eBay / etsy
Or Your own platform / website
• Open source, Community CMS based:
• Wordpress, Magento, Joomla, Zencart
• Proprietary
• Big Commerce, Shopify, thousands more…

30. http://www.allbids.com.au/

31. http://www.enhanceu.com.au

32. http://www.itsinthestarsonline.com

33. Online Sales system options
“I’ve come to view platforms a little bit like cars.
A proprietary software is a bit like a Ferrari,
while open-source CMS like WordPress,
Joomla and Drupal are like Toyotas.
There aren’t many Ferraris and there are even
less specialist mechanics for them, so you pay
accordingly. On the other hand, plenty of
people can service Toyotas.”
Elizabeth Ball, Founder, It’s in the Stars

34. E-commerce Process:
Payments

35. Find store /
Browse
Shopfront
Add products
to the cart
Shopping cart
/ purchase
product
Checkout /
Payment
gateway
Process
payment
Confirmation
and shipment
Receive Goods
(unboxing)
Returns /
Repurchase
Customers
Platform
Payments

36. Payment Gateways
1. Shopping cart system (Website)
2. Payment Gateway (Cash Register)
3. Online merchant account (your bank)
Eway – eway.com.au
Paypal – paypal.com.au

37. http://sw.com.au/

38. E-commerce Process:
Shipping & returns

39. Find store /
Browse
Shopfront
Add products
to the cart
Shopping cart
/ purchase
product
Checkout /
Payment
gateway
Process
payment
Confirmation
and shipment
Receive Goods
(unboxing)
Returns /
Repurchase
Customers
Platform
PaymentsShipping & returns

40. http://www.styletread.com.au/

41. http://www.enhanceu.com.au/

42. http://www.appliancesonline.com.au/canberra-delivery-areas/

43. http://www.pinkfrosting.com.au/

44. Shipping matters

45. Taking the first steps
(What to do first when I leave today)

46. First Steps….
RESEARCH
• Identify a Niche
• Look around- network and communicate, listen to
complaints – may be you can provide a solution
• What sells well online?
• Plan for competition
• Understand your potential customers
• Experience buying yourself
• Validation by sharing your concept

47. Same considerations as a shop-front
• Pre-planning, strategy development & budgets
• Competitors
• Suppliers & partnerships
• Buying
• Visual Merchandising
• Customers & Staff
• Stock Management, Logistics and Outsourcing
• Payments & Security
• Shipping, Collection & Delivery
• Performance & Optimisation
• Marketing

48. Next steps (after the first steps)
• Customer Database
• Optimising the site –
design, photography, video, descriptions
• Marketing Tools
• Driving Traffic (SEO/SEM)
• Social Media
• Optimising mobile devices
• Loyalty programs
• On-line customer service
• Measurements & Evaluation

49. Learn from other sites [HANDOUT]
Inside Retail Magazine’s Top 20 Australian
E-commerce Sites*
1. Big W
2. The Iconic
3. Sportsgirl
4. Deals Direct
5. Kogan
6. The Iconic
7. OzSale
8. Catch of the Day
9. Cotton On
10. Style Tread
11. Gumtree
12. Shoes of Prey
13. Westfield
14. Brands Exclusive
15. OO
16. J.B Hi Fi
17. Birdsnest
18. Target
19. Appliances Online
20. Booktopia
*Excludes online supermarkets

50. Learn from other sites [HANDOUT]
Inside Retail Magazine’s Top 10
International E-commerce Sites
1. eBay
2. Amazon
3. ASOS
4. Book Depository
5. John Lewis
6. Apple
7. StrawberryNet
8. Etsy
9. Net-A-Porter
10. Ezibuy
Shelley’s personal favourite:
Zappos.com
Inside Retail have used a
combination of factors to rank
the businesses: including easy
of use; high traffic levels;
success and profitability; look
and feel; value adds; extensive
product range; popularity; and
fulfilment.

51. The last word
“The products that sell best are
the ones that solve a customer’s
dilemma. The service is as
important as the product itself.”
Jane Cay, Founder, birdsnest

52. Resources [HANDOUT]
Let’s look at some
award winning
e-Commerce sites