Do you want to let users search for keywords? Or do your users want to search
for simple product attributes such as brand, model, and price range? Do your
customers need tools to help them look for products with specific features?
Can you build custom orders? Do you want to let customers specify the
components of the products they want to purchase? For example, what if they
want a CPU tower with a 4-GB hard drive, 256 MB of RAM, plus a 12x CD-ROM?
Do you recommend products based upon a profile of the customer's needs? For
example, you may sell a home office solution or a corporate cubicle solution.
How much information do you want to provide to your customers to facilitate
their comparison of products? Is brand, model, price, and description enough?
Or does your customer prefer a table with a full comparison of features by type
of feature? Would providing comparisons help or hinder the sale? Too much
information may cause a customer to leave confused.
Do you plan to allow your customers to ask product questions? How will you
handle the incoming email with the expertise your customers will expect? If you
offer complex products that have many variations, how will you guide your
customer through the decision-making process toward the right solution for him
or her?
will need to implement an online shopping cart, shopping basket, procurement
list, or whatever metaphor is appropriate to your brand.
Do you envision enabling customers to collect a number of items in their carts
before checking out? How many unique items typically comprise an order? One
to 10? Hundreds?
Do your customers typically purchase the same items again and again to
replenish their stock? Do you want to enable registered users or groups to save
a permanent shopping list from which they can reorder items they've ordered in
the past?
