7 Tips to Consider When Choosing an E-Commerce Platform

Although there are a series of e-commerce platforms readily available today, choosing one among the lot requires utmost caution and is definitely an extremely challenging as well as time-consuming endeavor. Well, instead of feeling helpless and spending money on professional help, business owners must buy some time and go through the following write-up, where I have jotted down certain essential tips to make the said scenario much easy.

• Every modern-day entrepreneur wishes to get more traffic, conversions, and sales, all of which are possible through business expansion. It is necessary to opt for an e-commerce platform that has the potential to grow with an organization and successfully meet tests and trials that crop up in the way.

• When deciding upon a platform, make sure to take the budget into account. While some of the options have exceptional features, a few could be purchased at an excessively low-cost. Well, entrepreneurs need to conduct a comprehensive research and find out a perfect amalgamation of quality as well as affordability.

• One should always try choosing solutions, whose outlook could be altered by incorporating amazing designing components. This is because apart from being functional, a digital store must have an alluring appearance and only can then it reach out to a larger segment of the population.

• One of the most significant factors to keep in mind is user experience. E-commerce is an exceptionally competitive arena and business owners could only make success if they cater to the varying needs and expectations of modern-day customers, helping them to shop in a seamless way. Thus, look out for platforms that could engage consumers for prolonged periods and convince them to return.

• Selling products and services online is a tricky business and one can meet prosperity only through a few necessary tools. E-commerce platforms with a series of best features like backend management perspective, behavioral discounts, and suggested products are most surely increasing on demand.

• It does not matter if you are an expert or amateur, a solution must give the necessary help to one and all. Prior to deciding, do check if the platform has support options like live chat, online documentation, forums, etc.

• Now the last aspect that one must consider is safety quotient. The solution that business owners are opting for must provide utmost security especially in the form of keeping customer details encrypted. Checking out the credentials and registration by PCI or Payment Card Industry are major things to do.

Now that all my readers are aware of the essential tips, feel free to keep them in mind while choosing an e-commerce platform.

Rajib Saha is an author, who writes blogs and articles specifying the ways by which one could choose a platform for his or her online store. According to him, aspiring business owners with no so-called footing in the digitized landscape can seek help from the ecommerce solutions companies in India.

Tips to Choose a Suitable Ecommerce Development Company

In the ecommerce world, having an attractive online store is the basic necessity for starting an online business. Choosing an ecommerce development company is one of the easiest ways to create an ecommerce store in less time and at an affordable cost. Picking a platform that not just builds your online store but also helps you in driving sales and profit is also essential to the success of your online business.

Thus making a wise choice for the ecommerce development platform is essential for the future of your online store. It becomes a tough call to pick the best ecommerce platform from the plethora of options available in the market. Complete analysis of vital aspects involved in ecommerce website development should be done at the initial stage. This analysis depends on the requirement of your ecommerce business completely.

Here is a list of tips you should consider before picking an ecommerce platform

Easy to use the platform- Not every ecommerce entrepreneur is a techie, so choosing an ecommerce development company which can provide you support for creating an online store without many technical skills is necessary. To achieve this, the platform should provide an easy dashboard for carrying out various tasks like product upload, order processing etc. Along with this, the platform should be flexible and scalable enough to fulfil all the business requirements and be able to grow along with your business in the long run.

Case studies of existing customers- It is always good to know about the experience of other clients who have built up their business with the ecommerce development company that you are about to finalize. Refer their case studies and analyze their success stories for better understanding. If you see several unhappy clients then you know better know that it won't be a favorable choice.

A rich feature list- An online store is incomplete without a variety of features that can make the customer experience better. Ensure that the platform you choose allows features like easy search and navigation, product reviews, wish lists, multiple payment options, integration with a shipping partner etc.

Scope to explore the market- An ecommerce development company that gives you the scope to expand your business to various locations is always a better choice as it gives you the option to explore. Hence the platform should also provide various B2B features like multilingual for delivering services to users speaking in their native languages, multi-store for sub-store creation etc. Along with this, it is always necessary to have a strong presence on the internet so that the potential customers can know about you. For this purpose, the platform should provide SEO features for better visibility on Google and bring more traffic to the site.

If you come across an ecommerce development company that can meet your business needs and provide all the mentioned features in the checklist, then you can surely go for the same. A wise choice in selecting a suitable platform can help you in creating a success story for your online business.

Gaurav Jain is an ecommerce marketing strategist with 5+ years of experience. He currently works with StoreHippo- One of the leading SaaS based ecommerce platform provider with multiple features. He writes extensively about the latest ecommerce trends and encourages people to take up the new ways to make their online business a better one. His articles regarding ecommerce website development come from the rich experience of strategizing and handling online business across industry verticals.


John Freech

Four Must-Have Features for Building a Successful Online Store

Hi;
Creating an online store with the help of ecommerce platforms has become an easy task in today's era. You need to find a suitable platform that can meet your business needs and you are ready to go. But along with the business needs, you should also take a look at the features provided by the platform. One of the major features involved in the process of creating an online store. An online shopping cart for an ecommerce store makes the process more comfortable for the customers as well as the merchants. It may happen that the shopping cart provided by the platform is not good enough which might have adverse effects on the entire business. Thus, a thorough check of the shopping cart features is also necessary. Not all the ecommerce store owners are aware of the necessary requirements of a shopping cart.

