Everybody has told you that you need to sell your products online; that you’ll make more money, that you’ll get new clients, etc., etc. But when it comes to actually implementing it, you find that it’s not as easy. You get offers and packages from different suppliers, but you are not sure what they exactly mean, much less whether they will help you achieve what you want and whether they are a good deal or not.

Here is a brief explanation of the four most important tools that you need to sell online.

• Hosting. Web hosting is a service provided that companies. It allows you to put your website on the Internet, normally through the use of their servers. Simple hosting services include a web page and limited hosting of files, while more complex ones include bigger file storage limits, database support and application development support for specific features. Think of hosting as the floor, walls, ceiling and storage of a real store, ready for you to move in your equipment and products.

• Shopping cart. Shopping cart is a type of software that allows you to categorize your products and present them to your customers. The most important feature of a shopping cart is that it allows your customer to select several items and pay for them as a group, rather than having to purchase them individually. This usually allows you to give discounts in price or shipping costs for orders that involve several items. A good shopping cart makes it easy for customers to find the items they’re looking for. Think of shopping car t software as the aisles and shopping carts of a real store.

• Payment gateway. A payment gateway is a service that allows you to process payments from your clients. It allows you to receive payments from credit cards, with Visa and MasterCard being the most common, as well as other online forms of payments, such as PayPal. Think of a payment gateway as the cashier or point of sale terminal of a real store.

• SSL. SSL is short for Secure Sockets Layer and it’s a computer protocol (a form of communication between computers) that allows the exchange of information between a customer’s web browser (such as Explorer or Firefox) and a seller’s web site in a discreet, secure, and integral way. This allows you to protect the financial information of your customers, such as their credit card numbers. Think of SSL as a virtual policeman that is standing next to your cashier making sure that your clients are protected.

Of course, there are more elements to a web site, but these are the most important ones. Understanding them is crucial for your commercial success in the Internet.

The main reason why people get their businesses online is to make money. And to make money, they need to get paid through one of the many payment gateways there are.

Choosing a payment gateway is not an irrelevant decision. Since you plan to receive all your payments through it, it’s reliability and cost is important.

Here are a few tips to help you select one that will meet your needs:

• Compatibility: The payment gateway should be compatible with the rest of the applications on your website. Especially with your shopping cart or any third party applications that are involved in the payment.

• Price. Don’t pay attention to the lowest price. Instead, consider all the hidden costs that are involved, such as cost per transaction, total monthly cost, etc., which takes us to the next point.

• Payment Analysis. Analyze your needs and have a clear idea of how many payments you will receive, the average quantity of these payments, highest and lowest amounts, and total transaction volume per month. Ideally, you should also have some future projections. Even if it’s difficult to get these numbers exactly, thinking about them will allow you to calculate the cost per transaction and total cost you’ll incur in.

• Technical Support. Read some unbiased reviews on the payment gateways you’re considering. Good customer service is very important, since it can mean keeping or losing a client for you.

Consider PCI-Compliant Payment Gateways Only. This little certification will offer you the best security available for your customers.

Are you still waiting to jump on the Internet wagon? Do you still think that the cost is not worth it? Here are 10 reasons to put your business on the Internet.

1. Reach New Customers All Over the World. Your product might just be what many people are looking for but can’t find in their own countries. By putting your business on the web, people from literally all over the world can get access to your products or services.

2. Lower Sales Costs. You don’t have to make expensive travels to Japan, the UK, or Argentina anymore. Not even phone calls or faxes. Just give your regular customers your web address and let them buy directly from you.

3. Automate Processes. Most purchasing processes are the same. By automating your sales process on a website, repetitive and tedious tasks are done automatically, liberating your staff from them so they can focus on those exceptional cases or special orders.

4. Payment in Advance. Although with your regular customers you will still continue to have the same credit terms you’ve been having, every new customer will pay you in advance, improving your cash flow and credit line.

5. It’s Much Cheaper than You Think. Many people think having a website for their businesses is expensive, but in reality is much cheaper than they think. In fact, you don’t have to limit yourself to the suppliers in your country. By outsourcing it to companies in other countries, you can get very affordable prices.

6. Make Information About Your Company and Your Products Available. Instead of printing and sending hundreds of brochures and catalogs just so a client can see the specs of one product, put all that information on your web and make it available to everyone at any time.

7. Make Sales While You Sleep. Literally!! By creating a website (and promoting it online), customers from different time zones will come, buy your products and pay for them while you sleep. Next day, you’ll find orders paid and ready to be sent.

8. Get Feedback from Customers. By allowing customers to post comments (anonymously or not) you can get feedback about your service and products, and make the necessary improvements.

9. Answer Frequently Asked Questions. You know your business better than anyone, and you know what questions people ask over and over. By posting a FAQ on your website, you will reduce this inquiries by up to 90%.

10. Make More Money!!! Simple as that. More sales, less costs, more clients, new markets. That’s more money for you.