Three new websites – catering to very different aspects of shopping in Bermuda – have come online.

Atlantica (www.atlantica.com) allows customers to sign up and pay for their participation in conferences through www.atlanticaic.com The company has already seen a positive reaction to its latest offering with several attendees taking advantage of the convenience of using the online system.

Outside the Box Thinking (OTBT) (www.otbt.bm) uses its new website as a more traditional "online store", featuring a variety of hands-free devices for the car, bike or home. The devices can be purchased directly from the site, or it can function as a contact point for those who are interested in more extensive systems of devices.

A well-established company that has decided to make eCommerce a part of its business plan is Designer Flowers. Designer Flowers (www.designerflowersbermuda.com) recently reintroduced online ordering of bouquets and arrangements, a practice that is particularly helpful for those overseas who would like to buy flowers for their friends and family in Bermuda. They had previously tried online ordering, but abandoned the idea as being too costly.

And with new, more business-friendly, fee structures it is likely that more companies will join the ever-growing eCommerce bandwagon, says emedia Bermuda Ltd. which set up and runs the websites.

"We have seen a tremendous increase in clients seeking eCommerce sites," said Bridget Figur, web development manager for emedia, who built all three of the sites. "It is now being seen as a viable way to increase your client base and can be adapted for a variety of businesses."

Ms Figur already has several other eCommerce sites in production, which will be going live soon.

Butterfield Bank and the Bank of Bermuda have both made changes in their offerings that make eCommerce affordable for the Island's small business community.

Previously merchants needed a high volume of online sales every month in order to make any profit, with expensive monthly fees for merchant accounts and payment gateways.

But now local banks offer accounts with low monthly rates and per transaction fees, with the client only paying for the transactions they make online each month.