Strategies and Implementation of E-Commerce for P&G Wells Ltd, UK

This report provides a detailed analysis of e-commerce strategies for P&G Wells Ltd, a local independent bookshop in Winchester, UK, aiming to establish an online presence. The report begins with a discussion of various e-commerce strategies, including discounting, live chat, email marketing, and multi-channel retail, ultimately recommending the adoption of a live chat strategy. It then analyzes the required resources, such as human, monetary, and intellectual capital, and outlines a step-by-step implementation plan using the "Volusion" e-commerce solution. The plan includes evaluating business requirements, analyzing resources, selecting a chat platform, deciding on pricing and payments, and marketing the growing business. Furthermore, the report undertakes a SWOT analysis to evaluate the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats of the proposed e-commerce strategy. It also discusses different types of payment systems integral to e-commerce success and concludes with a critical appraisal of the overall solution and its potential for success, focusing on customer satisfaction and market expansion.

E-Commerce Strategies
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Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
MAIN BODY...................................................................................................................................3
1. Discussion of types of strategies for E-Commerce solution which would satisfy company...3
2. Analysis and evaluation of resources which would be required with suggested solution for
organisational E-Commerce strategy ..........................................................................................5
3. Providing detailed step by step plan of necessary actions to implement solutions for
organisational E-Commerce strategy...........................................................................................5
4. Undertaking SWOT Analysis for outlined E-Commerce strategy..........................................7
5. Discussion, differentiation and evaluation of different types of payment systems which are
integral for E-Commerce Success................................................................................................8
6. Providing critical appraisal of overall e-commerce solution that is outlined..........................9
7. Evaluation of what will be considered the success of e-commerce implementation...............9
CONCLUSION..............................................................................................................................12
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................13
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INTRODUCTION
E-commerce can be said to an activity of electronically purchasing together with selling on
online services through Internet. It is a platform that assist businesses to market their offerings
and selling them on online portal (Chaisit, Pansuwan and Isaranontakul, 2020). At same time,
strategy is a term that summarises the ways an organisation is planning objective attainment
addition to improving position or brand image in market. E-commerce strategy is an action plan
for ambition and principle for realise maximum sales on online platform. When a business
operates as an online store that sell products, they might be interested in seeking helpful advices
related to the ways to reach wider audience through E-commerce strategy. It requires a
sophisticated management system addition to strategy which combines various separate
elements. For the assignment, P&G Wells Ltd is considered organisation which is local
independent bookshop located in Winchester, UK. It is oldest shop that offers variants of books
in city as well as longest surviving bookshop in the country. It is planning to become e-
commerce entity that offers books online.
The assessment covers kinds of strategies that can be used to drive an e-commerce
solution. It further designs an e-commerce solution according to specified requirements of
strategy. At last, an E-Commerce solution is implemented as per specified requirement or
strategy.
MAIN BODY
1. Discussion of types of strategies for E-Commerce solution which would satisfy company
E-Commerce solution can be described to the commodities or services which aids an
organisation to conduct business activities electronically. In present world, range of available e-
commerce solution is wide, comprising those which permits traditional companies to design,
create together with operate online sites. In context to P&G Wells Ltd, it is an entity that sells its
books in an effort for allocating huge resources for actual trade transactions than other
applications. There are multiple establishments that feels tiredness or frustrated to not have
information about which platform or strategies to select for maximising business idea and
driving e-commerce solution. Some of the types of strategies that managers of P&G Wells Ltd
could use for the purpose of driving an E-commerce solution are as discussed:
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Discounting strategy: Everyone likes and wishes for getting a deal. This is the reason it
seems like maximum stores are constantly running sales together with promotions (Chen and
Chen, 2019). The stores are making efforts to get customers in the door as well as to checkout
counter which can be done in same manner by P&G Wells Ltd with their e-commerce stores.
