Setting tasks when developing an online store, or how not to order an unnecessary project
How many years I have been developing websites, I always encounter one problem - 9 out of 10 customers think that we are telepaths. We are basically all IT specialists, and, maybe, specialists from other industries (I can’t say for sure - I haven't tried it). When a customer says “I need an online store for sale <...> via the Internet,” he usually assumes that any online store is something “ready”, allowing “to make money” simply after “filling the warehouse” and received from the Contractor site itself.
I will not write here about the promotion of the store, about the legal and bureaucratic nuances. I just want potential customers (no matter who to order) to give a few tips so that as a result they get what they want, and not what the developer wanted.
Yes, the terms of reference solves a lot of questions, but most customers don’t know what it is and don’t want to know. And if they do, they very rarely can compose it more or less correctly. Duck who should do this?
Basically, we (the developers) are engaged in this, but, I will not dissemble, the technical task is in many respects made up the way it is convenient for the developer. One needs to be made “easier and simpler”, the other - “more expensive”. And as a result, a person will receive in his store a system of SMS-payment for goods, according to the terms of reference. Later, perhaps, he will understand that it is “not very convenient” to pay, for example, auto parts, with SMS messages. And he will understand that the work on drawing up a technical task cannot be given to the performer completely.
So all the same the customer should make a technical task? Again, no. If a person orders a site (and does not make it himself), then it is unlikely that he knows about the possibilities in web development. I, for example, almost every day I watch new jquery plug-ins, etc., but does the director of ZHILMESPROMUGOL LLC know what a jquery is?
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This means, nevertheless, you need to create a technical task for the development of your online store together with the contractor, preferably, being almost at the same table.
The question is also not simple, as it may seem.
Customer's opinion (from experience, approximate): “I want a product catalog, a basket, so that a person can pay for the goods through Yandex.Money (or another PS)”
Opinion of the artist (based not only on his own experience): “Last week did an online store of home appliances. Now I'm turning the template for the sale of rabbit feed and that's it. ” The performer can say “I understand you” and begin work without any questions.
Total:
1. The customer pays for unnecessary modules (in the example above - inserting video into the description) and does not receive those modules that could be useful to him, because the Contractor may be too lazy to think and offer.
2. The customer receives the entire store through the eyes of the artist. For example, not every web developer (and layout designer) knows that rabbit food is sold in bulk, not in pieces. Further, this may lead to the condition that a certain weight is taken for a “piece” on the site.
3. The contractor makes the store, puts it into the network, the work is done. The customer does not see what he wanted. Usually it ends by the fact that payment takes place and then an extra charge is taken for the “finishing touch”. As a result, half of the site changes.
All three points in one: if you leave the development of the structure of the online store to the artist, the customer can get a completely inappropriate implementation option, which is then difficult / long / expensive to convert. And the performer is right.
Times go by, more and more customers want to see in the store the possibility of payment through Yandex.Money, WebMoney, VISA / MasterCard, etc ...
For the most part, for some reason, customers do not think that these are financial transactions that need to be controlled at all stages. Of course, few customers know how online payment systems work, so they don’t even try to delve into this topic, even after advice.
Result:
Hence the conclusion: if you need an online payment system, ask the developer how he can implement it, and then google help - read the conditions. Look through what payment systems this can be done, what services they provide, what interest, read the offer of the contract.
By the way, most likely you will need an individual or legal entity to sign the contract, keep in mind
Let's say your online store is ready and it works. And how will the client make a purchase?
Here, the pitfalls are not as offensive as in the examples above, but there are.
Each product has its own “life cycle”. For all the time, I have only once done an online store, whose customer has been working on the structure and sequence of actions for the user and the store administrator for a month. He carefully thought out payment options (with premiums on all additional interest to the amounts), thought out delivery options (again, including the cost), terms, order status with notifications. It was a pleasure to work. But when developing other stores the same system can not always be used. Some - do not deliver to other cities and the delivery method - only by courier, others - accept payment only through VM, and still others want to know the answers to other questions to form any questions to the user.
Here, for example, I would break off to enter the Country / region / city, if in the end I wrote that the delivery only in the city N, in which I have never been.
Therefore, the next advice to customers - when talking with the artist, have an accurate idea of ​​the product that you want to sell on the site. Think of the "real" life of the store with such a product. Think over, in fact, the sales cycle of the goods, because, for example, for the sale of contractual ICEs, you need to draw up documents (certificates-invoices). Accordingly, it would be nice to immediately ask the user to write on whom to issue this product. And the money for the internal combustion engine to take "more difficult" than for a souvenir mug.
Here the question is not so much in finance or danger, as in necessity.
Very often, the customer asks to make a section "News", "Question-answer" and similar sections that require constant work of the site administrator. Almost as often, these sections remain “dead” because they require so much time.
Perhaps the last tip:
Before you tell the artist to make news, useful articles, reviews on the main page of the store, and much more - the weather, the exchange rate, the last n comments on products, think about who will follow this ? I'm not talking about expediency. Yes, the news is convenient. But for this you need at least a couple of times a week to open the control panel of the site and come up with, add news. Articles are even harder, they are harder to come up with. And copy - ugly and meaningless. And in large quantities, it is also dangerous (the theme of promotion).
All that is written may be private for cities / customers / customers, but I think there are few details. You can paint a lot more, you can’t cover it all. Good executors (developers) will ask all these questions themselves to the client, tell all the implementation options, all their capabilities, and it will be easy for the customer. But will you find such an artist? By the way, here is the argument in favor of the choice of performers.
