How to Start an eCommerce Store in Illinois (4 Steps)

Perform some preliminary market research about starting an ecommerce store in Illinois. Determine the probability of profitability for your online store by finding out what key terms typical web searchers use to find the products and services that you will be providing. Choose a name for the online business according to your findings after verifying that the name you will use has not been taken. Check the name by visiting most any web hosting or domain name registration service. You can also use the whois.net website, a lookup service for domain names, keyword searches and deleted domain names.
Research Illinois ecommerce web hosting companies. To do business online, it will be necessary to invest in the right kind of technology solution that includes an ecommerce component or shopping cart solution. Find a local partner that can help find the kind of ecommerce store solution that best suits your needs. Research reputable ecommerce hosting companies in Illinois by checking web hosting forums for remarks on companies you will consider. Check the Better Business Bureau for information on various hosting firms. Ensure that everything you will need to start your own ecommerce store online will be included in the hosting plan. This can all be very critical and may ultimately determine the success or failure of your online business. An ecommerce web hosting company that is based in or does business in Illinois may also have helpful resources concerning state requirements and particulars for doing business in Illinois.
Determine specific Illinois business requirements by checking with the State of Illinois Business Portal. Review the information assembled across the state government website and make a list of what is necessary to accomplish, such as registering a business name after determining how the business will operate. For example, a sole proprietorship will need to be registered with the local county clerk. Check with the online listing of county clerks at the State Board of Elections website for procedural details.
Develop an ecommerce business plan that includes registering the business. Use the links provided at the State of Illinois Business Portal website to find the necessary resources so that all of your responsibilities are met as a new online business owner. Submit questions as needed through the website, or call the Secretary of State's Department of Business Services at 217-782-6961. Also check with the Small Business Administration to ensure that you meet all of the legal requirements to start a business.
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How to Start a Clothing Company Website (6 Steps)

Determine the mission of the clothing company website. A website is a tool to create awareness and drive sales. A clothing company website can exist as an ecommerce store to complement a freestanding retail location or as an online destination to market and sell the clothing to the online consumer.
Select your demographic and keywords. If your clothing company sells t-shirts to plus-size women, select the top search phrases that your customer types into search engines to buy clothing. Use the free Google Adwords Keyword tool to determine the best keywords and number of searches per month for your target demographic.
Reserve the domain name. Choose a domain name that is identical to the name of your clothing brand. Use a free online tool found on whois.net to check the availability of your domain name. Select a familiar domain extension of .com or .net. According to Christopher Heng, of SiteWizard.com, 'when you choose a domain name with a domain extension other than '.com', you should promote your website or business with the entire domain name.'
Select an appropriate hosting plan. Choose a hosting plan that includes multiple email accounts, unlimited bandwidth, remote FTP access, built-in shopping carts, pre-designed web templates and secure server options for credit card transactions. In 2009, hosting plans for ecommerce websites range from $72 to $400 per year.
Plan for web design, content and usability using a website checklist. A clothing company website requires product photos and descriptions of each item of clothing. Use a website checklist to plan for the number of pages, categories, website navigation and types of photos needed.
Build your website using a free website builder or a web designer. You can use tools like Kompozer to design your free website. Include fashionable web graphics and fonts to reinforce the stylish theme of your clothing designs. Select free and reasonably priced website templates at Template Monster and Templates Box. Upload your website using your domain username and password using a free FTP file manager like Filezilla.
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