| Like most average persons, I wanted some | | | | graphics. Adobe |
| extra money to supplement my regular income. | | | | |
| I had considered a part time second job at | | | | "Photoshop Elements" can also be used, but |
| times, but hated that option because it would | | | | is a limited version of the full Photoshop |
| take me away from the family, make me more | | | | software. The programs from Adobe are |
| tired and probably just pay minimum wage. I | | | | expensive so shop around for the best |
| also wanted to be able to work from home.I | | | | price.Web hosting is very important and you |
| had surfed the internet for years and had | | | | need to comparison shop for features first, |
| often considered the idea of participating in | | | | not on price. Web hosting and ecommerce are |
| the internet revolution. I had read some | | | | extremely related, and learned by personal |
| statistics on the use of internet and the | | | | experience the mistake trying to separate |
| increasing numbers of homes with computers | | | | ecommerce from web hosting. The web host |
| and the increasing percentage of Christmas | | | | company is the company that rents room on |
| shopping done over the internet. So I decided | | | | their server for your web site, but they can |
| to jump in with both feet.First what is | | | | much more. They can offer an integrated |
| ecommerce? The online world designates web | | | | shopping cart.The shopping cart is the heart |
| sites devoted to retail sales as an | | | | of the ecommerce web site. The shopping cart |
| e-commerce site. E-commerce sites sell either | | | | for all intents and purposes runs your |
| information or hard goods such as cameras or | | | | ecommerce web site so it is critical to get a |
| knifes. E-commerce sites also have Shopping | | | | good one. It contains and displays the |
| Carts and Payment Gateways attached to them | | | | products you intend to sell. It also does |
| that non-sales web sites do not | | | | other neat administrative functions that will |
| need.Ok......so you want to develop an | | | | make your store easier to run. There are some |
| E-commerce site. You are now probably asking | | | | stand alone shopping carts for sale but most |
| do I have enough skill, mental patience or | | | | come with web hosting service attached.The |
| aptitude to be successful?Well if you have | | | | "Payment Gateway" is the cashier in the store |
| average intelligence, I believe that you and | | | | and is also known as a "Merchant Account." |
| thousands of people just like you could have | | | | This is basically a business credit card |
| an E-commerce web site. All that is required | | | | account. The payment gateway allows your se |
| is the willingness to learn a few things, | | | | store to accept credit cards and transfer |
| patience, and the determination to apply | | | | money to you. Merchant Accounts are very |
| yourself.How? I am glad you asked.Let's | | | | important and you should also carefully |
| begin. We first need to discuss the basics | | | | review their services and prices. If you do |
| components you will need.1. Computer | | | | not get a merchant account you are pretty |
| | | | much limited to papal. Search the web and |
| 2. Internet connection | | | | check out the available shopping carts and |
| | | | payment gateways.Now what are you going to |
| 3. Site building software | | | | sell, and where are you going to get it? You |
| | | | can look every where for the products you |
| 4. Graphics Software | | | | want to sell. How do you know what will sell |
| | | | well? You need to do some market research. |
| 5. Web hosting company | | | | Not everything sells well, including |
| | | | electronics. If you have no preference on |
| 6. Shopping cart | | | | what to sell, find some marketing software |
| | | | that will allow you to determine which |
| 7. Payment gatewayThe above elements are | | | | products ell well online.Next, you will need |
| where most people stop when they think of | | | | a source for those products. Assuming you |
| what they will need when they want to start | | | | are not making them yourself. The best way |
| an ecommerce site. However, there are other | | | | is to drop ship them. The trouble is finding |
| elements that need to be considered, such as | | | | a reliable drop ship source and avoiding the |
| getting legal and product sourcing.Items 1 | | | | imposters.Once you find you product source |
| and 2 above are pretty straight forward and | | | | you need to open an account and stock your |
| most people can understand why they are | | | | store and start selling. There munch more to |
| necessary. The other items however are a | | | | an ecommerce store then can be explained in a |
| little more complex. Site building software | | | | brief article format. As someone who |
| allows the beginner to construct a web site | | | | recently went from zero to an online store |
| without knowing html programming code. What | | | | Cynscorion.com), I know first hand of the pit |
| is Html programming Code?Html is the | | | | falls that await the beginning ecommerce site |
| programming language of the internet and | | | | builder.If you want to learn more about what |
| stands for Hyper Text Mark Up Language. The | | | | to avoid in building an ecommerce site go to |
| two best software programs currently | | | | either: and go to the bottom of the page and |
| available to write Html are Microsoft's | | | | click on "Ecommerce Book For Beginners" ,or |
| FrontPage 2003 or Macromedia's Dreamweaver. | | | | go to: |
| These programs are more correctly known as | | | | |
| HTML Editors.These two programs are the best | | | | This book is for people undecided on whether |
| ones available. I have them both but use | | | | to start an ecommerce site and want to find |
| FrontPage 2003 primarily. I think FrontPage | | | | one point of reference to assist them in |
| 2003 is easier to use and does better tables | | | | making their decision.Lastly, I wish you good |
| then Dreamweaver. Most professional web site | | | | luck and success in your ecommerce endeavors. |
| developers, however consider Dreamweaver the | | | | If I can do it, so can you!For additional |
| better of the two because some claim it has | | | | assistance go to: |
| more features, but I find it is a little more | | | | |
| complicated to use. I would recommend that | | | | author created his own ecommerce web site |
| you surf the internet and read the reviews on | | | | going from knowing nothing to having a fully |
| both of these programs and make you own | | | | functional ecommerce site on the web, and |
| choice.Next you will need a good graphic | | | | wrote a book on the experience. The aptly |
| program such as Adobe Photoshop 6. A | | | | titled "STEP 1: E-commerce for Beginners" |
| graphics program allows you manipulate the | | | | explains to BEGINNERS what "STEP 1" is, and |
| size of images create images in different | | | | what they should be prepared for and makes |
| formats and create special effects. | | | | recommedations to make the experience of |
| "PhotoShop 6" is the current version from | | | | building the 1st web site less stressful. |
| Adobe and is the best software program for | | | | |