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.
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.
Thursday, March 5, 2009
The No. 1 Ecommerce Solution Tip For You
The number one ecommerce solution you need to be a success on the Web is learning to write for the internet. You will be able to capture your visitors attention and hold it, otherwise it's click and off to another site.
You need to be able to put yourself in your visitors shoes. What do they need to solve a problem or what are the benefits they will get.
To succeed on the Web you need to learn how to write for the Web.
This is my review of, "Make Your Words Sell". An e-book that is written by Joe Robson and Dr Ken Evoy. Let's cut to the chase, I highly recommend this book to you. Let me tell you why.
Make Your Words Sell (MYWS) is a "must read" books for anyone entering into the internet business area.
Robson and Evoy ecommerce solution gives the reader all that is necessary to write winning copy that bring your visitors to your site, rivet them and make the sale. This is a book that will take you in a real way through the changes that you have to make to write copy for an online business.
You're not a writer!
You may not be a James Patterson, or Danielle Steele but You Can Be a Creative Writer and this book will show you how.
You will become knowledgeable at what it takes to be an internet copy-writer.
Learn that writing is done with clarity, honesty and from the visitors perspective. You will know the reasons why and why not. Remember, words sell, not graphics.
You will learn that benefits to the user is important.
By using this e-book you will think
like an internet business-person. What benefits will they derive from this, what problems will you be solving for them.
Yes, you will be an internet writing expert.
By the you will know what it takes and how to write convincing copywriting that will sell your product.
With Make Your Words Sell you also get 3 other volumes that are equally awesome. These are great ecommerce solutions.
Make Your Words Sell for Online Store
Make Your Words Sell for Email
Words that trigger Automatic Responses
I have re-read this book several times and each time I see something new that I missed before. I have the e-book, Automatic Responses at my side all the time. It is rare that it doesn't give me some great phrases to use to convince or to get attention.
Do you want a perfect ecommerce solution, you need to order Make Your Words Sell (http://myws.sitesell.com ). You will become an expert at internet copywriting and sell more of your products. For $29.95 it can't be beat and you will be a winner on the internet.
About the Author
My name is Bob Roy and I enjoy helping to make a new internet business successful. I have expertise in using the only all-in-one internet business package. I kinow that if you start an internet business you want it to be a success and I will be able to help you. Go to http://www.start-internet-business-from-college.com/ for more information.
You need to be able to put yourself in your visitors shoes. What do they need to solve a problem or what are the benefits they will get.
To succeed on the Web you need to learn how to write for the Web.
This is my review of, "Make Your Words Sell". An e-book that is written by Joe Robson and Dr Ken Evoy. Let's cut to the chase, I highly recommend this book to you. Let me tell you why.
Make Your Words Sell (MYWS) is a "must read" books for anyone entering into the internet business area.
Robson and Evoy ecommerce solution gives the reader all that is necessary to write winning copy that bring your visitors to your site, rivet them and make the sale. This is a book that will take you in a real way through the changes that you have to make to write copy for an online business.
You're not a writer!
You may not be a James Patterson, or Danielle Steele but You Can Be a Creative Writer and this book will show you how.
You will become knowledgeable at what it takes to be an internet copy-writer.
Learn that writing is done with clarity, honesty and from the visitors perspective. You will know the reasons why and why not. Remember, words sell, not graphics.
You will learn that benefits to the user is important.
By using this e-book you will think
like an internet business-person. What benefits will they derive from this, what problems will you be solving for them.
Yes, you will be an internet writing expert.
By the you will know what it takes and how to write convincing copywriting that will sell your product.
With Make Your Words Sell you also get 3 other volumes that are equally awesome. These are great ecommerce solutions.
Make Your Words Sell for Online Store
Make Your Words Sell for Email
Words that trigger Automatic Responses
I have re-read this book several times and each time I see something new that I missed before. I have the e-book, Automatic Responses at my side all the time. It is rare that it doesn't give me some great phrases to use to convince or to get attention.
Do you want a perfect ecommerce solution, you need to order Make Your Words Sell (http://myws.sitesell.com ). You will become an expert at internet copywriting and sell more of your products. For $29.95 it can't be beat and you will be a winner on the internet.
About the Author
My name is Bob Roy and I enjoy helping to make a new internet business successful. I have expertise in using the only all-in-one internet business package. I kinow that if you start an internet business you want it to be a success and I will be able to help you. Go to http://www.start-internet-business-from-college.com/ for more information.
The Rumors of Ecommerce Death
As Nasdaq sputters along in dot com shame, a few million few dogged Internet
consumers have ignored the crash. They continue to happily buy away. The
good-news story is not popular with business writers, but Web retailing
continues to grow seemingly unaware that the online mall is crashing down
around them as they choose garden tools, sell sports cards and order vacation
packages. Things aren't perfect. There has been somewhat of a dip since
Christmas, but I think most Net retailers can live with a post-holiday.
Retailers have weathered after-Santa blues since the English switched from
wassailing to kids toys in the mid-1800s.
We decided to take a look at recent reports on Internet retail sales just to
see if the Net stock gloom was blunting the steady expansion of online
commerce. We found some softening in the rate of growth, but we certainly
didn't find any contraction in consumer behavior. The shrinking effect right
now seems limited to the number of dot coms rather then the number of
consumers. In fact, if you subtract the bizarrely heightened expectations for
the Internet, its growth is coming along just fine. By any standards other
than the Net-boom mentality, Internet expansion continues to be fairly
spectacular.
