e-commerce for your site

Thursday, February 23, 2006

Choosing an e-commerce solution for your site

by Norma Holt
Best Home Income Business and Opportunities

Finding the right E-Commerce Solutions can be the hardest part of building a web site.

Even if you know what kind of online business you want to start there is a lot of headaches ahead of you in learning about E-Commerce solutions than you thought possible. It is not a case of just finding a bank or using an online system like PayPal or ClickBank because too many other factors come into it. Are you selling one product or many. Can your product(s) be copyrighted? Are they prone to thieves? Will you offer an affiliate program? Will you generate affiliate offers? Will your site be a market place for someone's advertising?

These are just some of the questions that pop into the equation. Then there is the question of credit cards, shopping baskets, malls, and so on.

In the end one may just settle for a simple all-in-one provider until you discover just what it is you want to do with your marketing.

First up you should look for a site that offers a wide range of templates. Though you can usually customize templates, you need to start with a variety to choose from.

When choosing an E-Commerce solution for your business, look for one that has a good wizard that walks you through everything. Ease of use is important so you can get your site up fast and professionally and make later changes easily. remember, if you have never set one up before the process can be daunting. You need to make it as easy on yourself as possible.

Then look ahead.

Look at the possibilities for importing and exporting data. If you already have a database and choose a vendor that does not allow you to import it, you will have to retype everything. Export capabilities save you that same hassle should you ever choose a new vendor.

When choosing an e-commerce solution for your business, look for hosts who offer a variety of marketing options, payment options for your customers, and automated shipping options. If the client can't pay the way he wants, he won't buy. If shipping doesn't happen quickly, he may not be a repeat client. You must meet the customer's demands.

If your business is going into regions where banks do not operate you may need to look at ot