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23 Replies Last post: Jun 24, 2009 4:30 PM by envyeconomy

Building an online storefront - What are the best options?

Jul 20, 2007 8:08 PM

Click to view akgold's profile Founders akgold 51 posts since
Jul 19, 2007
I have about 15 products to sell, and I wanted to know what the preferred options are. I know I have several choices:
  1. Open a Yahoo store account
  2. Set up a paypal account
  3. Sell it on eBay
  4. Find a store provider
  5. Get a special hosting packing with a store option
Do you have any thoughts on what is the easiest? In general what is the standard range now for simple online storefronts? Thanks in advance.
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Click to view NetworkGuru's profile Founders NetworkGuru 25 posts since
Aug 6, 2007
1. Re: Building an online storefront - What are the best options? Aug 7, 2007 7:57 PM
I believe the easiest would be to use something like Yahoo ([http://smallbusiness.yahoo.com/ecommerce]). Though, depending on presence you want to give to your customers, this may not be the best solution in the long run. It will give you a cost effective solution to try selling your products on the Internet. If it goes well, then you may want to start your own website with a storefront add-on. Many web hosters allows you to install a product like osCommerce for free. But, when you go on your own like this, you will need to setup Merchant Services, engage a credit card processing company, etc. Your business banking rep will have more information on these services.
Click to view DustinSteller's profile Founders DustinSteller 14 posts since
Aug 8, 2007
2. Re: Building an online storefront - What are the best options? Aug 21, 2007 12:08 AM
I ran across this the other day...It might be of help.

http://www.shopify.info/
Click to view akgold's profile Founders akgold 51 posts since
Jul 19, 2007
3. Re: Building an online storefront - What are the best options? Aug 22, 2007 4:17 PM
in response to: DustinSteller
Shopify looks to be a good option. It's nice that the technology has advanced to a point where the process is relatively easy. Thanks!
Click to view akgold's profile Founders akgold 51 posts since
Jul 19, 2007
4. Re: Building an online storefront - What are the best options? Aug 22, 2007 4:23 PM
in response to: NetworkGuru
Thanks NetworkGuru. I am going to price out the options between using another hosted company's merchant card processing and ordering this service directly.
Click to view SEO-Expert's profile Professional SEO-Expert 11 posts since
Oct 10, 2007
5. Re: Building an online storefront - What are the best options? Oct 10, 2007 12:45 PM
We use this store which after lot of research i found better than other in terms of my needs. http://www.volusion.com/

Thanks,
Bob
Click to view Shoespa's profile Start-up Shoespa 2 posts since
Oct 10, 2007
6. Re: Building an online storefront - What are the best options? Oct 10, 2007 8:30 PM

Depending how savy you are on using templates, I have found two sites the have different levels on online storefront support. one is godaddy.com and the other is prostores. Both are economical. In fact I am using godaddy for my main website information and linking prostores for my shopping cart functions.
Click to view CEOLASVEGAS's profile Professional CEOLASVEGAS 3 posts since
Oct 12, 2007
7. Re: Building an online storefront - What are the best options? Oct 12, 2007 11:24 AM
how big do you excpect your company to grow is the question...if you just want to stay small then just get a basic website with paypal....if you want to get really big then get a nice custom website with merchant services from someone like bank of america
Click to view CEOLASVEGAS's profile Professional CEOLASVEGAS 3 posts since
Oct 12, 2007
8. Re: Building an online storefront - What are the best options? Oct 12, 2007 1:00 PM
in response to: Shoespa
Click to view Faerie's profile Authority Faerie 27 posts since
Oct 12, 2007
9. Re: Building an online storefront - What are the best options? Oct 12, 2007 1:14 PM
We sell online with three retail venues: our own custom website, Ebay and Amazon.

Keep in mind that selling is always a numbers game. First you have to get people to see your merchandise - wherever that is. Of the millions of people surfing the net only a very, very small fraction will become aware of you. Of the ones that notice you only a portion will actually go to look at your merchandise. Of the ones that look only a fraction will actually buy something.

