Business on the internet

Welcome to the brave new world of electronic/internet commerce, or e-commerce. This rapidly growing virtual world is filled with incredible opportunities and just as many challenges and difficulties. You may choose to build an entire business online or supplement a physical business with an online component--anything from a promotional website to a full-fledged store. As people (potential customers) become increasingly comfortable with online searching and purchasing, it becomes important to consider this option for your business.

Where to start? With an e-commerce business plan, of course. This is the place to address all the potential issues and concerns of your new venture and determine its feasibility. What do you want the business to accomplish? Who are your target customers and how do you reach them? What special technological equipment and expertise do you need? Who will create your internet site and who will maintain it? How much will it cost?

There is a lot to learn before starting any e-commerce venture. Even if you have professional help, it behooves you to do your research--the more you understand, the more you can be involved in the decisionmaking to ensure the business develops as you wish. Learn also about the limitations of e-commerce. Remember that the internet is still in its infancy. You may be a visionary but must be realistic in terms of what is technologically possible for your customers.

An e-commerce business involves all the considerations found in other businesses--plus many unique to the internet. As with any business you need a business name and location, but the business name is constrained by the rules of the web and the location is your web addres. The look of your "storefront" is determined by the web design. That design is important since it projects the image of your business and also gives your customers the information they need to move around the site and find what they want. In addition there are lots of technical issues to be resolved--the nuts and bolts of selling online, secure transactions, taxes, shipping, returns, etc.

Even after your site is up and running, the work continues. You need to promote the site, monitor your traffic, and continue to upgrade and change your business in response to marketing results and changing internet styles and technology.

The sites below will help you get started with an e-commerce venture.

Other sites of interest:

• E-Commerce Tutorial
• Myths and Realities
• The ABC's of E-Commerce
• 10 Questions on E-Commerce
• Writing the Master Plan: A Business Plan Guide for Techies
• E-Commerce 101
• Electronic Commerce Guide
• E-Company Now Webguide
• Basic Guide to E-Commerce
• U.S. Government Electronic Commerce Policy
• SBA E-Commerce Regulations and Policies
• E-Commerce Times
• Barriers to Electronic Commerce
• Iconocast: Dotcom Marketing

This document was prepared by the San Joaquin Delta College Small Business Development Center. Send comments to: Gillian Murphy

Acknowledgements, disclaimers, etc.