E-commerce @ Host Pc

[spykat]

Hello all,

I'm interested in bringing business from the real world to the dizzying world of e-commerce. As a total newbie in this field I wanted to get any suggestions and help from those runnning their own e-commerce site. I've checked into paypal and although I've used it to purchase items, I'm a little skittish about the fees. Although, an Internet merchant account isn't that much better, however it still seems that paypal drives some customers away. Simply because for many it's something new, and unusual (not like shopping at Best Buy online).

Well, you can see that I've kind of hit a stumbling block here. I'm hoping others will share their e-commerce experiences with me and others who would like to enter this world. Please provide horror stories also, I want to know the good and bad of online commerce.

Thanks in advance!

[QuickGold]

This is a pretty broad topic. Per Paypal, unless your willing to invest money into a secure payment system, you're stuck with Paypal or 2checkout, which looks a little more professional and doesn't require a user account. 2checkout can be found at http://2checkout.com/

[spykat]

Thanks for your response!
Yeah it is a broad topic...I didn't what this topic be just for me, but for everyone on the great Host Pc servers who might be interested. Thanks for suggesting 2checkout, I'll give them a look.
I do have money to invest and have been looking at Monster Merchant Accounts (http://www.monstermerchantaccount.com/internet-merchant-account-rates.asp) ,however, I'm a cheap bastard, and anyway I can save a buck I'll do it! :) A specific question I have about Monster is do those rates sound right? I calculate that it's $25 a month plus transaction fees, I always heard horror stories about merchant accounts. Specifically, that unless you're making at least $5000 a month it's not worth it. But at their rate it may be the way to go...at least in the future.

Currently I'm thinking of going with paypal (or perhaps 2checkout) while I build traffic and interest and use it as a thermometer to see how many people would be interested in my products. If I see that I could pull in enough to cover the costs of a merchant account I'll upgrade.

Anyway, I'd love to hear some personal stories on how people overcame the e-commerce hurdle. If for nothing else- it's fun to talk about making money.

Thanks again for the response!

[eugene]

Some merchants who already have a brick-and-mortar storefront choose to process their orders by hand on the machines they already have on-site. This model works for certain goods, but if you are offering access to software or something other than a physical good, it just won't work.
-Eugene