Ecommerce School: Roger Lopez on How to Select an Ecommerce Platform

Roger LopezHead of Marketing & DigitalTwitter @inemodeDomyownpestcontrol.com

How To Pick An Ecommerce Platform

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Part 1 – The Ecommerce Universe

Types of Ecommerce Platforms

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• SaaS/Hosted• Multi-Tenant (Yahoo, ProStores, Amazon Webstores)• Silo (Miva Merchant, Pinnacle Cart)

• Distributed/Downloaded• Open Source (OS Commerce, ZenCart, Magento)• SMB (WordPress Carts)• Enterprise (Oracle ATG, IBM WebSphere)

Cost of Development

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• Small/Home Business Software as a Service• Do It Yourself Template Driven – 40 to 80 Hours• Do It For You Template Driven - $500 - $2,500

• Open Source• Do It Yourself Template Driven - $100 - $500 and 100 – 500 Hours• Do It For You Template Driven - $5,000 - $10,000

• Enterprise• Licensing Begins Around $20,000/year• Total Packages $50,000 - $2,000,000

Template Site

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Custom Site

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Most Expensive Site Of All Time

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Cost to Operate (Beware of Hidden Costs)

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• Hosting• Flat Monthly Fee ($30 - $500)• Percentage of Sales (.5 – 30%)

• PCI/Regulatory• Merchant Banks PCI Fees

• Automation/Maintenance• How Much Human Time Does It Actually Take?

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Part 2 – Your Business Needs

What Are You Selling Online?

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• Digital Goods• Downloadable Software• Music• Video Content• Games

• Physical Goods• Are you shipping directly?• Are you using a fulfillment center?

Fulfillment

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• Shipping Fees/Logistics• What Will It Cost To Pick/Pack/Ship?• How Will You Charge Your Customer?

• Secure Downloads• Preventing Piracy• Keeping Track Of Usage• Digital Rights Management

Marketing – Does Your Product Need To Be “Discovered”?

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• Etsy• Online Communities• Groupon• eBay• Amazon

Deals Sites

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How Will You Know You’re Succeeding?

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• Analytics• Google Analytics• KISS Metrics• Crazy Egg

• Reporting• Platform Reporting• QuickBooks/Accounting System

Google Analytics

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Platform Reporting

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Part 3 – Aligning Your Needs With The Market

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What Do I Do Now?

• Pick A Platform That Matches Your Needs

• Calculate Total Cost Of Ownership

• Understand Your Ongoing Maintenance/Development Costs

• If You’re Small – Get Started Now

Ecommerce Marketplace

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MIVA MERCHANT

Yahoo Store

EbayAmazon

Paypal

Volusion

Magento

Shopify

ATGWebsphere

NetSuite

Questions Contact Roger:roger@lopezaguirre.com

Twitter: @inemodewww.linkedin.com/in/iamroger

Web: www.domyownpestcontrol.com