What is the difference between a website and a web storefront? Why use one or the other?
Websites are omnipotent! Since the internet’s inception they have sprung up everywhere in every format and for every purpose.
Websites serve as a “storyteller” about the person, the company, or the “gimmick”. Those who access the website can gather information and can also make appropriate contact with the organization.
Businesses use websites to advertise their products, talk about employees, gain investors’ interest etc, and can expand their exposure globally.
With few exceptions, websites do not necessarily allow a business to “sell” directly to their customers. There has to be something more….something different ...This is where a web storefront shines!
A web storefront is the customer’s portal to your products. This can be either in a B2B (Business to Business) or B2C (Business to Consumer). Access to a web storefront can be from THE website but it is clearly very different. It is NOT the website.
This distinction should be clearly understood by IT, Marketing and Customer Service.
With a web storefront, sales and customer service can be expanded and available 24/7. Marketing should be actively involved to drive people to the site, improve product awareness and improve customer contact. Web Storefronts that are tightly integrated with the live business database (ERP) that offer real-time order and inventory status ….virtually eliminate the need for customer service calls
This is eBusiness. There are many strategies to drive customers to the webstore (But, that’s for another blog entry…stay tuned!) In any case, mutual benefits will be realized. The customers will appreciate your “ investing “ in them and YOUR company will free personnel from customer service inquiries as well as generating more sales online!
Websites are omnipotent! Since the internet’s inception they have sprung up everywhere in every format and for every purpose.
Websites serve as a “storyteller” about the person, the company, or the “gimmick”. Those who access the website can gather information and can also make appropriate contact with the organization.
Businesses use websites to advertise their products, talk about employees, gain investors’ interest etc, and can expand their exposure globally.
With few exceptions, websites do not necessarily allow a business to “sell” directly to their customers. There has to be something more….something different ...This is where a web storefront shines!
A web storefront is the customer’s portal to your products. This can be either in a B2B (Business to Business) or B2C (Business to Consumer). Access to a web storefront can be from THE website but it is clearly very different. It is NOT the website.
This distinction should be clearly understood by IT, Marketing and Customer Service.
With a web storefront, sales and customer service can be expanded and available 24/7. Marketing should be actively involved to drive people to the site, improve product awareness and improve customer contact. Web Storefronts that are tightly integrated with the live business database (ERP) that offer real-time order and inventory status ….virtually eliminate the need for customer service calls
This is eBusiness. There are many strategies to drive customers to the webstore (But, that’s for another blog entry…stay tuned!) In any case, mutual benefits will be realized. The customers will appreciate your “ investing “ in them and YOUR company will free personnel from customer service inquiries as well as generating more sales online!
