Online fax
services
Faxing is still a necessary evil in the world of ecommerce unfortunately -
but you don't need to be stuck with a fax machine. Learn more about Internet
fax services and try a free trial. |
The scourge of friendly fraud - tips.
Friendly fraud costs ecommerce merchants millions of dollars each year; learn
more about what it is and how you can combat it. |
The leaky bucket syndrome
If your sales are such that you're looking for
additional traffic sources; look closer to home before forking out cash for
promotion. |
Chargeback
disputes
Receiving a chargeback is a painful part of ecommerce; but what about when
you have a dispute with another merchant? You may find yourself needing to
issue one of the nasty beasts in order to get your hard earned cash back.
Some tips and strategies. |
Preventing and
challenging chargebacks
How chargebacks work, the threat to online businesses, costs, prevention tips
and important information all merchants should be aware of. |
Russia and ecommerce
The effects of the iron curtain and subsequent chaos since moving to a
free(er) market are starting to dissipate in Russia and it's now a target
market you may want to consider addressing. |
Increasing revenue with server
logs
Server logs are an often overlooked tool containing vital information that
may help you increase your sales and revenue - learn
how! |
Digital goods security
If you're selling digital products such as pdf's, software, video or audio
and don't have a solid licensing and registration system in place, chances
are you're losing revenue to digital thieves. Learn more about a new service
that provides high level protection, is easy to use and integrates with any
cart system. |
Terms of service traps
A Terms of Service document is there to protect the merchant, not the
consumer - but even so, it doesn't mean the service provider can add whatever
terms they like and for it to remain legal and binding. |
Customer
complaints and the Streisand effect
It's a nightmare for many business - a company-sucks.com site being launched
in their (dis)honor. Before you set your lawyers on the party who created it;
research carefully otherwise you may invoke the Streisand effect. |
Build your business by
outsourcing
Outsourcing sales and support aspects of your business can be quite
economical, help increase your sales and free up more of your time to build your business in other ways. |
Rainy day revenue
Success and failure can occur very rapidly in online business - here's
some strategies on how to prepare for the hard times. |
Business plan tips and
template
Thinking about launching an ecommerce venture? Even if you have an existing
online business, a documented business plan can help you to achieve your
goals. |
Live chat issues
Live chat services are a great way to provide current and potential
clients increased communications with your online business; but some
implementations can do more harm to an ecommerce site than good. |
Page language
translation
Not all your potential customers will have English as their primary
language. Translating key pages on your site into different languages can
make your online business more "foreigner" friendly! |
Contract templates
for ecommerce
Contracts and agreements are a necessary evil in an ecommerce
environment. Learn more about what templates you should probably be using. |
PCI compliance;
it's coming - for all merchants
PCI compliance certification isn't mandatory for all merchants; but
that's likely to change very soon - this article contains information on
what you need to know. |
Basic ecommerce web site design and development - Part 1
A new series - Introduction, content you should include on your site, navigation and image issues. |
Basic ecommerce web site development and design - Part 2
Pre-sales web site services services suggestions that may assist you in boosting online sales. |
Shopping cart overview
Before spending your money on a shopping cart package, review this article and avoid some problems commonly faced by site owners venturing into the mad world of ecommerce! |
Shopping cart reviews - the best solutions
After reviewing over 130 shopping cart/store front solutions, here's our pick based on features, pricing, scalability and support. |
Payment Gateways, Internet Merchant Accounts and 3rd party credit card processors.
The shopping cart is only the beginning. A must-read b2b article that can assist you in saving thousands of dollars! |
Ecommerce -
handling aggressive clients
Aggression from some of your clients is one of the unfortunate
aspects of ecommerce. These types of situations can be very serious and
it's important that you handle them correctly. Pick up some advice in
this article. |
Backing up - a crucial task
Do you trust your service provider 100% to backup your data? You
shouldn't; it should only be considered the second line of defense. Your
first line is the backups you store - if you're not already doing this, pick
up some tips in this article. |
Drop-Shipping
and Ecommerce
Drop shipping is an excellent way to decrease costs and expedite
rapid order fulfillment, but it does pose a number of challenges in the
current ecommerce climate as I recently discovered (from our ezine). |
The YouTube story
If you've ever dreamed of striking it rich on the web but perhaps thought
that all the good ideas were exhausted a couple of years ago, the recent
stellar success of YouTube may have you thinking again :) |
Patent trolls
That new idea you have for a killer online application or ecommerce
venture may not be so new - and it could cost you big bucks if you launch the
service and it catches the eye of the Patent Trolls. |
Articles sites as revenue
generators
No doubt you've seen the rags to riches stories of people who've
launched articles sites and made a truckload through displaying
contextual ads; but like anything else in online business, there's more
to making a buck than just publishing thousands of pages up. |
Getting
support from merchants & online providers
Even though we may have our own online businesses and be very
familiar with ecommerce processes and principles, many site owners still
engage in poor communication techniques when requesting support from
their own service providers and suppliers. Review my 12 tips for more
effective communications. |
Instant messaging
& live chat etiquette
The right approach to Instant Messaging and Live Chat communications can
boost your online sales and improve your networking opportunities. Pick
up some tips in our guide. |
Domain name
trading - viable?
