9 Steps to Becoming an Ecommerce Host A lot of people just jump right in and find themselves sinking very quickly because they didn’t have a plan. You need a plan of action, one that will lessen your field of competitors and broaden your customer database. By understanding what you are selling and to which type of customers is a very important first step. Need a Name When choosing an ecommerce host domain name, first stay with the .com domains because there are still a lot of people still getting used to the internet, and to them, .com means internet. They have not yet discovered .net, .org and the many others. Second, don’t use hyphens or numbers; keep it simple. A good rule of thumb is that if you have to explain your spelling then you won’t be selling. Use your companies name, if that is taken then say what you do. For example, if you sell books then use Isellbooks.com. Register Register your name. Domain names are mostly registered on a yearly basis, for an annual fee that can range anywhere from eight dollars to fifty dollars. For people just starting there ecommerce host site it is recommended to find an inexpensive register. Webhost A webhost is also known as an Internet Service Provider or ISP. If you already have access to the internet then you already have an ISP. But if you don’t then you need to find one. A local ISP is your best bet. There are many different kinds of ISP’s to choose from. For example, AOL (America Online), Earthlink, Sprint. These are just to name a few. There are also different kinds of hook-ups for the internet. Like, Cable, DSL and the phone line. The choice is yours. Construction Now that you have a plan of action, a registered name and a webhost, you are ready to start building your site and becoming an ecommerce host. The tools you use depend on your patience and how much you want to learn. Most small business start out by using a preexisting service like Yahoo Merchant Solutions, or sometimes your ISP may have something you can use. Product Build a product database. Building a database is necessary if you are going to be advertising multiple items. You will need to find a way to list your products on your site, a way that will also be easy for you to make changes to your prices and descriptions. Promote If you want people to find your store then you need to promote your store. As an ecommerce host you can do this by getting listed in online search engines and directories. An easy way to do this is to use a submission program like Selfpromotion.com. Here they charge you about twenty dollars per year and it’s simple to use. Maintain and Improve Maintain your site. It’s very important that you check regularly for missing links. Missing or broken links looks very unprofessional and will make customer turn away from your store. Constantly improve. You’re never too old to learn. Learn what you can about being an ecommerce host, just because you have your site set up doesn’t mean that you are up to date with the latest technologies.
Need a Name When choosing an ecommerce host domain name, first stay with the .com domains because there are still a lot of people still getting used to the internet, and to them, .com means internet. They have not yet discovered .net, .org and the many others. Second, don’t use hyphens or numbers; keep it […]