Setting up a new online clothing store, or revamping an existing website, involves complex and time-consuming procedures. In order to maximise the return on what can be a relatively sizeable investment, companies must consider a plethora of commercial, technical and cultural factors in order to get the design and construction absolutely right.

All aspects must be evaluated and assessed at every stage of a website’s development. Having said that, it is especially important for things to be properly appraised at the beginning of the development project when the overall concept is being formulated.

Integral components of an online clothing store are the information technology (IT) systems and business processes which support it, including those relating to the website’s content, the company’s inventory, the fulfilment and processing of orders, and payments.

All of these elements must be integrated into a company’s existing systems and business processes as seamlessly as possible—and the level of success of the project will depend on how well this aspect is performed from a technical perspective.

In Talking strategy this quarter Sam Jackson, the chief executive of Prologic—one of only a few IT software companies which is entirely dedicated to the fashion industry—provides first hand expertise on the most important factors a company should be aware of before making the foray into setting up an online retail store.