The most recognizable type of Internet business is eCommerce. This is usually the first one that comes to mind. It includes a website with a store where products are marketed and sold.
Amazon is a notable example. Think of a major retailer and odds are they have an eCommerce site: Target, Walmart, Macy’s, REI, Petco, Office Depot, and many others. Their sites feature their brand and products with a checkout function including a shopping cart and credit card processing. These large companies have large sites run by teams of product and technology people.
In the past, it was prohibitive for a small business to have an eCommerce site, but today, even an individual can have one. The easiest and fastest way to open an online store is with Shopify. With a few hours and a few mouse clicks you can have your eCommerce site up and running.
Shopify offers a 14-day free trial along with introductory material including an initial setup guide featuring step-by-step tutorials for the main tasks to get your store established.
Here is an article from Lifehacker with more details on launching your Shopify store. You can also find lots of helpful information with a Google search.
I signed up for the free trial and created a test store. It was relatively easy. Ultimately though, I chose a different path for our business as it isn’t based on a physical product. Learn more about what we’re doing.
Best always.