Offering discounts and free shipping is one of strategy that can be adopted by administrators of
P&G Wells Ltd for driving an e-commerce solution and encouraging more audiences to purchase
of books. As per a study, it is analysed that around 93% of online buyers are motivated to
purchase products when free shipping and discounts are offered. At same time, referral programs
are also part of discounting strategy that brings more sales addition to assist in building larger
customer base. When organisations provide customers with great and special discounts then they
makes huge sales along with discovers potential customers also.
Live chat strategy: E-commerce solution is appealing towards various shoppers as it is
easy together with convenient. However, when these shoppers run into any issue or problem or
dealing with audiences or customer service online is something but easy. It is the reason many e-
commerce businesses are turning into live chats in order to assist turn disgruntled shoppers into
satisfied and happy customers. There are around 90% customers that perceives live chat helpful.
In respect to P&G Wells Ltd, live chat strategy can be used for answering questions of customers
fastly without leaving the website. Moreover, through ensuring positive experiences to customers
with organisational e-commerce solution, managers build trust among target customer base. It
makes customers more likely to return back and drive sales for the company.
E-mail marketing strategy: There are cases when an organisation have beautifully
designed and perfect set-up of e-commerce store. However, when no one are aware about it then
how they will drive e-commerce solution or make any sales. Companies are required to promote
their business and one of effective strategy to do is email marketing. It is an act to send well
planned commercial message to group to target population by using email. All the email send to
customers is seen as email marketing (Choshin and Ghaffari, 2017). The strategy including usage
of email for sending request business, advertisement or soliciting e-commerce solution.
Marketing department of P&G Wells Ltd can use email marketing strategy for driving e-
commerce solution. At the time when managers write an email for sending it to prospect list then
it is important to stress urgency. It is because the more urgency they create the wider audience
feels pressurise to frame purchase decision. The strategy will assist managers of P&G Wells Ltd
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to get people into their list, running ads for promoting e-commerce solution and generating larger
sales.
Multi-channel or Omni-channel retail strategy: At the core, Omni channel strategy is
said to multi-channel sales concept which helps in providing the customers with experience in
integrates manner. There are chances when a customer may be shopping online through
computer or mobile device or in bricks and mortar store, the experience can be seamless. Around
73% consumers connect with an organisation at multiple touch points in the decision making
journey. This states that all the products or solutions of a brand should be everywhere their
customer shops and collects information for product. Administrators of P&G Wells Ltd may
adopt and manage multitude of selling platforms or channels that might represent a massive
efforts to drive e-commerce solution. Fortunately, various platform solutions have possibilities to
provide required infrastructure that is needed for multi-channel or omni-channel retail strategy.
From the mentioned strategies, managers of P&G Wells Ltd can adopt or use Live Chat
strategy for the purpose of driving e-commerce solution. The strategy will help in improving
loyalty and services of customers, expanding market research, increasing sales, identifying
customer pain points, customer convenience, competitive advantages, faster problem resolutions
and hence forth online.
2. Analysis and evaluation of resources which would be required with suggested solution for
organisational E-Commerce strategy
At the time of designing an E-Commerce solution, it is crucial to look or analyse towards
various factors and resources that will leads towards success (Kremez, Frazer and Thaichon,
2019). In case with P&G Wells Ltd, managers are required to analyse resources including human
resources, monetary resources and intellectual resources for the E-Commerce solution named as
Volusion. Moreover, the factors that needs focus while designing the solution are regulation of
product pricing, maintaining high quality of commodities, improving accessibility of store,
making first impression wonderful, securing shipments and exploiting M-Commerce. For the
managers, getting into E-commerce is important step for expansion and enhancing profitability.
