If you are considering building a business web site there are a few things you should ask yourself;
1. Will I be selling retail merchandise from my website? If you intend to sell any kind of merchandise from your web site you should educate yourself on the local and federal laws especially regarding taxes and shipping. You will also need to decide if you are going to accept credit cards for your merchandise.
2. How will I accept payments? You will most likely need to set up a merchant account so you can accept credit card payments. You may also use a third party such as PayPal to process your payments for you. You will pay either of these a fee for processing and taking on the responsibilities of these payments.
3. Will I use shopping cart software or programs? If you are going to sell more than just a few items I would suggest using a shopping cart on your site. There are free shopping carts available but if you are going to have a sizable amount of inventory I would suggest purchasing or renting one. Also choose one that can expand as your business expands. After all that is usually our ultimate goal in business. You should also become familiar with SSL Secure Server information. This will protect you as well as your customers.
4. What shipping options will I use? When considering your shipping options keep in mind whether you intend to ship outside your country, what the laws are regarding shipping to any particular place, and whether you wish to charge a handling fee. Many of the shopping cart software programs offer great features to help you set up shipping options, track your shipping, and figure the cost of shipping.
5. Can I set this up myself with templates vs. custom design? If you keep your website and store simple then template design should work for you but if you not sure about doing it yourself most web hosting companies have webmasters that will design it for you for a fee.
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