Ecommerce - there's more to it than just the shopping cart...

[mandy]

When you think of e-commerce, it's only natural to think first and foremost of the shopping cart -- the web page that customers interact with to browse and buy. But in reality, that front-end is just a small part of the entire e-commerce ecosystem. Businesses that focus only on the cart run the risk of costly breakdowns in the supply, service, and marketing aspects of their e-commerce operation.

Too often, entrepreneurs assume that e-commerce operates without any involvement from the front office. Not so! Although the self-service nature of e-commerce can take the sales rep out of finalizing the purchase, even the most automated outfit needs a front office that is informed and ready to act on customer inquiries...

full article: http://www.inc.com/resources/technology/...elson.html