There are millions of e-commerce ideas that can drain entrepreneurs of time, energy, and most important, capital. To help you find the right strategies for your business, we've put together this reading list.

Building Your Virtual Store

Pick a Web Business Model that Works for You
If you don't focus your e-commerce strategy on well-defined objectives, your online store could tank faster than the latest Keanu Reeves movie.
Establishing a Merchant Account for Your Web Business
To accept credit cards online, you need to open a merchant account at a bank. Find the right one for your business with our help.
Legal Aspects of E-Commerce
Delivering products via the Web opens up a host of legal issues that deserve your attention.

Customer Service on the Net

May I Help You?
New live-chat software helps Web merchants convert browsers into buyers.
Need Help? Don't Call Us
Online peer forums boost customer satisfaction while cutting costs.
Checklist: Hire and Train Your Customer Service Staff
In a world where job vacancies outnumber qualified employees several times over, it's not easy to find good customer support. Check out our checklist for hiring, training, and evaluating your customer service staff.
Pumping Your Visitors for Information
Finding out about who's coming to your site is crucial to being successful online. Barring new technology that turns PCs into two-way mirrors, here are some of the latest ways to get the skinny on your visitors.

Troubleshooting

Add a Human Touch to Your Web Site
It doesn't take a focus group to figure out that more people buy online when they feel like they are talking to a human being, not a computer server. Here's how to humanize your site.
E-Mail: Your E-Commerce Ally
Bringing customers to your online store doesn't have to be as complicated as building it. A well-executed e-mail marketing strategy is the oil in the gears of your e-commerce machine.