| The North Carolina Small Business
and Technology Development Center (SBTDC)
has written this e-Business Resource Guide to help
you understand your e-business options; make sound, affordable
decisions for your business; and learn where to go beyond
this guide.
We have developed two scenarios — one for businesses which
may only need a promotional website, and another for businesses
which intend to conduct e-commerce transactions online (with
customers, vendors, and other business entities).
Promotional sites essentially provide a web-based "brochure"
for your business. They are relatively simple, with costs
ranging from free to whatever you wish to spend.
E-Commerce (transactional) sites tend to be more complex,
more costly, and involve ongoing expenses.
For both, you will need to make careful investments of your
time and resources, and do so with a strategic focus.
This e-Business Resource Guide provides a decision
schematic based on questions most frequently asked by owners
of small to mid-sized businesses. You may follow the sequence
of questions top to bottom for either promotional or e-commerce
sites, or proceed directly to specific questions of interest.
For each question, you will find a brief response, followed
by annotated links to related resources. The annotations are
designed to help you determine whether this particular resource
may be of benefit to you. In addition, at the bottom of each
page is a glossary
link in case you don't understand any terms used.
Best wishes for e-success as you explore the exciting world
of e-business! We are interested in your feedback, so please
direct any questions or comments on this guide to info@sbtdc.org.
PROMOTIONAL WEBSITE
How do I know if I need a website?
How does a website fit into my
overall strategic plan?
How does my business get on
the internet?
What do I include on my website?
How do I market my promotional
website?
What legal issues should I worry
about?
How much will a website cost
me?
How do I maintain my site?
How do I know that my site
is successful?
How can I use my site to
learn more about my customers?
E-COMMERCE WEBSITE
What is e-commerce?
Am I ready for e-commerce?
What's involved in an e-commerce
site?
How do I take orders via the
Internet?
How do I market my e-commerce
website?
What legal issues should I worry
about?
How much will an e-commerce website
cost me?
How do I get paid?
How do I fill customer orders?
How do I protect my site (and
my customers' information)?
How do I know that my
e-commerce site is successful?
OTHER ISSUES
What are commom misconceptions
about having a web presence for my business?
I want to communicate with my employees more effectively.
Should I consider an Intranet
site?
I want to communicate with my vendors and customers.
Should I consider an Extranet
site?
This material is based on work supported by
the US Small Business Administration (SBA).
Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations
expressed are those of the author(s)
and do not necessarily reflect the views of the SBA.
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