Where to begin? How to take a brick-&-mortar retail store 'online'...

[m021478]

For over 30 years, my In-Laws have run a family owned lighting retail store in a New York City Suburb. Don't let that first sentence mislead you into thinking that they are small potatoes... their annual gross profit margin is about $10 million in sales.

They have never had any sort of online presence whatsoever, and they have just now committed themselves to taking the plunge once and for all. The only problem is, they haven't got the slightest idea of where to even begin (nor do I).

None of them are very web savvy, though they are savvy enough to understand that the consumer market in their suburban neighborhood isn't squat compared with the reach and sales potential they could have online.

They aren't planning on closing their brick-&-mortar retail store, rather they are simply looking to have some sort of e-Commerce system developed so that they could sell their existing product online.

What I believe they need at this point is to find a company that specializes in bringing all of the various pieces of the puzzle together - website design & development, marketing & promotion, stock/inventory, payment processing, order fulfillment, etc, etc...

The complexity of what will be needed is such that I can only assume there are companies that specialize in helping to bring retails stores like theirs online for the first time, or am I mistaken?

If my assumption is correct, then I would be sincerely grateful if someone could please throw out a couple names of some reputable companies that might fit the bill... or at least point me in the right direction so that I can help guide them down the right roads.

Thanks!

[Encrypted]

Send me an email: sales (at) evokeinteractive.com and we can talk.

[Marco Santori]

Looks like you found your answer! I will only add that you will be opening a whole new can of liability worms by doing this. You'll need a lawyer to review your existing contracts, invoices and disclaimers. They may be sufficient for a brick and mortar store. But an online presence requires online protection. The last thing you want is to be dragged into court in california for something your in-laws shipped there. Too often, B&M retailers don't account for the differences in legal protections they'll need and end up sinking the boat when they were trying to add a deck. Good luck!

[Encrypted]

I somewhat disagree. Sure, there are some extra liabilities, but I don't think it's anything to stress about. I think the only real issues will be with tax's (because you don't need to charge sales tax out of state), and perhaps returns might be an issue. Some items may become damaged during shipping, some customers may just not like the product, etc.


Update: Apparently Marco's a lawyer, so I'll take my disagreement back. lol

[Marco Santori]

Encrypted, I wish that was true! The legal issues facing a nation/world-wide company vastly outstrip those of a local B&M. Broken items are just the beginning. Lawyers are known for being able to craft absurd hypotheticals. But let's start with yours, which is totally valid. Do you know how to avoid being hauled into a foreign jurisdiction for selling a lamp that electrocuted a child in Florida?

What about reviews? Will you allow users to post reviews on your site? Reviewers could defame competitors and third parties. More lawsuits.

What about trademarks? How will you preserve your trademarks and still use them on the web? Copyright violations for vendor images (yes, it happens often)?

The parade of terribles could continue. But the point is that a you need a lawyer to ensure that your 10 million dollar business doesn't become a target for those looking for a quick buck. This should be a profitable experience with a minimum of headaches. Have an attorney look over your plans BEFORE you go live. A few hundred dollars up front is worth the risk of losing millions down the road. I don't mean to be such a downer, but such is the life of litigator

[MadDAVO]

Hi there, this question has been asked many times on this forum. I suggest you advertise and employ staff, to enter all the products into your online shopping cart. For the shopping cart, there are many.. you can hire a freelancer to design you a shopping cart according to your needs at freelancer.com
Alternatively, you can purchase from one of the available shopping carts online.

Once you've done these it should be quite easy from here on.. just don't be afraid to make mistakes..