WebDev

You set up a retail business, you advertise in your local newspaper, you get customers coming into your store, and you receive payment at the cash register. Create an online store, and…how do you get customers? How do you receive payment?

The concept is the same, but the steps are different.

Step 1: Create your website

If you don’t have web design skills, you can hire a qualified web designer to create a website for you, or you can use an online site builder. Think of it as hiring an architect and an interior decorator compared to setting up shop in an existing store.

Using a web designer

With the services of a web designer, you can have a unique website template and website customized to your specific needs. A web development team can also add features such as Flash headers or any programming needed for your site. If your company image is critical, a custom-designed site that conveys the right professional image is a must.

Using an online site builder

The 21st century has introduced the world to a new way of doing business. It’s now a foregone conclusion that global commerce will be as revolutionized by it as Henry Ford’s mass-production techniques were a defining characteristic of the 1900s.

The business is e-currency, which allows Internet-based purchase and sales transactions involving almost anything to be safely conducted at lightning speed. Safeguards are in place to make identity fraud, chargeback prevention and funds verification much more of a surety than anything the conventional means of payment in the non-cyber world can provide.

E-currency may only exist in the cyber world, but that is nothing new. The euro began in the same manner. It was officially accepted by the countries of the European Union in 1999 to simplify business by eliminating exchange rates, but it began life 20 years before that by private financial institutions who saw it as an idea that had to happen. By 2002, the euro evolved from cyber-tender to hard cash and is now arguably the second-most influential currency in the world.

The Internet’s globalization of commerce on an instantaneous basis means that, where the euro has already gone, today’s e-currencies will follow.

What would you do if you were sent an email from your online credit card processor telling you that your account has been suspended or frozen? How are you going to pay the bills in the meantime? It is extremely important for you to familiarize yourself with the terms of your contract with your credit card processor. As long as you comply with their set regulation and guidelines to maintain your account in good standing you should have no problems.

However, if for some reason you were faced with your account being suspended you need to know:

With a third party merchant account you will have a dedicated 24/7 support team to handle your credit card payment on your behalf as part of your package. You will also need to provide your own support for issues relating directly to your product.

It is good practice to draw up a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) page to list answers to common questions. Provide a link to your FAQ page on your “Thank You Page” and all your support emails for your customer’s convenience. By doing so you will help to substantially reduce the number of duplicate question you will have to answer by email.

You could use install inexpensive software to automate your FAQ web page and customer support tickets which will also reduce the number of emails you will have to answer individually.

Keep your customers happy and develop trust and a good reputation by serving their needs as best as you can. Your customers are the life-blood of your business. If they feel they have been treated well throughout the order process they are more likely to buy from you again and recommend your site to others. This is where you will build your back-end sales and generate more profits for you and your business.

Being able to accept credit cards and other online payments is crucial to the success of your business and profits. Your customers are more likely to buy from you if you offer them a secure and convenient way to order goods and services online at your site.

This is more preferable than relying solely on printing out an order form and sending you a check in the mail. This takes time and will put off those customers who are in a hurry and want to finalize their order right away.

Particularly if you are selling digital products and services which are normally available for immediate download after payment. Would you want to wait a week or more for the post to arrive, pay the check into your bank account and then the time delay for the check to clear and finally credited before sending out each order?

I didn’t think so

The nature of the internet puts the idea into people’s minds that they can get hold of their goods, quickly and easily. The majority of buyers are eager to pay right away in order to get their goods fast.

If you have been wrestling with the idea of applying for your own 3rd party merchant account then take a look at the following compelling benefits of using a 3rd party provider to mange all of your credit card processing needs.

1. The most inexpensive way to accept credit cards with hassle free, quick application process and set up.

2. New start-up businesses, sole traders and home-based businesses individuals are very welcome.

3. Incredibly low fee structure considering there are no application fees, leases, no monthly fees, no statement fees and no extra charges for software.

4. No charges are needed for payment gateway fees to a third party company as this is already provided at no extra cost.

5. No exclusivity restrictions meaning you are free to have other 3rd party merchant accounts with other credit card providers.

6. Freedom to pick and choose your credit card processing company to suit any variety of different business needs.

7. Able to set up a complete online storefront with little or no HTML programming experience. Simple online step-by-step tutorials and free assistance provided for set up.

Pakistan with highest growth rates in 1960s and bad politics in 1980s and 90s but, the stage is totally changed in 2000s as the economy is managed by those who once run the most successful Global Financial Houses. Today Pakistan has achieved 8.3% growth rates with highest percentage earning share zone in the whole world. Welcome to Pakistan 2005

Pakistan has all what required for a economy to grow and boom. With 160 million population, high grade Human Workforce and favourable policy enable global investors and buyers to get in contact with this growing economy.

In the arena of E-Commerce, Pakistan has technology, policies and framework for businesses to setup and grow with trust in E-Commerce trade and commerce. Recently a Industrial Trade Network was launch to establish a soft network within the industry and outside. Infuture this ITN will be connected through the broadband network to communicate, colloborate and make transaction within. Major cities in Pakistan already have WAN / MAN network and further many ISPs are setting up their fibre optics to connect cities directly to provide most economical telephone and data services

You’re excited. You have a great idea for a profitable online business. Maybe it is an original idea that has not been marketed online before. Maybe you have come up with a new spin on the ordinary. Whatever it is that has influenced you to start your online business, be sure that you have a plan before you begin. This is not the time to "pick it up as you go". These are some basic things that should be included in your business plan.

The business summary should give a brief description of the entire business and is an integral part of the overall business plan. After you have completed the business summary you should begin to list the objectives or the goals that you want to accomplish through the business. Next and perhaps most importantly, you should develop your marketing plan. The marketing plan will address all the specifics of the business. When developing the marketing strategy you should consider the following:

Target Market
The target market is all the customers that you expect to see visiting your site. For example will your product be more appealing to college students or those who are in retirement?

Ecommerce use to be about spending thousands of dollars on setting up your shop and hundreds of dollars on getting a merchant. My, how things have changed over the years. Now anyone with a few hundred of dollars in their pocket(or less if you have the time to learn it yourself) can have a great working ecommerce system up and running in the matter of days. This also includes the full ability to accept payments from Credit Cards, manage customers, create invoices and more.

The most cost effective ecommerce solution on the market today is Oscommerce.com. Why is it so cost effective, well because it is free. All you need to do is learn it yourself or get someone who works in the web world(a web designer or programmer) to set it up for you. This can run you anywhere’s from $500-$900, give or take a bit depending on the features you want and if you want it integrated into a custom built design. In a all in one solution you can set up products to sell, have a visitor sign up and pay via the osc(oscommerce) payment section, create an invoice for that client as well as deliver the product(if it can be transferred via email) or create a packing slip to be mailed out. These are just some of the features located in oscommerce.

The birth of the Internet and the mass availability of personal Computers in the late 80’s changed peoples life forever, Everyone now has had the potential to be their own boss whether you are mother at home looking after your children or a manual laborer there are opportunities in abundance . Just a search on Google for business opportunities will bring up more offers than your parents would have had in their whole life. So it must be easy to make a living from the internet right? No it’s not, you need a firm business plan and you need to work hard at it.

Setting up and running an online business does have several advantages over setting up a "normal" business. You can usually run it in conjunction with your current job, your potential market is bigger your initial overheads are usually smaller and you can operate it from the comfort of your own home. Once you decided that you want to enter into the world of E-commerce you then need to take a lesson from main stream business and create a business plan.