| If you are thinking about setting up your own | | | | functionality required, all you need to do is to put in |
| ecommerce solution then you may well be confused | | | | your content and special offers and you are ready to |
| as to the multitude of offers available. | | | | go. |
| You can opt for a full ecommerce solution that | | | | Web site templates save time for both developers |
| purports to include all the functionality you are ever | | | | and customers alike. The customer gets a very good |
| likely to need, or you can opt for the component | | | | idea of what a site will look like early on in the |
| approach. | | | | development process and the developer gets the |
| Either way you will want to ensure that you are | | | | customer to give quality input that saves |
| getting value for money and an ecommerce solution | | | | disagreements later on in the development phase. |
| that works. | | | | Shopping Cart Choices |
| Here is a quick guide to the essential components | | | | Before you start looking for which shopping cart to |
| you should be looking for: | | | | buy have you checked to see what your web host |
| Domain name registration | | | | supplies? You will find that the better web hosting |
| Always keep control of your domain name | | | | packages include shopping cart software as part of |
| registration. It is actually very easy to set up and | | | | the hosting package, so you may pay twice for |
| register a domain name, don't let anyone tell you | | | | something you already have. |
| otherwise. If you keep control of your domain | | | | Failing that you should look at the industry standard |
| passwords then it makes transferring your web site | | | | packages from suppliers such as 1 shopping cart and |
| at a later date far easier than if you buy it 'within an | | | | 2 checkout to get an idea of what ecommerce |
| ecommerce solution package deal'. | | | | solutions are possible. |
| Web site hosting | | | | Merchant Accounts |
| This is another area where people can be made to | | | | Merchant accounts are possibly the first component |
| pay more than they need to in their ecommerce | | | | you should consider for your ecommerce solution as |
| solution. Web site hosting can be obtained from | | | | they can have the longest lead-in time to be up and |
| under $100 per annum, subject to the bandwidth | | | | running. This is due to the requirements the merchant |
| requirements your site will have. Larger sites will cost | | | | may have in order to confirm your identity etc. |
| more but it pays to research this topic before | | | | You should look for accounts being offered by your |
| committing yourself to identify the true underlying | | | | current bankers first, but don't forget the online |
| cost. | | | | alternatives such as Clickbank and Paypal which offer |
| Web site construction | | | | a speedier solution in most cases. |
| With the abundance of web site templates available | | | | The above are the basic requirements for a typical |
| on the internet nowadays you do not have to have | | | | ecommerce solution, remember that a little research |
| a web site built from scratch. In fact the major | | | | in these areas can save you a lot of money and |
| template suppliers offer ready made ecommerce | | | | effort in the long run. |
| solution template packages which build in the extra | | | | |