The biggest myth on the internet is "If you build it, they will buy." It's not true - no matter where you showcase your merchandise.

Start by defining your goals and be really specific. Once you konw what you want then you can investigate different options systematically to see what role they can play in helping you meet your goals.

Also look at what other merchants that sell similar items are doing. Learn as much as you can from them.
Click to view easyfreewebde's profile Mogul easyfreewebde 18 posts since
Oct 15, 2008
10. Re: Building an online storefront - What are the best options? Oct 15, 2008 9:50 PM
Hello,

First I think it is important to establish your website, then immediatley after that open Ebay, Amazon and other accounts.

We can help take the ehadache out of trying to figure out how to build and design your store. We offer a FREE design services for business. We will build and design your website for FREE. Please see us at www.easyfreewebdesign.com. Your site will have a very easy to use backend admin panl that will allow you to easily add/edit products, customers, orders and much more. We offer the free design for business's only, and you must agree to host the website on our server. Hosting is only $19 per month and with that comes unlimited webmaster support.

Please visit our site our call me with any questions.

Thank you,
Ed
1-888-300-1691
Click to view NuevolutionWD's profile Authority NuevolutionWD 18 posts since
Oct 19, 2008
11. Re: Building an online storefront - What are the best options? Oct 19, 2008 7:19 PM
I think your best solution is to: Ditch Yahoo Merchant solutions. Go with your own Stand-alone shopping cart system that can handle multiple products and payment processing solutions. If you're planning on selling your stuff on E-Bay, I have a solution that might work perfectly for you.

I can totally Customize your shopping cart for you using Zen Cart which is an Open Source Shopping Cart (Open source means it's fee).
I can add a module for you that will help you syndicate any of your products to your E-Bay store.
What does this mean to you? If you decide to use E-Bay, Imagine being able to upload your products to your stand-alone shopping cart and syndicate which product you want on E-Bay, without having to go over to E-Bay and enter all the information manually. This would solve the headaches of having to keep up two shopping carts.

Syndicate as little as 1 or all 15 products to E-bay and have all your customers check out through your web site, rather than E-BAY...

The shopping Cart handles, Pay Pal, Authorize.net, LinkPoint and many other payment processing solutions.
Click to view ThemedSEO's profile Mogul ThemedSEO 21 posts since
Mar 19, 2009
12. Re: Building an online storefront - What are the best options? Apr 8, 2009 5:45 AM
we provide a ecommerce CMS support for our clients.our website demo is in live check http://demo.velsom.com this is how your website front store will be displayed.we can customise according to your requirement.you can add more products in future also. visit http://www.velsom.com to get more details about ecommerce online storefront.
Click to view amspcs's profile Mogul amspcs 516 posts since
Oct 18, 2007
13. Re: Building an online storefront - What are the best options? Apr 8, 2009 8:16 AM
in response to: akgold
NEVER use another merchant's credit card processing account. Strictly against V/MC regulation,
illegal in many states, will get both you and owner of the merchant account in grave difficulty.
If you need a merchant account, apply for your own.

AMSPCS
amspcs@juno.com
www.MerchantServices-help.com
Click to view amspcs's profile Mogul amspcs 516 posts since
Oct 18, 2007
14. Re: Building an online storefront - What are the best options? Apr 8, 2009 8:24 AM
in response to: CEOLASVEGAS
Pretty good advise from CEO. But, even though we sell merchant account services, we readily admit
Paypal is an excellent place for one to get started and off the ground. It certainy isn't a permanent solution,
nor a solution to provide dramatic growth, but until you 'get the bugs out' and establish some semblence of a following providing sufficient revenue to justify the costs of gateways, shopping carts, and all the aspects of
a real payment processing system, take it easy the first couple of months with Paypal. In other words, learn to walk before you run.

Bank of America a good place to get a merchant account. But far from the most cost effective and not necessarily the best, depending on where you are located, what you sell, how you sell it, and tons of other variables. No such thing as a 'one size fits all' processing solution or provider.

AMSPCS
amspcs@juno.com
www.MerchantServices-help.com
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