For your help, here is a list of the four essential features that every shopping cart should have for being the preferred choice of customers. This can help to offer seamless shopping and boost conversions on an ecommerce store.

Convenience of users- To have loyal customers who visit and purchase from your store, it is necessary to have an easy to use the online shopping cart. Online buyers usually do not prefer clicking multiple times to complete the checkout process. Thus, the shopping cart for your online store should be flexible enough to manage the entire product purchase and checkout process smoothly and help in improving the experience of the customers. A single click and seamless checkout are often the things what customers look for as a convenient option.

Multiple payment options- There was a time when customers preferred cash on delivery payment option. But nowadays they have started making online transactions for the products that they buy. As online transactions have become an easy option for the users, the online shopping cart that you choose should have multiple payment options including net banking facility, credit cards, debit cards, mobile wallets etc. Also various offers and discount available on bank cards and mobile wallets encourage users to pay through an online transaction. A customer might leave your site on the checkout page if they don't find their preferred payment mode. Thus, ensure that your online store offers multiple payment modes to the customers.

Security from intruders- As the Internet provides you with the easiest ways to explore various platforms; it also gives the scope to intruders for attacking. As customers choose to pay using multiple online payment modes, they share their confidential data like passwords, card number etc. If ever a customer loses his money due to security issues present in the ecommerce store, he will surely not visit the site again and also recommend the same to others. Choosing an online shopping cart with in-built SSL encryption is essential for ensuring security as it is the most crucial issue and needs to be handled with utmost care.

Product review facility- Attractive product images can surely grab the attention of customers and convince them to buy the product. The product review facility can help the customers to know the opinion of the customers who have already used the product. Thus, they can make a firm decision regarding the purchase of the product. Online shopping cart system which does not provide the feature of product reviews is likely to be rejected by customers as they may not feel confident about the product quality. Thus missing out the product review facility can affect the sales of your online business.

Pre-developed carts included in the package of an ecommerce platform provider are much beneficial and result in better ROI. All the features mentioned can help you in saving your cart from being abandoned. Thus, your motive should be to choose an online platform that provides the pre-developed cart facility which can make your business successful.

Gaurav Jain is an ecommerce marketing strategist with 5+ years of experience. He currently works with StoreHippo- One of the leading SaaS based ecommerce platform provider with multiple features. He writes extensively about the latest ecommerce trends and encourages people to take up the new ways to make their online business a better one. His articles regarding online shopping carts come from the rich experience of strategizing and handling online business across industry verticals.

john Freech

Do You Want A Slice Of The Beauty Market?

Like food, books, and toiletries, skincare products are everyday essentials which many people, especially women, prefer to buy online than in-store.

Nowadays it's rare to find a girl who can survive a day without a lipstick, moisturizer, and whatnot. Now now, this is not to suggest that women are increasingly becoming insecure or aren't happy in their own skin.

That's simply an observation of the skincare market which is expected to hit US$180 globally in six years.

Having said that, there's no better time than now for online sellers of beauty products to put their goods in the forefront of a platform which will gain them more traction.

If you're that seller, then I'm pretty sure that you showcase your skincare products in your own online beauty shop or on marketplaces or both.

However, the question is: how are your sales?

There may be a strong demand for what your business offers, but if it's not out there for the beauty market to consume, your chances of making a sale are slimmer than slim.

Take advantage of a platform the world knows; choose the go-to place for reputable brands.

Yes, Amazon and eBay may be giant retailers, but they offer a wide range of categories, making your product a bit difficult, if not impossible, to be seen.

Consider something like Zalando as their proposition is aligned with yours.

Beauty is the core of business

After four long years, Zalando rolled out a beauty category that pushed their revenues for the first quarter of 2018 by as much as 22% to €1.2 billion, or £1.05 billion in pound sterling.

Despite the challenging market environment, they've managed to achieve that thanks to the growing demand for beauty products.

More than 4,000 products from 130 skincare and makeup brands are available on the new category to complement high fashion wear.

Aside from big brands, Zalando are working towards getting niche brands that haven't established their online presence in Europe yet.

If that sounds like you, then you've found yourself the perfect channel to grow your customer base. Why, the fashion retailer's active customers have increased to 23.9 million from 3.5 million last year.

Zalando Co-CEO Rubin Ritter said their beauty category will position them as a one-stop destination for fashion and lifestyle, adding:

"We see Beauty as a really big opportunity long-term in different dimensions. First of all, as a revenue opportunity, there is an €80 billion total Beauty market in Europe.

"Secondly, we see this as a really smart cross-sell opportunity. And then thirdly, we see it as an opportunity to engage our customers even more, so to create more and more reasons for customers to come out to our site more frequently and also to shop more frequently, as you know that has been a strategic priority for us over the last years as well."

Majority of Zalando's customers shop with their mobile devices, as reflected in their mobile visit share which jumped 76.6%.

Get started now

Unlike other marketplaces that sell multitudes of products under various categories and subcategories, this one we're talking about is exclusive to fashion items.

If you have great products that fall under clothing, shoes, sportswear, or accessories, Zalando is the perfect place to sell them.

However, you must offer free delivery and returns, a 100-day returns policy, and shipping with Hermes.

