E-Commerce Tools – Where to Begin?

When a retailer decides to enter the world of online commerce, the question of “How?” looms large. Who provides the programming? What tools are required? Will internal staff understand and be able to use the software? Frankly, these are the fears that often prevent retailers from taking the e-commerce plunge.

RevenFlo CEO Jason Broadwater frequently deals with these questions. “Some companies – but fewer every day – have a true IT guy or a webmaster on staff. Some just have a secretary who has had a little bit of web training. Regardless, a good e-commerce solutions provider is going to provide a tool that they will be able to handle, with as much or as little assistance as they require.

“We do that by way of open source content management software. Open source means that we can crack open the software and customize a solution for the client. Content Management means that they can take some ownership in the process. They don’t have to run to us to update their website every time they change a price or discontinue an item.

“Some clients fear that they are going to be shackled to their web developer for the rest of time, but that’s just not the case anymore. It just takes the right tools. For RevenFlo, those tools are WordPress, Drupal and Magento.”

WordPress Content Management Systems: Basic but Flexible

WordPress is a flexible open source content management system (CMS). It offers numerous design templates that can be used as-is, or modified by a professional designer/ programmer to meet specific client needs. After the initial delivery by the web designer, a CMS like WordPress allows the client to update and change information and images relatively easily, without knowledge of programming or markup languages.

WordPress by itself is not an e-commerce platform. However, the various templates allow the site administrator to import basic Buy Now and shopping cart tools from services such as PayPal or Google Checkout.

“This very basic level is not true, full-on e-commerce,” explains Jason Broadwater, CEO of RevenFlo. “At this level, you might have a cooking blog, with a Buy Now button to purchase your book of recipes. You might have one or two products for sale – usually no more than that. WordPress by itself is perfect for this application, and many entrepreneurs can handle this level of e-commerce personally. But when the product list grows, it gets more complex. You have a bigger investment in inventory, and a greater need for marketing. That’s when we move up to Drupal.”

RevenFlo offers Robust Drupal Content Management Solutions

Drupal is a flexible, open source content management system that allows users to publish, manage and organize web content with relative ease. It also allows for easy plug-in of e-commerce software. With Drupal’s e-commerce plug-ins, users enjoy a variety of features, including:

• Flexible design themes
• Ability to create taxes, charges and discounts
• Managing subscriptions and recurring payments
• Managing inventory
• Flexible payment and shipping options
• Invoice generation and email notifications, and more.

Jason Broadwater is an enthusiastic proponent of Drupal. “It’s the king of open source CMS. And Drupal’s e-commerce plug-in is robust, to say the least. And we have used it effectively for clients such as SkyVue.”

SkyVue Electronics of Chester, SC manufactures televisions and video monitors designed for outdoor use. A relatively new venture, SkyVue sells via distributors and home shows. Now, they are diving into e-commerce. These are physically large, big-ticket items to be sure. However, the size and scope of the product offering is rather small.

“SkyVue sells five or six models and maybe 10 different accessories,” Broadwater explains. “The Drupal package we designed for them easily handles their sales, payment and inventory. It also satisfies their content management needs like their blog and other marketing functions.

“Drupal offers SkyVue all of the flexibility inherent with a good CMS, with the added power of a truly robust e-commerce component. This is full-on e-commerce, linked to a third party payment system like Authorize.net. It’s happening live, through their portal, and fully secure.”

Broadwater admits, though, that Drupal’s success in meeting SkyVue’s needs is due in part to their limited product offering. It is, however, the right tool for the particular job. For a larger, more complex product offering, more e-commerce firepower would be necessary.

RevenFlo offers Powerful E-commerce Solutions by Magento

Magento is an e-commerce tool that offers considerable flexibility and control over the content and functionality of online shopping carts.  Magento features customizable, template-based design flexibility. It also handles more complex e-commerce functions such as:

• Flexible tax rates for US and International markets
• Catalog Promotional Pricing
• Customer Group-specific pricing
• Live shipping quotes
• Multiple languages and currencies
• Multiple stores

Most importantly, Magento offers these and many other features for an UNLIMITED number of products.

RevenFlo recently found the perfect application for this capability in Imaging Associates. Based in Charlotte and Miami, Imaging Associates sells new and refurbished medical ultrasound equipment, both domestically and internationally.

“This is a company with a small staff and a huge warehouse full of extremely expensive merchandise,” Jason Broadwater explains. “In other words, a lot of overhead. Ideally, a good e-commerce solution would not only provide a sales channel, but also an effective inventory management tool, as well.

“Magento helps Imaging Associates manage over 600 products, and over 400 tax codes.  They are selling in the US, in South America, the Middle East – everywhere. English, Spanish, Portuguese, you name it. As powerful as Drupal is, it could never handle that volume and complexity. Magento, from the ground up, was meant to be an e-commerce inventory system – and size is not an issue.”

RevenFlo offers Flexible E-commerce Solutions

RevenFlo offers no set formula for solving clients’ e-commerce dilemmas. Every situation, and every solution will be slightly different.

“That’s the beauty of open source,” says Broadwater. “By nature, it’s meant to be tinkered with, stretched, and challenged. The flexibility and interactivity between platforms allows us to approach each client individually. We never have a pat, off-the shelf solution.

“I believe this also illustrates the importance of choosing the right e-commerce provider,” he concludes. “You buy a product from Yahoo, you get what you get. You hire a development company, and they will build what you TELL them to. Hire a designer, and they will make it look like the picture in your head.

“But you hire RevenFlo, and we will take you through the entire process. We will offer strategies to approach your marketplace. We will suggest the types of technologies that will best suit your needs – so that you and your team of 3 or so people will be able to manage your inventory and your products in a meaningful way. And then we will provide the types of services that you need to get your site built, and make it perform for search engines and in the social media space. It is truly consultative service, every step of the way.”

Contact RevenFlo for a Custom E-commerce Solution

Whether you wish to sell one or two products – or 500 – there is an appropriate e-commerce tool to help you succeed.  You can choose from the basic but potent WordPress CMS, the “gold standard” of Drupal with its many robust plug-ins, or the nearly limitless e-commerce power of Magento. The solution is out there, and a good e-commerce solutions provider can help you determine which one is best for you.

Choosing the right e-commerce solution – one that suits your business model, your market and your goals – can be a crucial factor in achieving online sales success, as well as streamlining your inventory management and lowering costs.

RevenFlo invites you to visit this space again soon to learn how an effective e-commerce website – properly designed, launched, managed and marketed – can set the stage for dynamic business growth.  If you have any questions about web design, web marketing or web strategy, please contact RevenFlo or comment below!