# What is your ideal e-commerce website?



## UnderTheSea (Jun 2, 2008)

We are currently in the design phase of a new e-commerce website and are looking for everyone's feedback. What specifics do you like about other sites you have visited and what don't you like?

With many of our customers knowing us as UTC we have also create a new domain address which we have forwarded. We will still operate under www.UnderTheC.com but have also now obtained www.U-T-C.ca

What are your likes and dislikes of a site? Without your feedback we will continue with direction from only our developers.

Here are some things that are being discussed...

•	Product reviews and ratings feature 
•	Gift certificate feature 
•	Show multiple currencies 
•	Extra detail page for more detailed product descriptions with layout options. 
•	Show multiple product images. 
•	Manufacturers page 
•	Donations feature 
•	Provision of coupons so clients can purchase at a discounted rate by entering their coupon code 
•	Choice of product listing by price, id, user preference or alphabetically 
•	Quantity pricing option 
•	Option of showing the "buy" button or an "Out of stock message". 
•	Show number of products in stock on the products page 
•	Set minimum purchase total requirement 
•	Email to friend link option - product specific 
•	Choice of currency symbols and formatting. 
•	Change all store generated language from one place 
•	Weight based shipping by zone 
•	Flat rate shipping 
•	USPS shipping rate integration and order tracking 
•	UPS shipping and order tracking 
•	FedEx shipping and order tracking 
•	Canada Post 
•	Free shipping option (choose by country and / or total order or number of items purchased) 
•	Price based shipping 
•	Shipping estimator before checkout 
•	Streamlined checkout process 
•	Customer shipping carrier selector 
•	Provide a different shipping method for international customers in respect to domestic buyers. 
•	Global handling charge option. 
•	Handling charge per payment provider 
•	Handling exempt products 
•	Compatible with all major tax systems (including Canada and Australia) 
•	Offline credit card processing 
•	Complete integration with the top payment processors, and / or email notification only 
•	Manual order creation 
•	Order status look up page for customers 
•	Offer customers a tracking number. 
•	Automatic email to customers on order status change 
•	Integrates PayPal's Instant Payment Notification for secure order processing 
•	Email notification once an order has been placed. 
•	Printable receipt on thanks page 
•	Send out newsletters 
•	Integrated product search page.

Thanks Everyone !!!


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## hojimoe (Mar 7, 2008)

I think one of the biggest things for me, is to know the shippings costs before I purchase, some places will email you a quote and/or final price afterwards, sometimes after they've charged your card.... which is irritating to me...

all these IMO are very helpful, and increase popularity and/or Use of purchasing

reviews/ratings are great
Order status look up page for customers
Offer customers a tracking number.
Automatic email to customers on order status change
Integrates PayPal's Instant Payment Notification for secure order processing
Email notification once an order has been placed.
Printable receipt on thanks page


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## KnaveTO (May 13, 2007)

