Table of Contents
Part 1 Getting Started in E-Business Chapter 1 An Introduction to E-Business 1
Introduction 2
1.1 The History of the Internet and E-Businesses 2
1.2 The Power of Selling on the Internet 5
1.3 What Can You Sell Online 8
1.4 Popular E-Business Models 14
Chapter 2 The Law, Ethics, and Consumer Policies 23
Introduction 24
2.1 Legal Organization Options 24
2.2 Identification Numbers, Licenses, and Zoning 30
2.3 Understanding Copyrights and Trademarks 35
2.4 The Basics of Business Ethics 39
2.5 Establishing Online Policies 42
Chapter 3 Planning an E-Business 63
Introduction 64
3.1 Developing a Business Idea 64
3.2 Analyzing a Business Idea 69
3.3 Identifying a Target Market 75
3.4 The Value of a Business Plan 79
3.5 The Elements of an Effective Business Plan 83
Chapter 4 Financing and Launching an E-Business 97
Introduction 98
4.1 Launching a Business on a Tight Budget 98
4.2 Common Sources of Financing 104
4.3 Hiring Employees 112
4.4 Purchasing an Existing Web Site 116
Chapter 5 Accounting and Taxes 133
Introduction 134
5.1 The Basics of E-Business Accounting 134
5.2 Income Taxes for E-Businesses 142
5.3 Employment and Sales Taxes 145
5.4 Professional Accounting Support 148
Part 2 Operating an E-Business
Chapter 6 Online Payments and Shopping Carts 163
Introduction 164
6.1 Accepting Payments with Credit CRDS 164
6.2 Alternative Payments Options 172
6.3 An Introduction to Shopping Carts 177
6.4 Exploring Shopping Cart Solutions 182
Chapter 7 Products, Inventory, and Fulfillment 191
Introduction 192
7.1 Selecting and Pricing Products 192
7.2 Building and Managing Inventory 198
7.3 Successful Fulfillment Strategies 202
7.4 Shipping Products 209
Chapter 8 Marketing and E-Business 219
8.1 Marketing Basics: Branding and Budgeting 220
8.2 E-Business Advertising 224
8.3 Marketing to Newsgroups and Mailing Lists 230
8.4 Creative Promotional Strategies 234
Chapter 9 Effectively Using Search Engines 251
Introduction 252
9.1 An Introduction to Search Engines 252
9.2 Signing Up with Search Engines 256
9.3 <META Tags> and Keywords 264
9.4 Search-Engine Rankings 269
Chapter 10 E-Business Customer Service 279
Introduction 280
10.1 Understanding and Serving Online Customers 280
10.2 Sharing Product Information Online 288
10.3 Effectively Using Email for Customer Service 293
10.4 Advanced Customer Service Strategies 298
Part 3 Creating and Operating a Web Site
Chapter 11 Equipment, Software, and Web Hosting 307
Introduction 308
11.1 Basic Office Equipment 308
11.2 Essential Software 316
11.3 Internet Service Providers 321
11.4 Selecting a Web Host 325
Chapter 12 Successful Web Site Design 337
Introduction 338
12.1 Choosing and Registering Domain Names 338
12.2 Planning and Designing an Effective Web Site 346
12.3 Working with a Professional Web Designer 355
12.4 Launching a New Web Site 361
Chapter 13 Tracking and Analyzing Customer Data 371
Introduction 372
13.1 Assessing Web Site Traffic 372
13.2 Traffic Analysis with Software 380
13.3 Collecting Customer Information 386
13.4 Putting Customer Data to Work 392
Chapter 14 E-Business Security 401
Introduction 402
14.1 E-Commerce Risks and Security 402
14.2 Internet Security Threats 409
14.3 Security Planning 418
14.4 Advanced Topics in E-Business Security 423
Glossary 433
Index 443
