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There are hundreds of ways to set up an online store but we currently represent two storefront solutions that have stood the test of time. One is what we call "turnkey" in that it combines a shopping-cart back-end with an automated product catalog and after we help you get the store set up and launched you can optionally do the rest by yourself through a web interface that lets you work with your inventory without having to know anything about building web sites. The other option is to use a shopping cart back-end (which can optionally run credit cards in real-time through your credit card processor) and then you can do a custom html catalog that looks exactly the way you want it to (unlike the turnkey solution where customization is limited) but the catalog will need to maintained by someone trained in web site maintenance. Both solutions can be managed without having to hack on cgi/asp/php scripts (something to avoid unless you are a web programmer or have one on staff).
In order to accept credit card payments you will need to open a merchant account through a bank (this is something you have to do on your own) or leverage a payment service like PayPal or be part of an online mall that handles payment processing on your behalf and periodically cuts you a check for your portion of the proceeds (less their commission of course). If you want to have the customer's credit card run automatically at the time the order is placed then your credit card processor needs to be compatible with the shopping cart (so it pays to have an online store solution in mind when you look for a credit card solution).
Most online stores do some sort of shipping computation (and some tie into USPS and UPS shipping tables based on weight and destination zip code) but inevitably the amount the online store computes winds up being different from what you actually pay when you ship and you sometimes have to fiddle with weights, prices and handling charges to get shipping reasonably close.
You Have to Promote Your Store
Just having an online store presence doesn't guarantee any sales (contrary to what you may have heard). You need to find ways to drive traffic to your store (such as search engine promotion and print mailings or through a connection to an existing retail operation). Keep in mind that your online store will be competing with any other online store within reasonable shipping distance that carries similar products and that folks can take their time to comparison shop online for bargains (free shipping, 15% off, two for one, etc.) Especially with a store that stands by itself (no connection to an existing retail store), folks may be understandably nervous about placing an order so it helps to have a store that looks professional and operates smoothly.
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