• Product reviews and ratings feature
Good
• Gift certificate feature
Definately a value feature
• Show multiple currencies
Only non-Canadian customers would find this useful
• Extra detail page for more detailed product descriptions with layout options.
Great Idea
• Show multiple product images.
As long as they are current that is good
• Manufacturers page
Don't personally care but I know others do
• Donations feature
Not sure about this one
• Provision of coupons so clients can purchase at a discounted rate by entering their coupon code
Coupons are good, as is select prcing for regular cusomers spending a certain amount of money... possibly based upon annual sales to the customer
• Choice of product listing by price, id, user preference or alphabetically
Good
• Quantity pricing option
Good
• Option of showing the "buy" button or an "Out of stock message".
Definately yes... I hate entering a sale only to find out afterwards that it is out of stock
• Show number of products in stock on the products page
Perpetual inventory system will manage this easily
• Set minimum purchase total requirement
Completely understandable but shouldn't be unessarily high
• Email to friend link option - product specific
Great idea there
• Choice of currency symbols and formatting.
Again only applicable to foreign currencies and customers
• Change all store generated language from one place
Not sure what you mean by this
• Weight based shipping by zone
Pretty much standard even if most people don't realise it
• Flat rate shipping
Flat rate shipping penalises the closer clients and benefits the further off
• USPS shipping rate integration and order tracking
No comment
• UPS shipping and order tracking
Personally NOT my favorite
• FedEx shipping and order tracking
Good
• Canada Post
As long as there is tracking
• Free shipping option (choose by country and / or total order or number of items purchased)
I would have to say the business man in me says you would definately have to have a certain dollar value not to cut too largely into your profits
• Price based shipping
Could get cut by this method as shipping is weight based
• Shipping estimator before checkout
Good
• Streamlined checkout process
Good
• Customer shipping carrier selector
Good and a must
• Provide a different shipping method for international customers in respect to domestic buyers.
Again somethng only for foreign clients
• Global handling charge option.
Again somethng only for foreign clients
• Handling charge per payment provider
Be careful here... some do not allow this
• Handling exempt products
Interesting
• Compatible with all major tax systems (including Canada and Australia)
Being based in Ontario, Canada the only taxes applicable are PST and GST for Canadians. Outside of Canada taxes are charged to the client by the carrier. No need to set up other tax accounts and in my professional opinion not necessary
• Offline credit card processing
Careful with this one
• Complete integration with the top payment processors, and / or email notification only
Good
• Manual order creation
Good
• Order status look up page for customers
A definate must
• Offer customers a tracking number.
A definate must
• Automatic email to customers on order status change
A definate must
• Integrates PayPal's Instant Payment Notification for secure order processing
A definate must
• Email notification once an order has been placed.
A definate must
• Printable receipt on thanks page
A definate must
• Send out newsletters
Good
• Integrated product search page. 
A definate must

Another suggestion I would recomend is an option for those of us that are local to your store to place an order, pay for it and pick it up at the store.


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## Windowlicka (Mar 5, 2008)

In addition to the points already raised:

IT Security (specifically the likes of 'PCI Compliance'?) - If I electronically hand you my credit card info, what steps have you taken to ensure that my information will not be compromised?

Love the "reviews" idea - helps you with inventory management/forecasting and also helps to create more of a 'community feel' to encourage repeat biz.


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## Sunstar (Jul 29, 2008)

UTC, I am gonna have tell you what I am looking for so yu can let me know when you have them avail.....


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## UnderTheSea (Jun 2, 2008)

Thanks for everyone's opinions so far, keep them coming.

Chris


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## conix67 (Jul 27, 2008)

These days if I had to pay with creditcard I prefer Paypal - so having integrated paypal support is something I prefer.

Canada post tracking is available and cheap but it's lame. However, delivery has been quick and reliable (orders I made from other online stores). Fedex is nice but expensive (express), UPS is a joke.

In stock availability is also nice to have.


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## ameekplec. (May 1, 2008)

UnderTheSea said:


> Here are some things that are being discussed...
> 
> •	Product reviews and ratings feature
> Always a good thing to get people's reviews (negative or positive - too many sites filter out bad reviews
> ...


On thing I definitely would be interested in is to see if you are able to match any other Canadian retailers. Would definitely be a plus if you are able to do so.

Looking forward to seeing your new site come up! Should be neat to see how you stack up to other online sellers here and on the West coast.


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## UnderTheSea (Jun 2, 2008)

Personally I do prefer paypal when I make payments; however, what I am finding is many clients do not have paypal and want to either pay via credit card or email money.

I have had great success over the past two years shipping fedex with zero complaints. I will continue to utilize fedex shipping for perishable items and canada post for others unless an expedite is required.

It is very hard to price match live stock especially since the majority of our stock is cultured. We have not brought in any shipment of corals or rock that were from the wild to date and will continue down this path. We are unique in this aspect as many competitors in the GTA only deal with wild corals and a few species of cultured. Yes cultured are a little more $ right now, but with more sanctions and other environmental issues this is going to cut the supplies of the wild imports.

As for our dry stock (food, suppliments, rock etc) we are willing to look at competitors pricing and make a judgement call on same product name, size/qty etc products. If you can find things like spaghetti rock at a better price let us know and we will investigate how to get you the same price.

We are going back to our original plan for now focusing on Aquacultured Corals and Food. We will continue to also carry bulk products like the rock, carbon, calcium chloride, vitamin c and GFO.

Note: Bulk Vitamin C is due in this week and our next shipment of GFO is in two weeks.


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