The document provides an overview of eCommerce, defining it as the buying and selling of products, services, and information using digital channels. It outlines some key benefits of eCommerce like lower costs, wider reach, and the ability to operate 24/7. It also discusses eCommerce models, things to consider when building an eCommerce site like technical resources and fulfillment, popular eCommerce platforms, payment processing options, and digital marketing tactics for driving traffic and sales.

1. What is eCommerce?
Colin Lewis

2. What is eCommerce?
eCommerce Definition:
The buying and selling of products, services & information using digital channels, usually
commerce businesses usually employing some or all of the following practices:
• Provide Etail or virtual storefront on websites with online catalogues,
• Buy or sell on websites or online marketplaces.
• Provide secure business transactions
Dave Chaffey: Internet Marketing, Strategy Implementation & Practice
• Electronic Commerce refers to both financial and informational electronically mediated
transactions between organisations and any third party it deals with.
• eCommerce involves management not only sales transactions but also non-financial
transactions such as inbound customer service enquiries and customer requests for
further information are considered to be part of e-commerce.

3. Benefits of eCommerce
• New / additional / solo sales channel that improves conversion
• Lowers cost of sales through lower overhead (no 25 year leases) and
increased automation/streamlining of business processes.
• Removes geographic restrictions & Increase’s exposure to a wider audience
• Internationalise very easily
• Improve branding - > better customer experience.
• Always open -operate 24/7
• Adoption continues to grow rapidly – matching broadband and mobile
• Niche products/services can thrive online
• Tracking allows you to learn from customer behaviour – IMMEDIATELY
• Now very affordable -> low barriers to entry
• You can do it yourself!

4. eCommerce Sales Growth
Ireland
• Estimated size of Irish eCommerce market €4 billion e-commerce market
• Irish retailers are now investing in meeting the growing online demand for their products.
• 2013 compared to 2012: Grew by 17% - Retail grew by 25%
• Prior to 2013 - little if anything that could be bought online from iconic Irish retail brands
• Spending up remarkable 51% in Q2 2014 when compared with the same time PY
• Revenue growing 67% faster than traffic it is clear the Irish consumer has an insatiable
appetite
UK and Europe
• In 2010 Europe overtook the USA. In 2012 European B2C e-commerce, including online
retail goods and services grew by 19% to reach €311.6 bn.
• UK: Now £13n++ could grow to £45bn by 2020
• eCommerce websites are still only 12% of the Internet

5. Building
an
eCommerce site

6. eCommerce Models
• Clicks & Bricks/Mortar:
A business model by which a company integrates both
offline (bricks) and online (clicks) presences. e.g.
Tesco.com, Topshop.com, PaddyPower.com, argos.ie
• Pure Play:
Does business purely through the Internet; they have
no physical store. E.g. Asos.com, ebay.com.
• Mobile:
e.g. Hot Hotels, Tinder, WhatsApp

7. Things to think about
• Do you have an existing website? Will this integrate, replace or be a new website
• Have you access to in-house technical (web development & design) resources?
• Do you have offline stores? How will this integrate with them, their inventory etc...
Or will this be a pure play ecommerce site
• How many products will you have?
• Who will manage order fulfilment, do you already have a warehouse, mail order
division, will you need one
• How much revenue do you expect to generate online,
• How much do you expect the online to cannibalise the offline, what will be the
consequences of this
• Do you have somebody/ a team who will manage your e-commerce operation?
• Do you need an agency to help build/maintain your store?

8. Choosing an eCommerce Platform
Basic
• Simple ‘Buy Now’ buttons integrated into an existing website
• On-demand ecommerce solutions
• Online marketplaces: third party websites such as eBay & Amazon which host the e-commerce
presence of multiple sellers
Comprehensive – dedicated eCommerce website
• Custom-built/Bespoke eCommerce website
• Packaged applications (paid or free/open source) – Enterprise Level
Reflecting the difference between ….
• Re-usable software (that can either be implemented by a third party or by in-house
developers – i.e. a base platform)
and
• Using a solution provider, which may use a solution provider as a starting point in
delivering a fully functional online store for a retailer.

9. On-demand/Hosted ecommerce solutions
‘Cloud’ based software
• On-demand solutions are easy to set up
• No investment required in technology
• Most come with excellent and easily customizable designs
• Marketing tools built in
• Mobile device enabled, great apps available
• Perfect for small to medium sized business with less than 500
products, 50,000 visitors per month and less than 1000 orders
per month

10. Things to think about: getting paid
• Two Payment Processing Options:
 Payment Bureau
 Payment Service Providers (PSP’s)

11. Payments online – Payment Bureau
• Payment Bureau’s act as both Payment Processer and Acquiring
bank
• PayPal & Google Checkout are the main players
Pros
• The only option for many start up’s
• Easy to set up
• Helps increase conversion
• Fraud Protection - Both checkouts offer a level of fraud protection
to both buyers and sellers
Cons
• Higher fees – 2% - 3.5%
• Revenue settled slower

12. Payment Service Providers (PSP’s)
• Retailer must have an internet merchant account with an acquiring
bank (a bank which provides internet merchant services).
• They must also have an account with a payment service provider
(PSP) also known as a payment gateway. A PSP is effectively an
online credit card machine.
• Merchant’s bank account’s - BOI – Elavon, AIB – AIBMS (Not all
banks provide this service)
• Payment Service Providers
• - Realex, SagePay

13. New forms of processor
E.G. Stripe
• Payment forms
• Processing and compliance
• Integrated mobile payments for iOS &
Android libraries to charge on the go.
• Storing cards and processing
subscriptions to powering
marketplaces and everything in
between.

14. Payment Service Providers (PSP’s)
Pro’s
• Lower fee’s - 2% for most cards / 49p for debit cards
• Excellent site integration options
• Works well if you are doing larger volumes
• Funds settled within 1-2 days
Con’s
• Not really available for start ups
• Time to set cost
• Set up costs
• More susceptible to fraud
• Monthly fee’s in conjunction with transaction fee’s (20-30 Eur)

15. But wait
How do I get traffic?
(‘punters to my site’)
And how do I get them to buy?

16. Back to the A C R

17. Digital Marketing For eCommerce Sites
• Standard Channels • Additional DM Channels for eCommerce
• SEO/Organic Search
• Paid Search
• Email Marketing
• Display & Video Advertising
• Mobile Marketing
• Social Media Marketing
• PR
• Marketplaces: eBay & Amazon
• Shopping price comparison engines
• Google x 5 – Adwords for eCommerce,
Product Search, Reviews, Google
Checkout, Youtube
• Product Videos
• Review sites
• Social Media & Commerce

18. Design is an acquisition tool

19. Copy is a conversion tool

20. Source
WorldPay
Why do they leave?