THE OPPORTUNITY

• Global online spending will exceed $4 trillion by 2020 and will make up nearly 15% of all retail sales (eMarketer)

• U.S. eCommerce sales have been growing steadily over the last five years at roughly 15% per year (US Dept of Commerce)

• Almost 70 percent of Americans shop online at least once a month. 

Yet many small and mid-sized businesses are failing to seize the opportunity. WHY?

THE CHALLENGES of eCommerce

• Many Components: Software, fulfillment, customer service, payment processing, online marketing, warehousing. It can seem overwhelming.

• Bandwidth: Many organizations lack the time to evaluate multiple vendors and find the right mix of solutions for each area while working on their core business.

• Manpower: eCommerce requires headcount to run the ongoing operations.

• Budget: Concerns about the investment required before ever realizing a profit 

GETTING STARTED – eCOMMERCE REQUIRES MORE THAN A WEBSITE WITH a CART

It’s important to have a snapshot of what you’ll be facing before you start evaluating an eCommerce initiative. This guide will first provide you with an overview of the various pieces that need to fit together to build and manage a profitable eCommerce operation.

At the end of the guide we summarize the three most common roadmaps that businesses take to launch their eCommerce businesses. After reading this guide you’ll be armed with the basic information you’ll need to begin your decision making process.