By business standards, the virtual world is in its infancy, still learning to crawl and find its way among common standards practiced for centuries. Like the light bulb and assembly line, the Internet's impact is immeasurable, changing the way business is done around the globe.

In the mid-90s when the Internet movement began to catch fire, a company website was still more of an option than a priority. Today, whether a company sells widgets or whine, a website is mandatory. Even back in the beginning, some business leaders had the foresight to understand the importance of having online options.

"Almost overnight, the Internet's gone from a technical wonder to a business must," said Bill Schrader, CEO of PSINet. And Schrader said that in 1996. Ten years later, online businesses have become faster, smarter and expected by the consumer.

The numbers tell the story.

Online retail spending totaled $81.6 billion in 2005, up 24 percent from $65.8 billion in 2004, according to comScore figures.

Sales in the last week of the year reached $1.54 billion, 21 percent more than the $1.28 billion in the corresponding week a year earlier.

Online travel sales for the week ended Jan.1st reached $820 million, up 22 percent from $672 million a year earlier.

In 2005, for the first time, there were no weeks in which online sales fell below $1 billion.

Still wondering if you need an online business?

Starting an online business may seem daunting, but it's really not much different than starting a brick-and-mortar company.

The first thing you'll need is a good idea, along with a business model, start-up money and possibly some professional help. Technology isn't everyone's racket, so if the phrases like "writing in html" and "search engine optimization" make you scratch your head, leave building a website to the professionals.

There are plenty of companies and freelancers providing Web design services and just like any other purchase, do the homework by getting references, reviewing a Web designer's work and getting a contract in writing.

If you're going to start an online business, make certain you have at least a cursory knowledge about the Internet. It seems that everyone has mastered email, but if you're going to have a commercial endeavor online, become more familiar with how other online businesses work; the type of consumers that shop online; and the culture and language of the Internet.

The crux of any business is to make money and there are several ways to turn a profit online. Selling products and services are the obvious. But you can also sell advertising space and hook up with the affiliate programs, which are very common in the online environment.

With an affiliate program you can recommend other products on your site and reap a certain percentage of sales.

What's in a name? Everything, especially on the Web. You want to create a name that sums up your business in a quick and clever way.

Millions of domain names have already been snapped up by now, but give it some thought and make sure your name is short and easy to remember. You don't want potential consumers to spend more than a few seconds typing in your Web name.

Finally, think of your virtual business in a reality format. When you walk into a store, you're impressed by a clean, pleasant environment that sends the right image. A dirty and cluttered store often turns off the consumer. Think of your e-business the same way by having a website that's user-friendly, upscale and easy to navigate.

©2006 by Teena Rose. All rights reserved.

Teena Rose is a personal branding, marketing, and optimization professional with http://www.beyondthecraft.com who helps career professionals optimize, promote, and expose their services locally, nationally, and internationally. She has an extensive record of generating organic results. Part of her success comes from using key marketing tools, such as SEO Elite. Click now for a free trial and download of SEO Elite.