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Questions Web Designers Need to Ask Clients

The latest developments in ecommerce software provide a big opportunity for web designers. All competent professionals can now develop ecommerce solutions far more efficiently. That means that your job is focused on business content, design and site promotion, whilst the software looks after the detailed technicalities.

However, even after you have armed yourself with an ecommerce package, you need to understand your customer's requirements and ensure that there is a proper fit. What follows is an outline of some of the questions that you should ask them. Not only will this help you to propose the appropriate solution, but it will also demonstrate to them that you 'know your stuff'.

 

THE ONLINE CATALOGUE

  • How many products do they plan to sell on-line?
  • Are products distinct, or do they have options? For example, does one product consist of several others? Are there accessories and can one product be substituted for another?
  • How frequently do they add or remove products from their catalogue - and how often do they change prices? Does the customer wish to perform this maintenance themselves?

 

VISITORS AND ORDERS

  • - Who do they expect at their site - existing customers, new customers or a small, closed community?
  • - At their new site, how many customers do they expect to visit per day and how many orders do they expect to take ?

 

PRICING AND PAYMENT

  • Is there one price per product or do they charge differently based upon the type and status of the customer? Are there different prices for different order quantities?
    How do they charge for shipping?
  • What are their payment options?
  • How important is on-line credit-card validation? What percentage transaction charge would such a facility be worth?

 

GENERAL

  • Do they need to integrate into any back-end systems such as accounting systems, order processing or stock management?
  • Do they plan to sell overseas, and if so to which countries? VAT is not payable on exports outside the EU.
  • Last but not least, how much do they want to spend?

 

It is common experience for customers to have grand ideas of what they want only to radically downsize their plan when the full cost is realised. For this reason, it is best to ferret out the full requirements as soon as possible. The questions above are intended to help this process.

The hard reality is that internet commerce is still at the early-adopter stage in the UK, so most customers wish to put their toes gently and cheaply into the water before taking the full plunge.