Marketing: e-commerce, direct sales & customer MANAGEMENT
Internet Needs Worksheet
1. 	How does your business use the Internet (e.g., sales, market research, promotion, finding suppliers or distributors)? Make sure that your answer fits the goals, strategies and objectives set forth in your marketing plan.
2.	Write down your Internet needs—as you currently understand them—and rank them in order of importance on a scale of 1 to 4 (1 is most important, and 4 is least important).
Internet Needs | Rank
Internet Needs Worksheet—continued
3.	Make several copies of the chart on the next page to research the Internet service options available in your area.
a.	Look up a couple of big ISPs such as AT&T or Comcast, and then look for local providers.
b.	Call each company and get detailed information about their features (e.g., how many email addresses you get, what restrictions they have on usage, how much Web hosting space is available, any special e-commerce packages for business, and so on).
c.	Ask for the ISP’s uptime, or the amount of time the Internet is available per year. The connection should be available at least 99.99 percent of the time.
d.	Check the connection speed and the cost (remember to ask about setup and installation fees, modem fees and early cancellation fees).
ISP NAME:
Connection type (e.g., DSL, cable modem, T1):
How many connections can you have? | Trial period offered?
Advertised connection speed: | Actual connection speed:
Hardware needed: | Hardware fees:
Installation charges: | Estimated uptime (e.g., 99 percent):
How long has the ISP been in business? | Are customer reviews mostly positive?
How many websites can you have? | Maximum website size:
Maximum bandwidth: | Maximum site traffic:
Fee for exceeding bandwidth or traffic: | SSL support for security?
Number of free email addresses: | Cost of additional email addresses:
Can your email address include your domain name?
Does the ISP offer an e-commerce package? If so, list the features:
What other enterprise-grade services and hardware does the ISP offer (if any)?
What “Acceptable Use” restrictions apply to business accounts?
What security measures are in place?
Will they stay online in the event of a power outage or natural disaster? If not, how quickly will they restore service?
Add-on features and service enhancements:
How and when are tech support services available?
What restrictions and costs apply to tech support?
Average wait when calling tech support number:
Total monthly cost: | Length of contract:
Fee for early termination?
Website Research Worksheet
When it comes to website design, the best way to find out what works and what doesn’t is to visit as many sites as possible, using a desktop computer, smartphone and tablet. Browse the sites listed below and answer the questions for each. Add three sites from your own research—at least two of which should be your direct competitors—and answer the same questions for those sites. (You’ll need to make six copies of these pages before you start.)
1. Blue Moon Camera and Machine (www.bluemooncamera.com)
2. 4M Industrial Development (www.4m-ind.com)
3. Flicker Alley (www.flickeralley.com)
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1.	Is the site visually appealing on both desktop and mobile devices? Why, or why not?
2.	Is the type of business clear as soon as you visit the homepage? Why, or why not?
3.	Are menu choices easy to read and understand on large and small screens? If not, why?
4.	Is it easy to move from page to page? If not, what’s wrong?
5.	Does the site contain current, relevant, useful information?
6.	How easily can you look at the products the business offers? Is it clear what they do, how they look and how much they cost?
7.	Does the site offer visitors many alternative ways to contact the company (clickable phone number, email, social media, mailing address)?
8.	Is there an FAQ section? If so, do you think it meets customer needs?
9.	Do you think the site gives enough information about the company? Explain.
10.	If the business has a retail location or office, does the site provide good directions on how to get there? Is there an interactive map? Are the office hours clear?
11.	Does the site have a “what’s new?” section, or any other clear way of providing updates on the business’s products? If so, what do you think of the method the site uses?
Website Research Worksheet—continued
l2.	Can you order products from the site? If so, how? Can you order customized products? Does ordering seem easy, or is it complicated? What payment methods are accepted? What shipping methods are available?
13.	What security features does the site have? How does it protect customer data? What are the return and refund policies? Would you feel safe ordering from this company?
l4.	How well does the mobile version of the site work? Can you basically do anything you would do on a desktop computer, or is the functionality or visibility limited?
