Overview
Intended as a business guide rather than a technical reference, this book offers advice on starting and operating a small business on the internet, using Microsoft technology. It covers matters such as the planning of a site, the uses of a database and transaction-processing system, the hiring of a Web developer, on-line brand-building strategies, trademark protection, budgeting, and customer service. Kienan is an e-commerce consultant with Tauber Kienan Associates.
Editorials
From Barnes & Noble
The Barnes & Noble ReviewWho says small businesses can't succeed with eCommerce anymore? You just have to be smarter than the big guys—but hey, you're used to that. Of course, a little expert guidance couldn't hurt, and here it is: Small Business Solutions: E-Commerce, by Brenda Kienan.
The book is targeted squarely at the concerns of small businesspeople—not techies. Brenda Kienan helps you choose your goals, find your niche, make a plan, and create a budget, and stick to it. You'll especially appreciate Kienan's real-world discussion of what you can achieve for $1,000, $5,000, $10,000, $50,000, or (if you win the lottery) $500,000.
Kienan walks you through the components of an eCommerce system, so you can hire graphics designers and web developers, explain what you need, and avoid getting bamboozled. The heart of the book, however, focuses on what's most important: adding value your customers will appreciate. There are detailed chapters on branding, customer service, maintaining fresh content cost-effectively, building traffic and community, and more. There's also a full chapter on analyzing your traffic to assess how you're doing.
This is a Microsoft Press book, so Microsoft solutions are suggested (FrontPage, Site Server, Excel)—but with a light touch. No matter whose software you choose, you'll find Small Business Solutions: E-Commerce extremely helpful.