Customer Reviews

Selling Online: How to Become a Successful E-Commerce Merchant

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I'm a firm believer that the best way to learn about doing something is to consult someone who's done it or to just start doing it yourself. This book really doesn't provide either of these things. The authors don't seem to have had too much success in the e-commerce world (or else choose not to share their expertise with readers in this simple book).

Selling Online is better than a lot of the other really, really bad "online commerce" books I've seen out there, but not by a lot really. The overwhelming majority of the information here could be found for free on the Web, as the book does little more than give very, very vague overviews of various aspects of e-commerce and then point the reader off to a series of vendor sites (many of which no longer exist, and which in any case are not very informative and try to take advantage of would-be Internet entrepreneurs).

Do yourself a favor, really. Buy books on HTML and CGI, and then get yourself a computer and fire up Google and search for information about setting up an online business (be specific so as to avoid lots of the scam companies... if there are flashy graphics and the word MILLIONS written all over the site... then leave quickly and avoid the pop-ups that will follow you!) Once you have the technical background to build a website the other technical details of running an online store will all fall into place.

This is not for home-based businesses! If you already have a retail/wholesale/manufacturing business and are looking to put up a serious business online, this is the complete reference. Lots of information on shopping cart software, hosting, promotion, merchant accounts and marketing. The most complete book for FULL-TIME online e-commerce.

EVERY PAGE HAS TIPS and links to more information.

We bought this book thinking it it would help small online merchants, but the "Merchant" in the title is misleading. It is written more for large organizations that are having a complete website developed custom for them, not for the little guys trying to get going. Also, hundreds of new ecommerce programs have been developed since this book was written which this book does not cover. And the information is outdated, such as it is no longer necessary to open a merchant account directly with your bank, or process your own credit cards on your website, as we later found out. There are companies and resellers who take care of all that for you, even including security.

If you are going to start out with a big business like Amazon or Yahoo you might find the background information useful, but most businesses start out with just one or two people trying to learn everything. If you are small entrepeneurs like us, look for something more specific.

Does this book need another great review ?

Just in case you are swayed by the couple of bad reviews, I just thought I'd mention that this is by far the most useful book I've read on setting up an Internet Store.
(and I've read a few !!)

It's worth buying just for the section on selecting the right e-commerce software package.

There is lots of other useful stuff in there too.

Don't waste your time trawling the web looking for all this stuff, unless your time is worth about 0.0000000001 cents an hour.

It's all in here for a small price, and a lot more accessible too.

As a (non-IT) executive of an established brick & mortar retailer which is about to start selling online, I wanted to get in-depth practical understanding of the many issues related to e-commerce. I bought 3 books (the other 2 written by Janice Reynolds) and this book was by far the best. Clearly the authors of this book have a lot of hands-on experience, and they are able to pass it on with a clear and easy to read style, using a lot of useful practical examples.
This book provides excellent coverage of website features, order fulfillment, and web marketing. Only the discussion of logistics operations (including processes for shipping, handling returns, etc.) could have been more complete, but I have yet to find a good e-commerce logistics book...

The author refers to many websites and out-dated quotes. Good book, but in our info. driven society I would suggest you read something newer or do a web search.

When Carroll and Broadhead published Selling Online for Canadians in 1999 it was very well done. The revised version, which covers US e-commerce products and services, is the best single e-commerce book for the online merchant available in print. The authors have done a fabulous job including in this volume all of the essentials that an e-merchant needs to know...

...Selling Online consists of nine chapters, some short, and others 100 to 150 pages long. The first asks 23 tough questions that e-merchants should answer before setting up an online store. Too many small businesses go online with unrealistic expectations and flimsy business plans. These questions will help prospective e-tailers avoid disaster by grappling ahead of time with the opportunities and obstacles of e-commerce...

...Chapter 3, "Tips for Building an Effective Online Store," is the highlight of the book. The authors carefully examine each of the factors that affect sales in an online store, and explain how to get the maximum impact out of each. E-merchants who spend weeks studying this section and applying what they learn to their own site are bound to transform both the look of their site as well as their sales conversion rate...

...I really like the scope and detail contained in Selling Online. It's the first volume I am recommending to both novice and experienced e-merchants...

Selling Online is the bible of understanding ecommerce. It is written in simple and direct language and takes nothing for granted with regard to the level or expertise of the reader. I have read several books on ecommerce and none compare to what Jim Carroll and Rick Broadhead were able to artriculate in this book. They reference, analyze, and examine all aspects of major sites as well as lesser known ones for concepts that work as well as those that are less effective. The book takes nothing for granted and is equally accessible for the newcomer to ecommerce as it is for the 'expert.' They understand and account for the reality that not everybody does has the big dollar budgets or understands computer programming language. This book is for people who are serious about creating a great site that will attract customers and more importantly, bring back repeat customers. For anyone interested in starting, developing, or evolving their own ecommerce site, it is absolutely essential to have this book by your side. Use the book! Keep it as a reference. Any questions you have and those that you didn't even know you had will be answered in simple and direct language. As I read, review, and highlight the book, my understanding of the world of ecommerce grows ten fold. If you are truly interested in creating a truly effective, comprehensive, and easy-to-navigate website that your customers will want to come back to, read this book.

Wow! I love it. When is the next one coming out?
This really helped me understand the entire scope of what I was getting into. They write in a way you can understand. This helped me build my website from scratch and for someone like me who just played around with building websites it brought it to a whole new level. This book reveals a lot of things you never would have thought of. I also liked that at times it did tell you obvious things but it gave you examples to why they are important and gave me a better understanding.
I simply loved this book. It was given to me by a friend and I highly recommend at least spending the money to see for yourself.
Great sections include everything about merchant accounts, internet security, and design tips. Plenty of pictured examples of simple and complex topics.
It is one book you want around.

A must have book if you're starting or already have an online business. I have earmarked almost every page in this book...need I say more?