Building An eCommerce Website
Unless you are simply setting up an eBay store, (which is perfectly fine), you will need to establish a way to market, promote and sell your products. There is probably no better way to do this than to set up an eCommerce website. There are now literally hundreds, probably thousands of companies out there who will help you set up and promote your online store, but only a few are really good for a beginner. The one that I use and highly recommend is a great ecommerce platform called Big Commerce, based in Austin, Texas. Their templates are great, marketing tools are outstanding and the customer service is second to none. Being a seasoned eCommerce retailer who has tried and used many various eCommerce platforms, I can tell you that many are clumsy and difficult to navigate if you lack the experience in setting up an online store. Many of these companies offer you a free trial period so that you can become familiar with their software before you agree to work with them long-term.
If you really want to have a successful online business, your website will either make or break you. I can't get into all of the complexities of effective website building, but suffice it to say that this is the area of your business that will require the majority of your attention and focus as you get started. Do your homework, be patient and take advantage of the free trial periods that most of these eCommerce website builders offer before you take the leap. Once you go with a company, you'll feel compelled to stay with them due to all of the time and effort you have already invested.
Accepting Payment
Once you have a product and a website to market that product, you will need to set up an easy way for your customers to pay you. With that said, you MUST be able to accept credit cards. Period. To get started withaccepting payment, you will have to establish a merchant account. We use First Data and are very happy with the service that they provide. If you Google "First Data Merchant Account", you will be able to find them. Aside from First Data, there are hundreds of payment processing companies who will set up a merchant account for you so the you can seamlessly accept payment on your ecommerce website.
Another way to accept payment from your customers is with PayPal. Please remember that PayPal is a wonderful way for your customers to send secure payments, but it should not be the ONLY way. Some people simply refuse to set up a PayPal account, so you have to make sure that you also have a merchant account established so that you can accept credit card payments from your customers who don't use PayPal. Setting up a PayPal account is easy. Just go to their website and follow the steps to open a new account.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Greg_Shields
Unless you are simply setting up an eBay store, (which is perfectly fine), you will need to establish a way to market, promote and sell your products. There is probably no better way to do this than to set up an eCommerce website. There are now literally hundreds, probably thousands of companies out there who will help you set up and promote your online store, but only a few are really good for a beginner. The one that I use and highly recommend is a great ecommerce platform called Big Commerce, based in Austin, Texas. Their templates are great, marketing tools are outstanding and the customer service is second to none. Being a seasoned eCommerce retailer who has tried and used many various eCommerce platforms, I can tell you that many are clumsy and difficult to navigate if you lack the experience in setting up an online store. Many of these companies offer you a free trial period so that you can become familiar with their software before you agree to work with them long-term.
If you really want to have a successful online business, your website will either make or break you. I can't get into all of the complexities of effective website building, but suffice it to say that this is the area of your business that will require the majority of your attention and focus as you get started. Do your homework, be patient and take advantage of the free trial periods that most of these eCommerce website builders offer before you take the leap. Once you go with a company, you'll feel compelled to stay with them due to all of the time and effort you have already invested.
Accepting Payment
Once you have a product and a website to market that product, you will need to set up an easy way for your customers to pay you. With that said, you MUST be able to accept credit cards. Period. To get started withaccepting payment, you will have to establish a merchant account. We use First Data and are very happy with the service that they provide. If you Google "First Data Merchant Account", you will be able to find them. Aside from First Data, there are hundreds of payment processing companies who will set up a merchant account for you so the you can seamlessly accept payment on your ecommerce website.
Another way to accept payment from your customers is with PayPal. Please remember that PayPal is a wonderful way for your customers to send secure payments, but it should not be the ONLY way. Some people simply refuse to set up a PayPal account, so you have to make sure that you also have a merchant account established so that you can accept credit card payments from your customers who don't use PayPal. Setting up a PayPal account is easy. Just go to their website and follow the steps to open a new account.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Greg_Shields
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