15.	What’s the best feature of this site? What’s the worst feature?
16.	Now that you’ve looked at all six sites, what features have you seen that you’d like to have on your site? Why would these features appeal to your customers?
Site Planning Worksheet
1.	Is your site strictly informational, or should it have e-commerce capabilities?
2.	Should you hire a Web design professional, design the site yourself or sell through an e-commerce host or portal? Why? What are the benefits and drawbacks of designing your own site? How much does each option cost? (When comparing costs, remember to research the percentage that host sites, portal sites and payment gateways will take of each sale.)
3.	How will your choice help you reach your target customers?
4.	How will your choice prepare you for growth?
5.	How often will you need to update your website? Who will be in charge of updates?
Site Design Worksheets
In this section, you will create a site structure that starts with your individual products and then works upward to your home page. Here’s an example:
Site Organization Worksheet
First, list each of your products or page subjects. Then, identify the product or subject category. Last, create a descriptive page name.
Product or subject | Category | Page title
Wooden birdfeeders | Birdfeeders | Jane’s Handmade Birdfeeders
Employee bios | About Us | Our Team
User Action Worksheet
What do visitors need to be able to do on your site? Note that some actions may require multiple features. Use this list when consulting with a Web designer, or when comparing the features of site building tools and e-commerce hosts.
User action | Site feature required
Learn more about company | FAQ page
Get shipping quote | Shipping calculator
Social Media Worksheet
1.	Which social media channels will you use to promote your business, and why?
2.	What type of content will you create (if any)? How often? What benefits will it offer?
3.	Which employees will have access to social media accounts? What steps will you take to ensure unified and appropriate tone and messaging? (Note: We strongly recommend that you review the current best practices for social media policies at socialmediagovernance.com.)
4.	Social media functions, capabilities and add-ons change frequently. Who will be in charge of monitoring and adapting to these changes?
5.	Use the following worksheet to identify the type, frequency and purpose of your social media messaging. If you intend to drive traffic to your website, specify the target keywords and the landing page (i.e., the page on your site that you will link to in your social media message).
Channel | Type of content | Frequency | Creator | Cross promotion | Target keywords | Landing page
Blog | Article with photo | 3 per week | Joe E. | Twitter, Facebook | Weasels, Stoats | Rodentia.com
Site Promotion Worksheet
1.	What online promotional tactics will you use to increase the visibility of your site?
2.	What offline promotional tactics will you use to drive traffic to your site?
3.	Which local directories will you list your business in?
4.	What info, images and other features will you include in your local directory listings?
5.	Will you conduct a PPC campaign? If so, list the keywords you will target, the amount you will budget per click and per day, the geographic area for the campaign, and the length of the campaign.
Keywords | Maximum CPC | Daily budget | Area targeted | Length of campaign
organic alpaca yarn | .45 | $75.00 | Upstate NY | 2 weeks
Sales Prospecting Worksheet
Step 1	Identify your short-term prospects. These are customers you can target right away.
Step 2	Identify your long-term prospects. These are customers you would like to target over the next three years.
Step 3	Analyze each prospect’s profit potential on a scale of 1 to 5, with 1 being high and 5 being low.
Step 4	Prioritize your prospects on a scale of 1 to 5, with 1 being high and 5 being low.
Step 5	Choose a contact method. This could mean calling a local retailer on the phone, posting a special offer on your company blog, or making a cold call on a local business office.
Step 6	Set sales goals. Your sales goals should consist of a realistic number of sales within a specific timeframe. For example, you might plan to sell 5,000 jars of jam over the next six months.
Short-term prospects | Profit potential | Priority | Contact method | Sales goal
Long-term prospects | Profit potential | Priority | Contact method | Sales goal
Sales Success Worksheet
Mastering sales techniques can make the difference between just talking with customers and actually making a sale. Answer the following questions, and think about how they relate to your business image.
1.	How will you make sure that you and your employees make a good first impression on customers, partners, lenders and others?
2.	What sales training will you seek for yourself, and where will you get it? What sales training will you offer your employees?
