Strange Question?

[rugbyguy]

I have a bit of a strange question for you...

I'm working on a research project on the eCommerce biz - 
I'm basically just looking for problems that business owners are having in 2012.



What is the most challenging part of running an eCommerce business? What are your biggest issues, problems or concerns?

Even if it's just a sentence I'd love to hear back from you.

Thanks!

Even if it's just a sentence I'd love to hear back from you.

Talk soon,
Dave Lawrence

[edited by: engine at 9:20 am (utc) on Mar 26, 2012]
[edit reason] See WebmasterWorld TOS [/edit]

[dpd1]

I'm going to take a wild guess and predict that most people will say... annoying customers. I got a guy today that is on about the tenth email, asking the same question slightly differently, that I have already answered 5 times already. And even though I beg people to put tech questions in email, so I can have time to look things up first... he of course completely ignored that when he first made contact, and called to leave a tech message. Then my message says to please give the device model number, but of course he left a message without that... so I had to waste time making a phone call just to ask him that, so I can look it up and have to talk to him yet again later. And numerous times I've told him what he wants to do won't work, but of course he keeps asking me how to do it anyway... begging the question... Why would you keep asking for somebody's advice when you're just going to ignore it anyway?

So yeah... #1 Annoying customers.

[coachm]

OY, Have I got an app for you...actually, we just released one targeted to help people deal with difficult customers..alas, I shall keep it anonymous.

To answer the question, MARKETING. I hate it. I have to spend so much time on it, I can't actually produce things, which is what I like to do. If I could figure out how to hire someone to market on a commission basis, who was really good, I so gladly do it.

[votrechien]

y. And even though I beg people to put tech questions in email, so I can have time to look things up first

Funny, I was just complaining to a co-worker about this today. A customer called and needed a particular dimension for an item. I gave it to him and he proceeded to debate aloud for 10 minutes whether it would work in his application or not (something I couldn't help him). He called back later for another dimension and debated longer for another 15 minutes. Nearly a half hour of two people's time spent that could have been answered in a 30 second email.

[dpd1]

I hear ya... Some people just don't understand that other people have more going on than just helping them. I actually wish all I had to do all day is help one person. That would be awesome.