Marc Schillaci - Oxatis Founder and CEO

E-Commerce Academy Nominees - September 2009

We are pleased to bring you the 8th edition of the Oxatis E-Commerce Academy, the only E-Commerce competition dedicated to start-ups and SMBs!

I say it loud and I say it proud...the E-Commerce Academy is the only competition that features "small" e-merchants. In addition to the awards (which are considerable and average about 5,000€ per winner), the Academy also provides the nominees with very useful advice. Our sponsors and jury members have each made this commitment.

So, without further ado, it's time to reveal the list of nominees for this 8th (already!) edition:

Newbie Category

Lissage Intense
Cadeaux Latino
Dovenco

Women Category 

Impression de Guyane
Institut Aïana
Bella Maman

General Category

Cadodes
Esthe-Boutik
Maxidemo 

Master Category

Aux Meilleurs Prix
Starnight Shopping
Ikom Sport

 E-Commerce Partner (ex ISC) Category

Nescargot
Gustoditalia 
Cassoulet

A big congratulations to all the nominees who've made it this far! Good luck to all and  may the best sites win! The results will be announced October 6th during the Salon des Micro-Entreprises at the Palais des Congrès exhibition center in Paris.

Until then,

Marc

See the Wealth of Functionalities Offered by the Oxatis Platform at Oxashop, the Oxatis Demo Site!

Have you already heard about the Oxashop demo site? For several months here at Oxatis, we've been working on a demo store allowing us to demonstrate the functional richness of the Oxatis platform for potential customers.

Thanks to the cooperation of several Oxatis e-merchants, such as Bebobio, Autour des Pâtes, Fujizaki, Riksak and Azur Winds, we were able to show these functionalities in action using the images and descriptions of certain existing products "lent" to us by these customers.

Cross-selling, size/color options, discounts on quantity, zoom, rapid purchase, etc. In just a few clicks, you can see the functionalities Oxatis e-merchants use most often.  This list of functionalities is not 100% exhaustive because - as you know - we update the platform on a regular basis with new functionalities.

A few examples, in images:

An example of a discount on quantity

One possibility for presenting a product with size and color options

 Zoom and additional images for a product sold at Azur Winds

In addition to e-commerce specific, sales functionalities, Oxashop has a News section (completely fictional, of course), an "About Us" page, Customer Testimonials, a "Links and Partners" category, and everything necessary to create a site that is dynamic and full of life.

So, even if it's very tempting to want to order at Oxashop, don't forget that it's a demo store and you CANNOT purchase on this site! If you're interested in a product, visit our e-merchant partner sites where you can find everything you're looking for! 

Have a great visit,

Marc

Facebook, The Next E-Commerce Marketplace?

There's been a lot of buzz recently about Facebook in the E-Commerce world.

For a few months, online shops have already been able to create groups and fan pages dedicated to their brand. But an American E-Commerce site, 1-800-Flowers has gone even farther by creating a Facebook storefront, thanks to a new application.

In concrete terms, the 1-800-Flowers profile has an extra tab: "Shop". This tab opens a mini store, which is an exact replica of the original 1-800-Flowers store, but reduced in size.

Apparently, this works so well that a couple dozen other e-merchants are ready to start this adventure in the upcoming months!

The Facebook Advantage: Obviously, Facebook would make getting seen and getting customers easier, thanks to privileged connections and its super-sized social network. 

The Drawbacks, because, of course, I think there are some: The buzz generated by Facebook is a definite advantage for attracting potential customers, but it can also do damage to the store in a flash, with a capital F!  It goes without saying that groups like "1-800-Flowers Sucks" abound on the network since the launch of their "Facebook Shop". And this can do a lot more damage than a few ill-intentioned messages in consumer forums, which is how opinions get around with traditional E-Commerce, that are not as accessible to everyone.

A second drawback: For E-Commerce to be considered as a full-fledged profession and activity, it needs to provide what it's currently lacking in terms of professionalism in certain cases. Marketplaces, while being an excellent way to start out or make a little money, don't offer the best E-Commerce profile, i.e. a privileged customer relationship, impeccable customer service, a true professional presence like you would have with any bricks and mortar store around the block. Serving as an intermediary or marketplace for e-tailers, Facebook is unfortunately not helping to move things in that direction.

I'd like to hear your opinion, you e-tailers and e-merchants that read my blog: Would you be willing to add a new sales channel to your shop on Facebook? Or is it only a game only E-Commerce giants should be playing?

Have a great day,

Marc