Most important of all, you must have your own online store, which I presume you already have, otherwise you won't be eligible to sell your products.

What you offer defines the style and character of every woman, so it shouldn't be placed everywhere but on a supplemental platform that guarantees you a generous slice of the beauty market.

Multichannel marketing is the quickest route to reach your customers, so don't be left behind. Find tutorials on Magento, M2E Pro, Magmi and other eCommerce tools that will help you sell and earn more on Amazon, eBay and your own website at UnderstandingE.

See you there!

Targeted E-commerce - Advanced Tips for Get Started With E-commerce

Through this brief article, you are provided with advanced tips for getting started with targeted e-commerce. Equipped with this information, you'll be able to make money through targeted e-commerce, not only today but well in the future.

The first advanced tip that you need to keep in mind when it comes to getting started with targeted e-commerce is the development of an appropriate targeted e-commerce plan. You cannot embark on a e-commerce and effort blindly. Know what you want to do and how it is done. What segment of the population are you targeting? Be sure you meet their needs.

The second advanced tip that you need to keep in mind when it comes to getting started with targeted e-commerce is making use of consultants and specialists. You need to understand the targeted e-commerce can be rather technical in nature. Therefore, you are best served by engaging the services of various professionals who can assist you in your endeavor.

The third advanced tip for getting started with targeted e-commerce is developing a marketing plan to ensure that your efforts are promoted appropriately and well coordinated. Do not undervalue the necessity of an appropriate marketing plan when it comes to embarking on a targeted e-commerce efforts.

Taking these three small steps will help you develop your e-commerce plan. Take some time before you embark on this campaign to understand all the ramifications of your actions. By identifying those markets or those market segments in which you will succeed, you'll be well on your way two increasing your revenues.

By the way, would you like to get the newbie-friendly insider's secrets to building a stable, thriving business online... year after year? Swing on by our friendly Business Builders Cafe at http://infobusinessuniversity.com/cafe for the latest freshly-made marketing techniques... that just plain work beautifully. You'll love what you receive!

Fundamentals of Electronic Commerce

Within the last several years the single most famous means of purchasing may well be by Electronic commerce. Electronic commerce is actually well-known as e-shopping, e-commerce or ecommerce. That involves trading with involving goods through electronic devices such as the cyberspace and method of some other computer systems.

The interpretation of electronic commerce has evolved during the last three decades. Initially, e-commerce was meant for the particular function regarding commercial transactions by way of electronics market employing engineering for example Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) along with Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT). Both had been at the same time presented from the late seventies, enabling corporations to mail industrial documents similar to purchase requirements or even bills into electronic files. Your progress in addition to acceptance of credit cards, automated teller machines (ATM) as well as mobile phone consumer banking from the nineteen-eighties had been furthermore developed in the form of electronic commerce. One more form of e-commerce was initially the airline booking system illustrated by Sabre inside USA and also Travicom in the United Kingdom.

Shopping on the web, a type of electronic commerce pre-dates the IBM PC, Microsoft, Apple as well as the Internet/www. In the year 1979 Michael Aldrich, an English inventor related a altered 26" colour every day television to the real-time transaction processing computer via a domestic telephone line along with designed buying online. In the eighties Aldrich sold lots of products generally in the United kingdom which includes companies such as Ford, Peugeot which is then known and is trading as Talbot Motors, General Motors and also Nissan. The actual Nissan system in 1984-5 had been ground-breaking.

This enabled an auto shopper on the dealer's lot to equally buy in addition to finance the vehicle, which also includes credit check, on the net. Aldrich created both online shopping system and the company grounds for using it. His system was replicated and the novel ideas had been plagiarised. And come to think of it: Back then these people made use of dial-up and leased phone lines as broadband internet has not been available. This individual by no means copyrighted the shopping system and his strategies are also the first step toward online shopping. On the 1990s onwards, electronic commerce would moreover include enterprise resource planning systems (ERP), data mining in addition to details warehousing.

An early instance of everyday electronic commerce in physical commodities had been the fastidious Boston Computer Exchange, a marketplace for used computers introduced in 1982. An early on online information market place, including online consulting, had been the American Information Exchange, an additional pre Internet online system which was introduced in back in 1991.

In the year 1990 Tim Berners-Lee developed the WorldWideWeb internet browser and changed a great telecommunication network used in academics in to a worldwide everyman daily communication system commonly known internet or the World Wide Web.

Commercial enterprise on the internet had been totally banned right up until 1991. The web started to be well-liked worldwide around 1994 by the time the very first web online shopping started off, this took about 5 years to launch protection standards along with DSL enabling persistent link with the internet. By the closure of 2000, many European and American business companies deal and supply their providers through the internet. Since then individuals started to relate the term "ecommerce" with the potential of buying different products over the Online world making use of safe protocols and also electronic payment companies.

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Things About Advantage and Disadvantage of E-Commerce Your Teachers Wont Tell You

What are the advantage and disadvantage of e-commerce?

I have noted that there are both advantages and disadvantages of e-commerce. Around 1994, Internet became a well-known public phenomenon. The first publications on the economic potential of the Internet were established by the White House in 1994 by its own website (whitehouse.gov). This was enlisted on the search engines of Yahoo and Lycos. Netscape became the first Web browser. With this, the first company to offer their products online was Pizza Hut pizza. Following this, Monster.com offered online jobs, and First Virtual was the first online bank payments system. A year later, in 1995, Amazon.com and eBay were founded. Free browsers, the development of secure Internet protocols (like HTTPS) and the emergence of good search engines like Google hastened the emergence of e-commerce.

