Approach your eCommerce operation in the same way as any new business - with a good business plan. A website is a big investment so assess whether your business will really benefit before you commit precious resources.
Will your product or service work on the Net? Recent research shows that some sectors such as travel, insurance, books and PCs lend themselves to online sales more than others. Is your operation suitable?
Who are your customers? Are they likely to have access to the Internet, do they have credit cards?
Is the market for your goods already established or are you a pioneer in the sector? Visit your rivals sites to see what they are doing.