To find the most cost-effective marketing for your site, experiment with your advertising while keeping a sharp eye on your sales. Try new things: Implement innovative banner ads, play around with things like affiliate marketing, consider sponsorships — and see how your sales are affected.

    And keep at it. Your online storefront, like your business itself, must continue to grow and change to accommodate the evolution of your customers and products. This flexibility is key to keeping your e-business viable. Even if your products don't change much over the years, you need to constantly reevaluate and update your online presence. The quick and ever-changing nature of the Web can be daunting, but it can also bring customers, connections, and opportunities that never would have been possible otherwise.

    As you set out to create your own e-commerce site, keep in mind all that we've discussed here. With planning, hard work, and careful observation, you can build a site that's flexible enough to keep up with the ever-changing needs of your customers. And then you'll really be in e-Commerce