What Do You Need to Get Your Ecommerce Site Up and Running?
This lense discusses ecommerce issues and tools that you would need to use to have a fully functional e-commerce site. Miss these things and you could be setting yourself up for failure.
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Table of Contents
9 Things You Must Do If You Want To Have A Successful Ecommerce Web Site
Read on to discover the specific components that are required to create an ecommerce web site. It will discuss what the components are, and what they do.
All of the linked resources, I or my clients use personally.
- Determine a good business name for your e-commerce store and then purchase a domain name for the name of your store. The name should have a keyword that people would use to find your products and/or services.
- Sign up with a quality web hosting provider. It should have at least one SQL database, and can do server side scripting, such as SHTML, PHP, and/or CGI scripting and at least 300Mb of space.
- Use a good shopping cart. The shopping cart needs to do the following:
1) Allow multiple simultaneous users.
2) Keep a running total of the costs.
3) Finalize the order. - Create a good database - The database is usually used to:
1) Keep customer data
2) Create customer personalization
3) Keep product data
4) Hold shopping cart contents
5) Integrate with other systems - Accept credit cards.
You will want the ability to accept credit cards. Sure, you can run an ecommerce business by using fax, and/or requiring people to send in your checks, but you will be leaving a lot of money on the table if you don't accept credit cards in one form or another. - Use a secure socket layer -
A secure socket layer encrypts the data between the customer's computer and your web server. It keeps prying eyes from sneaking a peek at sensitive data, such as credit card info. - Use a payment gateway -
A payment gateway collects the credit card info and sales info (price, customer info, etc.) and does some sort of basic fraud check, to make sure the credit card isn't stolen, etc.
It charges the customer's credit card and deposits the money into your bank account. - Acquire a merchant account
A merchant account allows your business to charge sales to credit cards. It is basically a type of agreement between your business and a bank. - Get a separate business bank account
You will need a bank account that will accept the deposits for the credit card charges. As with most everything else, business bank accounts vary in features and costs based upon the servicing bank.
Free E-Commerce Course
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Good Resources for Ecommerce
These are good resources to learn more about e-commerce and online sales
Come back as this list will be updated on a regular basis.
http://www.yourecommerceinfo.com/ecommerce-articles
Lots of articles on ECommerce and Internet Marketi more...0 points
Building Credit For Your Business
Building credit for your business is an important more...0 points
Make Money Online
I didn't need any kind of statistics to tell me th more...0 points
Online Marketing for Money
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http://www.nexternal.com/nexus
ECommerce Ezine for Online Merchants0 points
Yahoo Small Business
Yahoo Small Business Web Hosting. Great for small more...0 points
E-Commerce Business Issues
Read more articles on starting up an online business and the issues that can affect your online business.
Fetching RSS feed... please stand byE-commerce Software
E-Business In a Box-6 Month Subscription
Amazon Price: (as of 07/06/2009) 
VersaCheck Web Commerce
Amazon Price: (as of 07/06/2009)
E-Business In a Box-12 Month Subscription
Amazon Price: (as of 07/06/2009)
Shopkeeper Ecommerce Software
Amazon Price: (as of 07/06/2009)
eCommerce Starter Kit
Amazon Price: (as of 07/06/2009)
Information on E-commerce
Business Law Today, Standard Edition: Text and Summarized Cases--E-Commerce, Legal, Ethical and International Environment (with Online Research Guide)
Amazon Price: $210.95 (as of 07/06/2009)
E-Commerce: Business, Technology, Society (3rd Edition)
Amazon Price: (as of 07/06/2009)
Build Your Own ASP.NET Website Using C# & VB.NET
Amazon Price: $29.67 (as of 07/06/2009)
Starting an Online Business For Dummies, 4th Edition
Amazon Price: (as of 07/06/2009)
e-Business 2.0: Roadmap for Success (2nd Edition) (Addison-Wesley Information Technology Series)
Amazon Price: $40.94 (as of 07/06/2009)
What is your biggest question about online commerce?
Tell us what is your biggest question about online commerce?
Leave us a comment or an opinion
Let us know what you think about ecommerce and the state of online commerce!
jzavala446 wrote...
This info really hits it on the dot. I should know I have my ecommerce thing going on
Posted November 22, 2008
Alanas_Vintage_Collectibles wrote...
Enjoyed your lens and I totally support the world of ecommerce and selling on your own website.
Posted October 29, 2008
LisaJesse wrote...
Hi! I appreciate your lens with all the great information. Visit my World's Best Online Shopping Cart System" site. It will make your business as successful as it can be!
Thanks, Your friend, ~LISA~
Posted October 02, 2008
Yahoo-Web-Hosting wrote...
Always good info about e-commerce. Run with one of Yahoo Merchant plans.
Posted August 05, 2008
trueprosperity wrote...
Good information and great resources for those wanting to open an e-commerce site. 5 stars!
Posted June 17, 2008
by luckycharms
Hello,
I am a not-so-new lensemaster who got a bit carried away with wanting to start new lenses... Don't worry, I am working hard at building th...
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