Electronic commerce has many implications for the parties involved that include both advantage and disadvantage of e-commerce. Listed below are a number of lists.

• The marketplace is enlarged, often globalized. For companies, this means a larger market. It offers space for companies to specialize in a particular niche market and thus still maintain position through an acceptable outlet.

• The information cost can be reduced in size, because a lot of information can be easy stored.

• The communication costs are reduced and faster communication through digital media is possible. This effect was only more magnified when the Internet became more and more suited to electronic commerce and the higher value-added networks disappeared.

• Inventory and overhead costs can be reduced. The faster communication makes the implementation of just-in-time systems possible.

• As a result of the globalization of markets and low information and communication, it is possible to provide cost-effective options.

• E-commerce gives space for special customer requirements. So sports shoe manufacturer Nike created a website where customers could design their own shoes. These were then produced and delivered within a reasonable time at the customer's home.

• The relationship between investing in new products and revenue from these products is more measurable. This is also called return on investment (ROI). The time within which investments generate income is also shorter.

• Digital applications quickly provide new trading partners, for example, by comparing prices of numerous product The providers on a particular market is transparent and clear, and customers can have a more competitive act.

• Products are delivered faster, with communication being faster, and because a number of new products can be delivered.

• The customer can quickly retrieve additional information about certain products.

• The customer can independently consume products.

• Disadvantaged areas, for example by logistical constraints, are still partly accessible via electronic commerce. Thus, now you know both advantage and disadvantage of e-commerce.

Commercial companies can be successful because of their product and the market in which they operate. Also, a good organizational structure and management are important, Proper financial management, personnel management, distribution, marketing and name are also important. E-commerce companies apply on top of a number of specific circumstances that can also be for their success. Determine we assume a company that operates through a website, it is important that detailed information on the products and services of the company are visible on the website.

4 KEY STRATEGIES TO GROW A DROP SHIPPING BUSINESS

So you’ve opened your dropshipping business. Now how do you really start making the big bucks so you can throw Amazon out of business? So what are some key strategies you can implement?

The ease of dropshipping is that you have all the products you could need at your fingertips, so you must get proactive for how you can differentiate your store, provide a unique shopping experience, and keep your customers coming back for more.

Here, we’ve laid out four key strategies to implement within your dropshipping business in order to see those revenue numbers soar.

DEFINE YOUR VALUE PROP
When utilizing dropshipping, you are selling products that many other ecommerce store owners have access to. In other words, you’re oftentimes promoting the same thing as your competitors. That’s why defining a value proposition is so critical. In layman’s terms, a value proposition is a statement that explains what unique benefit you provide and to whom, and how you are doing this well.

Another key component is identifying and framing the problem, and being able to communicate how your store and its products are solving it. In order to do so, a related element is understanding your audience. Who are they, what do they want, and how can you help them? Having a specific idea of who you’re selling to lets you craft the perfect value prop that helps customers come to you over another store. And once those orders start flying in, make sure to automate product loading — from bulk editing options, to in-app image options and product filters — so nothing slows you down.

CURATE, CURATE, CURATE
Less is usually always more. As a store owner, you have to be a product researcher and incredible curator who finds the best, not the most, product, that fits within your value proposition. For instance, if someone is coming to your store to buy a toothbrush, they don’t want to be inundated with 5,000 different brushes to choose from. They’re coming to you based on your expertise to show them the best toothbrushes to buy.

Of course you can still offer variety, but do so in a smart way that doesn’t present too many options to your customer. Additionally, as you develop your niche, you have to be really smart about what wholesale distributors you work with. Many don’t carry everything you need. It’s common — and smart — to work with multiple suppliers. Having more than one also reduces the likelihood of stockouts, especially if there is good product overlap.

PROVIDE AMAZING CUSTOMER SERVICE
Another differentiator in the dropshipping business is customer experience. While customer service takes time, with hours saved each week through dropshipping and automation, it’s well worth the investment. When working with a wholesale provider, they never speak with the customer directly, so it’s up to you to create seamless service for prospective and current customers. This means things like getting back to inquiries quickly and friendly, asking for product reviews, and dealing with returns and botched orders with professionalism and a smile. Consider other tactics like offering special discounts and deals, and make sure their checkout experience is quick and easy. (This is especially important for mobile, so make sure to test your store on a smartphone!

MARKET SMART
One of the best benefits of an automated dropshipping business is the time saved so you can focus on what really matters: growth strategy. A huge component of this is implementing smart marketing tactics. Now, don’t worry: There’s a way to market well that is still low-cost and effective, which is especially important for small business owners who are fresh out of the gate. A few tools and tricks include both paid and unpaid solutions. Google and Facebook Ads are great paid options, because you can target to a clearly defined audience that are known to have solid conversion rates. To open up the funnel and find new customers, social media platforms like Pinterest and Instagram offer a chance to visually sell your product with enticing images that help generate new leads, free of cost.

Making millions won’t happen overnight, but there are some smart tactics anyone can put into place that can lead to exponential ecommerce growth. Start here, and see how your store can begin to boom.