3. Providing detailed step by step plan of necessary actions to implement solutions for
organisational E-Commerce strategy
E-commerce has arrived as well as is sweeping entire globe and now it’s time for
companies that e-commerce solution works for them. All brands are required to emphasis
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towards delivering best in store experience online for remaining competitive. Despite of buzz
around social media improving day by day, online chat or live char is becoming effective e-
commerce strategy which offers a customised together with real time solution. Although, live
chat strategy is tremendously popular which could be deployed by brands so to keep customers
engaged online (Consoli, 2017). In context to P&G Wells Ltd, it is crucial to design an e-
commerce solution on the basis of specifications of live chat strategy. For this, managers of the
company have designed “Volusion” which is an e-commerce solution that will make easy to
initiate selling online. The steps or resources to be focused for designing an e-commerce solution
as per the specified strategy for P&G Wells Ltd is as follows:
Step 1: Evaluating business requirements: It is crucial for brands to understand the
ways Web Chats fits within their overall strategy of business. It is significant for managers of
P&G Wells Ltd to agree on purpose to introduce a new channel. In this, main emphasis of
Volusion is towards reducing costs through deflection of channel, improving customer
satisfaction through reducing efforts and containment of web, improving sales by deploying chat
at particular drop out and engaging agents to generate leads with particular customer segments.
Moreover, live chat strategy requires to benchmark current channels on recognised goal which is
key requirement of the strategy.
Step 2: Analysing resources: Organisational resources are anything and everything
which assist business to operate and perform business (Hai-xia and Ying-hong, 2017). While
designing an e-commerce solution that is Volusion, analysing available and required resources is
crucial. Various resources are concerned with live chat strategy. The strategy requires key
resources including human resources to chat with customers, financial resources to make money
in installing the setup and technological resources for making effective use of other seven
resources which are tools, time, people, capital, materials, machines and hence forth. For live
chat strategy, managers of P&G Wells Ltd requires all these resources in order to design an
effective e-commerce solution to drive sales of books and meet customer experiences.
Step 3: Selecting appropriate chat platform: When resources are identified then the
next is to choose suitable chat platform which is essential requirement of live chat strategy.
Success or failure of platform are important to be counterproductive. When designing Volusion,
suitable chat platform is selected by managers of P&G Wells Ltd. For this context, managers
analyse data security features as well as reporting abilities such as transaction history, metrics
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and chat transcripts. The service platform should me sustainable and scalable to stay ahead of
curve.
Step 4: Deciding on pricing as well as set up payments: It is significant to consider key
payment aspects while designing an e-commerce solution. In context to Volusion, main focus is
towards requirements that includes how to price live chat service, the ways customers will make
payment and how the company will get those payments into their bank account. At the time of
pricing live chat service, managers of P&G Wells Ltd are required to consider e-commerce web
hosting, cost of service per customer and many more. Credit cards, debit card, mobile payment
and e-wallet are some payment system that defines success Volusion or other e-commerce
solution (Types of payment systems for e-commerce, 2016).
Step 5: Marketing growing business: Once managers of company start designing an e-
commerce solution, then it is requirement of live chat strategy to promote the products for
enhancing traffic together with driving sales. In aspect to P&G Wells Ltd, it is requires to draft a
solid market plan so to bring right customers and chat with them live in order to keep their
affection for business. Volusion helps in marketing through offering SEO of all products of P&G
Wells Ltd, providing free integration with email marketing, linking e-commerce site with social
media platforms and including a blog to share engaging, developing trust and attracting potential
customers.
With the help of mentioned steps or resources. Managers of P&G Wells Ltd have
designed an effective e-commerce solution that is Volusion that meets essential requirements of
live chat strategy to attract and satisfy customers.
4. Undertaking SWOT Analysis for outlined E-Commerce strategy
SWOT Analysis can be termed to a strategic planning technique which is used to
determine strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats connected with business or planning.
SWOT analysis of Volusion, the E-Commerce solution for P&G Wells Ltd is as produced:
Strengths Weaknesses
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 Volusion is built to attain success of
P&G Wells Ltd.
 It is free and ready to use solution to
make high quality e-commerce
transactions (Sims, 2018).
 Volusion do not permit its customers
to check products.
 There are various products on the E-
Commerce solution that are not
available for inspection.
Opportunities Threats
 Allowing customers to inspect the
products through various techniques
is an opportunity for Volusion.
 Changing E-Commerce Landscape
is another opportunity for the
solution of P&G Wells Ltd.
