My firm has developed 18 e-commerce sites since 1995 using a variety of e-commerce software and platforms, so I'm a kindred spirit. I'm a nuts and bolts person. How does it work? Why? How does it interface with other hardware and software.

Perhaps the place to start is with our tools to help you select shopping cart or e-commerce software.

You might enjoy reading an article I've written for merchants to evaluate developers, and see how you measure up. :-)

Motivating Shoppers to Actually Purchase

I've found that some of the best e-commerce developers have a strong grasp of the technical aspects of e-commerce, but little grasp of the motivational factors involved. You'll need to design both the shopping interface and product display templates to maximize shopper confidence and increase the click-through rate. We help you here with lots of information on online store design.

We're not competitors but colleagues

I used to feel like I was in competition with other e-commerce design firms, but I rapidly found that I get more work than I need, and there is an absolutely huge market out there.

So I've decided to share with you -- after all, you're going to be a paying subscriber -- every trick I've learned over nearly four years of e-commerce development. I'll pass on my knowledge -- and some of the mistakes I've made along the way -- so you can offer your clients the very best

I'm on your side. I write with your needs in mind. Not that Web Commerce Today is a techie publication. It's not. But it includes quite a bit of nuts and bolts information to make your job easier.

A Phone Conversation

I just got off the phone with a Web developer who said his clients are now asking about how they can get into e-commerce.

"Have you subscribed to Web Commerce Today?" I inquired.

"No," he said. "I only subscribe to your free publication, Web Marketing Today."

"I've found that e-commerce projects pay developers better than just informational websites," I told him. "When all you're talking about is $49.95 annually, you'll make that back on your first job. Easily!"

I hope my caller subscribes. It willhis design firm to a field that they will either embrace -- or pass them by.

If you're a e-commerce developer or a design firm thinking about e-commerce, I can truly say that the very best investment you'll ever make is Web Commerce Today. Subscribe today. Don't put it off. Do it now!

"Your insights are invaluable..." Judith Kallos, The Istudio

"Simply put, you have been one of the few that has been keeping up as I have attempted (12 hour days since 1995) to do. The resources you offer, and your insight are invaluable in letting me know what I may have missed or from your point of view what is important to think about." -- Judith C. Kallos, Director of Internet Development, The Istudio, www.theistudio.com

"Need to know what is new," Pete Martinez, Hawaii Internet Emporium

"As the owner of a Web Site development company, I need to know what is new next week, next month and next year. Your newsletter is one of several we monitor to see what you are commenting on. We use it as a valuable resource. Please keep up the good work." -- Pete Martinez, Founder and President, Hawaii Internet Emporium, Inc. www.HawaiiBiz.com

"A ring of truth," Steven Sanchez, InterNexus

"I have been in the Internet business for the last 7 years. When I found your free newsletter about marketing it was one of the few that had the ring of truth to it. I found your thinking ran along similar lines as mine and was a relaistic middle ground between the 'everything should be free' and 'bring a million dollars' attitudes. When you offered the Commerce newsletter for a fee, it seemed a way to say thank you by demonstrating support, and as we were providing commerce solutions ourselves, I was interested in your take on this emerging area as well." Steven Sanchez, CEO, InterNexus, Inc., Agoura Hills, California www.internexus.com

"You save me time," Alan Manning, Tantalus

"At Tantalus we build integrated E-Business sites. It is important for me to stay on top of what is happening in this industry and you save me time by having many relevant articles in one place." -- Alan Manning, Director of Sales & Marketing, Tantalus Communications Inc., Vancouver, British Columbia www.tantalus.com

Special if you subscribe to Web Commerce Today before the end of the Month I'll give you three e-books worth $87.85 absolutely free if you subscribe before the end of the month. The 213-page Shopping Cart Report is the most comprehensive purchasing guide to e-commerce software ever published. It provides a basic overview, as well as special informaiton on B2B, digital, and members-only e-commerce software. The top eight small to medium business shopping cart programs are compared and contrasted, and many of them reviewed in detail. In addition, you'll find links to online reviews of over 500 e-commerce programs. I sell this for $34.95. My 119-page ebook is A Merchant's Guide to E-Commerce Payment Gateways, a must if you are trying to figure out what payment gateway to get, and how this piece fits with the other pieces of your online venture. In this report I recommend several gateways, and tell you about a total of 90. You also get candid user feedback from 70 readers. I sell this for $29.95. My 108-page "Report on Affiliate Management Software: User Feedback and Editor's Choices" gives candid feedback from 90+ people whose companies manage affiliate programs. Some of what they say is damning, some offers deserved praise. If you're planning to set up an affiliate program, this e-book will guide you -- and perhaps keep you from losing your job from making a wrong decision. I sell it for $22.95 on my website. My 24-page "How to Develop a Landing Page that Closes the Sale" explains how to maximize the effect of your advertising, by pointing to a specific "landing page" that leads the shopper to decide to complete the transaction. This short 24-page book will help you increase your conversion rate substantially. I sell it for $17.50 on my website. But if you subscribe (or renew your subscription) to Web Commerce Today before the end of the month, I'll give you a copy of all four e-books absolutely free. Together they're worth $105.35 -- and if you add in the subscription price of $49.95, the total value is $155.30. But you'll receive the e-books absolutely free when you pay only the subscription price of $49.95 . Don't miss out. Subscribe now!

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