Three rules with online sales

Online sales or an online store require three separate but related parts to make them work.

Online sales or an online store require three separate but intertwined parts to make them work: a user-friendly website; an efficient, safe and secure online payment system; and an efficient distribution system.

For the entrepreneur, the most important component is payment. But for the customer, it is distribution because that secures the product they ordered.

If a customer receiving his or her product is so important, shouldn’t you prioritise it as much as you do receiving payment? I say this because companies often drop the ball when it comes to online distribution.

Never underestimate the importance of convenience to this system. The essence of online sales is the almost instantaneous gratification your customer experiences by not having to travel to your physical store. They sit at home, order, pay and receive the product on their doorstep.

Never forget, the sustainable success and concomitant growth of your online store sales rests on your ability to deliver the right product to your customer, on time.

This brings me to the first delivery key: deliver the right product. Nothing is more disappointing than ordering one product only to find something else in the mail.

Time is the second delivery key: be realistic and honest about the time it will take you to transport the goods to the customer. Make sure you’ve counted the costs. Is it worth shipping a R100 product when the shipping cost is R90?

Method is the third key. How are you going to ship your products to your customers? Some online stores use their own trucks; others use courier services. Do the maths.

In terms of internal operations, the best method is an automated system. An online store should be fully automated from the website to online payment and stock keeping.

Finally: return policy; should you have one? Yes, you will encounter customer dissatisfaction. Let the customer ship it back and then you determine a refund, product exchange or a simple fix.