Amazon E-commerce

Amazon.com has always sold goods out of its own warehouses. It started as a bookseller, pure and simple, and over the last decade has branched out into additional product areas and the third-party sales that now represent a good chunk of its revenue (some estimates put it at 25 percent).

Both retailers and individual sellers utilize the Amazon.com platform to sell goods. Large retailers like Nordstrom, Land's End and Target use Amazon.com to sell their products in addition to selling them through their own Web sites. The sales go through Amazon.com and end up at Nordstrom.com, Land's End.com or Target.com for processing and order fulfillment. Amazon essentially leases space to these retailers, who use Amazon.com as a supplemental outlet for their online sales.

Small sellers of used and new goods go to Amazon Marketplace, Amazon Shops or Amazon Auctions. At Marketplace, sellers offer goods at a fixed price, and at Auctions they sell their stuff to the highest bidder. Amazon zShops features only used goods at fixed prices. If an item listed on zShops, Marketplace or Auctions is also sold on the main Amazon.com, it appears in a box beside the Amazon.com item so buyers can see if someone else is selling the product for less in one of the other sales channels.


COURTESY AMAZON.COM
The level of integration that occurs on Amazon is a programming feat that few (if any) online sales sites can match.

Another sales channel called Amazon Advantage is a place where people can sell new books, music and movies directly from the Amazon warehouse instead of from their home or store. Sellers ship a number of units to Amazon, and Amazon handles the entire sales transaction from start to finish. In all of these programs, Amazon gets a cut of each sale (usually about 10 percent to 15 percent) and sometimes charges additional listing or subscription fees; in the case of Amazon Advantage, the company takes a 55 percent commission on each sale. The Advantage channel is something like a consignment setup, a sales avenue for people who create their own music CDs or have self-published a book and are simply looking for a way to get it out there.

One of the latest additions to Amazon's repertoire is a subsidiary company called Amazon Services. Through Amazon Services, Amazon sells its sales platform, providing complete Amazon e-commerce packages to companies looking to establish or revamp their e-commerce business. Amazon sets up complete Web sites and technology backbones for other e-commerce companies using Amazon software and technology. Target, for instance, in addition to having a store on Amazon.com, also uses Amazon Services to build and manage its own e-commerce site, Target.com.


Target.com homepage
But selling goods isn't the only way to make money with Amazon.com. The Web site's affiliate program is one of the most famous on the Web. Through Amazon's Associate Program, anyone with a Web site can post a link to Amazon.com and earn some money. The link can display a single product chosen by the associate, or it can list several "best seller" products in a particular genre, in which case Amazon updates the list automatically at preset intervals. The associate gets a cut of any sale made directly through that link. The cut ranges from 4 percent to 7.5 percent depending on which fee structure the associate signs up for (see Amazon Associates for complete program details). The associate can also take advantage of Amazon Web Services, which is the program that lets people use Amazon's utilities for their own purposes. The Amazon Web Services API (application programming interface) lets developers access the Amazon technology infrastructure to build their own applications for their own Web sites. All product sales generated by those Web sites have to go through Amazon.com, and the associate gets a small commission on each sale.

Check out Amazon Web Services to learn more about what you can do with Amazon's e-commerce platform.

In the next section, we'll take a look at how all of these programs and channels come together to create a sales and marketing powerhouse.

Amazon

Amazon.com,

 Also called Amazon, is an American electronic commerce and cloud computing company that was founded on July 5, 1994, by Jeff Bezos and is based in Seattle, Washington. It is the largest Internet-based retailer in the world by total sales and market capitalization.Amazon.com started as an online bookstore, later diversifying to sell DVDs, Blu-rays, CDs, video downloads/streaming, MP3 downloads/streaming, audiobook downloads/streaming, software, video games, electronics, apparel, furniture, food, toys, and jewelry. The company also produces consumer electronics—notably, Kindle e-readers, Fire tablets, Fire TV, and Echo—and is the world's largest provider of cloud infrastructure services (IaaS and PaaS). Amazon also sells certain low-end products like USB cables under its in-house brand AmazonBasics.

Amazon has separate retail websites for the United States, the United Kingdom, Ireland, France, Canada, Germany, Italy, Spain, Netherlands, Australia, Brazil, Japan, China, India, and Mexico. Amazon also offers international shipping to certain other countries for some of its products. In 2016, Dutch, Polish, and Turkish language versions of the German Amazon website were launched.
In 2015, Amazon surpassed Walmart as the most valuable retailer in the United States by market capitalization,[21] and was in the third quarter of 2016 the fourth most valuable public company.

The logo of Amazon.com
Amazon.com is an online store that sells books, movies, games, DVDs, music CDs, computer software and other items (like Amazon Kindle). It is the largest online retailer right now. It was started by Jeff Bezos in 1994 and the headquarters is in Seattle. The original name was Cadabra.com but was changed to Amazon later on because it sounded like the word "cadaver". The store is named after the world's second longest river.


