Online sales can help retailers to expand their customer base and make additional revenue.

The cost to set up a Web site with e-commerce capability ranges from about $1,000 for a basic site up to "five figures" for a custom interactive Web site with one-click buying, said Ben Cash, co-owner of Blue Key Web Design in Harrisonburg.

"A retail business can get a good custom Web site for around $3,000," Cash said. "And there are all kinds of bells and whistles to add on."

Cash has four years experience in developing Web sites and has seen a wide range of success.

"Just because you have a Web site with products to sell doesn’t mean you’ll get sales," Cash said. "Successful retailers have to market the site, do some advertising and have a solid business plan to make a profit online."

A bricks-and-mortar retailer should make his or her Web site effective for the core business and expand the customer base with e-commerce, Cash explained.

Jeff Haden, president of BlackBird Media Inc. in Harrisonburg, agrees.

"The Web site first and foremost should represent you as a business," Haden said. "For some customers, it’s the first impression you’ll make."

Some of the most successful online businesses are retailers with a niche product.

"If Wal-Mart has what you sell, you’re just competing on price," Haden said.

E-commerce can place new demands on a business, he added.

"It can change the inventory and product flow," Haden said. "It may mean more time taking orders, packing and shipping."

Online marketing is different from traditional advertising, he added. Search engine optimization and online advertising can help drive profitable traffic to a retail Web site.