Do you want to sell online but you're just not sure where to start? There are many e-commerce solutions available today. Here is an overview of what they are and how they can help your business.

What Are E-Commerce Solutions?

E-commerce solutions make e-commerce possible. They include each of the following:

1) Your website. Although you need all four of the above mentioned solutions in order to conduct e-commerce, without a website you can't have the other three.

There are two basic ways to obtain a website. You can sign up for hosting with any number of companies (you'll find them by typing "web host" into your search engine) and have a website that is completely custom. You will usually pay $10.00 or less per month for hosting this way. Or, you can sign up with a company that allows you to choose from a number of templates available through their site, and 'build' your own site easily using their software. These companies will host your website for you.

With the first method, you will need to hire a website designer to create a custom website for you, or you can purchase a template and hire a coder to install it to your host and make it work the way you need it to. Although this method is more expensive up front, it is less costly in the long run.

The second method is simpler, buy usually more costly for hosting each month and you won't have a custom website. You may also have limits as to how many products you can have on your site determined by how much you pay per month.

2) The shopping cart. Whenever you use choose a product to purchase online, that products goes into something called a shopping cart. Just like the cart you use at the grocery store, this shopping cart 'holds' your products for you as you shop. Shopping cart prices vary from zero (for open source carts) to as much as $99.00 per month or more. You should consider looking at several shopping carts before making a decision.

3) The gateway. A gateway is what connects your shopping cart to your merchant account. Without it, e-commerce can't take place. There are many different gateways available to you if you have your own site with your own host. Each gateway offers different features and is compatible with different shopping carts, although collectively they all overlap in some areas as to what they offer.

If you create your website through one of the e-commerce websites that hosts your site for you and makes it easy for you to have a store of your own, you probably won't have a choice in which gateway to use.

4) The merchant account. A merchant account allows you to accept credit cards. You can obtain a merchant account through a bank of your choosing, or you can get one online. The process is simple and straight forward. You fill out a form with some information, the bank checks your credit, and you are notified whether or not you got the account. The process usually takes 24 hours or less, although some banks may take a little longer.

How E-Commerce Solutions Can Help Your Business

By obtaining a website and making your products available online, you are no longer confined to a local area. Your products and services will be available to a much larger market - globally if you like. People who never would have heard of your business otherwise will be able to find you easily online. You'll increase your market share and your profits.