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Ecommerce Information |
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The Lowdown On ECommerce: Making All The Pieces Fit Together
The Lowdown on Ecommerce Ecommerce is truly the most confusing aspect of purchasing web design services. This is unfortunate since most (if not all) businesses online would like to provide their customers and potential customers with easy access their products or services. In order to help make sure you get what you need to to set up an ecommerce web site, let's look at the necessary elements of selling online. A Web Hosting Provider The most important things to look for in a web hosting provider with respect to ecommerce are Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) support, shopping cart software, payment gateway services and merchant account services. They are the pieces to the puzzle and you will not be able to sell online without all four of them. If you are working with a web developer who is not providing you with hosting, have them check out the features of the hosting plans you are looking at as well to make sure they will meet your needs. Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) Support SSL is the internet protocol used to send information between a site visitor and a web server securely. If there is no SSL support, there is a risk that a user's credit card information will be intercepted during the transaction. This process involves purchasing an SSL certificate. Many hosting companies offer use of what is called a "shared SSL certificate." This simply means that instead of having your own, you will use one belonging to the hosting company and will store any secure pages on a directory of their server instead of your own web space. For people just starting out, this can be a very good solution and is often relatively inexpensive. Another option is to buy your own SSL certificate. This is more costly, but also more professional. The visible difference to visitors of your site is that the checkout process will show your web site URL in the browser instead of that of your hosting provider. For the lowest startup costs, check out PayPal's merchant services. If you have a PayPal account, you can setup a basic shopping cart that will allow credit card transactions through PayPal. The downside is that your buyer will be taken to the PayPal site to enter in their credit card information, as opposed to the other two methods which can be integrated into your own site very easily. The major upside is that it is free with your PayPal account, excluding the fee per transaction. Shopping Cart Software If you are not going to go with the PayPal solution, you need to ensure that your hosting provider includes shopping cart software. As the name implies, shopping cart software allows a web site visitor to browse around your virtual store and place items in their cart. It also handles the final checkout process in conjunction with a payment gateway, which will be discussed below. There are many great shopping cart packages available, but they can be difficult to install and maintain on your own. Make sure your hosting provider offers good technical support before signing on, as their help will be invaluable when it comes to customizing the shopping cart software and integrating it with the rest of your web site. Some examples of good shopping cart software are Miva Merchant and OSCommerce. Payment Gateway When a customer enters their information into your shopping cart, it connects to a payment gateway or payment processor to verify that the credit card is valid and has the funds necessary to make the purchase. If this does not come with your hosting package, the most important thing to verify is that your shopping cart software supports the payment gateway provider you choose. Your web host should be able to provide you with the information you need to choose. If you already have a merchant account, you need to also ensure that your payment gateway and your merchant account can properly interact with each other. Many payment gateways provide merchant accounts as part of their service, but if you already have one you need to make sure they will be compatible. Merchant Account A merchant account is a type of bank account that must be setup with a payment processor in order to accept credit cards. Many web hosting providers have partnerships with merchant account providers and provide discounts on acquiring merchant accounts. This is an important factor to look for, since many merchant account providers have high application fees and start up costs. If you currently run a business that already accepts credit cards over the phone or in person through a card swipe terminal, then you already have a merchant account and your cheapest option might be to consult with the current provider of your account to see what they have to offer in terms of processing transactions over the internet. These are known as "card not present merchant accounts" since the buyer is not present with their physical card when making the transaction. Keep in mind that although a merchant account is a type of bank account, you will need to provide information about your regular checking account so that your merchant account provider can deposit into it when a sale is made. Conclusion The process in any ecommerce transaction involves a few steps. The customer browses and selects the products they want, typically utilizing shopping cart software. When they checkout, they enter their credit card number which is sent over the internet using the SSL protocol. When the hosting server receives this information, it connects to a payment gateway to approve the sale. The payment gateway verifies the credit card and deducts the funds for the sale. The payment gateway then communicates with your merchant account provider, transferring the funds. Lastly, the merchant account provider deposits the funds in a place that is accessible to you, such as a regular checking or savings account. When selecting a web hosting provider and a web developer, make sure that all of these elements will work together. Request support from any third parties involved in the project to ensure that compatibility will not become an issue. If possible, find a package deal where all of this comes together, as it could save you a lot of time and money in the long run. About The Author Max Glantzman is the head designer and developer at JuiceBox Design, located at http://www.juiceboxweb.com/. Check out JuiceBox's Web Design Advice Forum to get advice from the pros before making web development or hosting purchases.
