E-COMMERCE

Master Webs can provide on-line shopping solutions for all size companies conducting 'business to business' and 'business to consumer' transactions involving the capture, management, and routing of secure orders. We also can help you to integrate your online business into existing inventory, accounting, and database systems.

We'll ask you the right questions, educate you on the options, and implement a solution appropriate to you.

E-Commerce Facts
Online sales have grown faster than even the most optimistic analysts could have predicted, and they continue to increase everyday.

Take a look at a few facts: In 1998, the Web accounted for $4.5 billion in online sales, triple that of 1997. Researchers predict that online shopping will increase almost 800 percent to $35 billion by 2002. What proportion of these sales will be generated by UK sites is only a matter for speculation.

Our approach to e-commerce - and how it relates to website design and Internet marketing, is best summed up by the following equation:

We explain this in detail below.

'E-data' or electronic data
In order to sell products on the Internet, we'll need your data in electronic format. Text must be typed into a database file, graphics must be scanned in or otherwise available.

The data required for an online shop consists mainly of product reference code, product description and product price for each item to be sold.

An excellent 'plus' of selling on the Internet is that you can also feature digital photographs of your products - which is an area we are very strong in (we can shoot your entire catalogue of products on-site or on location), along with writing attractive copy for your descriptions!

The Ilona Herman website is an e-commerce website designed by Master Webs. See Clients for other examples of our work.

Other data issues for your e-commerce website will be: shipment terms and costs, which credit cards you will be able to process, and the content of additional website pages (not strictly speaking shop pages) which provide extra value to customers.

We may need to gather up or create even more data than you already have. We can do all the data gathering work for you in-house if you haven't got the resources.

E-study - The competition and market study
A key component of a successful e-commerce business is studying the competition and the market for your products.

You obviously know your competition. But do you know whether they are on the Internet? And if they are, what makes (or breaks) their web sites? How well do their web sites perform and why? We do the study for you to identify what is likely to be the most successful way to offer your products.

We research all the 'keywords' and 'key phrases' potential customers would use to find your site through search engines so we can incorporate these into the code behind the pages of your web site.

We also research the best means of achieving real functionality for your e-commerce website so you can run your e-commerce business effectively and so that customers find shopping with you easy and pleasant.

E-target - Targeting your customers
You probably already know who your customers are likely to be. If not, we can help you identify your target market.

It is our job to ensure that both the design and functionality of your e-commerce site fulfills the requirements of your specific public.

E-marketing - Promoting your website
Once an e-commerce site has been developed, designed and set-up to receive orders, there are many ways to create entry points on the Internet, combined with traditional advertising / promotional tools, that will attract customers to your site.

Some are obvious (listing your site with search engines and directories). We also offer advice on exchanging reciprocal links with relevant sites, and tailor Internet Marketing packages that will result in driving traffic to your site.

E-security - making shopping with you a safe proposition
Your customers won't buy if they don't feel it is safe to do so. We help you set up an e-commerce web site that meets all the requirements for secure online shopping (and with the Thawtes certificate to prove it!)

Our Miva shopping cart solution and secure web server hosting provide a secure shopping environment.

Please use the Enquiry Form to tell us your requirements,
send us an e-mail or telephone on +44 (01342) 324623.