SO YOU WANT TO BECOME AN ECOMMERCE HOST!

A lot of people just jump right into ecommerce and find themselves sinking very quickly because they didn’t have a plan and don’t have the skills to participate as an Internet merchant. You can assist them as an ecommerce host and do the “grunt work” that they can’t; this joint venture can be rewarding for all parties as your skills and knowledge fit right in with another’s startup capital and their desire to do online sales. Among other things, you can help with a plan of action, one that will lessen the field of competitors and broaden the customer database. Begin by understanding what you together are selling and to which type of customers is a very important first step. The website domain name can help identify your brand.

You’ve Gotta Get A Name
When choosing an ecommerce host domain name, first stay with the .com domains, because there are still a lot of people still getting used to the internet, and to them, .com means internet. They have not yet discovered .net, .org and the many others

When choosing an ecommerce host domain name, first stay with the .com domains, because there are still a lot of people still getting used to the internet, and to them, .com means internet. They have not yet discovered .net, .org and the many others

Signed, Sealed, And Registered
Register your name quickly. Domain names are mostly registered on a yearly basis, for an annual fee that can range anywhere from eight dollars to fifty dollars. For people just starting their collaborative ecommerce host, site it is recommended to find an inexpensive registration service.

Webhost
A webhost is also known as an Internet Service Provider, or ISP. If you already have access to the internet then you already have an ISP. But if you don’t, then you need to find one. A local ISP you trust is your best bet.

There are many different kinds of ISP’s to choose from. For example, AOL (America Online), Earthlink, Sprint, etc. These are just a few. There are also different kinds of hook-ups for the internet. Like, Cable, DSL and the regular dialup phone line. The choice is yours

Construction
Now that you have a plan of action, a registered name and a webhost, you are ready to start building your site together and become an ecommerce host. The tools you use depend on your patience and how much you want to learn. Most small business start out by using a pre-existing service like Yahoo Merchant Solutions, or sometimes your ISP may have something you can use.

Product
Build a product database. Building a database is necessary if you are going to be advertising multiple items. You will need to find a way to list your products on your site, a way that will also be easy for you to make changes to your prices and descriptions.

Promote
If you want people to find your store then you need to promote your store. As an ecommerce host you can do this by getting listed in online search engines and directories.
An easy way to do this is to use a submission program like Selfpromotion.com. They charge you about twenty dollars per year and it’s simple to use.

Maintain and Improve
Maintain your site. It’s very important that you check regularly for missing links. Missing or broken links are very unprofessional and will make your customers turn away from your ecommerce store.

Constantly improve. You’re never too old to learn. Learn what you can about being an ecommerce host, just because you have your site set up doesn’t mean that you are up to date with the latest technologies.