Considering an Online Store

Starting an e-commerce website (or adding a shopping cart to your existing site) can be a daunting task. There are literally thousands of shopping carts out there, ranging in price from free to tens of thousands of dollars. While most small businesses can't afford the expensive solutions, there are several good shopping cart choices that are under $500.00, well within the reach of most small businesses.

However, there are other costs associated with setting up an online store. Here is a guide of the major pieces required to put your store online:

- Hosting Account: You want to make sure your hosting account is compatible with your shopping cart. Web servers operate on Windows or Linux systems. Generally speaking, you'll have more choices and less expensive hosting costs if you choose Linux as your server platform. Linux runs the majority of web servers worldwide, has less downtime than Windows, and is more secure when properly managed.

- Shopping cart software: Ranges from free to expensive. You'll generally spend a lot more time and effort setting up a store using a free shopping cart, and support from the author is often than what you need. What you save in money will be spent in time and effort. Make sure the software you choose can be customized to match the look and feel of your website, and that multiple sources of support are available.

- Secure Certificate: You'll need a Secure Certificate (SSL) installed on your web server to conduct financial transactions and collect sensitive customer information. There are several vendors offering SSL certificates, but you'll probably be limited by what your web host offers. Be sure to find out what an SSL certificate will cost from your web host before you sign up for your hosting account.

- Merchant Account: Most companies will take credit cards as payment for their products or services. A merchant account allows your customers to pay by credit card and the funds are deposited directly into your bank account. Fees vary widely, so be sure to shop around and make sure the merchant account is supported by your shopping cart.

- Site Design: Often overlooked, some store owners feel they can 'do it themselves' to save money. The benefits of using a web design company experienced in e-commerce will far outweigh the initial cost. You want a site that is attractive, easy to navigate, and professional, as well as one that will rank well in search engines. A professional e-commerce site designer is probably the single most important key to your success. Your site is often the only impression a customer will have of your company, and many online shoppers are hesitant to give their money to a site that doesn't instill confidence.

- Search engine friendly web pages: Most online stores utilize some sort of database to manage products. The address of each page is often long and confusing, like this:

myxyzstore.com/cgi-bin/cartsoftware.cgi?txo=454rr4&size=76&uid=344323434

myxyzstore.com/v-bluewidget.html

As you decide what shopping cart to use, be sure to consider each of these factors. You'll be far ahead of the game when you launch your online store.