This section coincides with the previous section on marketing. Many of the technologies you decide/decide not to use for your E-business will be somewhat dependent upon how you plan to market your E-business.
Cautionary Note: Purchase or install software applications from reputable vendors to minimize chances of a virus infection.
For those of you who are planning to design and/or to build your own Web, site there are a number of useful tools and information available online to assist you. As well, there is an abundance of freeware and shareware software available on the Web. Software varies in price and it is buyer beware!
When shopping around for an Internet Service Provider there are a number of factors (i.e. cost, Web hosting, connections, quality of service etc.) that should be taken into consideration.
As part of your E-business marketing strategy you may want a "memorable" domain name for your Web site. The links here discuss the pros, cons and costs of establishing and maintaining a domain name.
If you plan to sell products and services over the Internet there are multiple methods for collecting payment (i.e. cybercash, a third party processor such as paypal, merchant account, providing credit card details over the phone, bank draft, etc.). Shoppers and merchants in North America generally prefer to use credit cards so you will most likely want to look into setting up a merchant account.
A merchant account is a bank-authorized account established to allow your business to accept major credit cards, electronic cheques etc.
There is the risk of credit card chargebacks associated with online transactions. A credit card chargeback is a reversal of a sales transaction typically resulting from a cardholder dispute. When a merchant is "charged back", the dollar amount of the transaction is debited from the merchant's bank account and credited to the cardholder.
Due to the risk (or perceived risk) associated with chargebacks, obtaining merchant status can be difficult for small businesses. Credit card companies review several factors, including existing credit rating, company financial statements, credit rating of company principals, and personal net worth of principals to determine whether an applicant is suitable for merchant status. A start-up may have difficulty demonstrating a solid credit rating if it has only been in existence for a relatively short period of time.
The best way to find out whether or not you are eligible for a Merchant Account is by contacting your local bank's Merchant Services Department for information:
Before you can conduct sales transactions online, privacy and security issues need to be addressed so as to ensure confidence in the consumer.