Amazon
Screenshot
Type Public
Traded as NASDAQ: AMZN
NASDAQ-100 Component
S&P 100 Component
S&P 500 Component
Foundation date July 5, 1994; 23 years ago (as Cadabra)
Seattle, Washington, U.S.
Headquarters Seattle, Washington, U.S
Area served Worldwide
Founder(s) Jeff Bezos
Key people Jeff Bezos (Chairman, President and CEO)
Werner Vogels (CTO)
Andrew Jassy (CEO, AWS)
Jeff Wilke (CEO, Consumer)
Industry Internet
Products Appstore, AWS, The Book Depository, comiXology, Game Studios, Video, Instant Video UK, Instant Video German, Audible, Kindle, Fire, Lab126, Studios, Twitch.tv, Woot, Echo, MyHabit.com(closed), Shopbop,Askville
Services Online shopping
Cloud computing
content distribution
Revenue Increase US$135.98 billion (2016
Operating income Increase US$4.186 billion (2016)
Net income Increase US$2.371 billion (2016)
Total assets Increase US$83.402 billion (2016)
Total equity Increase US$19.285 billion (2016)
Owner Jeff Bezos (17%)
Employees Increase 341,000 (2017)
Subsidiaries A9.com, Amazon Web Services, Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud, Alexa Internet, Audible.com, comiXology, Digital Photography Review, Goodreads, Internet Movie Database, Junglee.com, Twitch.tv, Zappos, Souq.com
Slogan(s) Work hard, have fun, make history
Website amazon.com (original U.S. site)
Various national sites
Written in C++ and Java
Alexa rank Decrease 13 (Global, April 2017)
Type of site E-commerce
Advertising Web banners, videos
Available in English, French, German, Spanish, Italian, Chinese, Japanese, Brazilian Portuguese, Dutch, Polish, Turkish
Launched July 5, 1994

Looking For the Easiest Way to Sell Online?

 by john freech

There is no better way to make money online than to discover the importance and benefits of drop shipping products anywhere in the world. To know if drop shipping is the right business for you, it is essential that you learn what these Dropship products are and how they allow web-based retailers to open up lucrative streams of income in the shortest time possible. Herein you'll learn about drop shipping; the simple definition and benefits it offers to many customers.

What Is Dropshipping? How are Dropship Products Delivered?

It is a retail method where you don't get to keep the products in stock. Instead, they are kept with the manufacturer of the products, or rather the wholesale supplier who has the inventory of the Dropship products. Dropping works in a simple way wholesale supplier ships the goods directly to the customer's ideal location after you have transferred to them customer's orders and shipment details. By drop shipping products, you get to save on inventory, fulfillment costs.

And that's the major benefit of Dropship products. Then again, besides saving you lots of cash on inventory and fulfillment costs, it also keeps your customers from knowing that you are indeed the one drop shipping products to them, as all products delivered to customers have "private label shipping". The wholesale supplier gets to attach a return address on the Dropship products, but the invoice is customized to match your online store. It's a win-win situation.

Reasons Dropship Products are Beneficial to an Online Store

Firstly, you don't need to have lots of money to start up an online store. It is amazingly cheap and easier to start up an online business when you are drop shipping products to customers. It is the simplest thing to do since you'll not need to invest heavily in fulfillment and inventory costs and also start up costs. Irrespective of whether you have money or not to start up your business, you can still deliver a plethora of Dropship products to your customers anywhere.

Drop shipping products also offers you utter efficiency and convenience. If you have limited resources to launch an online retail store for your products, fret not. Drop shipping products to customers anywhere in the world allows your e-commerce business to grow and successfully launch, since you will be entirely concentrating your time on operations, customer service, and marketing without having to worry about fulfillment costs which is convenient and efficient.

In addition to convenience and efficiency, drop shipping offers you mobility. Put another way, you are not tied to an office trying to manage your online business. When you simply Dropship products to customers from all over the world, you become free to operate your e-commerce business in any location you please, provided you have a steady Internet connection, and the fact that all physical fulfillment issues are well-handled; you'll have nothing to bother you at all.

Another benefit of dropshipping products is that, it is a very trusted model. If you do not like dealing with the hassles of increased inventory costs, then dropshipping products is the best option for you. Why? It's the best-trusted model to run an e-commerce business with. Dropship products services are embraced by plenty of major online stores including Sears. So if it sounds like some fly-by-night, sketchy model - well, it's not. It's very reliable, efficient and convenient.

Looking For Wholesalers to Dropship Products for You?

Prior to contacting any wholesale supplier, make certain that all your legal ducks are in row, or rather, ensure you have followed the right legal procedures. Depending from where you come from, it's essential to pass through all the legal channels before drop shipping products to your customers. In the US, for instance, it is imperative to provide a copy of your sales tax and/or a resale certificate, and your businesses employer identification number (EIN) to your suppliers.

The easiest way to find qualified distributors for your Dropship products is to contact original manufacturers of the products you intend to drop ship, but that is after you already know what products you'd like to drop ship. The good thing with contacting original manufacturers, you get to avoid low-quality information and scams, which dubious drop shipping wholesalers' parade. You can also equally find reliable, efficient drop shippers on Google, but you've to be cautious.

Ways to Use Google to Find Wholesale Suppliers to Dropship Products

Initially, extensively search wholesalers. You have to dig deeper into Google listings in order to find drop shippers and wholesalers since most of them are notoriously bad at online marketing and SEO. So, most of them will never pop up on the first pages of Google for terms like "bags wholesaler", or "computer wholesalers". You'll need to dig deep in through 10 to 20 pages of Google's search list in order to find most reliable and efficient wholesalers and drop shippers.