If you're thinking of getting into domain name speculation and
trading as an ecommerce venture; do yourself a favor and read this
article first! |
Reassured visitors = increased
online sales
Confident site visitors become paying customers. Hints and tips on gaining credibility, plus how to develop a privacy statement... without hiring a lawyer! |
Open Source software
- an ecommerce alternative?
Free ecommerce related applications released under the Open Source
initiative offer real alternatives for site owners; but there's a few
issues you need to consider before implementing. |
Optimizing web page load
times
A slow loading web page can cost you sales - pick up some tips for
improving page load times. |
Credit card fraud strategies
(updated).
With credit card fraud and chargeback fees on the rise, no ecommerce
merchant can afford not to re-examine their anti fraud strategies. Pick
up some valuable tips in this article, plus learn about a very special
offer for Taming the Beast.net visitors of 2 months free transaction
screening! |
MLM/Network
Marketing
What is MLM? Is it a good model to work with in ecommerce? Learn
more about Multi-Level Marketing |
Nigerian
scams affecting ecommerce
More recent scams from Nigeria don't just target gullible and greedy
individuals - there's some very real dangers for ecommerce merchants |
Oil, telecommuting and ecommerce
Gas prices are skyrocketing, oil supplies are diminishing and our
environment is suffering. Part of the solution to these problems lies in
ecommerce and telecommuting. |
WAP/WML tutorial and
overview
The number of WAP enabled handheld devices is rapidly increasing and
it's a market that no ecommerce merchant should ignore. Discover more
about WAP and learn how to create a cell phone friendly WML page! |
CRM software review and guide
How can Customer Relationship Management software help you grow your
online business and what the heck is it anyway? Read our guide and try a
free service. |
VOIP - the basics and
benefits to ecommerce
Voice Over Internet Protocol is set to make major changes in the way
we communicate via voice. Learn what VOIP is, how to evaluate it for
free, and the benefits your online business.
|
Online business
law
Legal resources for ecommerce merchants. Links to information on
copyright, fair use, electronic trading, forms and templates.
|
Pagejacking -
identifying/dealing with pagejackers
Pagejackers could be siphoning profits from your hard work. Learn
more about the problem and how to combat it.
|
Success in online
business
Why is it that so many ecommerce entrepreneurs fail while others
seem to have the Midas touch? Learn more about the traits of successful
online small business owners. |
Click fraud
Pay per click fraud - yet another online blight that ecommerce site
owners need to be aware of. Review some strategies and tools for
minimizing the impact of PPC fraud on your ecommerce investment. |
How to minimize
shopping cart abandonment
Find out why 57% of shopping cart sessions are abandoned and pick up
some tips for minimizing shopping cart abandonment. |
Drop
shipping
Want to get into ecommerce? Don't want to have to keep inventory?
Consider using a drop shipping strategy. |
Web site monitoring
There's nothing worse than your site being down - except for not
knowing as soon as there's a problem. Retain clients and improve your
sales by utilizing web site monitoring services. Read our guide and try
out a free service. |
Research- Statistics
Search for free resources in relation to ecommerce and marketing
statistics or what strategies work and what doesn't? This may help you
locate the information you need. |
Debt collection..ugh
Chasing overdue payments from partners and clients is never fun, but
it's critical to the survival of your business. Read our guide to
chasing overdue payments and tips for minimizing the occurrence of bad
debt. |
Email and
Ecommerce
We all know that email marketing is an important part of any
ecommerce venture - but what does the future hold? Threats and
strategies. |
Handling
online business crisis
Ever had one of those days where everything went wrong? Survive the
next crisis with help from these strategies |
Paypal
fraud - a blight on ecommerce
PayPal fraud is nothing new, but this latest scam was a little
different. From our ezine. |
Ecommerce terminology
Common ecommerce related terms and their definitions, plus links to
related resources. |
What's in a name?
A comprehensive guide to selecting and registering domain names |
Web Site Hosting Guide 1
Asking the right questions & host reviews strategies. |
Web Site and Email disclaimers
In this age of increasing litigation, site disclaimers have become a necessary
evil. |
Dot
Bomb - Trend or Lesson?
What lessons & opportunities can be gained from the spectular web site nose-dives of the Internet? |
Australian ecommerce - b2b yet 2b?
The challenges of working within the current Australian ebusiness environment |
|
Other article and tutorial archives on Taming the
Beast:
Search
engine optimization tutorials section
General
web marketing & promotion articles
Online
business security articles and tools
Affiliate
marketing strategies and tutorials
Web
development tutorials and articles
Our
entire marketing, ecommerce & design archives |
