Today, entrepreneurs who own start-ups or small/medium business are faced with a quick need to setup e-business/ecommerce website with limited budget. They may not even know what tools are required or how to hire a consultant for their website development needs. I(as an entrepreneur with a small team) have been handling 5 to 10 such new clients per month from around the world. I thought it would be helpful to list out some useful tips and advice for such businessmen so that they can get their website developed with minimal hassles.
Here is a quick cheat-sheet for entrepreneurs:
1) Drupal is definitely one of the most cost-effective platforms for e-business/ecommerce website - go for it.
2) Choose a hosting company that supports drupal.
3) Drupal contains lots of features but it requires some experts to set it up for your business needs. So hire a drupal expert/consultant/team that suits your budget.
4) Be prepared to spend more on your server needs and hosting feeds as your website traffic grows.
5) Don't hesitate to pay for the consultant to upgrade/maintain the website as your business improves.
6) Sometimes if you pay monthly retainer fees, the consultant/consulting company would be able to respond to your queries faster and attend to your issues faster.
7) Drupal contains lots of free modules and themes - however, there will be considerable efforts on the part of the consultant/consulting company to fine-tune the website or business work-flow to match your specific business model. So if you spend for that, it will definitely boost your business.
I will add more points in the weeks to come.
-Babu
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