Taking Business Online with eCommerce Platforms

Even if you have a thriving business in your local community, it can certainly pay to take the time to establish your presence online, both on a website, and on Facebook (Twitter, too, if you don't mind juggling multiple social media networks). At the very least, having a website is a great way to encourage your customers to stay in contact with you, or to reach out to you via email if they have a question, concern, or even a general comment. And more importantly, having a website gives customers the opportunity to find you online, and make purchases directly from your website.

If you are like most businesses, you know you want a website, and you may have some basic knowledge of HTML, but your knowledge doesn't go beyond that. If this is the case for you, you'll want to look into an e-commerce platform like 1ShoppingCart. These software solutions offer the whole package deal: a website with a professionally designed layout, and fully integrated shopping functionality. This means that you can add products, keep track of stock, accept credit cards for payments, and even automate some of the shipping processes.

If the convenience of using an e-commerce platform isn't enough to convince you, consider these additional benefits of having a website:

1. You'll always be accessible to your customers, regardless of what day it is, what time it is, if 'it's a holiday, if there's inclement weather, etc.
2. Between online promotion and SEO, you'll reach a larger audience.
3. You can boost your company's reputation by asking customers to leave a brief review or write a short testimonial about you - these can be hosted on your website, or left on third-party websites like Yelp or Foursquare, with a link back to your site.

Setting up a website is a fairly straightforward process that entails registering a domain, ordering a hosting account, and then putting together a layout or using a pre-made template. You can get the ball rolling by doing these things yourself, or simply contacting a website building company from the get-go and having them handle all of the necessary steps. Within a matter of days you can be ready to promote your company and sell your goods online!