Technology Networking & Internet

How to Create a Website to Broker Product Sales

    • 1). Purchase a merchant account with Yahoo! Merchant Solutions and set up a Yahoo! store. This is a popular choice even among large companies. Yahoo! takes care of the web hosting and processes credit card payments for you automatically. You maintain some control over the look and feel of your website's design through the use of professional design templates. A full online catalog and all associated marketing can be created on the Yahoo! store website to make selling your product as easy as possible. The Yahoo! system provides you with statistics on your customer base and sales reports. As of February 2010, you can get started with Yahoo! Merchant Services for $40 per month, after a $50 setup fee. The service is popular among many institutions, including the Oakland Raiders, Lance Armstrong, Ben & Jerry's and more.

    • 2). Register for an eBay account and participate in the online auction phenomenon that has led to many successful businesses. EBay does not charge any fees to register and get started. Instead, eBay takes a commission on any sales you generate through its site. Users do not get as much control over the look of their eBay pages, but they benefit from additional sales options. Although you can sell products directly on eBay, many users take advantage of the auction format that provides an interactive approach to online buying. Buyers compete with each other to bid on a product. Items for sale may employ both an auction and "Buy It Now" process to generate as much interest as possible. EBay handles all the payments as well, so you are not required to set up a separate billing system. Many companies generate their entire revenue through eBay alone, while others use it to augment their sales at a physical store location.

    • 3). Create a Google account and start building your own website through Google Sites. Google Sites gives users full control over their website design. This is not a merchant service, however, so businesses must develop their own method for taking online payments. Most Google Sites pages are virtual storefronts that exist more for information purposes than to process transactions online. These websites usually provide order forms that a visitor can print and mail in with a check. Or the site may give plenty of contact information so the user can later visit the store or order over the phone. The system provides many professional website layouts to create a site quickly or to get started with further customization. The entire structure of a website with multiple pages and links is under complete control by the user. You do not need to know HTML, but you can program pages manually if desired. Google hosts the website free, including any file uploads, such as pictures or music. Since many potential customers like to visit a website first, this is a great way to gain exposure on the World Wide Web.



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