Don't judge a book by its covers. Put another way, if you are looking for wholesale suppliers to Dropship products to your customers, don't ignore those 90s-era, outdated and time-worn looking websites when looking for suppliers. They might look old but don't let their layout and design get you scared. Being a low-quality site does not necessarily mean it's a bad one while a modern and sleek site doesn't mean it can provide a wholesale supplier for Dropship products.

Lastly, use lots of modifiers (or rather keywords). If you are hunting for a wholesale supplier for your Dropship products, make certain not to stop your search at "wholesale" term. Use other modifiers/keywords as well; it's imperative as it will guide you to the right wholesale suppliers. For instance, you can include terms such as "supplier", "warehouse", "bulk", "reseller" and also "distributor" in order to find precisely what you are looking for.

At wholesale2b.com you will find everything you need to get started with your new online business.

We make it very easy for anyone, including those with no past experience. From a catalog of over 1 million dropship products in one single portal, to tools to help you grow your business with the latest selling tools.

Why Do Some Companies Drop Ship, and Why Are There Some That Don't?

In all of the years that I have been working out relationships with companies to dropship (or be included on The Shippers dropshipping directory list) I have learned a great deal in regards to this question. The thing I want you to understand first of all (believe it or not) there are tons of companies out there doing a lot of business (off line) that have never even heard of dropshipping. It has been my job to educate them about dropshipping, and explain to them how it can benefit and expand their business. Once they learn of all that can be done online with dropshipping 95% of the business owners I talk to are ready to get a system set up so they can start dropshipping.

My suggestion to anyone who runs across a company that does not dropship, is to simply just ask them if they know about dropshipping and what it can do for their business? You might be surprised how many business owners are not familiar with dropshipping products. If you can just educate them about dropshipping, and how it works for Internet businesses, you might score yourself a pretty good supplier. If you are uncomfortable approaching a business and doing this, there are many companies out there who will try to establish the relationship for you. They can help educate the business about dropshipping and do everything it will do for them in the long run. So my answer to "those businesses that don't dropship", is simple - they just do not know about it, or the potential tax benefits they could have from growing their smaller business.

The other 5% I talk to have limitations as to what the manufacturer will allow them to do with the product, and some companies are so new (and don't have a budget) to get a dropshipping system set in place. There is also a small percentage of companies that are happy with where their business is at, and they just do not want to have to deal with dropshipping side of it.

Matt Siltala has been working with ecommerce business owners to help them SEO their site since 1999. Matt started by working with a small radio station in Arizona and then has blown up since then. Matt worked with Prosper Inc, among others and mentored thousands of their students to success. Matt now owns his own SEO firm, Dream Systems Media, and specializes in SEO, SMO, and Reputation Management. Matt also teaches business how to budget and how money management can help your business reach it's goals.

How To Buy Legitimate Wholesale Dropshipper Pallets

     By john freech


With the astronomical boost in auction site's popularity, and more and more people going into business for themselves, it should come as no shock that wholesale and dropship companies are booming with business. If you've saved or have the capital to invest in a large lot, pallet, or even truckload of goods you wish to sell, you are just mere steps away from creating a successful business. These items can be purchased for prices ranging from $300-$100,000 (for a truckload). Here are a few guidelines to get your business started:

1) Know your market. It only makes sense that you purchase goods that you have an interest in re-selling. You'd be surprised, however, how many people try to sell things that they have no knowledge in, just because they sell well on auctions sites, or sell well in local markets/boutiques. Having a hobby, or area of expertise is essential to the success of your business. How else are you going to answer questions from your customers?

2) Narrow it down. So, let's say you have a few areas of expertise and aren't sure which types of goods would be most profitable. If your interest is online auction sites there are a few categories that you will profit most from. Electronics, gaming systems and games, authentic designer merchandise (clothes, shoes, handbags), collectibles (heirloom, vintage, estate sales pieces), and high-end beauty and makeup lines tend to sell the best on auction sites. They are a no-fail purchase because you will make money off of these products. They are in high demand now and will continue to be in the future.

3) Get organized. Before you even begin to think about purchasing wholesale, you need to understand that whether you are going to be doing this part time or full time, you must keep accurate record books for both expenditures and income, as you will need to report all earnings to the IRS. It's important to have a spreadsheet or other business software program, or even a business tax booklet on hand to record everything. (Most tax processing companies offer these for free)

Keep in mind, if you delegate a certain area of your home for your business, that room and anything in it or associated with it can be deducted as a business expense. That's right. Electricity, phone, internet, tv (if applicable), homeowners association dues, trash, water, heating oil, etc. You will receive a deduction based upon the square footage of the room in conjunction with the square footage of the home, or establishment in which your business is run.

Think about additional costs you might incur with your business: the cost of the goods you purchase from the wholesale or dropship companies, fax machines, printers, computers, digital cameras, telephones, inkjet cartridges, business cards, mailing and shipping supplies, postal shipping costs, and even gasoline expenses if you do any traveling in conjunction with your business. In addition, any fees associated with auction site's listing fees and final value fees, and any payment fees you incur form accepting online payments, can also be deducted. Jot everything down in your book or spreadsheet. You will be amazed at the deductions that are out there!

