Ecommerce for Solopreneurs<\/p>\n
By Rob Gordin.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n Suppose you want to start selling online, but you are a one man (or one woman) show. \u00a0What solution fits your needs the best? \u00a0\u00a0How much work will it be to get up and going? \u00a0\u00a0How much will it cost? \u00a0Is it flexible and easy to maintain? \u00a0Does it provide a growth path for the future?<\/p>\n These aren\u2019t easy questions to answer, and there are a mind numbing number of options, but this article will give you a few things to consider in making a rational decision on the best eCommerce system for you. \u00a0This is not intended to give you every possible option in selecting a platform for your \u00a0business \u00a0– that would be all but impossible. \u00a0\u00a0Rather, we would like to provide a \u201cframework\u201d for ways you can think about it so you can make rational decisions on the eCommerce approach that is best for you.<\/p>\n There are two things that Solopreneurs generally don\u2019t have in great abundance – the first is time, and the second is of course, money, so those will generally be the primary consideration, but there are many others. \u00a0\u00a0Let\u2019s take a look at the possible options, and note that there is a great deal of overlap with each of these approaches.<\/p>\n 1. \u00a0\u00a0Use an open source platform. \u00a0\u00a0Many solopreneurs are into DYI (do it yourself) approaches, so these are always popular. \u00a0Basically this just means you select one of the many solutions that have been developed by the open source community, then configure and modify it to fit your needs and then host it on your own server and domain. \u00a0A few of the more common examples in this genre:<\/p>\n Zencart<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Magnito<\/p>\n<\/li>\n OpenCart:<\/p>\n<\/li>\n osCommerce:<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Miva<\/p>\n<\/li>\n PrestaShop<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n The Upside: \u00a0For all intents and purposes, you will \u201cown\u201d this system and can do what you want. \u00a0\u00a0There will be no monthly service fees beyond what you pay for hosting, and no transaction fees beyond what you pay to your credit card payment provider. \u00a0There will also be a great deal of flexibility in development – with some effort, you should be able to get the exact \u201clook and feel\u201d that you want.<\/p>\n The Downside: \u00a0This is not for the faint of heart. \u00a0\u00a0Even if you are technically skilled, this is often a \u201ctrip into the weeds\u201d. \u00a0\u00a0You very will may find yourself working far more on your technology, then you are on selling and marketing your products and services. \u00a0\u00a0The maintenance and upkeep of these systems can be daunting, and technical support can be spotty at best. \u00a0\u00a0In the case where the open source software company also has a paid version, there will usually be less functionality and the free version is mostly meant to eventually get you to upgrade to the paid version.<\/p>\n 2. \u00a0\u00a0Use a Content Management System. \u00a0\u00a0This is somewhat similar to using open source software, except in this case software that is designed for managing content on websites is used, and a plugin of some kind is used to provide the eCommerce functions. \u00a0\u00a0Depending on the technology selected, this can be either easier or more difficult than using open source software designed specifically for this purpose. \u00a0A few of the common examples in this genre:<\/p>\n Joomla with VirtueMart Plugin<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Drupal with Ubercart Plugin<\/p>\n<\/li>\n WordPress with WP e-Commerce (and others)<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n The Upside: \u00a0Most solopreneurs who use this approach are already using it to manage their website so it has the advantage of being well integrated with what is already in place. \u00a0It can often be a superior way to showcase products, as not everything is oriented to :\u201dselling\u201d so product displays can be mixed with other content.<\/p>\n The Downside: \u00a0This is usually not quite as flexible as using an open source system specifically designed for eCommerce. \u00a0Technical support is usually through online forums and can be frustrating and time consuming.<\/p>\n 3. \u00a0\u00a0Use Commercial Software. \u00a0\u00a0This is also similar to the \u201cfree open source\u201d approach, but in this case solopreneurs elect to pay for their software solution – either through a one time or ongoing licensing fee. \u00a0Note that \u201copen source\u201d and \u201cfree\u201d are not exactly the same thing., \u00a0Software can be open source – meaning you have full access to the source code and can modify it if you wish, but it still requires a licence fee. \u00a0\u00a0Also, some commercial ecommerce software does have free versions with less functionality. \u00a0\u00a0A few of the common examples in this genre:<\/p>\n Magnito (also has free version)<\/p>\n<\/li>\n CS-Cart Shopping Cart Software<\/p>\n<\/li>\n X-Cart Shopping Cart Software<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Pinnacle Cart<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n The Upside: \u00a0\u00a0Purchased ecommerce store software is generally has a higher initial cost but there is only a single payment and then you own the software or have a permanent licence. \u00a0Support is generally superior and you have an accountable party and \u201csomeone to talk to\u201d if something goes wrong. \u00a0\u00a0Purchased software is also usually more flexible and can be modified to suit your needs.<\/span><\/p>\n The Downside: \u00a0\u00a0Primarily the up front fee, and also the danger of being \u201clocked in\u201d with a single vendor. \u00a0\u00a0It is not unheard of for these companies to go out of business which will leave you with no growth path.<\/p>\n 4. \u00a0\u00a0Use a Hosted Platform. \u00a0\u00a0This is an approach where you do not host the ecommerces software at all, but rather use a host to provide this service. \u00a0Typically you will \u201cembed\u201d the shopping cart into one or more of your website pages, but is is also possible to use many of these as standalone platforms – even while retaining your domain name. \u00a0Be aware that there is a wide range of functionality with these platforms. \u00a0Some hosted platforms provide no more than an \u201cadd-on\u201d cart which is deployed on an existing website by copying a few lines of HTML, while others provide a complete stand-alone website builder can be added onto an existing site or used independently as your entire website. \u00a0\u00a0A few of the many examples in this genre:<\/p>\n Yahoo Stores<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Intuit Ecommerce<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n Shopify<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Paypal Shopping Cart<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n The Upside: \u00a0This is a great solution for beginners because the hosting is included and there is usually no technical setup required. \u00a0\u00a0There are some great deals out there especially if you don\u2019t have a ton of different items to sell. \u00a0\u00a0In general, the will support multiple payment providers so that is one less thing to worry about.