Having found a website  hosting company and launched your site, you might want to consider adding online retail to your site, otherwise known as e-commerce.

There’s no doubting that e-commerce is almost impossible to ignore for any growing business. The figures tell there own story with the UK e-commerce market now valued at around £69 billion.

However, before leaping on the bandwagon there are some practical steps to consider.

First, to trade online beyond comprehensively, you will need what’s called a ‘Merchant Account’. This is a financial contract with a merchant acquiring bank that will let you accept debit and credit card payments. You can acquire one from a third party broker or direct from the banks themselves.

Next you will need to set up your website to handle e-commerce. There are a range of options, from simply using Paypal (which does not require a merchant account), to complex e-commerce software, which would include the vital ’shopping cart’. Many website designers are now geared up to integrating e-commerce in to their projects from the outset, so it is worth considering handing the whole process over to a professional designer.

Finally, a reliable, secure web hosting company, which can guarantee maximum uptime for your site, is essential. Here at CWCS, with our 99.99% operational guarantee, we can look after all your web hosting needs, and will be happy to assist you with any increase in traffic should you decide to branch out in to e-commerce.