Welcome to IceStar Media
What is eCommerce?
eCommerce, short for electronic commerce is the process used to distribute, buy, sell or market goods and services, and the transfer of funds on-line. Since 1994, when Jeff Bezos first launched Amazon.com from his own garage, businesses of all shapes and sizes (including Dell, eBay and Walmart) have expanded their on-line presence and at any given time there are approximately 8 million consumers worldwide that actively shop and buy through web-based retailers. On-line surveys predict that on-line retail revenues will exceed the quarter trillion dollar mark by 2011.What is Osiris eCommerce?
In plain English, Osiris eCommerce is the name of our product that enables businesses to sell their products and services over the internet and take advantage of all of the benefits of having an on-line shop. In terms of features and functionality, our talented software development team have built the product based on feedback we have had from customers who simply could not find a suitable eCommerce solution that met with their precise business requirements. As a result we spent several years developing a highly robust, streamlined and powerful platform that is not only suitable for large companies with large turnovers but small-traders and SME's in many different industry sectors.
What makes us different?
We do not place any restrictions on the number of products you can sell from your on-line store and it will be hard to find another company that does not charge you a penny more if you are selling 1 product or 100,000+ products. This means you do not have to worry if your sales increase from 100 in the first quarter to 10,000 over the next 2 years, and unlike other companies who will charge you a substantial fee if you go over a certain sales threshold, we won't.The key to our success is that we will work with you to establish your requirements from the start and recommend the right solution for you in every possible way, from design and features to on-going support. We pride ourselves on the fact that we are extremely transparent with our pricing policy and have a happy customer base to prove it.
Featured Site
Coopers Direct, part of Coopers (Great Yarmouth) Ltd.
The Coopers chain of home and garden improvement stores are well known in Norfolk and Suffolk, and since 1973 their flagship store has occupied a 38,000 square foot site in Great Yarmouth, Norfolk.
Coopers employ over 90 people and their stock over 42,000 product lines ranging from bathrooms, showers and fittings, hand and power tools, ironmongery and hardware, decorating, gardening and household products.
Since the first launch of the Coopers eCommerce shop in 2006, on-line sales figures have continued to grow year on year as more and more products lines were added to the site to meet with demand. As part of the continued expansion of the site we have worked very closely with the management team at Coopers to deliver a new design and layout for the site that now incorporates many new features including:
- The option to search by manufacturer
- Advanced search options
- Top sellers module
- Recently viewed items
- Last products purchased (purchase history)
- Automated Google products feed
- Optimised content/design for SEO
- Data/product feeds in from Tool Bank
Visit the site at www.coopersdirect.com.
Live examples of Osiris eCommerce
Coopers Direct
Click here to view website
BExpress
Click here to view website
4 Sale Online
Click here to view website
Buy A Parcel
Click here to view website
How much does it cost?
We have various tariffs in place to serve sole traders selling a few products right through to companies selling 65,000+ products who require full stock control systems, products feeds from third party sites and on-going support from our dedicated support team. Standard installations start from £1995.00 + VAT. For more information please contact us.Osiris eCommerce Features
Choice of 4 templates OR a fully customised design to match your corporate branding.Browser based (no need for additional software or software licenses).Easy to add and edit products and categories.Secure ordering with most leading internet merchant providers, including WorldPay, Sage Pay (formerly Protx), Money Bookers, Google Checkout, PayPal and Amazon Web Services.Trade account management (for B2B retailers).Live order tracking.Provides integration with external stock control systems.Order history and statistical reporting (for sales, stock levels, etc.).Temporary shopping carts (i.e. "buy later" facilities) and product pre-order options.Automated invoice/dispatch note/shipping label generator.Multiple currency and language features.Product thumbnail generator and rotating banner advert features.Related product generator and product search.Multiple product categories for advanced product management.Ability to accept promotional codes/coupons.Bulk mailing features (to mass mail customers on mailing lists).Automated Meta information for SEO (we will also advise you on SEO optimisation).Multiple payment and shipping options.Option to import supplier data feeds (e.g. Toolbank & Google product feeds).Live chat functionality with customer service representatives.Product review/feedback options and features.
Useful Downloads and Links
eCommerce Factsheets
Download our eCommerce Factsheet (PDF)Download our Osiris eCommerce Factsheet (PDF)
Legal Requirements for eCommerce Sites
In you are a business in the United Kingdom and have an eCommerce site or are considering one then you must be compliant with the following directives and acts:The Data Protection Act 1998
The Consumer Protection (Distance Selling) Regulations 2000
Merchant Payment Gateways
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The advantages of eCommerce
By far the main benefit for merchants is that it is faster, cheaper and much more cost effective to get an on-line shop up and running than a bricks-and-mortar based shop or warehouse where fixed overheads are much higher, particularly in the current climate where many businesses are looking at ways to reduce costs and streamline their sales channels. For today's consumer who is constantly battling with the clock to find time, being able to order products on-line and having them delivered without the need to leave their home is a major selling point. Some of the main advantages are:Increased sales.Reduced costs.Expanded geographical reach.Open for business 24-7.Target niche markets.Generate multiple revenue streams.Increased product/brand visibility.On-line Marketplaces
eBay and Amazon Market place are well known "e-markets" within which you can sell your products on-line. There are, however, a lot of limitations to using them that are not always obvious. The main disadvantage is that not only do you do not own your shop, and therefore have far less control over its design and overall features, there are cost implications too.To illustrate the typical costs involved, if you are selling a product between £0.99p and £49.99, eBay will charge 9.9% of the selling price, and if you are selling a product between £50.00 and £599.99, eBay will charge 9.9% of the initial £49.99 (£4.95), plus 5.9% of the remaining balance of the final selling price.Therefore, with your own eCommerce system the advantages are very clear:
You own the software and all of your data (including photos);You have far more control over your on-line shop in terms of the design/special features and have the option to have customised modules added.You own your own web address (URL) as opposed to something like http://myshop.ebay.co.uk and can have as many email accounts associated with the web address as required. This looks more professional and also shows visitors and customers that you are an established company.In terms of cost, once your on-line sales achieve a certain threshold it actually becomes cheaper and more cost effective to own your own eCommerce site than use the sites such as eBay and Amazon Market place.
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Registered Address: IceStar Media Ltd. Lime House, 75 Church Road, Tiptree, Essex, CO5 0HB.
Postal Address: Business & Technology Centre, Bessemer Drive, Stevenage, Hertfordshire, SG1 2DX.
Registered Address: IceStar Media Ltd. Lime House, 75 Church Road, Tiptree, Essex, CO5 0HB.
Postal Address: Business & Technology Centre, Bessemer Drive, Stevenage, Hertfordshire, SG1 2DX.
