SCRIPTS

If you're at all good at programming with CGI, there are limitless scripts you can download for free or low cost. If you're all thumbs you could hire someone to configure script for you. One of best online programmers I know of is David Black. He's fast, reliable and his prices are fair. You can contact him at mailto:DavidBlack@thewavecave.com

1) CGI EXTREMES: http://www.cgiextremes.com/Scripts/Shopping_Carts/

You'll find a variety of CGI shopping scripts here ranging from free up to 300.00 in price. They'll work on a variety of platforms. Each one is rated on a scale of 1 to 10 for guidance in selection.

2) CGI Resource Index: http://cgi-resources.com

To find goodies here you'll need to drill down to appropriate category. Click on programs and scripts, then Perl, then shopping carts.

3) PERLSHOP: http://www.arpanet.com/PerlShop/perlshop.html

This CGI script is for sites hosted on a Unix system. It is free to use with their logo on pages.

4) PAY PAL SHOPPING CART http://www.cstafford.com/ppalstore.shtml

Check out this free CGI Shopping cart script that passes all of your credit card sales over to PayPal for easy processing.

SOFTWARE

1) SALES CART: http://www.salescart.com/

Specifically for FrontPage users. Cost is 179.00. Easy to set up using their step by step wizard.

2) PDG SHOPPING CART http://www.pdgsoft.com/cart.htm

Completely customizable to fit your needs. Integrates easily with FrontPage software or Dreamweaver. You can also use this cart to set up your own associate program. Works on Unix, NT servers and others. It is a little pricey at 750.00, but worth it for features you get.

3) Your E-Ware: http://www.youreware.com/home/

Fast and easy to use, with a low price that gives this software an edge. It will hold up to 2,500 products in up to 20 product categories. Works on Win 95.98 and Mac. Download free demo and take it for a spin. Final cost is under 100.00

There you have some of various options to choose from when setting up your online storefront. Before jumping into e-commerce waters, make sure you weigh your options and choose one that best fits your needs and your budget.

In terms of costs, online retailers seem to have obvious advantages over bricks and mortar retailers. Traditional retailers need to spend $3 to $5 million to open a store. They usually can only pull from a 25 mile radius, meaning they need to make a fair margin. While online merchants can set up shop for less, and sell internationally, many have set prices so low that it is impossible for them to make a profit. Therefore, good deals consumers now expect won't be sustainable over long haul. Only ones with deepest pockets can hold out, and one begins to wonder why they would want to.

Retailers are dealing with online sales in different ways. Barnes & Noble made mistake of not being first in their category to get online. Like so many other traditional merchants, they finally realized they could not afford to ignore brand reinforcement of Internet. Now they charge more for same books in their bricks and mortar stores where overhead prohibits Amazon-like bargain prices. It seems they are betting that instant gratification of talking to informed sales help and being immediately able to read a selected book in soft in-store chairs is worth a higher price. They may be right.

Meanwhile, like Amazon, a handful of online merchants realize that they need to emphasize superior service. Although low prices might bring a customer to a site, discounts along won't necessarily keep them there or get them to return. "We recognize we're a price leader, but we don't say to ourselves every day, 'Let's just slash and burn," says online electronics retailer NECX' director of operations Brian Marley. "I think it would be irresponsible for all of us just to compete on price, without doing heavy lifting that goes into creating a value-added service," Marley told The New York Times.

One very innovative online approach comes from Fruit of Loom, which provides not only its own t-shirts and underwear but also it competitors inside its e-commerce storefront. The company got 24 of nation's top 30 t-shirt wholesalers in $5 billion industry to commit to its electronic commerce platform. Fruit of Loom provides consulting and software to t-shirt wholesales setting up online stores. The stores' customers then search for t-shirts from any number of manufacturers. Fruit of Loom only demands that its products are first replacement option offered when another company is out of stock. Online, a store that provides complete information from a variety of sources can be more valuable than a single site that provides only its own or partial information.

NECX lets customers compare their prices to other stores on same item. Customers were comparing prices anyway, they reasoned, why not help them. The result? NECX is losing customers but making money. Sales are up 20% even though comparison engine is site's most common point of departure.

Still, bricks and mortar merchants have distinct advantage of giving customers what they want when they want it -- an experience that can supercede low price. Online shopping, no matter how pleasant, cannot (yet!) provide immediate reward of buying something and then wearing or using it an hour later.

There is a long way to go before Internet commerce shakes out. At this point I'm betting that at end of road lowest price won't be winner.