E-commerce is booming. The U.S. Census Bureau reported online sales in the nation for the first quarter of 2008 was $33.8 billion, up from the $29.8 billion for the same quarter last year.
If you are not using a commercial broker to find retail space and buying shelves to display your merchandise, you still need to create a "storefront" or Web site to sell wares online. And just like any other business, you need to market your product and drive traffic to your site.
The first step is creating a user-friendly and search-engine-friendly Web site, according to Staci Brillhart, founder of Quirky Bird Designs Inc., an Oceanside-based Web design firm for e-commerce sites.
"Make sure you do a lot of research ... and make sure the company is who they say they are," said Brillhart about hiring a Web designer. "Also, make sure the company has a number you can call and speak to someone, and that they offer customer service. Inquire about pricing beyond the initial quote for maintenance and other potential costs down the line."
Driving traffic to your storefront or site is the second step, and not as easy as the first. Many businesses are hiring design and marketing firms for search-engine marketing, or SEM.
Succeeding Online
San Diego Internet Marketing, a division of DSD Business Systems, says the best Web site in the world will not turn a dime of profit if no one visits it. Getting visitors to come to a site, stay on that site, and transact business are the three keys to success online.
The local Web design and marketing firm said pay per click advertising does work. It said that a properly set up and maintained pay per click campaign can be very profitable and cost-effective. It reported that research shows the cost to acquire a customer...

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