Online Presence to Grandmas Treats cookie companies can reach different varieties of customers if given an online presence. The website will bring Global customers to Grandmas Treats cookie companies who want to taste different varieties, which cannot be possible in traditional business. Getting into the Global market will make the company reach Global products and global service standards. Bulk can be possible for remote areas on the basis of costing. The products are available to a wide market. The local market demand fluctuation will show little effect on the company. Value-added services like cookery and other allied services can be offered through the site. The online display of products reduces the cost of storage and wastage of perishable items (food).
The color should resemble the food color (Cookies) for the header and menu sections. The design of the body of the page should be white to give a clear display of the product images and contents. The left menus should run on inner pages to give easy navigation and product category display. A fully integrated E-commerce website with secured payment options. The website will have user order forms as well as forms to upload the products by the site admin on regular basis.
The new product arrivals can be easily communicated through e-mailing to the existing clients. The site can be linked to Search engines like Google, Yahoo and MSN to promote and increase traffic. Advertising through other media like magazines and TV advertisements eg: McDonald’s. Publishing customer and client credentials on the site will add value to the services which are not possible in the traditional business. Promotional offers will attract recurrent purchases and increased sales. Display of product information through audio or video digital-media files will have the reach of information.
Similar product range like confectionaries and other bakery items can be displayed. Other products like cutlery and other cooking instruments like ovens can be introduced which amounts to additional revenue and traffic to the site.
Online communication makes the company connect to suppliers and customers very easily. Less cost for communication than any other media. The cost of promotion is also low when the site drives the targeted traffic. Product display being virtual reduces the making costs. Product classification and categorization are possible. Indexing the products makes it easy to search by type and size of the product. Elimination of human interference makes the customers feel free in accessing the required information on product ranges, pricing and shipping details.
Products made available can be easily copied and duplicated by the product identity. Competitor information and strategies can be adjusted according to the available information on the website. Technical risks like hacking and cracking of critical information or the entire site can be a disaster. Customer may perceive the quality of the received product differently from the virtual product display. Customer details, authentication and payment methods should be handled carefully.
Popular usage technologies like Microsoft technologies or open source can be used. If a Commerce server is used the site experiences an optimum performance than other technology, though costly.
The probable variable costs/Anum are as follows:
- Designing an Ecommerce Website – $2000
- eCommerce Storefront Hosting -$1566
- Hardware and other software to maintain and update the website
- Website administrators/people cost
References
Brian Walsh, Building A Business Plan For An E-Commerce Project. Web.
FAQ, Gourmetfoodmall. Web.
Design Store. Web.
Payment Gateway Services. Web.