You must make sure you apply the same diligence to reporting and recording all income as well. Every payment you receive for the goods must be recorded and state tax must be charged (check with the IRS for your state's policies on in-state purchases from buyers) if the item is purchased from a resident of the state you are selling the item in.

You may also want to request a T.I.N. (taxpayer identification number) from your IRS office. They are happy to provide them. If you have your own business outside of your home, you are required to have one. If your business will be run from the confines of your home, and you won't be registering a name for your business, you don't need a T.I.N. You can use your SSN, for tax purposes. Keep in mind, some wholesale companies, depending upon which state they are located in, require that you provide them with your T.I.N or SSN before they will sell to you.

4) Contact a wholesale company. Now that you are prepared from a legal standpoint, it's time to purchase that load. There are thousands upon thousands of reputable companies you can work with. Many people take advantage of this and try to charge people for this information. I have worked with many great companies over the years, and can recommend some great sources that I have personally used, and still use to this day. If you choose to go your own route and search for your own company, please keep these tips in mind:

Look up a company's credentials. Check the BBB and look at their website to see which online organizations they are listed with. The BBBOnline Reliability Program is the best one. If a company has this logo listed on their site, they are a surefire success and can be trusted. Other things to look for are the quality of the website. Are there lots of pictures and does the site have a professional feel to it? Check the contact methods. Any good wholesale company will have at least one phone number, email address, and physical mailing address listed on their site, as well as an email opt-in list so you can receive mailings when they receive new goods to their warehouses.

Now, test their customer service. Call, or email them and ask them for some information on the type of merchandise you are looking to buy, and see the response you get. Any reputable company should respond to your email within 72 hours. If you call and are unable to reach an actual person, leave a detailed message. Phone calls should be returned within 48 hours. If you call and are able to speak with an employee of the company, tell them who you are and what you are looking for, ideally. They should ask you questions on the amount of money you have to spend, and should be able to offer solutions based upon your budget. Any wholesaler that tells you you have to have a certain amount of money to purchase from them is a fraud. You are the buyer. You know your limitations, and any reputable wholesale company will be able to accommodate your requests, within reason. Please don't think you can buy 1 or 2 items from these companies to "try them out." These companies move goods fast and can't afford to cater to these types of requests. But any reasonable request should be granted.

5) So, you found the company you want to work with: now what? Get in touch with a member of their staff and make them aware of the amount of money you have to spend. (Ideally, plan on at least $5,000 for a good-sized load of goods) and to be taken seriously with wholesalers. This is a general guideline only, from my experience. Request that the wholesaler send you a detailed "mainifest list." This is a detailed list of goods for each lot they have in stock. (Clothing items generally do not come with manifest lists, but the wholesaler can and should be able to give you the brand names of the items in the lot, so you have a good idea if it is a profitable lot or not.) Once you have the manifest list emailed or faxed to you, you can look it over and see the product name, retail price, and sku# for the item, and can then check it's profit margin on the auction site of your choice. Manifest lists will also come with a total retail value of the lot, so you can determine a baseline profit margin, if you were to purchase the load.

Typically speaking, and if you purchase "hot" items for your auctions or boutique, you can expect to pay about 20-35% of retail cost from a wholesale company. You can expect to make between 40-80% back from reselling these items, depending upon it's category and popularity!

6) I'm ready to purchase. Good. This is the final step of the process, and the beginning of an incredible journey for you. Wholesale companies should give you a variety of payment options. Some companies will even include shipping/handling in the cost of the lot! This can save you thousands of dollars! Once you are invoiced for the purchase and shipping costs (if applicable), if it hasn't been added, request that shipping insurance costs be added to the lot, to ensure it's safe arrival, and your money back, should these items get lost.

Payment methods vary from company to company. Some allow online credit card processing, some allow Paypal. (Most wholesale companies will charge a 3% fee for Paypal payments.) Bank wire, and money order/moneygram payments are also other options. You don't have to be leery if you've done your research, as these last 2 methods are actually preferred in this business.

Your purchase typically leaves the warehouse within 2 to 5 days, depending upon the size of the load you purchased. You should receive a tracking number from the wholesale company when it leaves the warehouse.

When you receive your goods, be sure to contact the company and let them know of your questions, comments, and concerns, if any. Most wholesalers will let you know that sometimes a few items that were listed on the manifest list, will be missing from your lot when you receive it. It's ok. This happens all the time. Wholesalers will add in comparable items of equal value to the lot in place of these items. So concerns such as these don't need to be addressed with the wholesale company. If you are purchasing new goods, you can expect that around 90% will have retail tags attached. Some will have sales stickers or marked down prices, and some won't. These are all things to expect.

One final note: some wholesalers will require you to sign a merchandise waiver with the understanding that these items are purchased on an as-is basis. This is normal, as these items are sold as-is 99% of the time and cannot be returned.

Congratulations! Your first wholesale load is ready for you to re-sell and make great money!

I am a stay at home, work at home, single mom. I have been fortunate enough to sell goods on eBay fulltime for the last 6 years. I created a website which lists several sites for legitimate wholesale and dropship companies. Contained within those links are access to THOUSANDS of reputable companies. I do not believe in charging for this information, as so many do. These sites and links are listed on my website for FREE! Feel free to visit my site:

[http://www.stefaneaseworld.com]