There are several ways to start selling online. From simple stores, which can be implemented in as little as a few hours, to highly advanced ones. In the case of simple solutions, the cost of implementation and maintenance (excluding your own labor) can amount to several hundred zlotys per year. Stores can be purchased as ready-made “off-the-shelf” solutions. These are stores bought as standard software sold in boxes at computer stores and online. The cost of purchasing a ready-made solution ranges from several hundred to several thousand zlotys. A separate solution is building a dedicated, advanced solution from scratch. The cost of such a solution, depending on the level of complexity,
is usually several tens of thousands of zlotys.
A fast, cheap, and simple store
The simplest method is to build a website containing product descriptions and an order form, from which data is sent via email to a person who will then manually handle the order fulfillment. If you build such a store yourself (basic web development skills are required), the cost of launching it can range from zero to several hundred zlotys, and launching a basic version with a range of a dozen or so products can take from a few hours to a few days. To build your own store, you can also use dedicated tools. Examples of such solutions include www.snapfiles.com, ShopFactory
by 3D3.com, Great Shop Creator, easySHOP by Neutron-IT, and H@ndel by Triger. Besides building the store, you must account for the costs
of purchasing your own domain, i.e., an internet address, e.g., www.sklep.pl (approximately 150 PLN net/year), and the cost of hosting the store on a web server. This cost ranges from zero to several tens or hundreds of zlotys per year, depending on the amount of allocated
space, guaranteed connection speed, database support capabilities, and many other parameters. Free accounts usually display advertisements, which is why we recommend using commercial accounts. For a simple store website, purchasing an account for a few dozen zlotys, e.g., 50 PLN per year, is sufficient. Regardless of whether we are building a simple store that only meets basic functions or a very advanced one, we must always remember to ensure the security of data transmitted by users to prevent it from being intercepted by unauthorized persons. It is also necessary to create and publish the store’s terms and conditions.
Purchasing a ready-made store
Companies that do not need to build specific, dedicated solutions for their business that require an individual approach, but are interested in a professional store solution, should consider the possibility of purchasing a ready-made store. There are many
solutions available. Some of the more popular ones are EasySHOP and SOTeSKLEP. There are also free solutions available, such as Shopm@n XP, available at http://www.idg.pl. The cost of purchasing a ready-made store varies depending on the available features, ranging from several hundred
to several thousand zlotys. Ready-made stores are easy to launch. They have a wide range of functionality and can be individually configured, thus giving the store a unique character.
The article comes from the magazine “e-Fakty” 4/2006.