How to Build an Online Shopping Cart

If you have an online business, you'll want to be able to build a virtual shopping cart.

If you run an online business it's crucial to have a way for customers to buy your products online, and building an online shopping cart is the best way to do this. No matter if you are experienced with programming or just starting to work on the web, there are several online solutions you can use to create an online shopping cart. The Yahoo! small business suite includes tools to create your shopping cart, as well as host and build your website.

Things You'll Need

• A computer with online access
• A Yahoo! email address

Instructions

1. Go to the Yahoo! Small Business Website (smallbusiness.yahoo.com) and select "Ecommerce" from the navigation menu near the top of the screen. The business suite charges a small fee to create an account. Select the option that is best for you and enter your contact and payment information.

2. Choose a name for your online store. The name should be the same as your business. If you already have a website, you can use your website URL. Yahoo! also gives you the option of purchasing a URL through their company as well. Click Save and you will be redirected to the "Store Editor."

3. Enter an introduction message and store description in the relevant fields. You can also change the colors and add custom images. Click the Save button on the bottom of the page when you're finished.

4. Click the Catalog Manager option from the navigation bar. This is the section of the site where you upload your products. Click the Manage Your Items tab and add your product names, descriptions, images and prices. Click save to return to the main store page.

5. Choose your payout option. Yahoo! allows you to hook up your Paypal, checking account or several other payment options to your account. Decide how you would like to conduct your transactions and link them to your account. Click Save to be redirected to the homepage.

6. Click the Publish button at the top of your screen to launch your site. Yahoo! takes up to 48 hours to launch your online shop and you will receive an email when your store is ready for business.

References

• How do I start an online store?
• Setting up a Yahoo! shopping cart