| Introduction | 1 |
| You Can Do It! | 1 |
| Where This Book Is Coming From | 2 |
| How to Use This Book | 3 |
| What This Book Assumes | 3 |
| What's Where in This Book | 4 |
| Conventions Used in This Book | 6 |
| Icons Used in This Book | 6 |
| We're in It Together | 7 |
| Part I | Starting Your Own Online Business | 9 |
| Chapter 1 | Opening Your Own Online Business in Ten Easy Steps | 11 |
| Step 1 | Identify a Need | 11 |
| Seeing what's out there | 12 |
| Figuring out what's missing | 13 |
| Step 2 | Determine What You Have to Offer | 15 |
| Step 3 | Set Your Cyberbusiness Goals | 15 |
| Creating a business plan | 15 |
| Working without a storefront | 16 |
| Step 4 | Assemble Your Equipment | 17 |
| Finding a Web host | 17 |
| Getting the hardware you need | 17 |
| Choosing your software | 18 |
| Step 5 | Find the Support You Need | 19 |
| Hiring technical consultants | 19 |
| Gathering your team members | 20 |
| Step 6 | Build a Web Site | 21 |
| Creating compelling content | 21 |
| Establishing a graphic identity | 22 |
| Step 7 | Set Up Systems for Handling Sales | 23 |
| Providing a means for secure transactions | 24 |
| Keeping your books straight | 26 |
| Step 8 | Provide Customer Service | 26 |
| Sharing your expertise | 27 |
| Becoming a resource for customers | 27 |
| Becoming an e-mail expert | 28 |
| Step 9 | Advertise Your Business | 29 |
| Registering with Internet search services | 29 |
| Reaching the entire Internet | 29 |
| Step 10 | Evaluate Your Success and Move On | 30 |
| Taking stock | 30 |
| Updating your data | 31 |
| Chapter 2 | Setting Your Sights on Success | 33 |
| Envisioning Your Online Business | 34 |
| Finding inspiration | 35 |
| Standing out from the crowd | 35 |
| Sizing up commercial Web sites | 36 |
| Types of Online Businesses You Can Start | 37 |
| Selling consumer products | 38 |
| Selling your professional services | 38 |
| Selling information | 39 |
| Selling technology or computer resources | 41 |
| Selling your creative work | 41 |
| One-to-One Marketing Strategies | 43 |
| Get to know your audience | 43 |
| Catch a wave: Grab Web surfers' attention | 46 |
| Promote your expertise | 46 |
| Encourage potential customers to interact | 48 |
| Be a joiner | 48 |
| Find more than one way to sell | 51 |
| Chapter 3 | Your Online Business Equipment List | 55 |
| Hardware and Software Rules to Live By | 56 |
| Easyware (Not Hardware) for Your Business | 56 |
| The right computer for your online business | 57 |
| Safety devices | 63 |
| Multimedia add-ons | 63 |
| Keyboard | 65 |
| Monitor | 65 |
| Modem | 67 |
| Fax equipment | 68 |
| Image capture devices | 69 |
| Internet Connection Options | 71 |
| A second phone line | 72 |
| Beyond modems | 72 |
| Internet and Other Software | 75 |
| Web browser | 75 |
| Web page editor | 76 |
| Taking e-mail a step higher | 76 |
| Discussion group software | 77 |
| FTP software | 77 |
| Image editors | 78 |
| Internet Relay Chat | 79 |
| Internet Phone | 79 |
| Other business Software | 79 |
| Voice recognition software | 81 |
| Antivirus and troubleshooting software | 82 |
| Backup software | 83 |
| Internet storefront software | 83 |
| Part II | Putting Your Web Site to Work | 85 |
| Chapter 4 | Choosing Your Web Host and Design Tools | 87 |
| Finding a Host with the Most | 88 |
| Shopping for a Web Server to Call Home | 89 |
| Using online Web site creation kits | 91 |
| Setting up shop with America Online | 94 |
| Investigating electronic storefront software | 97 |
| Moving into an online mall | 100 |
| Turning to your ISP for Web hosting | 102 |
| Going for the works with a Web hosting service | 106 |
| Choosing a Web Page Editor | 109 |
| For the novice: Use your existing programs | 109 |
| For intermediate needs: User-friendly Web editor | 110 |
| For advanced commerce sites: Programs that do it all | 112 |
| Chapter 5 | Organizing and Designing Your Business Site | 115 |
| Organizing Your Web Site | 115 |
| Establishing Your Store's Identity -- Visually | 117 |
| Choosing your Web page wallpaper | 118 |
| Using special Web typefaces | 120 |
| Copying and using clip art | 121 |
| Adding scanned images | 122 |
| Creating a logo | 126 |
| Using Advanced Web Page Layouts | 127 |
| Setting the tables for your customers | 127 |
| Framing your subject | 129 |
| Turning to a Professional Web Designer | 131 |
| Chapter 6 | Adding Content and Interactivity to Your Site | 133 |
| Give 'Em What They Want! | 134 |
| Get it all out in the open | 135 |
| Make your content scannable | 139 |
| Give something away for free | 143 |
| Make your site searchable | 145 |
| Writing for an Online Business Site | 146 |
| Striking the right tone | 146 |
| Letting others speak for you | 147 |
| Sharing your expertise | 147 |
| Getting Your Customers to Talk Back | 148 |
| Inviting e-mail feedback | 148 |
| Using Web page forms | 150 |
| Providing a guestbook | 151 |
| Gathering 'round the water cooler | 155 |
| Chapter 7 | Marketing to a Worldwide Audience | 157 |
| Speaking Their Language | 158 |
| Minding your Ps and Qs (puns and quips) | 158 |
| Using the right salutations | 158 |
| Making your site multilingual | 159 |
| Using the right terms | 162 |
| Joining the International Trade Brigade | 162 |
| Keeping up with international trade issues | 163 |