 Security threats including credit card
frauds, phishing attacks and
Distributed Denial of services are
connected with Volusion.
 Malware is another threat associated
with Volusion.
5. Discussion, differentiation and evaluation of different types of payment systems which are
integral for E-Commerce Success
Payment systems are tools which are used for settling financial transactions by transferring
monetary values electronically or manually. It involves instruments, standards and advanced
technologies for making exchange in best possible manner. In aspect to P&G Wells Ltd, there
are various payment systems that are integral in success of E-Commerce solution. The
differences between some are as follows;
Basis Credit card E-Money Cash
Meaning It refers to a payment
system in which a payment
card is issued to cardholder
so to make payments to
merchants for products on
the basis of promise of card
issuer to pay till fixed
amount with agreed
charges.
The payment system is
an electronic device
which allows an
individual to carryout
electronic transactions
with others or merchants
bartering digital currency
units for commodities.
It is physical or fiat
cash that is used for
physical products as
well as cash on
delivery transactions
(Loewen, 2018).
Advantages Use of credit card as Use of E-Money benefits Cash benefits e-
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payment system helps
customers of P&G Wells
Ltd to spread purchase out,
get cashback, improves
credit score and have
purchase protection.
P&G Wells Ltd
customers in faster
transactions, becoming
more practical addition
to shopping overseas.
commerce solution
of P&G Wells Ltd in
minimising
bookkeeping and
involve no
transaction fees.
Disadvantages Limitations of Credit card
includes possibility of debt,
fees as well as charges,
influence credit rating along
with limits usage (Li and
Wu, 2018).
E-Money gives wider
convenience that makes
people more
consumptive. The left out
balance do not turn into
cash and provides low
security.
Limiations of the
payment system is
that it may be
tempting for stealing
and increases risk of
theft.
6. Providing critical appraisal of overall e-commerce solution that is outlined
E-Commerce solution such as Volusion functions to help customers making payment of bills
easily without involvement of any creative frills. In aspect to P&G Wells Ltd, the E-Commerce
solution provides ability to track orders, develop new products addition to deals fastly and
controlling inventory. It creates fine-tuned shopping for customers as well as makes their
experience easy to visit stores of the retailer online (Musilová, 2019). The design process of
Volusion is easy and environmental friendly. It is cloud bases E-Commerce solution that
includes shopping cart scenes with attractive offers.
7. Evaluation of what will be considered the success of e-commerce implementation
An effective direct E-Commerce solution have potentials or power to transform the
business. It opens door to powerful brands and better understanding of closer relationship with
customers. In beginning, Information technology was charged with activities and operations of
solving e-commerce solution. However, in modern world, smart CEOs analyse that E-Commerce
solution is cross functional opportunity and its involvement is important for success. In context
to P&G Wells Ltd, CEOs can implement an E-commerce solution which is Volusion which is
based on live chat strategy. For this aspect, managers can consider following for the success of e-
commerce implementation effectively:
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Clarifying the opportunity: It is initial phase in which business managers reviews
current brand strength, conversion rates, search engine opportunities, web traffic, technology
implications, online pricing issues and competitors success (Natalie and Wandebori, 2018). In
context to P&G Wells Ltd, managers will look towards existing potentials of the company,
implications of technology and many other factors so that workings for implementation of E-
Commerce solution can be carry forward as per requirements of the strategy. Once managers
develops a realistic vision about scope addition to scale of opportunities, they began to develop
suitable strategic approach.
Exploration of business model: For succeed in E-Commerce solution implementation, it
is significant to deliver best in class experience to customers. It is about not only developing
elegant shopping experience rather a responsive call centre, ongoing digital communication
tactic, timely fulfilment, etc which generates loyalty. When managers assess capabilities of P&G
Wells Ltd then the next is to determine the aspects that must be attempted for managing in house
and outsource. Moreover, managers will explore effective business model through which they
will engage outsider partners and share risks, profits and hence forth for the solution services.
