 |
Small e-tailers gaining edge In the early days of e-commerce, small businesses flocked
to the web, looking to make their small store the next online mega-merchant.
Those dreams were dashed quickly as the number of people buying on the
web was significantly smaller than early predictions indicated. But, according to analysts, small e-tailers are far from
finished. In fact, they are just beginning to gain momentum in a web world
that is offering more and more user-friendly infrastructure technology
to accommodate them. Savvy e-tailers have come to understand the real
value of the Internet: it is a cost-effective means of supplementing sales
by reaching customers who may have been inaccessible offline. Of course, small e-businesses still face many challenges,
the biggest of which is daunting competition from well-known e-tail giants.
According to the E-Commerce Times, differentiation is the most important
way to ensure “little guy” e-tail longevity. “There will always be a place for small e-tailors that can operate on low overhead with high gross margins,” said Yankee Group analyst Paul Ritter. “The key for these smaller sites is to maintain strength and traction in a niche space with hard-to-find products.” |
|
|
Name: David Elkus Business: eSuit, eTuxedo and Mr. Blazer Web Address: www.e-suit.com, www.e-tuxedo.com and
www.mrblazer.com Website design: Elkus Enterprises Online products: Slacks, blazers, suits, tuxedos,
top coats and leather jackets Years on the Web: 7 Sales on the Web: “Sales have been fantastic.
From 2000 to 01 sales increased 35 percent, from ’01 to ’02,
they are up another 10 percent. Best Web sale: “Fully outfitting a 150-member
high school band from New Jersey.” Advantage to Web retailing: “The nationwide
and world-wide traffic. While geographically we have a selling area of
southeast Michigan, on the web we are in the global marketplace.” Site promotion: “We are running banner ads
with Yahoo!, AOL and always looking for new ideas. Web retailing tip: “Differentiation is the
key. With all the web competition out there, your site has to have something
worth stopping for. One of the often-mentioned benefits of the web is
that it is easy to go online and shop. Merchants must remember, however,
it is also very easy to close the window on one store and quickly search
another. Whether your selling point is low cost, service or brand names,
use it to make your site stand out.” Comments: “In web business you have to pay for your traffic with advertising on other sites. The saying, ‘if you build it, they will come,’ is not true. The number of people who surf the web for a novelty is far fewer than it used to be, so an e-business must build a site that is user-friendly and promote the site however, and wherever it can.” |
