Technology-minded entrepreneurs were given a lesson in setting up an online business at the Bermuda Small Business Development Corporation (BSBDC) latest seminar at the Fairmont Hamilton Princess yesterday.

The 'Starting an Online Business Matters' event covered everything from the basics of launching an online company and the registration process to the selection and registration of a domain name, accepting payments and marketing businesses online.

Among the guest speakers on the panel were Graham Wood, technology law consultant for the Ministry of Energy, Telecommunications and E-Commerce; Matt Earle, of Bermuda Internet Marketing; Jennifer Ward and Bridget Figur of eMedia Bermuda Ltd.; and Florence Smith, assistant vice-president and product manager of merchant acquiring/electronic banking at Butterfield Bank; and Audrey Gordon, sales manager of merchant services at the Bank of Bermuda. The event opened with a welcome speech by Michelle Khaldun, BSBDC general manager, and a presentation on the legal requirements by Mr. Wood, discussing everything from website design to rollout and operation and tackling issues such as domain names and trade mark rights; contracts with developers and web design companies; contracts for visitors; copyright and international aspects of running an online business.

The eMedia team of Ms Ward and Ms Figur then addressed the basics of website development and the technical side of starting an online business respectively, with owner and managing director Ms Ward running through the main considerations needed prior to starting a website looking at target audiences, priorities and budgets.

Ms Figur, eMedia's website development manager, followed up with an overview of the technical elements that should be taken into account when launching a website, particularly one focused on online transactions, as well as looking at domain names, hosting and functionality.

The panel then opened themselves up to a question and answer session, before Ms Smith discussed online payment processing and Ms Gordon spoke about merchant services.

Mr. Earle talked on the fundamentals of online marketing, ways of increasing website visitors through search engine marketing other tactics, turning more visitors into customers by writing better copy and building better landing pages, improving your online reputation and fitting all of the pieces together.