E-Commerce
Selling online has been around for quite a while now, but it is amazing to me how much of a mystery it still is to web designers and small business owners. That said, I too have had my fair share of battles with different e-commerce companies and after a while you just want it to be easy. Therefore I have featured two companies below that make selling online easy.
1. For the small business owner that simply wants to do it themselves and integrate their store with eBay, there's really only one option.
ProStores, Inc.
One Month Free Trial! ProStores - an eBay Company
ProStores offers small business owners, home-based businesses, and even my mom to create a web store presence fast and easy. Simply sign up (and get the first month free just to see if you like it) create your categories, pop in your prodcuts, and your done. The best part about ProStores is that it integrates with your eBay account so you can have an item online in your store on the web and it will also be featured in your eBay store. Like everything eBay, there are fees for sales and a flat monthly, but honestly it just goes with the territory of selling online so it should be a real shocker to anyone who's there before.
2. For designers, larger stores, and those that like more customization options, I always use Network Solutions.
Network Solutions E-Commerce Packages
E-Commerce Made Easy. Get your online store launched today!
The reason I like Network Solutions so much is that they used to be MonsterCommerce. MonsterCommerce was the best online store software I had ever used and when I heard Network Solutions was buying them I was quite sad. But jump ahead a few years and the software is actually better than ever. It's straight forward and very intuitive unlike similar offerings from sites like Yahoo that make me want to quit the web altogether.
They allow you to bring in your own CSS files, add images, and pretty much do whatever you want from a design standpoint as long as you keep it within their basic parameters. I can build an online store in a matter of hours using their system and once you've done it once it only gets easier. As a designer, Network Solutions is the best e-commerce software on the market because not only is it easy for me, but my clients can take it over once I'm done and add/remove/update products at ease.