MORE RESOURCES: Hands-on with Amazon Haul: First impressions of the e-commerce giant's new Temu and Shein rival GeekWire JD.com Sales Accelerate But China E-Commerce Giant's Stock Falls On Mixed Q3 Investor's Business Daily Essendant Expands Digital Offering to Include Mercado Libre, Latin America's Largest Ecommerce Marketplace Yahoo Finance Mars Launches Global Agency Review, Includes Media, Ecommerce 11/13/2024 MediaPost Communications Nebraska AG files lawsuit against social media influencer alleging dropshipping, e-commerce scam WOWT Hiring ecommerce directors requires competitive salaries Digital Commerce 360 How Alibaba is fuelling e-commerce growth by enhancing shopping experiences South China Morning Post Report: AI’s role in ecommerce is only going to expand Digital Commerce 360 New Ecommerce Tools: November 14, 2024 Practical Ecommerce Essendant Expands Digital Offering to Include Mercado Libre, Latin America's Largest Ecommerce Marketplace PR Newswire Amazon questioned by US Congress over TikTok e-commerce deal South China Morning Post Ecommerce earnings recap: What you missed from Office Depot, Ralph Lauren and more Digital Commerce 360 Shopify’s Q3 B2B gross merchandise value surges 145% Digital Commerce 360 VTEX reports gains in B2B and B2C ecommerce client activity Digital Commerce 360 Can Ecommerce Spur On-Demand Manufacturing? Practical Ecommerce Low Prices, Slow Deliveries: Amazon Beta Launches ‘Haul’ Ecommerce Site Retail TouchPoints Descope Announces New Capabilities to Help Online Retail Stores Deliver Frictionless, Secure CIAM GlobeNewswire Black-Owned Ecommerce Platform Launches “7 Nights in Paradise” Giveaway Featuring Rihanna’s Dress Designer Shanice Taylor BlackNews.com eCommerce in EU Marketplaces self-paced online course in Armenian, Azerbaijani, Georgian, Romanian, and Ukrainian euneighbourseast.eu Harrods Enhances Global Ecommerce with Localized Experiences Retail TouchPoints eCommerce in EU Marketplaces: online course now available in Georgian euneighbourseast.eu Driving Innovation and Sustainability: Key Takeaways from the Fashion Network Ecommerce Summit 2024 WhatTheyThink This Week in Jacksonville: Business Edition - E-Commerce accounting best business tactics WJXT News4JAX Flexible Printing Solution for Ecommerce Packaging Logistics Business® Magazine Key Growth Drivers of Europe Ecommerce Paper Bags Future Market Insights Black Friday bots are coming—is your e-commerce site prepared? Security Boulevard Branded Low-Cost eCommerce Stores Trend Hunter Levi’s tests Alexa to help shoppers find better fits Digital Commerce 360 Mastercard brings passkeys for ecommerce payments to UAE Biometric Update The cargo arm of United Airlines takes flight with a B2B marketplace Digital Commerce 360 Newell’s Justin Swenson Joins Conair to Lead e-Commerce Growth Consumer Goods Technology Big Lots releases app to grow its rewards program Digital Commerce 360 US Ecommerce Forecast 2024 eMarketer Why the State of Stomps Is All About E-Commerce Premier Guitar NRF holiday forecast 2024: US ecommerce to grow twice as fast as total sales Digital Commerce 360 US ecommerce sales hit new highs in Q2 2024 Digital Commerce 360 U.S.: e-commerce revenue 2019-2029 Statista E-commerce sector records 12% growth in gross goods value during festive season The New Indian Express Gateway launches new e-commerce platform Lehigh Valley Business Amazon launches low-cost ecommerce service in US to challenge Temu Blue Water Healthy Living |
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