The following steps can be used as a checklist to ensure that you have everything in place for doing business on the Internet. Once your Web site is up and running, you'll be able to implement low-cost marketing and advertising techniques for promoting and managing your business.

1. List goals and ideas.

Determine what your goals are for using the Internet for the promotion of your business and/or selling products on the Web. Sit down with the people who are going to be helping you with your online Web site and the e-commerce part of your business so that you can go over your ideas for design, implementation, and promotion. It's important not to discard any of your goals and ideas, no matter how silly and far-fetched they seem. You want to be as creative as possible to start with, and then you can fine-tune your list by getting rid of those ideas that are not cost effective or not considered for adoption. This is a good time to do a preliminary projection of your budget, incorporating all the potential costs so that you can set realistic expectations for your Web site and online storefront. You will adjust your budget later, after you complete steps 1-4.

2. Review the products and services you intend to sell.

Take some time to carefully review the products and services that you're offering on or through your Web site. Things that you should be asking yourself include the following: What are the advantages and disadvantages to your business of selling or advertising online? Are you willing to accept payment online, and if so, what payment methods? What logistics will you have to consider about shipping your product, including cost, method, etc.? Are you willing to consistently update and maintain your Web site to reflect current products, market trends, and pricing?

3. Compare online e-commerce Web sites.

Find Web sites that are related to your business and take some time checking them out. Look at how they promote and advertise similar products or services as well as how each Web site is laid out and navigated. If a similar Web site uses a shopping cart for online purchases, try it out, stopping, of course, at the point where you're ready to commit to a purchase. See how smoothly the process works and what can be done to improve the process. Don't just look at e-commerce sites that are within your own country, since consumers won't limit their shopping to those businesses where they live. Look at the way other countries handle e-commerce Web sites so that you have a broad spectrum of Web sites with which to compare yours. A wide range of experience and knowledge of how competitors operate their online businesses is valuable information that you can use to get the upper edge on competition.

4. Determine your target market.

Determine what market of consumers you want to target with your Web site. If you're using your Web site to promote your brick-and-mortar business, decide if you're going to be selling your products and services only locally or if you're willing to sell outside of your immediate market area. Since the Internet is global, there are many reasons to promote your Web site to the national or global marketplace. If you're selling your products or services online, you'll need to decide if you're only selling within your own country or if you're going to be an international e-commerce company. It's important to know who your Internet audience is going to be so that you can target them effectively. If you're selling your products internationally, you're going to have to be prepared for some potential language barriers.

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