UK bank NatWest has teamed with Shopcreator, a provider of e-business software, to enable its small and medium business customers to build their own Web sites and online portals.
Shopcreator says NatWest's 'Building a Web site' package can be used and managed without any prior technical knowledge and can provide all of the features, functionality and reporting required to run a professional online business.
The package consists of hosting, information and online product catalogue Web pages, shopping basket, secure check-out and ongoing customer support. The software is also already integrated with a wide range of payment services and is ready to take credit card payments over the Internet.
The bank says the same software can help the e-trading business novice who needs considerable help as well as those companies that want to update and upgrade existing business web sites.
Customers can use a series of transactional Web site solutions ranging from a platform which caters for up to 50 products to one that can support an unlimited number of products. Shopcreator says the technology is already used by online brands such as Sainsbury's and the Co-op.
David Head, Internet banking head, NatWest, says: "Small to medium sized retailers are able to run a cost-effective version of the same award-winning platform that supports some of the UK's best known companies, with the option to upgrade at any time. We believe that the move to online trading has never been easier."