Like most off the shelf software products, Ecommerce packages, whether proprietary or open source, can be very affordable and feature rich in comparison to entry-level custom developed solutions. The compromise with these packages however, is inflexibility in both design and process and usually an overwhelming management interface.
Are standard eCommerce package features appropriate for all types of eCommerce websites?
To their credit, these commercial or open source eCommerce packages do make powerful features very accessible to small businesses and are usually well built on the front-end; taking advantage of interface patterns we are all familiar with from sites like Amazon.com. Unfortunately, most businesses starting out on the web do not require the advanced administrative or customer capabilities offered, nor have the product range necessary to make an interface like Amazons at all useful.
Because packages have been created to try and cater for almost every kind of online business, they usually provide a surplus of unnecessary features and it becomes very difficult for an administrator (or shopper) to find their way around tasks which should be very basic. And if the management interface is not simple to use, then administrators will be unlikely to give their system the attention it will need to be successful.
Further to this, a well crafted internet strategy may often involve site structures, processes and interface elements that are not provided within package defaults. When provided with a rigid structure, it is inevitable that your strategy will be defined more by what is most feasible and less by what is most appropriate.
Is the saving in cost worth it?
This depends of course on how much you are paying. As a ballpark estimate, I would recommend a budget of about USD 10,000 to build a customised eCommerce website with standard components such as product catalogue, shopping cart, order management and credit card payment processing. It could certainly be done for a lot cheaper, but this budget would allow for a lot of creativity and design. This investment could go up 10 fold for more advanced custom systems, but for the average new online e-tailing venture, somewhere in the region of USD 10,000 is reasonable.
Let’s put our recommendation next to the alternatives and compare prices and flexibility. Note that flexibility is inversely related to the cost of growing the system if it moves out of the base structure provided – making custom changes to a complex system is expensive.
(These guidelines are estimates based on our current experience in the industry.)
| eCommerce Website Type |
Investment | Flexibility | |
| 1 | Custom Developed Solution | Highest >USD10k |
Very High (Easy to change) |
| 2 | Open source implemented by designers. | Medium >USD3k | Low (Expensive to change) |
| 3 | Commercial hosted/rented package. | < USD 200 per Month | Very low (Expensive to change if possible at all) |
| 4 | Open source implemented internally. | No cost (Time only) | Low (But no external cost) |
It is hard to compare these very different solutions but the above table does give some idea.
- Option 4 (Open source eCommerce package implemented internally.) does give low flexibility, but this is less significant where internal employees (or a one man band) can spend hours working on the system as the cost is far cheaper than outsourced development. This does however require a broad skill set in order to get strategy, copy, design and development implemented well.
- Option 3 (Commercial hosted/rented eCommerce package.) is one that seems the most affordable outsourced solution, but it is also the least flexible from our understanding.
- Option 2 (Open source eCommerce package implemented by designers.) seems to be very popular among small South African businesses who outsource the customisation of these systems. Many of these sites stagnate or require re-investing in new custom systems where the business’s strategy has been compromised by a rigid structure.
- Option 1 is our recommendation for most small businesses with a focused product range or for larger companies who need their online storefront to tie in closely with their existing business processes.
Concluding this eCommerce website comparison
Understandably, new online businesses usually have very little money to invest in their website design and setup and are looking to start off small. Unfortunately, ‘small’ has got to be ‘big enough’ in order to make an initial impact and win over your customers trust.
Although sometimes a business may find it’s ideal solution within the structure of a commercial or open source eCommerce package, and even when there is compromise the cost saving might outweigh the inflexibility, we have found that in our experience bundled eCommerce packages require more customisation and ‘breaking’ than it would require to build a focussed solution from the ground up.
Perhaps what is most significant is that new businesses deciding to implement a standard eCommerce package will not usually put sufficient thought into designing a customer experience suitable for their specific products and process. This is often because they adopt the standards provided with the package. The role of expert consultation and careful consideration of your customers’ online experience with your brand, is essential for companies that are serious about taking their business online.
Clyral recently launched a communication portal for the South African Association of Freight Forwarders in KwaZulu Natal. The goal of the website was to replace the current system where email newsletters were manually being composed and distributed to members. In approaching the brief, some innovative features were proposed and developed that resulted in an exciting and powerful system that is very easy to administer and utilise.
