Whatever small business you're in, it makes sense to get your feet wet by offering one of your products or a group of products for sale on the Internet (if you're not already doing so). This is especially important if you're in a branch of retail which is already present on the web - in a few years you might not have a choice and you'll be playing catchup.
I suggest starting small with one or a small group of similar products. The most successful retail selling sites are single product sites which present an overview of the product, give links for more information and have a simple order form accessible from the home page. Remember that successful here, in small business terms, means selling enough product to cover the cost of the site and make as much or more profit as in your traditional business. Few of the big "successful" sites can say that but many small sites can. Here's what you need:
1. A domain name, www.yourproduct.com .
Register with Network Solutions at netsol.com. Yes, they're more expensive but they're reliable, easy to use and you don't want to spend two hours looking for alternatives to save $20.00.
2. A web site host.
Go with pair.com and choose their lowest cost site to start with. It has all the basic features and their more expensive packages will cover anything you might need in the future.
3. An e-commerce host (secure server).
Go with securehosting.com. They've got a ready-made solution which records credit card numbers securely, has attractive order and confirmation forms, and sends confirmation e-mails to you and to your customer. As a small business in retail, you probably have a credit card merchant account but if not, you won't need this - you'll just have to ask for cheques or have a look at paypal.com.
4. A web site.
If you can manage this part, you'll be way ahead saving lots of money, time and frustration. If you can use MS Word 2000, try its "Save as Web Page" feature. Remember, you're not out to impress your customers with your graphic artist abilities or your programming knowledge. You want to present your product and offer an opportunity to buy with the least fuss and bother. Don't forget that your price should be lower than normal retail - your web site should be costing you a lot less than the cost of your other retail operation.
Total cost of these four items, if you do it yourself, $300.00 for the first year and less afterwards.
If the above looks daunting, either because you aren't technically inclined or because you don't have time, get someone to handle the whole thing for you. You do not want a web site designer who then asks you to register your name, get the host etc. Get a package and get them to maintain the site as well. Total cost should still come in under $1000.00 for the first year. No, you don't need "Flash", you don't need sound, you need maybe five simple web pages and an order form. Then, see how you do.
