Whether you should or shouldn't be online trying to sell your wares is probably an argument long since relegated to the 'inconsequentiality' bin. Take a look around the Web at your competitors. If they are trading online, then so should you be. Whether or not you can afford to hire a team of Web designers and an armload of developers in order to create this e-commerce presence, however, is another matter.

Thankfully, we are now into fifth generation DIY Web shop creation software, and if you fancy having a go at making your own e-business Web site, there are certainly plenty of products from which to choose. In this particular round up, we will be looking at the current market leaders, a couple of contenders and one or two lesser-known examples, all available shrink-wrapped and off-the-shelf, ready to go.

Of course, before you part with your money, you should make sure the software can handle your payment terms. Not everybody wants to pay by credit card online, even now. You should also check how tax is handled, because we are in the EU, like it or not, and European VAT can be a nightmare for Web traders.

When it comes to costing for delivery also, some Web merchants add a mark-up, some charge a flat rate and some do it very accurately by weight. If you would like to utilise UPS or Parcel Force weight range scale charges, then you should make sure your e-commerce software can handle this for you - it might even import a file from your carrier, if you're lucky.

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