I’m sure you’ve seen the stats. Over 218 million people plan to shop online in 2023. E-commerce sales are set to account for almost 24% of all retail sales. B2C sales will account for $3.5 trillion in sales by 2024 with B2B sales following a very similar trajectory. Why wouldn’t you drop everything and build an ecommerce website today?
That’s very convincing. Well, at least to you and me. But selling your boss on the idea of making a costly investment in an ecommerce website will take more than just a few stats. There’s a lot of writing and research in your future, and what you’ll ultimately end up with is a compelling business case for your site, which begins with an executive summary of the project.
Executive Summary
Every ecommerce business plan case should start with a strong executive summary that provides a high-level overview of your proposed project. You’ll get into the finer details later in your document, but this is your first opportunity to show your boss that you’ve done your homework.
Your executive summary can (and should) be brief, but make sure to touch on the following topics:
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Why do you believe an ecommerce website is necessary?
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What operational opportunity does an ecommerce website represent to your business?
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What sales and growth opportunity does an ecommerce website represent to your business?
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What KPIs will you use to measure the success of the website?
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What do you estimate the project will cost in real dollars and internal resources?