How to Start an e-Business

Here's the blunt truth about e-commerce: Most of what you want to know will not be in books or even in magazines and newspapers. This industry is exploding so fast that the only medium that is successfully tracking developments is the Web itself. When you want to know more, or need answers to questions, log onto the Web and go searching. The information you crave is rarely more than a few mouse clicks away. Here you will find dozens of the sites that deserve tracking.

Consumers and the Net

• BBBOnLine: The Better Business Bureau's entry into monitoring e-tailers
• BizRate: A leader in evaluating e-tailers
• E-Commerce & the Internet: Advice from the Federal Trade Commission pinpointing common frauds
• WebAssured: Another e-tailer evaluator

E-Commerce Miscellany

• All Domains: Find out about (and buy) international domains here; countries from Afghanistan (af) to Zimbabwe (zw) have domains for sale
• Compare web Hosts: Helps compare competing hosting services
• LinkShare: Sign up for affiliate programs with name-brand e-tailers
• NetMechanic: Check your site for bad code and broken links, free of charge
• Network Solutions: The primary marketplace for registering U.S. domains
• TopHosts: Useful articles and background material to digest before picking a host
• Yahoo! Groups: Still the easiest and best way to set up a free internet mailing list--and it's free

Net Traffic Reports and Ratings

• comScore Media Metrix: Another take on web site traffic
• G�mez: Many e-commerce sites are critiqued and ranked by G�mez Advisors
• Forrester Research: Technology research and advice
• Internet Traffic Report: This site measures router volume at various points around the world
• Nielsen//NetRatings: Sites are ranked by unique audience, among other factors

Stats and More

• E-Commerce Times: More news from the e-tailing front lines
• eMarketer: A great news source with an e-commerce focus and lots of stats
• Internetstats: All kinds of Net-related statistics
• Nua: Nua compiles all the net-related stats it can find and puts them into a readable format
• Shop.org: An association of online retailers that compiles the latest industry stats