Web Designers Can Make Money Locally with Ecommerce
A Home Business Article Contributed by Alyssa Yerga
Bring Ecommerce to Your Neighborhood
Though ecommerce can reach customers all over the world, businesses in your neighborhood may be missing out on the financially rewarding ecommerce venture. If you are a website designer you could be the one to make ecommerce more available in your town. By putting together a website that groups types of businesses together, like tourist stops for instance, you may be able to encourage business owners to invest in you as you help them with their ecommerce pursuits.
In some tiny towns and villages, many business owners don't even have fax machines let alone the computer equipment and software to handle ecommerce transactions of their own, so they probably haven't given the possibilities of ecommerce a thought. Introducing the idea of ecommerce could be a difficult enough task. Being the one who gets everyone online could be an even harder one.
Ecommerce in Small Towns
Starting up an internet directory of local businesses may not be possible if you live in a metropolis since there is probably already an established site. However, if you live in a small town, you may be just what they're waiting for. Speak to the town council or chamber of commerce about starting up a town website if they don't already have one. Be sure to hammer out the financial details before you go too far.
Either have the town pay for the site, and you can be the web designer and master or you can host the site and individual businesses pay you for advertising. You may end up being the one who puts the whole thing together. Be sure to get the support of these entities. It will help your case if there are people in the community who think ecommerce could be a good idea for the town.
It may be difficult to convince business owners that there is an entire world of customers just a link a way. Some business owners may, in fact, reject the idea of expanding their customer base with good cause. They simply may not offer a product or service that can flourish online. Save them for later.
Put together a presentation that offers statistics about ecommerce successes, layout ideas and good solid examples of how ecommerce can benefit individual businesses. Be flexible with your design layout, allowing business owners to have input concerning the website. They may offer insight that you hadn't thought about. It will also let them feel as though they have a vested interest in the idea, which they do.
More importantly have them ask their friends and family. Almost everyone has bought from Amazon.com, ebay, or other retailers that offer merchandise online and most everyone has had a positive experience with ecommerce. Husbands, wives, brothers, sisters, even the kids of business owners will probably be more influential than you realize.
Ecommerce for Businesses That Don't Need It
Once you've gotten enthusiastic response from other business owners, approach the businesses that probably don't need a website. Ma and Pa's Bait Shop probably isn't going to have much need for ecommerce, but that doesn't mean they can't have a website. Maybe they have an interesting story to tell about the start of their shop, or maybe they can offer helpful hints about catching blue gill.
There are so many people surfing the web for different things, you never know who's going to show an interest. And since they're part of the town, they should be included on the page. Use your imagination to convince them that they need to take advantage of the offer.
