You’d think the Rolling Stones’ online catalog would be a no-expense- spared affair. You’d think that NYNEX would go for the best — read: most expensive — Web storefront technology to be had. Certainly the prestigious jazz label Blue Note Records would open its wallet to do up its Web storefront.
And you’d be wrong. All of the above used software tools costing less than $99 to put their Web storefronts online, and none of them had to know any HTML or anything about the Internet, really, to do so.
The same technology is available for small businesses hoping to get established on the Web, but who don’t have large budgets. Such solutions are available at ordinary business outlets such as CompUSA, Computer City, Best Buy, Staples and others.
Forty-six million American consumers will be buying online by the year 2000, spending an annual average of $350 each, for a total market of $16 billion, according to International Data Corporation. Industry commentators report that 75 percent of small business owners are expecting this high volume of online shoppers, combined with future advances of the Internet, to have a “significant impact” on their business. And there’s no reason to be left out in the cold due simply to a low technology budget. If you know what to look for, you can tap into this market and effectively compete with larger, national counterparts.
These days there’s so much competition in the Web storefront business that good deals abound. You should have no trouble finding a stand-alone Web storefront, or one you can easily integrate with your existing Web site. There should also be no reason to change ISPs (Internet service providers), either. If you don’t currently deal with an ISP, check some sites of people in roughly the same business situation as you are, and find out what ISPs they use.
Be sure your bank can work well with the purchase-enabling software loaded on your site. Bank One, for example, can handle many kinds of small business Web site electronic payment options, and can take care of funding and processing its customers’ electronic transactions.
You should have no difficulty finding a Web storefront with a user- friendly interface. Look for one that makes data entry and store updating easy. Some packages offer one-click site uploading and require no HTML, CGI scripting or other software or additional service fees to operate.
If you would rather concentrate on business than technological minutiae, many packages offer a few simple-to-follow steps to assist you along the way, enabling almost anyone to set up a high-quality virtual storefront and start selling merchandise on the Web. A good standard storefront package should include a shopping cart, a calculating order form, full-site product search and indexing, to make shopping online as easy as possible for the consumer.
Some of the fancier packages, which still shouldn’t exceed $100 by much, offer such features as dozens of customizable catalog templates, options for an unlimited number of products, and the ability to keep a store updated regularly.
Find a package that can grow with your business. Many affordable ones have enough functionality to handle the transaction needs of larger businesses, yet cater to the price sensitivities of the smaller fish looking for a low-cost way to create a viable presence in the global pond.
In summary, you should, for on or about a hundred bucks, be able to create a professional, searchable catalog with an unlimited number of products, without needing any technical background, and develop and maintain a store yourself without needing any programming skills.
