E-commerce - How to Launch an Online Business

Online shopping has become extremely popular, making it tempting to step to the other side and sell online, but it can’t be improvised.

The overall objective of this course is to train participants in completing an online sales project, avoiding as far as possible the beginners’ stumbling blocks that are often encountered as a result of lack of information about the reality of what e commerce really involves.

All too often projects of this kind fail as a result of not only putting the cart before the horse but even before choosing what route the cart should take: the technological solutions are becoming increasingly standardised, making it relatively easy to learn how to run an e-commerce. However, there are preliminary stages involving choosing the right platform and - more importantly - reaching a clear definition of both handling an online commercial positioning strategy and a tactic for convincing website visitors to buy online.

Upon completion of this course, learners will be able to master the various elements that are necessary in managerial terms for launching and operating an e commerce website (positioning strategy, marketing, involvement in terms of financial and human resources, obligations with regard to regulations and taxation, choosing an e commerce platform and service providers, etc.). Many good practices on these various aspects will be delivered by experts in the field.

This training programme is for people in SME/SMIs who want to sell their products or services directly to their clients, whether these are private individuals or professionals (B2B), retailers who want to be able to add an additional sales channel to their physical shop, and people who like to strike out on their own.

Upon completion of the training course, participants will be capable of:

• knowing the particular features of e-commerce and the challenges they need to meet in order to sell online
  
• establishing an efficient online commercial positioning strategy
  
• selecting the right technological solution for their online activity, taking into account the criteria that are important in their specific context
  
• knowing the stages for launching an online shop and the expense items they need to make provision for
  
• setting up a tactical plan for acquiring clients (the AIDA model as a marketing approach; how to attract visitors to your website, then how to win them over and convert them into clients).
  
• increasing the conversion rate on the website on the basis of the customer journey
  
• choosing a logistics service and service providers: payment and logistics (fulfilment, dispatching, returns)
  
• knowing which aspects of the regulations are relevant to operating an e commerce website

As a result, participants will maximise their chances of getting off to a good start.

Proper positioning, defining one’s online commercial strategy, identifying relevant solutions  

• Introduction to online sales 
  
• Why sell online?
  
• Why do consumers buy online?
  
• Analysis of successful e commerce websites
  
• What are the main factors of success? What traps are most frequently encountered?
  
• How to establish an online commercial positioning strategy that matches your context
  
• How to choose from among the many solutions for selling online: comparison of the different possibilities for selling online:
  
• • Selling on an electronic marketplace
    
  • Selling through a delegatee
    
  • Selling on a shared platform
    
  • Selling on one’s own platform
    
  • Dropshipping
    

Establishing one’s tactic for gaining online clients; the 3 main stages in the customer journey

E-marketing: getting visitors to come to your website  

• Overview of the various e marketing tools
  
• The ‘pull’ approach: tactic for placing your offer
  
• • On search engines: natural referencing and paid referencing
    
  • On price comparison websites
    
  • On marketplaces
    
• The ‘push’ approach: tactic for memorising your offer by exposing Internet users to your commercial message:
  
• • Advertising banners
    
  • Affiliation campaign
    
  • E-mailing
    
  • Retargeting marketing
    
• Interactive approach: tactic of conversation with both Internet users, encouraging them to find out more about your offer, and your clients, encouraging them to become ambassadors for your offer
  
• Comparison of these different tools: rules for operation and remuneration, pros and cons

Inbound Marketing – Content strategy to attract visitors, convert them to leads and then to customers

• How to win over Internet users, inspiring confidence and convincing them to put the products or services in their virtual shopping cart and go on to order online:
  
• • Ergonomics
    
  • E-merchandising
    
  • Retargeting
    
  • Conversion funnel
    
• How to set aside Internet users’ anxiety when they have to confirm their shopping carts, avoiding them abandoning the purchase
  
• • Elements of “reassurance”               
    

Customer service 

• Payments: the different methods for receiving payments online:
  
• • Selection criteria
    
  • Rules for operation and remuneration of service providers
    
  • How to limit fraud in relation to online payment methods
    
• Logistics: stages (storage, picking, despatch, return), alternative solutions (outsourcing, dropshipping), selection criteria
  
• Management of after-sales service and returns
  

Analysis of a case study or an entrepreneur’s personal experience

Good day-to-day organisation and handling the activity’s growth

• Drawing up the initial budget, listing expenses for which provision must be made
  
• Choosing a web agency, an e marketing agency:
  
• • Selection criteria
    
  • Traps to avoid in relations with service providers
    
  • Contractual and operational aspects to take into account
    
• Drawing up an e-marketing budget
  
• Assessing the performance of your e-commerce website: monitoring, and assessment criteria
  
• Creating a dashboard for performance statistics
• 
  

For more skills on the regulatory aspects of an e-commerce business, have a look at our dedicated training offer:  E-commerce - Regulatory aspects (Taxation and Law) 

• Promotors of an online sales business
  
• Retailers, manufacturers, service providers*
  

*This course is not intended for service providers providing services to e-retailers

Upon completion of the course, participants will receive a certificate of participation issued by the House of Training.