Entering into E-commerce is strictly a business decision that should be considered as part of any business plan.  Since the early days of the Web, E-commerce has gone through extensive development and implementation.  Therefore, choices are great if one decides to integrate E-commerce into their Web strategy.  If the scope is small, a business may find it cost effective to utilize services provided by companies like Amazon and Yahoo! that offer online store hosting services for a modest fee.  The service is typically a turnkey solution for quickly establishing E-commerce along with payment processing.  The downside is a lack of flexibility in customization. 

If the scope of the E-commerce initiative is much bigger, a customized solution would always be the better choice. There are many commercial packages available that offer advanced functions for inventory control, order fulfillment, reporting and credit card processing.  A Web consultant can assist in recommending a suitable system and setting up the online business securely and efficiently.