<\/p>\n The Downside: \u00a0There is usually a monthly fee and often transaction charges. \u00a0\u00a0Many of the deals out there are \u201closs leaders\u201d and If your store is successful there could be some hefty fees and service charges as you grow. \u00a0When the platform is provided without charge, some companies put advertisements on your store which can be a turnoff to your customers. It can also be extremely difficult to migrate to another platform once you have selected one of these services. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n 5. \u00a0Get in Bed with a Giant. \u00a0This is an approach where you use the solutions provided by one of the major players in the ecommerce industry. \u00a0At the moment, there are really only two \u201cgiants\u201d to consider – Amazon and eBay, but we can expect all the major social networks – Facebook, Google+. Twitter and Pinterest to have offerings in this area. \u00a0\u00a0The two major examples in this genre:<\/p>\n Amazon Webstore<\/p>\n<\/li>\n ProStores Store (An Ebay Company)<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n The Upside: \u00a0\u00a0These sites know how to sell, and there may be some advantages to their dominant market position. \u00a0\u00a0If you are selling on Amazon or eBay anyway, this is something you probably want to consider. \u00a0\u00a0There are generally multiple payment options and since these sites are highly \u201ctrusted\u201d you may get more sales by associating with them.<\/p>\n The Downside: \u00a0\u00a0Since these services are associated with these giant companies, your branding may become overwhelmed by the larger company. \u00a0\u00a0The solutions are often more \u201ccanned\u201d and less flexible than other approaches.<\/p>\n 6. \u00a0Get Social. \u00a0\u00a0This is an approach where you sell primarily socially – either through an existing social network or through sites that have been specifically set up for this purpose. \u00a0This is an emerging genre and we can expect to see more players in this area, including all the major social media companies. \u00a0A \u00a0few examples in this genre:<\/p>\n Etsy \u00a0(mostly for art and handcrafted items).<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Envato (for digital goods)<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Threadflip (clothing)<\/p>\n<\/li>\n FriendShopper<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Vendio Ecommerce (for Facebook stores)<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n The Upside: \u00a0This sites often specialize in niche areas, and come with a built in community of prospective buyers – a big plus for the solopreneur.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The Downside: \u00a0As with hosted services, the growth path is uncertain and you may find yourself needing to do a migration at some point – which can be even more difficult since you may have active buyers and prospects in the community. \u00a0Also, since the genre is new, no one really know what will happen. \u00a0New players will almost certainly emerge, and there may be a shakeup with some of the existing companies.<\/p>\n 7, \u00a0Go Mobile. \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0More and more people are buying off their mobile devices – smart phones and tablet computers. \u00a0\u00a0While this genre overlaps somewhat with the others, it is worth considering in its own right. \u00a0\u00a0A few examples in this genre:<\/p>\n Square<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Venda<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Shopgate<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n The Upside: \u00a0This, along with social commerce, is likely to be \u201cthe wave of the future\u201d. \u00a0Most ecommerce providers will be designing support into their platforms if they haven\u2019t already<\/p>\n The Downside: \u00a0\u00a0Many new and smaller players that may not provide support for more traditional methods. \u00a0\u00a0Some \u201ctrendy features\u201d may not stand the test of time, and not all products are ideal for being sold on mobile devices.<\/p>\n ***<\/p>\n At best, a report like this can just scratch the surface on an industry as broad and multidimensional as ecommerce. \u00a0\u00a0For all intents and purposes, you can expect just about every Internet technology company to try to get a \u201cpiece of the action\u201d this, for the simple reason that it is \u201cwhere the money is\u201d. \u00a0\u00a0Most players in this industry will be integrating different approaches so it shouldn\u2019t be to difficult to find the provider that is best for you.<\/p>\n For most solopreneurs, however, the best solution will likely be to use one of the hosted platforms. \u00a0These will allow you to get up and selling almost immediately, which you can\u2019t do with either open source, content management or commercial software.<\/p>\n Regardless of ths solution you select, do your homework. \u00a0\u00a0Select the approach you think works best for you and write up some specifications for your needs before you even look at the prices and feature sets of the different systems. \u00a0\u00a0Avoid any services \u00a0require you to pay a percentage of your sales and \u201cfree trials\u201d are all but useless. \u00a0Even with hosted platforms, there will be some effort in setting this up so you want to select the system that best matches your needs.<\/p>\n \u00a0One more thing – don\u2019t delay. \u00a0If you have products to sell, you can be making money sooner than you think.<\/p>\n About the Author.\u00a0Introduction<\/strong>. Rob is the founder and owner of one of the largest business communities on Google Plus. \u00a0You can find his information on his G+ profile. Because he interfaces with over 25,000 small business owners he has a unique knowlege of that market. He also is the founder of\u00a0http:\/\/world-startups.com\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n
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