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Selecting
a particular e-commerce solution is not something easily undone,
so you'll want to make your selection carefully. Not unexpectedly,
vendors list the features they do provide, but don't make it
easy to determine which features they don't offer. For this
reason, it's important to determine which features you need
and which ones you want before you start your search.
Below
is just a small sampling of the options you'll want to consider...
| Import
& Export of data |
- What
type of data can be imported and exported: customers,
orders, products, web pages?
- What
programs is it compatible with: Excel, Quickbooks,
Lotus 1-2-3, FrontPage, Dreamweaver, etc.?
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| Finding
Products |
- Is
there a "search" feature to help customers
find the product their looking for?
- Are
categories of products supported?
- How
many categories are possible?
- Can
a single item appear in multiple categories?
- Are
subcategories supported?
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| Product
Pricing |
- Are
coupons supported?
- Is
it easy to put a set of products on sale for a specified
time period?
- Does
it support wholesale pricing?
- Does
it support discounts for ordering a specific number
or dollar value of products?
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| Shipping |
- Can
shipping fees be based on weight? Number of items?
Total order amount?
- Are
real-time shipping quotes available?
- Which
shippers are supported: UPS, USPS, FedEx, DHL, etc.?
- Can
a customer split a single order between multiple shipping
addresses (e.g., for gifts)?
- Are
tracking numbers included in order confirmations sent
to customers?
- Is
international shipping supported?
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| Shopper
Features |
- Does
it remember your shipping addresses?
- Does
it remember your past orders?
- Do
you get an automatic order confirmation?
- Are
you notified when the product ships?
- Can
you create a wish list?
- Is
your shopping cart saved between visits or is it lost?
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| Service
& Support |
- Available
24 hours per day?
- What
support modes are available: phone, email, internet
chat?
- What
is the typical response time with email requests?
- Is
their phone number toll free?
- Is
there free support for the first 30 days while you
get your system running?
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