US retail e-commerce sales for the third quarter of 2006 were estimated to be $ 25.6 billion according to a report released by the Census Bureau of the Department of Commerce (see footnote for source). This statistic shows the fact that more people than ever before are using the internet to conduct their businesses and make their purchases online. What does this mean for the internet entrepreneur? It translates into a potentially very lucrative way of generating an income from the comfort of your own home.
For the average person researching ways to make money on the internet, opening an online store may seem a bit daunting. Due to the seemingly high learning curve involved, this method of profiting from the Internet may be quickly discarded. These days, however, you do not have to be a computer whiz or be tech savvy to get your business online. All-in-one solutions are now available which make the process of opening an online store relatively simple. Choose one of these solutions and be walked through the process of creating an online presence. From site design and shopping cart functionality to generating traffic to your site, these comprehensive e-commerce plans will help you launch your website quickly, efficiently and reliably free.
Do not have anything to sell? Consider drop shipping. Drop shipping is a way to sell merchandise and products without having to keep items in stock. Drop shipping can take a lot of hassle out of being an e-tailer in that you do not have to produce anything to sell, neither do you have to maintain an inventory of items. In addition to those benefits, you can offer your customers a wide variety of goods from which to choose. Establish a relationship with brand name companies and their prestige will bring credibility to your store.
How does drop shipping work? Using this method of doing business online, you will accept orders and payments through your website and normally relay the customer's delivery and shipping details to the manufacturer. The manufacturer will then ship the items directly to the customer. You do not have to handle the merchandise at all! You are the middleman and profit from the markup of the item's wholesale price.
Think you will not be able to find products to sell or establish those necessary relationships with brand name vendors? There are online companies that have done all that work for you. All you have to do is sift through the hundreds of thousands of items they have available for products best suited to your store. Making money online has never been easier.
