I keep telling people, she's good! —Darryl Caraway
Hosted E-commerce Stores
May 03, 2009
There are several hosted online stores developed for boutiques and small businesses. A hosted e-commerce store is when you set up a storefront on a website owned by a third party.
A storefront at Ebay is a hosted e-commerce store. A private e-commerce store is when you set up a storefront on a website you personally own. Amazon.com is a privately owned e-commerce store. The sites listed below are hosted storefront opportunities, they also have corporate offices in the USA.Some hosted storefronts are free. Some charge a minimal fee and come with upscale services. Unless, you are trying to present a branded corporate atmosphere, a typical paid storefront is usually a bargain.
Get Maximum Exposure
Sign up with multiple websites, be sure to get as much exposure to your store as possible. And don't forget to blog about your business. My favorite blog host is WordPress. Also, if you haven't already, register your domain name now! ASAP!. Go to Camelback Domains. You can point your new domain to your online store if you aren't ready for your own website yet. If you already have a site, you can still point your shopping link to your a hosted e-commerce store. As your sales grow, you'll know when it's time to create a private e-commerce site. Check back with Foresytz anytime you are ready to go to the next level.
Protect Yourself When Signing Up With New Sites
Follow a few rules before offering your personal information on "hot" new sites.
- Carefully read terms and privacy policies.
- Give as little personal information as possible.
- Avoid using home address & telephone numbers. Often home addresses are unused and unnecessary.
- Protect your inbox. Despite what the vendor mayrecommend, if possible use email addresses from gmail or other vendor with excellent spam protection.
- Never give your main bank account information, unless the company has a sterling reputation. Open a second bank account at your bank if possible.
- If credit cards are necessary, consider using an alternate card with a low credit limit, a gift card MC/VISA loaded with a sufficient balance, or apply for a PayPal debit card.
- If a secure registration link is offered, use it. Your personal information will be encrypted as it is transferred over the internet.
- Some sites won't allow you to delete your store or registration information from their database. There may only be a way to "disable" it from public view. Check the sites terms and conditions.