How much will it cost my company to set up an e-commerce web site?
This is an open ended question and depends, obviously, on the size, nature and sophistication of the enterprise, inventory, marketing requirements, and many other factors. Here are some cost entities: Hardware and software to connect to the Internet Web site construction Staff to maintain the Web site Web hosting and Internet service provider charges Online communications costs, eg, phone lines, ISDN lines, cable Support staff for online order taking and customer care Marketing of Web site Credit card processing A ‘brochure’ web site can be built for a few thousand dollars to allow contact and orders by email. This is the minimalist position. At the other end of the scale, Internet startups which rely on attracting millions of web site visitors each month to enable them to sell advertising and other products and services, invest millions of dollars in the enterprise. How much you spend will depend on the results of a well considered business plan and the estimated return on investment;
