Selling from a Website

You're talking about creating an e-commerce component on your Web site. Assuming you have a product or service to sell, here are the basics of how it's done:

1. Build a product catalog, so customers can actually shop with you.

2. Build or install a "shopping cart" to receive their selections.

3. Create a secure check-out procedure so the customer can confidently give you their credit card, billing and shipping information.

4. At the same time, work with an online merchant lender, like VeriSign or Paypal, which will take your customer's credit card or checking account information, get the authorization, and then make the electronic transfer of cash to your checking account, or place the money in a holding account for you to draw from.

You may also want to include an automatic email response to your customer's purchase. The first step should be a talk with your Webmaster. He or she might have experience in this area, and you'll need his or her help setting it up.