 |
|
|
eBusiness - Essential E-Business Partners
| |
What is E-Business, Anyway?You may know that e-business is short form for 'electronic business.' But what does it really mean? Simply put, e-business can be defined as the use of the Internet to conduct business. This includes buying and selling, serving your customers, and working with business partners. For the most part, e-business is about your company’s website and how you use the Internet to help operate and grow your business. E-business can range from a simple website that helps you market your business, to an online store that enables customers to order your products 24 hours a day. E-business also includes e-mail marketing, Internet-based software to improve your business processes, and lots more. For most small businesses though, e-business means having a good website that creates a positive impression of your company and tells people who you are and what you offer. The Role of E-Business in Your BusinessE-business can help your business in many ways, and it can give you a significant competitive advantage. Here are six important goals that e-business can help you accomplish:
Your E-Business Needs a Team of PartnersA wide variety of business partners is required to create and implement a successful e-business strategy. It is not recommended that you entrust this project to a “friend who knows about computers.” Your e-business is important and you should outsource the job to professionals. You also need to be involved in the process. An Overview of Your E-Business PartnersFrom creative professionals to technical partners, a solid team and your personal commitment will ultimately determine the success or failure of your e-business. Your partners may include the following:
Each partner brings a particular specialization or skill set to the table. It is important to recognize what each partner’s potential role and limitations are. For example, an Internet Service Provider should not necessarily host your website. Connecting your computer hardware to the Internet and maintaining the technical aspects of hosting a website are different skill sets. Good partners will have a core competency – something they are focused on and are very good at doing. Your Internet Service Provider (ISP)An Internet Service Provider (commonly called an ISP) is a company that provides you with access to the Internet, allowing you to surf the web and use e-mail on your computer. Often your Internet Service Provider is a large phone or cable company. Different Types of Internet AccessThere are a number of ways to access the Internet. Some of the most common include a:
For business users in urban areas, high-speed access (also called “broadband”) through a phone or cable line is the most common type of Internet access. In rural or more remote areas, dial-up access through a phone line might be your only option. New wireless Internet access options are also becoming more readily available, both in urban and rural settings. Get High-Speed Internet Access If You CanBusiness users should get a high-speed Internet connection if it’s available. “High-speed” has become very affordable and makes good sense in the business world where time savings translates directly to your bottom line. Your best choice for an Internet Service Provider is likely going to be a fairly large company. Building and maintaining a reliable Internet service takes a lot of money, resources, and technical support staff. Your Website HostA website host is a company that provides space for your website and sets it up so your site can be viewed online. You’re essentially renting space on the Internet so you can put your website there, much like you might rent an office. The website host will have a number of different packages available, depending on how much space you need, how many e-mail accounts you need, how many visitors your site receives, and how complex your website is. Important Website Hosting IssuesThere are a number of aspects to consider regarding website hosting:
A good website host can help you with these issues. In fact, it may be a good idea to centralize your website, e-mail, and domain name with your website host. Hosting is a fairly specialized service. You should choose a company with a reputation for excellent customer service and a high level of technical expertise. Your best option is probably going to be a specialized mid-sized hosting company. While larger companies are often very good at providing Internet access, they usually don’t offer the same level of personalized customer service and specialization as a mid-sized company. Your Website Development TeamIn order to build a successful website, you need a team of experienced professionals. The main players of your website development team may include the following:
Your Application Service Providers (ASP)There are many companies that offer online services or applications that can help you with all various business processes, from tracking sales leads to building an online store, and much more. These companies are commonly called ASPs, or Application Service Providers. ASPs build an online service that would be very expensive for a single business to develop, and they spread the cost over thousands of users and offer a per-use cost that smaller businesses can afford. An ASP is a lot like an airline. Business people fly all over the world, but very few businesses own an airplane. It makes more economic sense to buy travel services from an airline on a per-use basis. Examples of Application Service ProvidersThere are far too many online services and applications to list them all, but here are some of the more popular services that many businesses make use of:
The examples listed here are subject to change, but chances are sites like eBay or PayPal aren’t going anywhere soon. Your website developer should have some knowledge of ASPs and be able to help you decide if a service like this is right for your company. Your Computer Services FirmYour computer services firm is the company that keeps your computer hardware working properly. Without computers you can’t have much of an e-business. Your computer services firm will help you set up your computers, maintain an office network, help you install new software, and take care of pretty much anything else related to your computers. They might also provide computer hardware or recommend good vendors. Some firms may also offer related services such as website hosting or custom programming. The Importance of Maintaining Your ComputersComputers play a vital role in your e-business. They are used for accounting, inventory tracking and sales, word processing, spreadsheet analysis, contact management, and client communications. Some important computer issues include:
You may want your computer services firm to handle these issues. Messing around with your computer when you don’t know what you’re doing is a good way to create problems. And every minute your computer is not working there is lost productivity. Your Professional Services TeamYour e-business will benefit from the involvement of professionals such as your banker, lawyer, business or marketing consultant, and security specialist. Each of these partners can add value to your overall e-business strategy:
Selecting the Right PartnersFinding good partners is a very important part of your e-business strategy. Below are two very important factors to consider when selecting your e-business partners. Examples of Work There is no better indicator of the expertise or experience of a company than the work done by that company. Look at their portfolio of work. A good company will be able to provide numerous examples of work that directly relate to the services you’re looking for. Referrals and References Good companies will have many references and will receive good referrals from existing clients. Just by asking others in the business community, you can get a pretty accurate picture of how good or bad a company is at what they do. How Do You Find Good Partners?The best way to find good e-business partners is to talk with other businesses about the companies they have used. Good referrals are worth their weight in gold. Get recommendations from people in the business community that you respect. In any service industry, word-of-mouth is a key indicator of how good a company is. E-business is no different. What to Look for in Your E-Business Partners:
Working Effectively With Your E-Business PartnersIt’s important to understand that even though you are outsourcing your e-business needs to a number of different partners, you still need to be involved in the process. It is your job to take an active role and provide each e-business partner with the information they need to do their job properly. In a way, you are the project leader. It’s your business, you are in charge. You must be clear about your business goals and what it is that you want to do. Knowing what you want and communicating this vision to your partners is key. Advantages of Working with External E-Business Partners:
Disadvantages of Working with External E-Business Partners:
Tips for Success Here are a few tips that will help you work more effectively with your e-business partners.
Next Steps: Advanced E-Business FeaturesMost small businesses don’t need an advanced or complex e-business solution when they’re just starting out. Features such as an online store sometimes don’t even make sense for well-established businesses. For example, a high-end homebuilder is unlikely to ever sell a half-million dollar home from a website through online credit card payment. The sales process of the company simply doesn’t fit with direct online payment. When Do Advanced Features Make Sense?It’s usually a good idea to keep your e-business strategy fairly simple to start with. But do have measurable objectives and make sure your site can accommodate growth later on. The idea is to crawl before you walk. You don’t want to get into a situation where you spend thousands of dollars building an online store, and then find your customers won’t buy from you online. A good rule of thumb is that an advanced e-business feature makes sense when it can pay for itself. Some common advanced features include:
Your website developer will be able to explain these advanced features (and many others) in more detail and will help you determine whether they make sense for your e-business. Resources There are lots of resources and information available for anyone who wants to dive into the subject of e-business more deeply. The Alberta E-Future Centre is a great place to start. You can also find many good websites and books with useful information on this topic. Websites
Domain Name Registration
Books
Magazines
|
|
| Resource : www.alberta.com |
|
|
