| E- Commerce is coming of age with millions of new | | | | distance from the water source. This business includes |
| customers from internet sales for a wide variety of | | | | a customer base of consumers and businesses in the |
| products. Advances in web site design, payment | | | | defined geographic area who take periodic delivery of |
| mechanisms and delivery systems have met the | | | | water. |
| increased demand for online ordering. | | | | The key to success in this line of business is the |
| With the advent of on-line ordering firms like Amazon | | | | production and efficient delivery of the highest quality |
| and E-Bay, what started out as a small business has | | | | pure water. |
| morphed into a multi-billion dollar industry. The key to | | | | Private labeled water involves the development and |
| success in the field of E Commerce is the offering of | | | | production of high quality custom labels with a clear |
| high quality products coupled with state of the art | | | | branding message. This line of business is national in |
| technology to ensure ease of ordering and secure | | | | scope and includes a strong element of branding and |
| payment mechanisms. | | | | advertising. The key to success in this line of business |
| The bottled water industry is an ideal beneficiary of | | | | is the design and production of a label of the highest |
| e-commerce technology because of the large number | | | | quality with a clear branding message. |
| of customers served and the frequency of | | | | Each line of business has different requirements for |
| transactions and purchases. | | | | e-commerce. |
| E-commerce Defined | | | | For the local delivery business, establishing and meeting |
| E-commerce is similar to other forms of commerce | | | | delivery schedules is critical with the most advanced |
| except that it involves the buying and selling of goods | | | | sites offering delivery programs that offer the |
| over the Internet. E-commerce sites range from a | | | | customer choice of delivery schedules and the ability |
| simple web page highlighting a single item to dynamic | | | | to modify deliveries as conditions warrant. |
| fully developed on-line catalogs featuring thousands of | | | | For the private labeled line of business design flexibility |
| products. The common theme and benefit in | | | | in the form of interactive tools for the development, |
| e-commerce sites is instant purchase, instant payment | | | | proofing and production of labels is critical. Another |
| (if desired) and instant gratification for the customer. | | | | critical aspect of the private labeled line of business is |
| Over the years, the e-commerce web has blossomed | | | | fast and cost effective delivery through national |
| into a multi-billion dollar industry yearly, with significant | | | | carriers. |
| growth projected over the next 5 years. | | | | A Culture of Customer Service |
| A defining characteristic is that all ecommerce web | | | | The best e-commerce site will not produce results |
| sites accept a type of online payment, whether | | | | without support of an effective customer service |
| through a third party or directly with a merchant | | | | organization. E-commerce tools and capabilities must |
| account. | | | | be complemented by a customer service culture that |
| E-commerce: The Wave of the Future | | | | includes rapid customer feed back, human (as |
| The internet is changing world view of shoppers. | | | | opposed to voice mail and e-mail) interaction and clear |
| Instant gratification is a reality Utilizing e-commerce | | | | communication. It is presently impossible to totally |
| allows customers the ability to quickly take delivery of | | | | remove the human element from e-commerce and |
| the goods they require and desire. In addition, the | | | | the human element is a critical part of the customer |
| Internet is perhaps the best sales tool ever invented as | | | | satisfaction process. |
| it allows customers to browse endlessly in privacy. | | | | Best and Powerful Features |
| They can return and order again and again without | | | | There are many varieties of e-commerce sites |
| ever leaving their home. | | | | ranging from the simplest static site that offers very |
| Most experts agree that it is only a matter of time | | | | limited features to full featured dynamic sites based |
| before all sales-oriented companies will have some | | | | upon the latest database technology and access. No |
| sort of e-commerce presence in order to remain | | | | matter what the level of technology however, the site |
| competitive and the development of software and | | | | should combine ease of use with the most powerful |
| tools to improve the productivity of e-commerce sites | | | | features available. An effective bottled water |
| remains strong. As more and better technology is | | | | e-commerce site should include the following minimum |
| developed, e-commerce will greatly expand. | | | | features. |
| Secure Payment and SSL(Secure Socket Layer): The | | | | General Features |
| Heart of the System | | | | Multiple-Recipient Ordering (allows multiple user |
| SSL(Secure Socket Layer) has been the de facto | | | | shipments in a single transaction) |
| standard and heart of the system for e-commerce | | | | No Shopping Cart "Shoving" (gives the user |
| transaction security, and it's likely to remain so well into | | | | maximum flexibility before check-out) |
| the future. | | | | Login Systems for Wholesale and Retail |
| SSL is based on encryption. SSL encrypts data, like | | | | Customers (with remembered billing and recipient party |
| credit cards numbers (as well other personally | | | | data) |
| identifiable information), which prevents unauthorized | | | | Code Maturity (provides for reliability and stability of |
| use. An SSL protected page is identified when the | | | | the site) |
| address begins with "https" and there is a padlock icon | | | | Future Arrival Date Provisions (mandatory for |
| at the bottom of the page. | | | | scheduling deliveries and shipments) |
| SSL Certificates | | | | Order History and Fast Loading of Orders |
| The SSL certificate resides on a secure server and is | | | | Automatic Shipping for Retail and Wholesale |
| used to encrypt the data and to identify the Web site. | | | | Accounts |
| The SSL certificate also helps to prove the site | | | | Private Label Features |
| belongs to who it says it belongs to and contains | | | | Interactive and Customer Friendly Label |
| information about the certificate holder, the domain that | | | | Configurator (allows user development of labels and |
| the certificate was issued to, the name of the | | | | artwork) |
| Certificate Authority who issued the certificate, the | | | | Proofing Capability (allows the user to repeatedly |
| root and the country it was issued in. | | | | review label design before purchase) |
| In general, e-commerce users are urged to avoid sites | | | | Multi Layered Design ( allows for choice of color, |
| that fail to use and display proof of SSL Certificates. | | | | shading and label features) |
| The Bottled Water Industry and E-commerce | | | | E-commerce lends itself to rapid fulfillment of orders |
| The bottled water business is actually two lines of | | | | and increased customer satisfaction when the site |
| business: Local delivery water and private labeled | | | | utilizes powerful state of the art tools and features |
| water and each is an important subset of the total | | | | coupled with a culture of customer satisfaction. On a |
| business. | | | | user friendly powerful site, water orders for both local |
| Local delivery water is defined geographically and | | | | delivery and private labeled business are safe, |
| usually comprises rental or sales of coolers and | | | | convenient and fast. |
| delivery of 5-gallon and small package (12, 16.5 and 20 | | | | E-commerce vendors that maintain a culture of |
| oz.) bottles to customers located within a limited | | | | customer service will guarantee customer satisfaction. |