Version 5
Web Storefronts for Small Businesses
Do many of your clients seek help in starting an online business? Or are they looking to market their existing business through a web site? Developing an e-commerce web site is a considerable task, fraught with technical challenges as well as being a time and money investment.
There are many e-storefront services out there that promise to get your business online quickly and function for free. They offer complete solutions- offering design (in the form of templates), catalog creation, ordering, transaction capabilities and limited promotional web site tools/services. Essentially, web storefront services give you a way to quickly develop a commerce-enabled online presence for your small business. The web sites that result are simple, but go a long way for small businesses interested in venturing onto the web.
In this newsletter, you will find the three popular web storefront services below, followed by a customized SBDCNET comparison of the same three services:
- Bigstep.comhttp://www.bigstep.com
- Yahoo Storehttp://store.yahoo.com
- FreeMerchanthttp://www.freemerchant.com
This chart compares Bigstep.com, Yahoo Store and FreeMerchant by cost, support, merchant account pricing, site promotion, e-mail services, web site analysis tools, product database uploading, invoicing, tax/shipping calculators, and basic usability of each service's documentation.
More Information about web storefronts:
Basic Overview of Web Storefronts - Zdnet.com
http://www.zdnet.com/pcmag/stories/reviews/0,6755,2354144,00.html
Web Storefronts - In depth reviews - webtools.com
http://www.webtools.com/story/ecommerce/TLS20001122S0001
**Need to know more about E-Commerce? Take a look at our E-Commerce Guide:
http://sbdcnet.org/SBIC/e-com.php
**SBDC Business Advisors: Would you like to submit your research request online?
Try our online form:
http://sbdcnet.utsa.edu/requestform.asp
Contact Us
SBDCNET
UTSA Institute for Economic Development
University of Texas at San Antonio
501 W. Durango Blvd.
San Antonio, TX 78207
http://sbdcnet.org/
sbdcnet@utsa.edu
800.689.1912
SBDCNet Team
Gloria Allen
Carolyn Ellis
Peter Morales
Sarah Barrette
Paula Fantegrossi
Guillermo Barreto-Vega
Perry Byers
Linda Hernandez
Jane Nolasco
Judith Johnson
J. Eric Lomeli
Juan Cueva
Armida Hernandez
Co-Editors: Carolyn Ellis & Judith Johnson
Please email us or call us at 1-800-689-1912 if you have any questions. Feel free to pass this on to other SBDC Business Advisors. If you are not currently subscribed to SBDCNET Connections, sign up on our website under "SBDCNET E-Newsletter."
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This U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) Grant is funded by the SBA. SBAs funding is not an endorsement of any products, opinions, or services. All SBA funded programs are extended to the public on a nondiscriminatory basis.
