Appendix B. Important Resources on the Web
This appendix provides a list of Net–based resources that will broaden your understanding of eCommerce and provide valuable information that will help you succeed in your online business. These eBusiness resources will help your growing enterprise compete by using sound business practices, establishing business and marketing relationships, building product and service quality programs, and entering international markets.
The resources listed here take a variety of formats. Many are standard web addresses whereas others are mailing lists. To subscribe to the mailing lists, simply send an email to the address listed, unless instructed otherwise.
Yahoo! Store Resources
My Ecommerce Success
MyEcommerceSuccess.com offers comprehensive Yahoo! store resources including training videos, articles, development companies, books, seminars, newsletters, and eMarketing strategies.
Solid Cactus
Yahoo!’s premier development partner. Solid Cactus has developed hundreds of Yahoo! stores.
Y–Times Publications
Y–Times Publications offers books on learning RTML as well as Yahoo! store tips and tricks.
Email Discussion Lists
E–Tailer Digest
www.etailersdigest.com/subscribe.htm
E–Tailer’s Digest is a resource for retail on the Net and is published in a moderated digest form every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. The E–Tailer Digest’s topics include any and all subjects that pertain to retailing.
FrankelBiz
www.robfrankel.com/frankelbiz/form.html
FrankelBiz is the Web’s only listserv devoted exclusively to doing business on the Web instead of talking about it. List members exchange reciprocal discounts, offer business leads, and do business with one another. Sponsors offer products and services at discounts to members.
GB Internet Marketing
www.digitalnation.co.uk/subscribe.htm
The GB Internet Marketing discussion list deals with all aspects of Internet marketing relevant to the United Kingdom.
GLOBAL_PROMOTE
This list is a forum for the discussion of issues relating to sales and marketing in the worldwide Internet marketplace.
The List of Marketing Lists
www.nsns.com/MouseTracks/tloml.html
A comprehensive directory of marketing discussion lists.
IESSlist
IESS (Internet Entrepreneurs Support Service) is a discussion group for entrepreneurs and businesses doing business on the Internet.
The Best Internet Marketing Forums
If you want to rapidly increase and enhance your online presence, you should become an active member of forums or discussion boards. The best of them are great places to spread the gospel, in a quiet way, about your service or product.
Retailer–News
The Retailer–News Digest mailing list is a moderated discussion list for retail business owners, managers, and salespeople.
SMBIZ
mail.abanet.org/archives/smbiz.html
The Small Business discussion list is for all small business owners, workers, marketers, and developers. To subscribe, send the message subscribe.
eBusiness Publications
American Demographics Magazine
Online reproduction of the print version of American Demographics magazine. The best demographic information online. A necessity for any good marketing plan.
Boardwatch Magazine
Guide to Internet access and the World Wide Web.
ClickZ
This column is published each business day and includes an eclectic mixture of online marketing news, opinions, and interviews.
CNET
As well as carrying all the latest technical news online, CNET publishes a weekly summary that provides links to all the major Internet stories from the previous week.
Entrepreneur Magazine
A wide range of articles and suggestions for starting, managing, and maintaining a small business.
Fast Company
Contains plenty of articles about emerging businesses. The website is well organized, expansive, and covers up–to–date issues for today’s entrepreneur.
INC. ONLINE
The award–winning web magazine for growing companies.
Interactive Week
Covers a variety of aspects of the Internet and interactive technology.
Net Magazine
Popular European Internet magazine.
Small Business Journal
The Small Business Journal magazine has tons of small business articles and information.
Web Commerce Today
Monthly email newsletter on selling products directly over the Internet.
Wired Magazine
Internet culture and business magazine.
eCommerce Times
The eCommerce Times offers industry strategies for online merchants and provides daily news, articles, and research.
Internet Retailer
Also offers industry strategies for online merchants and provide daily news, articles, and research.
SEO Chat
Search engine optimization news and tools.
General Resources
Domain Name Availability
Checks the availability of a domain name.
Emarketer
This site aims to be the definitive online marketing resource. It includes news, statistics, and step–by–step guides to succeeding online. A weekly newsletter also is available.
Incorporation and Trademarks
Incorporation and trademark services online (for all 50 states plus offshore).
NUA Internet Surveys
www.nua.ie/surveys/moreinfo.html
NUA publishes a weekly email newsletter that summarizes all the latest Internet surveys and statistics. This newsletter is an invaluable resource if you want to know who’s online and what they’re buying.
Wilson Web
This site contains a wealth of links to articles relating to every aspect of web commerce. Much of the information is free, although some areas are accessible by paying subscribers only.
Delphi Forums
Delphi Forums is one of the largest discussion boards on the Net and has more than 500,000 individual discussion forums to participate in.
Yahoo! Groups
Yahoo! Groups is a good resource for finding mailing lists that relate to your product or service. It is also one the easiest ways for companies to communicate with prospects and customers on the Internet.
Lsoft
Lsoft has the CataList, the official catalog of LISTSERV lists on the Net. CataList has tens of thousands of public discussion lists that you can subscribe to.
Blogger.com
A free blogging tool can be found at blogger.com. It is a very popular application that can get your blog up and running in minutes.
MyISPFinder
MyISPFinder will help you find and choose an ISP in your state.
Merchant Accounts
Here are some companies that specialize in merchant accounts for online merchants and are First Data Merchant Services (FDMS) compatible.
• 1st American Card Service: 1stamericancardservice.com
• Card Service International: cardservice.com
• Chase Merchant Services: chasemerchantservices.com
• Wells Fargo Merchant Services: wellsfargo.com
• First Bank: fbol.com
• Bank of Hawaii: boh.com
• Express Merchant Processing Solutions: empsebiz.com
• First Interstate Bank: firstinterstatebank.com
• Paymentech: paymentech.com
Nolo
The Nolo website is a great resource for information on the different forms of business entities and how to form them.
PRWeb
Online news and press release distribution service.
Webmaster World
News and discussions for web professionals.
Mailing List Resources
GOT Campaigner
Campaigner can help you grow your customer base, increase sales, create repeat customers, and measure the ROI (return on investment) of each direct emailing campaign.
Constant Contact
Do–It–Yourself email marketing service that will allow you to manage your email list and create email newsletters.
infoUSA Prospecting Lists
infoUSA is the premier provider of business and consumer mailing lists, sales leads, and databases. infoUSA, Inc. is the only company that compiles business and consumer data under one roof.
Financial Resources
Business Owners Idea Café
www.businessownersideacafe.com/financing/budget_calculator.html
A very simple, free budget calculator can be found at the Business Owners Idea Café.
Interest Rate Monitor
bankrate.com/brm/rate/cc_home.asp
Bank Rate Monitor lists lots of frequently updated information on which banks and credit card companies offer the best rates.