Creating the site is obviously a one-time activity if you re lucky. If actually creating the site is beyond the abilities of your staff, you might want to consider using a consultant for the short time necessary to get a heartbeat. But maintaining the site is an ongoing activity, so you want to make sure it is within your scope. This can be difficult to judge. Go for a spin Another suggestion is to see if the vendor has a demo site available.
Some vendors do, precisely so prospective customers can take a site for a spin before buying.
The demo site should include most of the tasks you ll be doing regularly. Finally, ask to speak with other customers and find out from them how easy the product was to use. Security is a major concern on several fronts. It s never pleasant for any site to get hacked, and it is especially embarrassing if it happens to a government agency. And an e-commerce site has to consider the privacy and the financial safety of its users.