As quickly as you develop and deploy e-commerce technology, something new is bound to come out that vows to do the job better, faster and more intelligently. Shiny new products that either keep their promises or drain your profits will continually tempt e-business operators. Whether you're one of those netrepreneurs that jump on the bandwagon quickly, barely waiting beyond beta testing or you're the type that thinks new tech tool fads will fade quickly, you'll need to do some careful research before you either dismiss it completely or decide to purchase the new product.
Consideration should be given to whether the new technology will provide a significant return on investment (ROI). By calculating purchase and implementation costs along with training time, consulting fees and extra staffing, you can determine whether you'll generate enough revenue for the item to eventually pay for itself. Choose a realistic time frame when determining ROI — Internet technology moves quickly and you want to avoid having to upgrade before you've paid for your new toy.
Another question to ask yourself is whether or not your competition has adopted this new utility. If the technology runs on the back-end, customers may not suspect that a new system is in place. But if the upgrade is apparent and positively affects the manner in which a site engages customers, you'll need to factor that into whether you deploy something new or not.
When considering a new technology purchase, make inquiries, get recommendations and fully weigh the positive and negative aspects. Find out if demo or trial versions are available before you buy and make sure the vendor will fully support the product if you encounter problems. Above all, decide whether the product is something you really need or something that you want. There is a huge difference.
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