Starting an e-commerce site is not an easy task. Developing a business plan and selecting the software and hardware to handle business operations require hard work, diligence, and thorough research. "Veteran merchants know that owning and operating an e-business is a continuous developmental process. Some phases, such as domain registration, obviously need to be done only once (unless a mercant decides to register another domain name), but most of the other steps are part of an ongoing process to keep an e-business au courant" (Rush).

Step-by-step guide on starting an e-commerce site

1. Register a domain name, which will be used to identify your e-commerce site. Register.com, see picture, is among the most popular sites to do so.
2. Build the e-commerce site by hand or hire someone to do it.
3. Find a site host for the domain to reside.
4. Accept different payment types such as cash, credit cards, and money orders.
5. Make the site safe and secure using the latest security technology.
6. Promote the e-commerce site using banners and other advertisements.
7. Maintain the site.
8. Keep the customers with good customer service and support.
9. "Globalize" the site by allowing multi-language support.
10. Stay educated about the latest e-commerce technology and innovations (Rush).

<--Back