Wiley Pathways E-Business

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