With almost £9 billion a year now being spent by UK consumers via the internet, it's becoming increasingly important for many small businesses to be equipped with a clear and effective website which allows customers to browse and purchase at their leisure.
Of course, some budding entrepreneurs decide that all they really need to do is call round a few friends to help them hammer out a cheap but popular website that will be their online passport to big profits.
Unfortunately, research has shown that there is widespread consumer dissatisfaction with small firms' websites, which suggests that entrepreneurs need to put in a bit of extra time and money to make sure that customers come flocking back to their sites.
Although an ecommerce site can be as small as a single page giving out contact details and a list of prices, features such as message boards and mailing lists allow potential customers to interact more with your company, encouraging repeat visits.
