Re: link and shopping cart questions

Hello, Rosemary: :)

At 12:57 PM 2/1/2004, Write Words wrote:
>Hello,
>I have a customer who is an award and plaque engraver. He wants his online 
>customers to be able to access sites of his wholesalers and come back to 
>his site to order the item with specific engraving.  He will then order 
>the plaque, engrave, and get it to the customer.

Hmmm... most wholesalers I work with have no problem with their 
distributors/dealers using their product photos and information on their 
sites.  Did your client ask their wholesalers if they could use the info 
and photos on their site?

>It would be impossible, and I don't know if it's even legal, to have all 
>the items in all the catalogs (about 50) from which he buys plaques, etc. 
>to be engraved.

Again, I have one wholesale business enterprise and if any of our distys or 
dealers ask about photos, I tell them to take whatever they like from our 
site.  If they get orders, we get orders.  ;-)  Of course they key is to 
ask and get permission.

>My thought is to link to the wholesaler's site in a separate page so 
>customer can browse and then come back to a printable order form (he 
>doesn't want to do real-time sales just yet).

That is asking a lot of folks and avoiding using technology for the 
efficiency and making doing business easy that it can offer.  I don't know 
if I would base a business plan on folks having to go to another site, come 
back to mine, print an order, fill it out and then manually send it to 
me.  You may want to check if others in his market are offering real time 
online ordering which makes the process allot less hassle free and 
easier.  If there are competitors doing so, he really should consider do 
the same.

>My assciate thinks we should install a shopping cart, disable sales, and 
>put a few items from each category and wholesaler, in the disabled 
>shopping cart.

Shopping carts that allow you to place orders without payment are common 
for that reason.  However, I would recommend you add as many products with 
photos and detailed descriptions as possible.  It seems we want to do 
things the less techy way here and that isn't the way you succeed with an 
online enterprise.

Maybe ask the client point blank what their direct concerns are so you can 
address those with valid information to help them understand what will be 
required to produce any ROI.  They do want ROI right?  Then, they have to 
consider running their online program in such a way as to enhance that 
potential.

>  This would then take the customer to a
>form or order blank where they could then print out, call or mail in order 
>and let the engraver take it from there.

To succeed online the client should really have a Web site that uses 
technology to make the process easy and convenient.  If they expect 
potential customers to go through all that when most likely there are 
competitors who allow you to do one-stop-shopping online with ease - orders 
will be happenstance.  Part of the order process can include what fonts are 
available for them to choose from, desired alignment and a text box for 
them to include their verbiage.  Then, a fax confirmation that needs to be 
approved and faxed back can be accomplished after the online order 
process.  I've order many custom printed items online without ever speaking 
to a single person.

>My associate feels that if our customer does, at some time in the future, 
>want to accept online orders and payments, it will be cheaper and easier 
>to modify the site at that time.

What I have found in instances like this is that the client, who decides to 
avoid what technology can do in lieu of what they are willing to handle, 
ends up being frustrated and blaming the Web when the orders do not come to 
fruition.  If the client wants to waste time with this methodology - you 
need to presell and manage expectations in regard to what these decisions 
will produce (or not produce for that matter).

>We are both open to any suggestions on an improved way to deal with this, 
>and also open to any negatives you see here.

There you have them...  ;-)  Rosemary, over the last decade I've worked 
with way too many people who try to mold this experience to what they are 
"willing to deal with" and they do not succeed.

=> Suggest a cart with built in security.
=> Offer online payment capability, with several options.
=> Ask their suppliers for a product disc of photos/info or if they can use 
what is on the wholesalers site (I have yet to run into resistance when 
I've made such a request myself.)
=> Still offer an order form or off-line way of placing orders for other 
techno-phobes.  You do want to make sure you have all the bases covered.

>Also, anyone have any experience with these shopping carts: Your Virtual 
>Store, Comersus, or ASP shopping cart by IntLink Solutions. We are looking 
>for an ASP shopping cart.

Unfortunately, I cannot help you there as I have not used any of those 
platforms.

>I hope these are acceptable onlist questions. If not, please feel free to 
>mail me offlist.

Perfect stuff for the Business list!  ;-)

>Any comments, suggestions, or ideas would be greatly appreciated.

I do hope this helps - at least with educating your client.  I think 
sometimes we are so willing to cater to the "customer is always right" 
mentality that we neglect that in most cases they are relying on us to let 
them know the truth and consequences of how they run their online program.

HTH!
/j 

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