How to Open an Internet Store

Purchase a domain name for your store. A domain name is like the street address to a business. For example 'www.BestBuy.com' or 'www.apple.com' are domain names. You can purchase domain names from sites like 'godaddy.com' and pay a yearly amount. Prices for domains can be as low as $1.99 to $14.
Purchase web hosting for your online store. A web hosting company provides a shared or dedicated server for your website. Search for web hosts specifically for e-commerce sites--for example, ehostpros.com. Web hosting fees can start at $4 a month.
Find a web designer for your online store. A web designer will take your concept, images, and ideas for your website, then create your online store for you. You can locate web designers by going to freelance sites, such as 'Guru.com,' 'Elance.com' or 'getafreelancer.com.'
Determine what method of payments you can and will accept. PayPal and Google checkout are third-party processors that will accept checks and credit cards on your behalf for a percentage. Approval can take place in minutes.
Consider opening a merchant account. Instead of a third-party processor, such as PayPal, which costs more, you can actually open your own merchant account to accept credit card payments. You then can deposit funds into your checking account. You can go through your local bank to determine if it offers merchant accounts.
Advertise your online store. You can create banner ads, purchase ads via Google or utilize pay per click advertising. Pay-per-click advertising is a form of marketing where you only pay a certain amount of money if customers click on your ad to see your website. You can also advertise via online forums and online magazines.
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