Hi John, 

We're using OS Commerce (www.oscommerce.com) - an open source platform which
is pretty good so long as you have access to people who have the expertise
to configure it. 

Three lessons we've learned during the process:

1. At all costs preserve the integrity of the customer experience - if the
transaction process is a bit wobbly, or requires a pop-up or transferring to
a 3rd party transaction processing provider (eg. eBay), you'll lose a
significant proportion of your customers. A lot of positive reinforcement
goes down well - if you can confirm the contents of their order, check it
again, get them to verify it and then follow up with an email confirming the
transaction (and ideally the shipping date), it's likely to inspire greater
trust and re-use. 

2. An obvious point but your real-world logistics have to match the promise
of the online interface. It's important that things are shipped within the
timescale given on the site, that transactions are processed quickly and
that you have a plan in place for dealing with spikes in demand (like
Christmas!)

3. Integration into your main site is important - most 3rd party and
installed solutions depend on creating a 'separate' eCommerce microsite
within - but essentially separate from - your overall site. This is ok, but
it limits the traffic through your online shop. It is better, but more
difficult, to integrate the shop into the main site so that people can move
back and forth between browsing and purchasing with relative ease. Equally,
at the backend, most eCommerce platforms essentially operate as a separate
CMS from your main site management. This means either that you need clear
lines of responsibility within the organisation for managing the shop, or
you'll need to find a way of integrating shop management into the more
general content management backend. 

The ICT Hub (www.icthub.org.uk) has some useful resources, and particularly
a very useful guide to the various options for transaction and order
processing: http://www.icthubknowledgebase.org.uk/onlinepaymentprocessing

Best of luck!

Nick 


Nick Poole
Chief Executive
MDA

www.mda.org.uk
www.collectionslink.org.uk



Tel:  01223 316028
Fax: 01223 364658

MDA (Europe) Ltd: Company Registration No: 1300565 
Reg. Office: 22 Hills Road, Cambridge, CB2 1JP.


-----Original Message-----
From: Museums Computer Group [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of J
Martin
Sent: 19 December 2007 15:28
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Online Shopping - Any suggestions for suppliers ?

Hi John,

We're developing an online shop based on http://www.startershop.com/en - 
well worth a look.

They:

Are a UK company (and therefore UK oriented).
Cost approx. GBP 200 setup, free first year then tenner a month after 
that.
Ideal for the number of items you're looking at (much beyond a hundred 
or two items and you may need a bigger solution).
Include an easy to use web-based CMS to update your online shop.
Provide for some customisation (e.g., your logo, blurb etc.)

The resulting online shop also looks pretty good and is pretty good 
in terms of accessibility.

Regards,

James

On Wed, 19 Dec 2007, John Williams (NMC) wrote:

> Date: Wed, 19 Dec 2007 08:49:45 -0000
> From: "John Williams (NMC)" <[log in to unmask]>
> Reply-To: Museums Computer Group <[log in to unmask]>
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: [MCG] Online Shopping - Any suggestions for suppliers ?
> 
> My colleagues in the Museum are considering a pilot online shop to make
the Museum's retail products more available. Currently they informally
accept orders over the telephone but want to provide a more formal system
that will be available outside shop hours.
>
>
>
> Initially they are proposing offering around 20-25 products.
>
>
>
> I'd appreciate any comments anyone might have about the best way to
approach this and also - off list if it would be more appropriate -
suggestions of any suppliers who you think might be able to offer a good
service.
>
>
>
> Regards,
>
>
>
> John
>
>
>
> John WIlliams
>
> Pennaeth TG/Head of IT
>
> Amgueddfa Cymru - National Museum Wales
>
> Parc Cathays / Cathays Park
>
> CAERDYDD / CARDIFF
>
> CF10 3NP
>
> Ffôn / Tel: +44 (0) 029 2057 3147
>
> e-bost / e-mail: [log in to unmask]
>
>
>
>
>
>
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> For mcg information and to manage your subscription to the list, visit the
website at http://www.museumscomputergroup.org.uk
> **************************************************
>

--

No surprise here, but to complete its humiliation, PC World has declared
that Windows Vista is the most disappointing product of 2007. Quoting:
'Five years in the making and this is the best Microsoft could do?... No
wonder so many users are clinging to XP like shipwrecked sailors to a life
raft, while others who made the upgrade are switching back. And when the
fastest Vista notebook PC World has ever tested is an Apple MacBook Pro,
there's something deeply wrong with the universe'.

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