In addition to participation in e-markets, companies also should consider a separate, international presence on the Web, said Miller. And although big-ticket items might not actually be bought and sold directly via the Internet, contacts and groundwork can occur that could cost a company significantly less than the early stages of traditional, face-to-face sales.

Day, who projects that his company will hit $3 million in sales this year, expects the Internet component of the business to overtake face-to-face sales soon.

'We anticipate in the next couple years that those numbers will reverse — 70 percent online and 30 percent traditional retail,' he said.

For much of the 1980's, mail-order sales grew by about 15 percent a year. That was triple the growth rate of most department stores and other retailers that depend on face-to-face sales."