| Researching specific trade laws | 164 |
| Exploring free trade zones | 165 |
| Shipping Overseas Goods | 166 |
| Getting Paid in International Trade | 167 |
| Part III | Promoting Your Online Business | 169 |
| Chapter 8 | Conducting E-Commerce on Your Site | 171 |
| What Online Customers Want | 172 |
| Tell me how much it costs, now | 172 |
| Show me that I can trust you! | 172 |
| Give me all the information I need! | 173 |
| Enabling Credit Card Purchases | 174 |
| Setting up a merchant account | 175 |
| Finding a secure server | 176 |
| Verifying credit card data | 176 |
| Processing the orders | 177 |
| Online Payment Systems | 179 |
| Shopping cart software | 180 |
| CyberCash | 181 |
| MilliCent | 182 |
| Other payment options | 183 |
| Fulfilling Your Online Orders | 184 |
| Provide links to shipping services | 184 |
| Present shipping options clearly | 186 |
| Chapter 9 | Service with a Virtual Smile | 189 |
| Customer Service = Information | 190 |
| Sticking to the FAQs | 190 |
| Starting an online newsletter | 191 |
| Helping Customers Talk Back to You | 192 |
| Using advanced e-mail techniques | 193 |
| Creating simple Web page forms | 197 |
| Turning Customers into Members | 201 |
| Putting the "person" into personal service | 201 |
| Creating a discussion area on your site | 202 |
| Starting an alt discussion group | 203 |
| Creating a Web discussion area with FrontPage | 204 |
| Chapter 10 | Market, Technical, and Business Research | 207 |
| Finding Out What Your Customers Want | 208 |
| "Online" Means More Than "On the Web" | 209 |
| Mining for FTP treasures | 209 |
| Using Telnet to search library card catalogs | 211 |
| Gopher: No-frills information on the Internet | 211 |
| Proprietary online database services | 213 |
| Becoming an Online Power Searcher | 213 |
| Web search engines | 214 |
| Internet subject catalogs | 218 |
| Virtual reference resources | 218 |
| Keeping up with the news | 219 |
| Finding Statistics and Business Resources | 220 |
| Show me the money | 220 |
| Who's shopping online? | 220 |
| General Internet and Web statistics | 221 |
| Researching Computer and Tech Topics | 221 |
| Finding help with hardware glitches | 221 |
| Overcoming networking dilemmas | 222 |
| Chapter 11 | Advertising and Publicity | 223 |
| Developing a Marketing Strategy | 224 |
| Building a brand | 224 |
| Blanketing versus targeting | 225 |
| Using Free Publicity Strategies | 225 |
| Getting listed in the Yahoo! index | 226 |
| Getting listed with search services | 227 |
| Embedding keywords in your pages | 228 |
| Starting a newsletter | 232 |
| Joining newsgroups and mailing lists | 236 |
| Keeping an online "little black book" | 238 |
| Pssst ... can we link? | 238 |
| Striking up a business partnership | 238 |
| Holding a contest | 239 |
| Placing banner ads | 240 |
| LinkExchange | 243 |
| Part IV | Law, Security, and Accounting | 245 |
| Chapter 12 | Security for Your Commerce Site | 247 |
| Basic Business Safety Strategies | 247 |
| Protecting your home-office privacy | 248 |
| Watching out for icebergs | 249 |
| Providing Public-Key Security for Your Business | 252 |
| How public-key/private-key encryption works | 252 |
| Obtaining your own certificate | 253 |
| Keeping Your Sensitive Content Secure | 256 |
| Using personal encryption software | 256 |
| Encrypting your e-mail messages | 257 |
| Picking a good password | 260 |
| Protecting content with authentication | 260 |
| Chapter 13 | Keeping It All Legal | 263 |
| Trade Names and Trademarks | 264 |
| Researching a trademark | 264 |
| Protecting your trade name | 266 |
| Copyright Management | 268 |
| What's protected by copyright | 268 |
| How to protect your copyright | 269 |
| Licensing and Other Restrictions | 272 |
| Knowing about local fees or restrictions | 272 |
| Keeping up with trade restrictions | 273 |
| Determining the Legal Form of Your Business | 274 |
| Sole proprietorship | 274 |
| Partnership | 274 |
| Incorporation | 275 |
| Steering Clear of Legal Trouble | 276 |
| Be wary of multilevel marketing | 276 |
| Be aware of risks with adult content | 277 |
| Know about acceptable use policies | 277 |
| Pay your state sales taxes | 277 |
| Chapter 14 | Online Business Accounting Tools | 279 |
| Basic Accounting Practices | 280 |
| Choosing an accounting method | 280 |
| Knowing what records to keep | 281 |
| Understanding the Ps and Qs of P&Ls | 284 |
| Accounting Software for Your Business | 284 |
| The big commercial programs | 285 |
| Shareware programs for the budget-conscious | 287 |
| Finding accounting help online | 291 |
| Small Business Tax Concerns | 293 |
| Federal and state taxes | 293 |
| Deducing your business deductions | 294 |
| Using online tax resources | 296 |
| The Starting an Online Business For Dummies Internet Directory, 2nd Edition | 297 |
| Accounting Software | 300 |
| Advertising Your Site on the Web | 301 |
| Auctions | 302 |
| Business Resources on the Web | 302 |
| Classifieds | 304 |
| Developing Compelling Content | 304 |
| Domain Names | 305 |
| E-Commerce Service Providers | 306 |
| Fax Services | 307 |
| Finance | 308 |
| Free Business Web Sites | 308 |
| Free E-Mail Accounts | 310 |
| Free Forms Online | 311 |
| Free Internet Access | 312 |
| Free Phone Service |  |
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