Nailing down software investment: In this step, necessary decisions are taken by
administrators of company for investment in implementing E-Commerce solution. Some of them
are do the company will own the solution or want to host the E-Commerce Solution or want to
capitalise expenses and cost as they implement. All these are taken into consideration by top
management authorities of P&G Wells Ltd.
Simplifying integration strategy: At this stage, main focus is towards what current ERP
systems as well as in house technologies are required for integrating the E-Commerce Solution
with. Managers of P&G Wells Ltd finds software approaches which minimises management of
internal platforms. In this, IT department of the company overrun with different technologies
which suits the E-Commerce solution. Moreover, various best in house software technologies are
available with the company to integrate the solution with personalisation, analytics, CMS,
marketing tools and shopping cart under single platform.
Buttoning down E-Commerce solution: When managers complete above stages or
working then they are available with few options or alternatives which line up technology
requirements along with business model with the E-Commerce solution as per needs of Live
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Chat strategy. There are certain groups that will offer additional insights on the workings of
implementation (Rui, 2017).
Exploring implementation partners: There are numerous E-Commerce solution
companies which can point towards the organisation for some potential partners. In this, main
motivation of P&G Wells Ltd is to sell its commodities. Implementation of E-Commerce
solution which is Volusion will require uncovering the brand as well as content issues with CRM
that the business needs to solve. Moreover, the company will contact software providers to set up
the solution according to requirements of identified strategy. The partners assist in whole
implementation process by charging minimal fees for their efforts.
Shaping program vision: With consulting partners, managers prioritise overall
requirements of the strategy for E-Commerce solution, frame outsourced strategy, define the
build approach together with develop time frames at this stage. Herein, managers of P&G Wells
Ltd will determine budget allocation for branding, context creation, traffic building efforts along
with web development for a period to finalise the installation of Volusion to overall growth.
Executing E-Commerce website or solution: Various businesses are embracing agile
approach for the purpose of funding the solutions of E-Commerce. Volusion will offer multiple
advantages to P&G Wells Ltd when executed at this stage. Firstly, it will permit to run the
business from anywhere across the globe. The next is it will increase customer reach with no
time restrictions. It will also allow clients to chat with the company and change their mind set
along the path.
Celebration: It is the stage of celebration in which the E-Commerce solution will
increase amount and efforts of team together with financial resources of firm to meet customer
choices. In context to Volusion, it will give quick answers to customers of P&G Wells Ltd about
its products, assure them that it is there when they need it and solves problems faster that
improves customer services as well as loyalty.
By following the mentioned steps, managers of P&G Wells Ltd will gain success in
implementation of E-Commerce solution that is Volusion in aspect of requirement of Live Chat
Strategy.
Evaluating success of the e-Commerce implementation as well as identifying the ways it
fulfils a specified requirement or strategy
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As per Susanty, Handoko and Puspitasari (2020), it is evaluated that E-Commerce solution
is implemented successfully by managers of P&G Wells Ltd as it provides the company various
benefits in terms to controlling inventory and proving products to customers through digital
modes. With set up of the E-Commerce solution, business engages customers more and acquire
new ones for the success. At same time, it is identified that the solution offers wide range of
products and chats with them so to solve their queries as soon as possible which meets the
requirement of Live chat Strategy effectively. The things or factors which will be considered in
success of E-Commerce solution includes improvement in store accessibility, optimum usage of
M-Commerce, securing shipments and regulating product pricing.
CONCLUSION
From the information, it have been concluded that E-Commerce offers uncountable offers to
business that includes product development to customer engagement to driving sales. E-
Commerce strategy is the tactic that helps in reaching wider customer group in limited duration
and encouraging them to make purchase with attractive discounts. An e-commerce solution
includes all the essentials which are important for running successful digital store and conducting
business online. Key strategies which can be adopted for driving E-Commerce solution are
discounting strategy, live chat strategy and e-mail marketing strategy. Cash, Credit card and E-
Money are certain payment systems which are used in E-Commerce solution. SWOT analysis is
produced to analyse key strengths, potential threats, weakness and available opportunities with e-
commerce solution.
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