Accepting Payments Online: An ECommerce Web Site Overview There are a seemingly infinite number of choices and configurations to accepting payments online. Choices range from almost total "do it yourself" programming to turnkey packages.You can accept online payments from an ECommerce Web site in two general ... Blocking and Tackling Ecommerce, ecommerce can be, complex  to, customer expectations ecommerce, within, be very, very complex, expectations ecommerce can, ... My Top 7 Favorite Ecommerce Tools Copyright 2005 Jim Edwards When you make your living on the Internet, you sometimes forget that the resources you use every day (and take for granted) might rate an incredible discovery to anyone who doesn't already know they exist. Whether they help ...
Reverse Logistics in eCommerce
It's no secret that a positive experience delivered to a customer determines whether that customer will come back. Retailers must enhance the user experience prior to pressing the "buy" button but also focus on the post-purchase site experience to keep customer retention metrics at satisfactory levels. This is where many online retailers drop the ball; specifically with the processing and communication management of consumer returns. By incorporating new strategies to optimize this process, retailers can increase customer retention and add new revenue streams to the direct business. Here are some key metrics to support the return optimization business case: • 85% of customers say they will stop buying from a retailer if the returns process is a hassle (Harris Interactive) • 95% of customers say that they will likely shop with a catalog or internet retailer again if the returns process is convenient (Harris Interactive) • 40% of shoppers don't buy online due to returns difficulty (Jupiter Research) • Customers who have their complaint resolved quickly have a re-purchase intention rate of 82% (McKinsey) The increased importance of online returns Returns are an inevitable fact of online retail. As the depth of online product categories became apparent in the last three years, the importance of online return policies became painfully obvious. Provide a bad returns experience and you undoubtedly reduce the chance of a customer coming back for a repeat purchase. For example, sectors such as high-end apparel, consumer returns reach levels as high as 20% and an efficient returns process is critical to overall success. Quicker inventory cycles and fluctuating retail prices make it important to not only process the return effectively for the consumer, but also get it in the warehouse quickly for re-sale. Reverse Logistics solve fundamental business problems Retailers are now being proactive and turning these operational challenges into competitive advantages and incremental revenue streams. By investing in solutions that integrate key platform components and data, online retailers are able to offer self-service return capabilities to consumers. A typical reverse logistics solution allows the consumer to more easily initiate the return by incorporating a pre-paid postage label within the box. This label can be integrated within the packing slip or it can be a separate stand-alone piece. Because the label generation is initiated by the warehouse management system, the label is able to capture key customer information for tracking purposes, both for CSR's and the end consumer. The label provides one primary source of value to the customer - convenience. No post office trip is needed and retailers improve overall customer satisfaction while facilitating the product return to the distribution center. When consumers initiate returns through this process, retailers typically charge them a "handling fee". This fee is typically 20% higher than the postage charge that was provided by the reverse logistics service provider. This dollar spread, between what is charged to the customer and what has been billed to the retailer for postage, generates direct and measurable profits for retailers. Improving communication with online consumers A reverse logistics solution can drastically improve customer communication during the return process. Newgistics is a great example of a reverse logistics provider that has customer-centric communication processes embedded in their overall solution. After a return package is picked up from a consumer location, it is sent to a Newgistics hub for sorting and re-locating. During this process, there are strategic scanning mechanisms used to facilitate triggered and branded communication emails. A consumer receives "retailer branded" email notifications when certain milestones are achieved in the return process, such as: • Return receipt o (Ex. We have received your return and you should get a credit in the following days). • Return Completion o (Ex. Your return has been processed) Quick receipt of these emails enhances the confidence level of customers, reduces inbound customer service calls, and provides another value-added feature to boost the eCommerce relationship. Your company is taking a great risk if it does not provide a great post-purchase site experience. Feel free to contact Trinity to learn more about this type of initiative and how we can help in discovery, scope, and implementation efforts. Craig Smith Trinity Insight LLC http://www.trinityinsight.com
Coremetrics Reports Mixed eCommerce Signals in December - Earthtimes SAN MATEO, CA -- 01/07/09 -- The online retail sector in general continued to give mixed signals, showing both strengths and weaknesses, over the holiday retail shopping season, according to Coremetrics , the leading provider of online marketing and ...
Infopia Augments Leadership With Appointment of New CEO - Yahoo Finance Industry Veteran, Coleman Barney, Joins Infopia as President and CEO, Adding Expertise in eCommerce and Enterprise Solutions SALT LAKE CITY, Jan. 7 /PRNewswire/ -- Infopia , the leading SaaS provider of eCommerce software services, announced today ...
Firetrap launches its first etail site - New Media Age Fashion brand Firetrap has launched its first ecommerce site. The new-look site includes the entire men's and women's ranges, and will be used to showcase new collections as well as increase interaction with Firetrap consumers through a newsletter ...
Analyst: Amazon, eCommerce grow despite downturn - MSN MoneyCentral NEW YORK (AP) - Amazon.com Inc. is poised to become an even more dominant player in online shopping as eCommerce continues to grow, a JPMorgan analyst said Monday, upgrading the company's stock. The move sent Amazon shares up in premarket trading by ...
Senate Democrats seen moving to seat Burris - Portland Tribune Senate-designate Roland Burris talks with Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid in Reid's office on Capitol Hill, January 7, 2009. REUTERS/Larry Downing WASHINGTON (Reuters) - In an abrupt switch, Senate Democratic leaders began talks on Wednesday about ...
Salmonella outbreak sickens 388 across U.S.: CDC - Portland Tribune WASHINGTON (Reuters) - An outbreak of salmonella food poisoning has made 388 people sick across 42 states, sending 18 percent of them to the hospital, U.S. health officials said on Wednesday. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is ...
Ecommerce Manager Urgent!!! - Retail Bulletin JOB TITLE: E-Commerce Marketing Manager URGENT Company: This Luxury Contemporary Brand for Ladies and Mens Clothing and Accessories are looking to recruit an E-Commerce Marketing Manager to join the team. RESPONSIBILITIES: You will report into the ...
Cyber Crime-fighter Kount Builds Business Development Team With ... - PR Newswire BOISE, Idaho, Jan. 5 /PRNewswire/ -- Kount , a subsidiary of Boise, Idaho-based Keynetics Inc. , today announced that two seasoned ecommerce payment and fraud industry experts, Jeremy Drzal and Bill Overton, have joined the Kount team. Both Drzal and ...
