E-commerce website introduction
Does your company sell products or services that can be delivered online or through the mail? Does your target audience number in the tens of thousands or more? Are you interested in national or global exposure? If the answer to any of these questions is yes, selling over the Internet can be the right choice to grow your business.
Commonly called e-commerce (short for "electronic commerce"), online stores are proliferating in all types of industries. Most consumer products are good candidates for e-commerce: clothes, household items, arts and crafts, pet supplies, specialty foods, electronics, and more. Major purchases that buyers will want to try out in person and complicated items with lots of options and features are generally not well suited for e-commerce.
This BuyerZone E-commerce Buyer's Guide is designed to help you determine what e-commerce solution is right for you. We'll review your basic e-commerce options, the questions to ask when evaluating options, and give you a quick guide to starting up a service.
Note that e-commerce is usually just one part of a website. While many website development firms also provide e-commerce, some e-commerce services don't include basic website features. If you're starting your business' entire online presence from scratch, we recommend that you start with our Website Design Buyer's Guide.
