AboutJim Novo Expertise Questions about using customer data to inmprove online profitability, particularly in retailing. Topics include profiling customers using weblogs, figuring out which ads generate the highest value customers, how to reduce the numnber of 1x buyers, how to generate higher sales from current customers, customer analysis, ROI calculation, reducing discounts while increasing resaponse rates. Do you collect customer data (purchases, page views, surveys) and not really use it for anything? Want to find out how? Just ask.
Experience
Past/Present clients Cellular One, MBNA, SteelTorch Software, Retek Direct, CBS Sportsline, Kobie Marketing, Aerial, Tupperware, Barnes and Noble, Comcast Corporation, Home Shopping Network
Question We are a manufacturer of specialty tapes, selling business to business. Now we want to also sell directly to the consumer from the internet. We already accept credit cards for some transactions and would also employ PayPal to collect and disburse to us. What kind of specialty accounting do we need to set up for this part of our business and more particularly, the recording of sales (obviously we wouldn't be creating an invoice for each roll of tape sold--or would we? Sales tax reporting also would have to be done. Any "bolt-on" type of accounting software out there to do this type of business?
Answer Answering this question is a bit tough not knowing how the rest of the operation is set up, but here's a generic answer.
Personally, I think the key to any web retail business, especially if you will be doing some volume, is the back-end processing. To skimp there just sets you up for a world of hurt long term.
The core of this back-end is the order management system. Not sure if you already have one, or what parts you might be missing. But Order Manager from StoneEdge is the most flexible one out there, which is why I'm suggesting it - it can be "the" system, or you can use it for portions of the operation or whatever, because it's an open system based on MS Access:
This means it runs on a local machine (not web-based) and you can write your own programming hooks into and out of the system any way you would like. The system will clear the credit cards, generate pick lists, generate shipping labels (interfaces to USPS, Worldship, FedEX), account for the taxes, manage intentory and PO's, and so forth. You can run any financial report on this activity you can dream up. Plus, it interfaces with Quickbooks if you want to go in that direction. It does much more but I think this is what you are primarily interested in.
Now, using Order Manager has some implications for payment processing and the web site. There is a list of the payment processors and shopping carts it interfaces with directly, so for speed and ease of set-up, you will probably want to go with services and software on this list. If you have already invested in that area, custom interfaces can be built, which will take time and money. The base software is $1500 which includes help and updates for first year, I believe the "enterprise version" is $4500.
The people at StoneEdge are honest as the day is long and extremely helpful. I'd suggest contacting Barney Stone directly if you have questions about how it might work with other systems you have, or suggestions for other solutions that might be closer to what you need.
