Selling Online

Register.com allows you to register a name and address (also called a URL) for your Web site. Type in your desired Web address and if someone else hasn’t already used it, purchase it from the site for a few dollars a month.

Web.com offers a variety of Web design and business marketing packages with a domain name included in the package. For $11.95 a month, you can use the Site Builder software and choose from 300 templates or design your own site. For $19.95, you can also get marketing help, and for $59.95 you’ll get additional e-commerce software.

Shopify is a service that does all the work of setting up an online store for you in exchange for a small percentage of your store earnings (either 2 or 3 percent, depending on your store’s income). Choose from among several designs and then Shopify sets up your store, accepts payments, and tracks orders.

osCommerce provides Open Source e-commerce solutions, meaning that people in the osCommerce community contribute to the site with software, money, and other resources. Because it’s collaborative, the site allows you to set up your own online store for free, unlike other e-commerce sites that charge a monthly fee. However, since osCommerce is currently more a “project” than a service, it’s best to get involved only if you have a little bit of experience and can easily integrate their software into your site. If you’re up to the challenge, it’s a comprehensive and inexpensive place to begin setting up your store.

StoreFront.net is the Web site of LaGarde, a company devoted to helping businesses expand online. If you're just starting your Web site, you'll want to select the "E-Commerce Foundation" section, which is designed specifically for small businesses. If you're a larger, more established company, you should visit the "Enterprise E-Commerce" section, which focuses on the needs of midsize businesses. StoreFront works as a full-service program, meaning the people there will advise you and do a fair bit of the work. As a result, you'll pay fees similar to those you'd pay for a regular consultant.

Actinic is a well-reviewed British company very similar to StoreFront; click on the U.S flag for the American version of the site. Actinic has services for professional Web designers, a catalog of tools for merchants, and a shopping cart program that helps you build and manage your own site. You can try it free for 30 days.

eBay does more than host online auctions: it also provides full support to customers interested in opening an "eBay store." When you open up an eBay store, you'll get increased visibility, be able to track and manage your own sales, and use design templates offered by the company. Monthly fees start at $15.95.

Build A Niche Store (BANS) is a software program that helps you do just that. If you're interested in opening a store as an eBay affiliate, BANS can help you do it in a more cost- and time-effective manner. Users claim they get more search engine hits with their niche stores, and site owners who have been unsuccessful in the past say they started turning profits within days of opening their BANS sites. It does cost around $100 to build a store with BANS, but you can use the software to build as many stores with as many domains as you want, without having to pay again.

CafePress will host a store selling T-shirts, mugs, posters, bumper stickers, and other items bearing your design. CafePress takes care of all logistics, and your merchandise only gets printed up when people buy it. CafePress has a standard price that you, the seller, pay for each item, but you choose what to charge your customers and pocket the difference. You can also make CDs and publish your own books through this site.