Starting an Online Business All-in-One For Dummies®, 3rd Edition

Deciding How to Handle Integration

Even if you're a smaller store, site-performance, inventory-management, and order-tracking solutions suddenly becomes major elements within your new business model. Even so, you probably start off needing to make only minor changes to your current way of doing business. That way, you have a chance to see what works and what doesn't, and you can then figure out what you need to change. This trial-by-error process is common.

However, if you already have sophisticated back-end processes or you're more of a midsize retailer, you may want to plan. In fact, you may find it worthwhile to hire a consultant to help you survey your systems and find the best hardware and software match to smoothly integrate your online operations.

No matter the size of your site, you can get a jump-start on the installation and integration of your hardware and software by using these four checkpoints:

• Review: Make a list of all areas of your store operations, from your cash register (or point of sale) to your inventory system. Take a close look at how you currently handle each of these operations.
• Analyze: You can begin deciding how, if at all, your current systems will translate to an online process. Can you use the software programs that you already have with your e-commerce site? Or is your software designed only for a traditional retail store? If you use manual programs, those programs can quickly get bogged down after your site experiences its first phase of growth. ...