SELLING YOUR WARES ON THE WEB - Part 2

Welcome to part two of a three part series on Electronic Commerce
(e-commerce). Last month we looked at primarily Canadian business's that
have made a success of selling products on the Internet.  This month, and
next, we'll explore some things you need to think about before setting up
e-commerce for your business.

An Internet Service Provider
An Internet Service Provider can be someone in the business of providing you
with Internet access, or it can be someone who is in the business of creating
web pages and has the equipment to serve your page to the world.  Below
are some things to think about when looking for an Internet Service Provider
for your e-commerce endeavor.

A Secure Server
Your Service Provider will need to have a secure server. A secure server
offers you a page, or pages, of secure web space so that people inputting
sensitive information, such  as their credit card number, know their
information is protected. Many Service Providers use advanced encryption
which ensures that data being transferred to and from their Secure Servers
will not be tampered with.

If you have never shopped on the Internet and therefore not been to a
secure Internet page visit www.chaptersglobe.com (Chapters Bookstore)
and pretend to shop. Notice what messages appear before you reach a
secure page. Notice what browser icon appears or changes when you are on
a secure page.

Storefront Software or Forms?
You can sell your product over the Internet by offering a simple form that the
user fills out, or you could have something a bit more flexible such as
Storefront Software.  A form is great if you are selling a limited amount of
products or if you are providing  a service such as online reservations. Make
sure to find out which Internet Service Providers include the cost of building
your form in the cost of an e-commerce package. Some Providers require
you to build the form yourself or hire someone to build it. Keep in mind that
your form needs to rest on a secure server. I have come across many
e-commerce forms that ask for credit card information on an insecure site.

The next level of online purchasing power would be Storefront Software
which you can try out if you visit these Canadian web sites:
www.tidespoint.com (Tidespoint Market Place) or
www.chaptersglobe.com (Chapters Bookstore). This software, or
e-commerce package, may be more expensive but it gives you and your
customer more flexibility. Your customer can purchase many different items
with the simple click of the mouse and change these items at any stage of
their shopping spree.

Storefront Software is usually given to you by the Provider that sets up your
e-commerce site. This should include a template where you can add your
new product descriptions and photos, and delete discontinued items.  Make
sure to shop around when looking for your e-commerce, Internet Service
Provider. Last year I phoned four Service Providers and found the prices, and
the services those prices included, varied greatly.
 
Other Articles in the Series
Go to Selling Your Wares on the Net - Part 1
Go to Selling Your Wares on the Net - Part 3
Go to Domain Names