March 24, 2005

The Layman’s Handbook to Doing Business Online

by roy

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The Layman’s Handbook to Doing Business Online
Expanded 2nd Edition by
Aaron Turpen

This manual probably should be called The Beginner’s Handbook, because it’s an introduction for beginners to the world of e-marketing small businesses. However, since we all tend to forget the basics from time to time, it’s worth a quick read. Or, it’s a book you can recommend to friends who are curious about starting a Web business.

The author begins by discussing some of the basic features of owning your own Web business, including tips on lowering your overhead, reaching your marketing niche and determining the best product for that niche. Other topics include advice on using email, order processing and setting up storefronts with programs using CGI and ASP.

Turpen places a lot of emphasis on security, which is certainly an often-discussed topic in Web-business circles. In fact, one of his best chapters is titled, “Simple Steps For Fraud Prevention and Gaining User Trust”. This is valuable knowledge not only from a security viewpoint, but also from a customer relations perspective.

He emphasizes the fact that your visitors should easily be able to find a copy of your privacy policy, terms of service, returns policy, security measures in place, etc.. These all lead to your credibility as a merchant.

Additionally, you should phone or email your customers to verify large purchases before shipping, especially if these are your own products that you’re selling (as opposed to affilate products).

ALWAYS accept reasonable return and refund requests. Deal with them promptly and professionally, no matter how the customer acts towards you during the process.

Auto-Responders

Auto-responders can be very useful applications, but they are just as often misused:

“…follow-up can make or break a sale. For most businesses, especially those that are online or home-based, this is paramount to success. Fast response, good customer service, and willingness to do a little extra are what set small businesses apart from their larger competition.

“Used correctly, an auto-response system can greatly enhance these aspects of a business. Do you have informative information that your customers might need? Do you have questions that are asked repeatedly (also called FAQ or Frequently Asked Questions) and are usually answered in the same way? Do you have opt-in lists of customers interested in a newsletter, product information, or other marketing information? These are just some of the common reasons to employ an auto-response system.”

On the other hand, “Phrases like ‘bulk email handling’ and ‘auto-response’ have gained an ugly reputation because of their use by a few unscrupulous multi-level marketers and get-rich-quick schemers who use them to proliferate SPAM (Unsolicited Email) to users on the Internet. The misguided values of these few have threatened to ruin a perfectly valid and highly productive way to do business online. ”

Email and Web Commerce

If you require the ability to send multiple emails daily, bi-weekly, or whatever, you’ll need a system that can handle this. A system that tracks subscribers (opt-ins) and knows which email to send which person on any given day is essential for this type of follow-up marketing.

Also desirable is using software that can add the customer’s first name and personalize your correpondence in general. thhis keeps you from appearing llike just another faceless corporation. (Will Bontrager’s WillMaster software is especially good at this.)

SPAM

There is also a lengthy discussion of SPAM and how to handle it. And Turpen has some hilariously ingenious ways of handling spammers:

“If the SPAMmer asks you to visit his/her website, do so. Then look around for a contact form or email address. If you find a form, send them hate mail through it. This is very stress-relieving. If you find an email address, you can get even nastier. NEVER send email directly to them! However, you can go to FFA sites (Free For All sites) around the Internet - just search for FFA on any search site - and post their email address to it. These sites are hotbeds for email gathering for later SPAM. Maybe if they receive enough SPAM, they’ll see how hateful it is and stop doing it themselves.

“Finally, you can complain to the SPAMmer’s ISP directly. If you find their website, you can do a simple search using your domain registrar (go to www.DirectNIC.com). They have a free tool available to anyone called a “whois search.” Every registered domain name is REQUIRED to have a few bits of valid information attached to it. One of those pieces is the “nameserver.” These usually look like “ns1.domain.com” or “dns.domain.com.” Replace the “ns1″ or “dns” with “www” and put the URL into your browser. WALA! That is probably the SPAMmer’s web host! Now start looking around for an 800 number. Don’t send email, as this host may be the SPAMmer himself. You never know. Calling them to complain is always a good way to let off steam and feel like you’ve at least made a mark, even if you didn’t accomplish much. If you’re really bored, keep a list and stop at pay phones as you wander the mall or down the street and call just to shout names at them before hanging up. Again, a great way to let off steam.”

Browsers and ISPs

There is also a discussion of Web browsers. Turpen really likes Firefox, because “it offers features that people who spend a lot of time surfing the Web demand: tabbed browsing, popup blocking, password keeping, and easy-to-use security features (like wiping your histories and caches).” He also discusses the merits of various connection services: dial-up, cable, DSL.

If you know someone who is starting a Web business, this is an excellent primer to recommend to them, and you might pick up some good ideas from it also.

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