Your 11-step Guide to the Basics of Yahoo! Merchant Solutions

Welcome to Yahoo! Merchant Solutions. Whether you're an experienced web retailer or new to online selling, we make it as easy as possible for you to get world-class results from your Yahoo! Merchant Solutions plan.

This guide explains how Yahoo! Merchant Solutions works and what to expect as you begin to build, manage, and market your online business. Read on to gain valuable tips and guidance that will help you succeed.

Read the quick online Getting Started Overview or download the full step-by-step Getting Started Guide (380 pages) in PDF format for reading offline or in print.
Go to the Getting Started Guide download page

Step 1:	Sign up for Yahoo! Merchant Solutions.
	Just pick a Yahoo! Merchant Solutions package and speed through our sign up process to get started fast. You'll choose your store domain name (like www.your-store.com). Learn more.
Step 2:	Welcome to Manage My Services -- please explore!
	This is the central headquarters for your business where you can oversee: Web Hosting and site design features Store inventory, orders, and reporting Mail accounts and storage preferences Domain management Learn more.
Step 3:	Prepare to accept online payments.
	Yahoo! Merchant Solutions comes with a secure payment gateway. In order to open for business, you will need to add an online payment processing service to your online store. You can use a PayPal account, a merchant account, or both to process your payments.* Be sure to establish your payment options early so they're enabled when you're ready to open for business. Learn more.
Step 4:	Organize and load your products into the Catalog Manager.
	The Catalog Manager is a powerful built-in tool that allows you to manage your inventory of products, including pricing and detailed information about each item. You can enter your products one by one or upload them from a database. Learn more.
Step 5:	Plan and organize your web site content.
	A world-class web presence requires clear content that makes your products sound appealing and sets expectations for your customers. You'll find it's easier to build your store if you outline your web site and write out the necessary content prior to building your pages. Learn more.
Step 6:	Start building your store!
	Our flexible design options make it easy for every business to build a professional, well-organized, online store where customers enjoy shopping. Learn more.
Step 7:	Set up backend systems and operations.
	Yahoo! Merchant Solutions makes serious business seriously easy. Automatically set up tax and shipping options, integrate your online store into your existing business infrastructure, establish your checkout preferences, and more. You can also determine how you'd like to receive orders: online, or via fax, email, or your own servers. Learn more.
Step 8:	Develop your merchandising strategy.
	Just like a brick and mortar business, you need to design your online store to effectively merchandise your products. Yahoo! Merchant Solutions offers a powerful set of tools that will help you improve your product presentation and boost incremental sales. Learn more.
Step 9:	Open for business and attract new customers.
	After launching your store you'll leverage our comprehensive marketing services to attract customers to shop in your new online business. Learn more.
Step 10:	Accept and manage your orders.
	As soon as you open, customers can start placing orders. Depending on the preferences you've established, you can receive these orders via the Store Control Panel, your own servers, fax, or email, and process the orders accordingly. Learn more.
Step 11:	Learn from your success and grow.
	Congratulations on taking the first steps towards your online goals! Now that you've gotten started, the best way to ensure your success going forward is to monitor your site sales and performance, and to integrate this learning into your evolving business strategies. Learn more.