I will not write here about the promotion of the store, about the legal and bureaucratic nuances. I just want potential customers (no matter who to order) to give a few tips so that as a result they get what they want, and not what the developer wanted.
Who should create a technical task?
Yes, the terms of reference solves a lot of questions, but most customers don’t know what it is and don’t want to know. And if they do, they very rarely can compose it more or less correctly. Duck who should do this?
Basically, we (the developers) are engaged in this, but, I will not dissemble, the technical task is in many respects made up the way it is convenient for the developer. One needs to be made “easier and simpler”, the other - “more expensive”. And as a result, a person will receive in his store a system of SMS-payment for goods, according to the terms of reference. Later, perhaps, he will understand that it is “not very convenient” to pay, for example, auto parts, with SMS messages. And he will understand that the work on drawing up a technical task cannot be given to the performer completely.
So all the same the customer should make a technical task? Again, no. If a person orders a site (and does not make it himself), then it is unlikely that he knows about the possibilities in web development. I, for example, almost every day I watch new jquery plug-ins, etc., but does the director of ZHILMESPROMUGOL LLC know what a jquery is?
')
This means, nevertheless, you need to create a technical task for the development of your online store together with the contractor, preferably, being almost at the same table.
Who should think about the structure of the store
The question is also not simple, as it may seem.
Customer's opinion (from experience, approximate): “I want a product catalog, a basket, so that a person can pay for the goods through Yandex.Money (or another PS)”
Opinion of the artist (based not only on his own experience): “Last week did an online store of home appliances. Now I'm turning the template for the sale of rabbit feed and that's it. ” The performer can say “I understand you” and begin work without any questions.
Total:
1. The customer pays for unnecessary modules (in the example above - inserting video into the description) and does not receive those modules that could be useful to him, because the Contractor may be too lazy to think and offer.
2. The customer receives the entire store through the eyes of the artist. For example, not every web developer (and layout designer) knows that rabbit food is sold in bulk, not in pieces. Further, this may lead to the condition that a certain weight is taken for a “piece” on the site.
3. The contractor makes the store, puts it into the network, the work is done. The customer does not see what he wanted. Usually it ends by the fact that payment takes place and then an extra charge is taken for the “finishing touch”. As a result, half of the site changes.
All three points in one: if you leave the development of the structure of the online store to the artist, the customer can get a completely inappropriate implementation option, which is then difficult / long / expensive to convert. And the performer is right.
Payment systems
Times go by, more and more customers want to see in the store the possibility of payment through Yandex.Money, WebMoney, VISA / MasterCard, etc ...
For the most part, for some reason, customers do not think that these are financial transactions that need to be controlled at all stages. Of course, few customers know how online payment systems work, so they don’t even try to delve into this topic, even after advice.
Result:
- developer (performer) no matter what percentage of you will be charged for the transfer;
- an ignoble developer will be able to access, track payments, track receipts and, in the worst case, receive your money;
- even the contractor with the payment system can execute the executor on himself, such as, having saved you from bureaucracy;
- can be selected a system that “bent” in a month;
Hence the conclusion: if you need an online payment system, ask the developer how he can implement it, and then google help - read the conditions. Look through what payment systems this can be done, what services they provide, what interest, read the offer of the contract.
By the way, most likely you will need an individual or legal entity to sign the contract, keep in mind
The cycle of sale of goods - not all products are sold equally
Let's say your online store is ready and it works. And how will the client make a purchase?
Here, the pitfalls are not as offensive as in the examples above, but there are.
Each product has its own “life cycle”. For all the time, I have only once done an online store, whose customer has been working on the structure and sequence of actions for the user and the store administrator for a month. He carefully thought out payment options (with premiums on all additional interest to the amounts), thought out delivery options (again, including the cost), terms, order status with notifications. It was a pleasure to work. But when developing other stores the same system can not always be used. Some - do not deliver to other cities and the delivery method - only by courier, others - accept payment only through VM, and still others want to know the answers to other questions to form any questions to the user.
Here, for example, I would break off to enter the Country / region / city, if in the end I wrote that the delivery only in the city N, in which I have never been.
Therefore, the next advice to customers - when talking with the artist, have an accurate idea of ​​the product that you want to sell on the site. Think of the "real" life of the store with such a product. Think over, in fact, the sales cycle of the goods, because, for example, for the sale of contractual ICEs, you need to draw up documents (certificates-invoices). Accordingly, it would be nice to immediately ask the user to write on whom to issue this product. And the money for the internal combustion engine to take "more difficult" than for a souvenir mug.
A lot of information on the main page ala "portal"
Here the question is not so much in finance or danger, as in necessity.
Very often, the customer asks to make a section "News", "Question-answer" and similar sections that require constant work of the site administrator. Almost as often, these sections remain “dead” because they require so much time.
Perhaps the last tip:
Before you tell the artist to make news, useful articles, reviews on the main page of the store, and much more - the weather, the exchange rate, the last n comments on products, think about who will follow this ? I'm not talking about expediency. Yes, the news is convenient. But for this you need at least a couple of times a week to open the control panel of the site and come up with, add news. Articles are even harder, they are harder to come up with. And copy - ugly and meaningless. And in large quantities, it is also dangerous (the theme of promotion).
All that is written may be private for cities / customers / customers, but I think there are few details. You can paint a lot more, you can’t cover it all. Good executors (developers) will ask all these questions themselves to the client, tell all the implementation options, all their capabilities, and it will be easy for the customer. But will you find such an artist? By the way, here is the argument in favor of the choice of performers.
Source: https://habr.com/ru/post/132606/
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