3.	What system will you use to organize your sales prospecting data? What data will you track? Will you use a computer database, or a manual system such as index cards?
4.	List the features of your product as you’ll describe them to customers. Organize these features in the order you will pitch them. Then, following the example in the first row, describe how each feature benefits your customers. Remember that in an effective sales presentation, you must describe the features and sell the benefits.
Features | Benefits
Free installation of computer | Time savings Convenience Customer knows it will be done right
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5.	Write down three questions you can ask customers that will help you understand their individual needs and unique problems. Remember: Active listening is critical to sales success!
Sales Success Worksheet—continued
6.	List the main customer objections you expect to hear (e.g., “your price is too high!”). Explain how you’ll overcome each one.
Objection | Response
7.	Prepare at least six sales closes you think will work well with your product and customers.
8.	Based on the features and benefits list you prepared in Step 4, and relevant answers to worksheet questions in other sessions, prepare a short sales pitch for your product. At a minimum, it should include a personal and business introduction, a description of your product and its features and benefits, and a close.
Customer Service Worksheet
A strong customer orientation is fundamental to small-business success. One of the advantages small businesses have over large competitors is the ability to offer personal, face-to-face service, so it’s important to make the most of every opportunity to interact with customers.
1.	Describe your overall customer service philosophy. What principles will guide your customer service policies and decisions?
2.	Describe your customer service policies and procedures, including returns, exchanges, special orders and so forth. Explain how these policies fit your positioning, branding and promotional strategies.
3.	Who will be responsible for resolving customer problems at your business?
4.	How will you train your employees to deliver consistently excellent customer service? How will you motivate them to meet and exceed your service expectations? How will you track, measure and reward their performance?
5.	How will you measure customer satisfaction (surveys, personal interviews, etc.)? How often will you measure it?
6.	How will new and emerging technology affect your customer service strategies as you grow? How will you keep up with new technology?
Customer Loyalty Worksheet
It costs much less to keep an old customer than it does to find a new one, so holding onto your existing customers is central to your customer service policy. It’s also central to your growth plans: You can’t grow unless you keep your customers coming back!
1.	Explain your customer retention strategies. What will you do to create and reward loyal customers? Consider frequent buyer cards, special offers, discounts and related rewards.
2.	How will you use technology to improve customer retention and reward customer loyalty?
Technology | Customer service uses | Have | Need
Telephone
Smartphone
VoIP & videoconferencing
Customer database
Online collaboration tools
Online survey tools
Email and mobile messaging
Website
Social media channels
Geosocial networking
Electronic payment options
Other technology:

Worksheets Assignment for Session 7
Review your answers to all of the worksheet questions before trying to complete the Writing Your Business Plan assignment for this session. After you research Internet options and costs, you may need to change some of your financial projections and marketing strategies. Go through your business plan section by section, and update it—where necessary—to reflect what you’ve learned about e-commerce and the Internet. Again, remember to consider all startup and operational costs!
Writing Your Business Plan
Use the information from this session to write the sections of the NxLeveL® Business Plan shown below. Start with the headings and subheadings just as they are shown here. Then, follow the instructions in italics under each subheading. Section IV. Marketing Plan D. Direct Sales and Customer Service Sales Strategy Review your answers to the Sales Prospecting Worksheet and the Sales Success Worksheet. What will you do to make sure you keep getting better at selling? Will you seek sales training? Will you provide ongoing training for employees? How will you use direct selling to drive growth? Customer Service Strategy Review your answers to the Customer Service Worksheet and the Customer Loyalty Worksheet. Describe your customer service strategy, and explain how you, as the owner, will be the model for good customer service techniques. List the specific customer service policies, tools and technology that you plan to use. Next, discuss whether you’ll offer customer service training to your employees. Will you have weekly or monthly meetings to discuss customer service issues? Will employees (including yourself) attend customer service seminars? Finally, describe how your customer service strategy fits with your brand identity and other marketing strategies, and with the sales and growth goals you’ve set for your business.