Johannesburg, 11 Apr 2001
A new off-the-shelf B2C e-commerce product - which allows small and mid-tier corporates to dip their toes into the untested waters of cybertrading for as little as R700 per month - is rapidly taking South African online trading by storm.
The brainchild of Johannesburg-based NetActive, Easy-eCommerce`s booming appeal lies in its ability to cut through the risk, costs and technology traditionally associated with B2C e-commerce.
Easy-eCommerce is a fully template-driven solution which allows businesses to set up their own storefronts online, create their own product lines and link into banking functionality without the headaches of development costs or fees based on cost per transaction.
The product, which was initially announced at last year`s Bexa Faire, is currently being marketed to NetActive`s existing customer base. It is the result of a business alliance between NetActive and PQ Africa`s e-commerce service provider, ECnet, which provides the commerce engine and payment gateway.
"ECnet runs a world class e-commerce operational infrastructure, which includes extensive secure functionality, plus direct links to multiple banks including ABSA, FNB, BOE Bank and Standard Bank," says NetActive`s CEO Lawrence Brick. "Working with ECnet means we`re able to offer secure Internet-based transaction processing and comprehensive customer service facilities."
Affordability is a key element of the package, says Brick. Where conventional webfronts can cost potential online traders between R80 000 and R100 000 to develop, NetActive charges users a start-up fee of R2 900, which includes a digital certificate, full set-up and training. Monthly fees range from R699 to R3 500, depending on the number of products, with NetActive providing a comprehensive front end, store management and open market commerce facility.
The product`s other drawcard is its sheer ease of use, which allows businesses to take direct control of their online business. They can customise their storefronts and quickly change pricing and product ranges on a system which Brick says "takes the technology out of the process - it`s easier to use than Front Page."
"We decided early on to approach e-commerce from a business rather than a technology perspective," says Brick. "The result is a package which allows businesses to process real-time Internet transactions almost immediately, whether as a standalone e-commerce package or as a bolt-on to an existing website."
The off-the-shelf nature of the package makes time to market an additional attraction for online-minded businesses. Brick says companies can be up and trading within four days if they already have existing capabilities, and four weeks from scratch.
Easy-eCommerce comes complete with management tools, which allow merchants to track orders and payments online. Although predominantly a B2C product, it has what Brick calls "some B2B functionality", with further developments in the pipeline.
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