So you want to sell online...

But you don't have $15 - $30K to spare for a custom site. (Yes, my dears, that is how much it will run you for a decent site that does not look like your Uncle Larry put it together). Surely there's a cheaper solution...

Well, here's what's currently available:

1) eBay store. Okay, most of these are really hokey, but if you skip the plaid-and-bows wallpaper, and stick to one font, you might just be okay. Yes, you will have to have the 1001 links to all things eBay, but most eBayers are accustomed to this terrain. Just know that you will have to be VERY prompt and courteous at all times, in order to maintain your critical Seller's reputation.

2) Yahoo store
Much improved but still not ideal if your plans are long-term. All webpages are written in Yahoo's proprietary code (translation: they own your site, you can't host it anywhere else). As sales pick up and you begin to make money, you'll realize that you're paying too much for their hosting, but by then it's too late. You will be forced to rebuild the site from scratch to host it elsewhere, or stay with Yahoo. Oh, and their tech support is a joke. Unless you enjoy speaking to a very polite but hopelessly lost trainee in Bombay.

2) Google Check Out
If you are based in the US or UK, you can set up a Google Merchant account. Then you can either a) add a Google "Buy Now" button to your blog or website. The customer will be transported to the Google site for processing. This works for single items only (i.e. the customer can only buy one item at a time, no "add to cart" extended shopping trips. This is fine if all you have is one book/software solution/one-size-fits-all T-shirt, etc. Or b) you can dive into the do-it-yourself shopping cart set up. If you emerge with your sanity intact (doubtful), you will have a clunky-looking but serviceable shopping cart system in place, that may or may not look anything like your site. Will anyone in their right mind use it? Probably not. Google is best known for sharing information, not safeguarding it.

3) PayPal
Same as option 2 above, only safer and available to a wider global audience. (PayPal is owned by eBay. They've been handling online transactions for awhile. Google just got interested in 2007.) They offer single buttons or do-it-yourself carts, or custom carts. Many developers use PayPal for a custom cart regardless of budget since it's been refined and has widespread support. Just don't expect it to look anything like a big-brand ecommerce site. They have entire departments to run their ecommerce.

In any case, you'll need a website to attach your shoppng cart/button. A blog is fine for a single-item scenario, but otherwise useless, as it's one giant long page.

Basically, there's still no quick-and-easy ecommerce solution for anyone with an ounce of sense or taste.

The good news is that once it's up, a well-built, beautiful site will work 24/7 for you, reaching a global market, with no overhead other than your server's hosting fee (approx $20/month) and your bank transactions. Compared to setting up, furnishing and operating a brick-and-mortar store, it's still a bargain.

But what to do if you still can't afford it? Have a simple, beautiful mini website built, add an 800-number or a Skype (skype.com) international number, and take your orders by fax/phone. You can always process your credit card orders offline, the old-fashioned way. You can still advertise online and attract customers from around the world. You will have more success going that route, than if you settle for a cheesy "build-your-site-in-5-minutes!" offer.

Apple's iPhone: Invention of the Year?

Time Magazine just crowned the Apple iPhone, "The Invention of the Year" (why? read the article - it's quite interesting) and the tech world is in an uproar: "Since when did Apple invent the cellphone?!" "But it only works with AT&T!" blah blah blah.

No, Apple didn't invent all the technology in the iPhone (though the stable Mac OS X is at the heart of it). But Henry Ford didn't invent all the parts in a car, either. Yet he was the first to combine them all in an attractive, accessible, fun package. (Who remembers the steering wheel inventor?) So today, he is the one credited for inventing the car. And his "invention" changed the world.

The iPhone is a testament to the power of great composition and design. Sure, a Blackberry may download your email faster. But there's not one ounce of aesthetic delight or fun in it. It's just another tool. The iPhone is a tool AND a toy AND a fashion accessory. And that's a tough combo to beat.

Beautiful design speaks to the soul. It bypasses your best reasoning functions. You fall for it time and again. Good design pays for itself 100 times over, because it delivers a shot of pure earthly satisfaction. And who can resist that?