It’s impossible to measure the impact online businesses have had. What is certain, however, is that they’ve changed many people’s lives for the better. If you’ve been thinking about starting your own internet business, read on for a summary of what you’ll need.

The first thing is obvious: you’ll need a website. What may not be obvious, however, is you don’t have to know how to make one. Thanks to solutions known as Content Management Services, a website can be yours in a fraction of the time and completely free (though you will have to pay for a domain).

This one is obvious: you’ll need a product. Again, though, what might not be obvious is that you don’t have to actually own the product yourself. Thanks to affiliate marketing and drop shipping, you can advertise and sell a product you don’t have own and had no part in creating. Every purchase simply brings you a commission.

Every online business these days has merchant accounts. These are necessary to process electronic forms of payment. You’ll need small business credit card processing for your online business as you definitely don’t want to accept only cash and checks.

Lastly, you’ll want a thorough understanding of search engine optimization and other online marketing methods. While you may ultimately decide to hire someone to market your website for you, it’s best to still know the basics that this entails.