So You Want an E-Commerce Site?

While many businesses have found e-commerce to be a key driver for growth, others have struggled to gain a foothold in the vast marketplace the Internet has created.

Mountain Gear Inc., a high-end outdoor gear and clothing retailer here, is an example of a Spokane business that has figured out how to take advantage of the retail industry's brave new online frontier. The company's mail-order and Internet sales volumes have scaled the kind of heights its customers achieve, growing between 25 percent and 35 percent annually for the past few years, to the point they now make up roughly 80 percent of its overall revenues, says Vice President Dave Noonan.

That's easier said than done. Before launching an e-commerce presents of their own, business owners should know beforehand that sustaining a vibrant Internet business requires continually evaluating and fine-tuning a Web site, Noonan says. It also involves responding quickly to advancements in technology, and meeting consumers' increasingly high expectations for an online shopping experience, he says.