Take some time to compare benefits to having an online presence: once upon a time idea would have been regarded as impossible unless you were a Global concern, with millions to spend on research, office resources, staff, presence building, and merchandise stocking. The whole process can take a few weeks to a few years and thousands of dollars.

Getting a website on Internet is a lot easier, immediate and a lot less expensive. The learning curve and hence ‘first step’ is steep, but short. Matching simplicity and low expense is highlight for any businessman, because result is incomparable.

The first step to getting an online presence is to think up a unique name, called a “domain name” then to register your domain name, which should not cost you more then US$15 per year. For example: if your company name is ‘XYZ Exports’, you may consider registering a domain name like ‘xyz.com’, or ‘xyzexports.com’ or even ‘xyz-exports.com’.

Now you have to decide what type of website (online shop front) you want. You can have a website, which will provide information about your products, company, and contact details. Or you may decide upon a website that will not only provide useful business and product information to your prospective customers, but will ‘collect’ valuable marketing information and even take orders from ready-to-pay customers, in effect, making sale for you. These days there are many reasonably well priced local web designers who will be able to make your website ‘glow’ at a reasonable cost.

Sound familiar? If so, consider this:

Yes, there are dishonest merchants on web and yes, some merchants offer dismally poor customer service. Nevertheless, it's a mistake to paint everybody with same brush. Many of merchants that operate online businesses are legitimate and are interested in turning you into a satisfied customer. However, in your role of consumer you have to give them a fighting chance.

Before you fire off that email, consider following;

* Have you provided merchant with a description of what happened when you tried to use product? Saying "It doesn't work" provides so little information that merchant has no idea what is happening and cannot advise you. What exactly did you do? What specifically happened? Did you receive any error messages? What were they?

* Is there any chance that problem stems from your own lack of computer skills? Do you know how to use an online shopping cart, how to download files, how to work with various file formats or how to install software? While many online merchants are willing to help you as much as possible, they are not responsible for teaching you basic computer skills. Moreover, many may be less than patient after being blamed for a problem that is not of their making.