We didn't think this kind of proposal was earth-shattering, but the more we speak to our clients, the more we find that it IS earth-shattering to them. I've personally said this before, that software is not about code - it's about people. You see evidence of this all around you. Just think about how you and others around you use Twitter, Facebook, and Google. They've not only built businesses with customers, but they built thriving communities filled with brand advocates by focusing on the people.
How this is done is different for every business, and we've found that the secret of our success now and in the future is centered around you. Here's how...
If You Buy Things in the Store...
This pretty much covers everyone reading this. We've all bought something online at some point. However, shopping online doesn't pay the bills. We don't have all day to browse, find products, and purchase them. The last thing we as a customer want to deal with is being punished for our decision to spend money in a store. Why in the world would you have any patience for a 5-step checkout wizard when all you want to do is give the store your money? You need to get back to your day job or your family, not spend time figuring out how to pay the store.
Well, that is if you found the product to buy in the first place... Finding products and buying them as quickly as possible are the two things you care about the most.
If You Manage the Store...
You might not be "technical," but you are responsible for the performance of the online store. Your primary responsibility every day is to (1) make customers happy, and (2) get more new and repeat customers. You don't have time to spend fighting the system that's supposed to help you make more money. After all, this system was supposed to reduce the amount of time you perform mundane tasks. Every minute you spend fighting against poorly implemented features is money lost. Over the course of a year, your lost time in some cases might be enough for a down payment on some pretty large purchases.
Let's face it, the success of your time being well spent and the store's sales are the difference between a promotion for you and finding a new store to run.
If You Design the Store...
Simply put, you make things pretty - but that also translates to making things usable while still focusing on business goals. The last thing you want is to be reduced to only changing CSS to make a system look mildly better. You are charged with the brand of the company! You want to embrace that and ensure that you don't look like every other store out there. You had a very specific look and feel in mind, and the last thing you need is to find out that it can't be done. Further, you don't want to learn any proprietary languages to make this happen. After all, you won't working for this company forever - you need to learn things that make you value in the next job as well.
If You Implement the Store...
People that implement online stores generally have at least some development capabilities, and we haven't seen a store yet that didn't require at least a little bit of code in order to make the vision of the store owner come to life. Unless the store is brand new... every store has unique needs, and you need to have a way to implement them. Your company is unique and a one-size-fits-all approach simply doesn't mesh well with your company's future. You need to customize some elements of the store entirely without worrying about voiding support, or the endangering the opportunity to use future versions of the e-commerce software. At the end of the day, you also wear many hats. So, it's incredibly important to you that you can simply begin writing your code when necessary - instead of figuring out how to write your first line of code.
We're Here for You
Regardless to your specific responsibilities with the store you're helping to succeed, you need a trusted partner in your e-commerce provider. This is why we do what we do. We believe in e-commerce for everyone.
We've already proven this by building a dedicated community of fans and customers ourselves. You'll also continue to see this in the future, as we begin to release some very exciting new features and opportunities for all of you.
In the meantime, please feel free to drop a comment below, or chat with us in the community.