But you may be better off having really good people build and maintain it, Whalin says. If you re going to do this, you ve got to do it right. Now it s possible to set up your own cyber shop at a low cost. Store, GeoCitie s GeoShops, and MindSpring. Choosing one of these or another provider will depend on several factors.
Many banks also provide merchant services for online retailing.
They offer web page design and maintenance, setting up a retailer to create a product catalog online, shopping cart software and credit card authorization service. Of course, there are still ways to get involved in the Internet by piggybacking on another web site. And if you don t want a web site for your store, a brochure site that promotes your business without selling may help create foot traffic from Internet users. Remember, many consumers use their computer to window shop. Finally, beware the potential pitfalls.