The landing page makes it very quick and easy to search for an article.
Some of the features of the site are listed below.
- Blog-like article submissions of industry news.
- Tagging of all articles for more powerful searching and navigation between similar articles.
- Automatic addition of images to support the article content. Images are inserted by the system by matching pre-defined image tags to the article tags.
- Dynamic creation of newsletters to include snippets of all of the latest website content.
The website has been extremely well received by SAAFF KZN members as well as the administrators responsible for managing content and communications. This project has demonstrated how some of the tools of the new generation web applications can be incorporated into traditional business and community websites in South Africa.
The website can be viewed at www.saaffkzn.co.za but the majority of content is restricted to SAAFF KZN members.
The Internet as a medium – a brief history.
When TV first came out, the shows were basically radio talk shows migrated onto film so that you could see the people who were talking. It took a while for the industry to embrace the full potential of this new medium rather than simply applying successful techniques learnt from radio.
Similarly, the first websites were basic electronic versions of the printed brochures people were used to; a far cry from the massive potential the internet would later reveal. Initially, it was just geeky programmers who could create websites. Soon designers who were used to the print industry acquired the necessary skills. This meant that the online brochures became easier to read and better to look at. It didn’t take long for programmers and developers to team up and a new industry of web design and development emerged. Since then we have seen online shops, Google, flash, VoIP, MySpace and an array of new Ajax web applications, but unfortunately the perception of what the internet has to offer the average company is still merely a platform for displaying their existing printed material. With so much potential on the internet, we need to devote a bit more attention to our web strategy and what is really possible.
What makes a website different to conventional marketing?
A website is not an advertisement. You are not trying to catch peoples’ attention; you already have it. When someone views your site for the first time they will look at the content to see if it interests them. Looking good is important, but the graphics are to subtly communicate your image and support the content, not take up valuable pixels with unnecessary visual branding.
Get your brand across through what your website does more than through what it looks like. This is where the internet is most powerful and should be exploited. People remember and talk about experiences far more than information or graphics.
People today are very conscious of marketers trying to influence their thoughts and opinions through conventional means and will avoid anything suspicious. They want to be in control of what they look at, in what order and for how long. It is important that your website caters for this new breed of website user.
If you look at a standard website; how much of the screen is taken up by imagery and content trying to sell a brand or product in relation to space that adds value to the user’s experience? Ultimately website designers need to focus less on brand imagery and sales messages and put a lot more attention into creating an interesting experience through your website.
What can I do differently with my website?
The following tips give some ideas as to how you can empower users through making some changes to your existing website.
- Most websites take up the user’s browser space with large logos and brand imagery. Rather brand your content and support it with relevant imagery that adds to their experience.
- Don’t try and be too clever with your navigation, make it obvious and familiar. Don’t take up too much space with your menus and links; make them stand out through colour and position, not size. People should know where to look when they want to move to a new page.
- Wherever possible, show people how you do things. Many companies today offer a simple web interface to their clients to access their statements, place orders, log queries or track orders online. Make sure to show the public what they would get if they were a customer. Display the private menu in a disabled state so people can at least see what is possible. Perhaps even show sample pages of what the different screens would look like. This makes your business transparent and much more interesting to an inquisitive browser.
- Focus on making it exciting/easy to browse the website. Anticipate what questions people may ask and provide quick answers or links.
- Don’t talk about your services and products, but rather about their needs and then how you can help them…use the word “you” in your copy and much less of “we”.
- Don’t expect people to read your content in any specific order; They want to read your site their way, so make sure they can easily find what is important for them and for you from any page. Place relevant links inline and related links alongside or at the bottom of a page.
- Focus on appropriate headings and introductions because most people will leave if the first three lines don’t get their attention.
- People love bullet points as they usually contain the most important information in a simply summary. People will often skip over paragraphs and only read the bullet points.
- Break your copy into bite-sized pieces; Brief paragraphs that focus on only one idea work best. White space between sections will help to improve comprehension.
- Keep it short and sweet. Say only what is necessary.
People are getting used to using websites that are built to put them in control and if your site takes control away from them, it is likely to make much less of an impact.
The philosophy of the web is changing and marketers need to stay ahead of what internet users expect from websites these days. Don’t just put a website up because you have to, there is massive potential if you take the time to think creatively about your web strategy.
I hope this article has made a few things clearer.