Net buyers hit ten quarters of continuous buying
Greenfield Online reported that for 10 consecutive quarters, 60 percent of
U.S. Online consumers have made at least one purchase on the Web within a
90-day period. And 28 percent of these shoppers have clicked on Internet ads
while shopping. Not surprisingly, those with an annual income of $50,000 and
above are more likely to purchase goods (81 percent) than those whose income
is below $50,000 (64 percent). Women on the Net buy at a slightly higher rate
(74 percent) than men (71 percent). The top categories of goods continues to
be books and CDs, followed by clothing, toys and computer software.
Rich buyers seek service basics online
Forrester Research looked at the shopping habits of rich consumers, those
with investable assets on $1 million or more, and found that these shoppers
are more interested in strong basic serve than they are in virtual
exclusivity, extravagance and entertainment. Affluent shoppers have been
buying linger,
feel more comfortable buying, buy more frequently and, of
course, spend more money," said Ekaterina O. Walsh, a senior analyst at
Forrester. "They buy online for the same reasons for the same reasons that
all online buyers do and care about price and positive experiences with Web
stores." Forrester recommends that sellers of luxury goods should concentrate
on purchasing ease and a convenience return process.
Visitor traffic dips
PC Data Online found that traffic to leading ecommerce sites declined about 4
percent in February following an 18 percent seasonal drop in January. Goldman
Sachs analysts cited port-holiday seasonality, a slowdown in the rate on new
consumer adopting ecommerce and slower overall consumer spending as the
factors in the slower month-by-month growth of Internet retailing. However,
this year's figures are up 63 percent over last year. Hey. Did anybody see
that? I'll say it again. We're up 63 percent over last year! Some blues.
Features that will keep your sales growing
Consulting giant PricewaterhouseCoopers released a survey that identified the
site features that are most likely to capture sales. The research found that
with the exception of search capabilities and close-up product views, most
Website features are never used by the majority of Internet shoppers. The
search function is overwhelmingly the top feature used by consumers, with 77
percent saying they have used search functions while shopping.
Other site features such as wish-lists and personalization were found to be
less important to shoppers. As a side note, we found a study by the
International eRetail Association that listed wish-lists as a tool that works
well for building loyalty, so go easy on making assumptions based on Internet
studies.
The take-away on all of the recent information about Internet retailing is
that it continues to grow rapidly in spite of the gloom that fills the
business media. To paraphrase Mark Twain, the rumors of the death of retail
ecommerce have been greatly exagerated.
About the Author
Rob Spiegel is the author of Net Strategy (Dearborn) and The Shoestring
Entrepreneur's Guide to the Best Home-Based Businesses (St. Martin's Press).
You can reach Rob at spiegelrob@aol.com.
consumers have ignored the crash. They continue to happily buy away. The
good-news story is not popular with business writers, but Web retailing
continues to grow seemingly unaware that the online mall is crashing down
around them as they choose garden tools, sell sports cards and order vacation
packages. Things aren't perfect. There has been somewhat of a dip since
Christmas, but I think most Net retailers can live with a post-holiday.
Retailers have weathered after-Santa blues since the English switched from
wassailing to kids toys in the mid-1800s.
We decided to take a look at recent reports on Internet retail sales just to
see if the Net stock gloom was blunting the steady expansion of online
commerce. We found some softening in the rate of growth, but we certainly
didn't find any contraction in consumer behavior. The shrinking effect right
now seems limited to the number of dot coms rather then the number of
consumers. In fact, if you subtract the bizarrely heightened expectations for
the Internet, its growth is coming along just fine. By any standards other
than the Net-boom mentality, Internet expansion continues to be fairly
spectacular.
Net buyers hit ten quarters of continuous buying
Greenfield Online reported that for 10 consecutive quarters, 60 percent of
U.S. Online consumers have made at least one purchase on the Web within a
90-day period. And 28 percent of these shoppers have clicked on Internet ads
while shopping. Not surprisingly, those with an annual income of $50,000 and
above are more likely to purchase goods (81 percent) than those whose income
is below $50,000 (64 percent). Women on the Net buy at a slightly higher rate
(74 percent) than men (71 percent). The top categories of goods continues to
be books and CDs, followed by clothing, toys and computer software.
Rich buyers seek service basics online
Forrester Research looked at the shopping habits of rich consumers, those
with investable assets on $1 million or more, and found that these shoppers
are more interested in strong basic serve than they are in virtual
exclusivity, extravagance and entertainment. Affluent shoppers have been
buying linger,
feel more comfortable buying, buy more frequently and, of
course, spend more money," said Ekaterina O. Walsh, a senior analyst at
Forrester. "They buy online for the same reasons for the same reasons that
all online buyers do and care about price and positive experiences with Web
stores." Forrester recommends that sellers of luxury goods should concentrate
on purchasing ease and a convenience return process.
Visitor traffic dips
PC Data Online found that traffic to leading ecommerce sites declined about 4
percent in February following an 18 percent seasonal drop in January. Goldman
Sachs analysts cited port-holiday seasonality, a slowdown in the rate on new
consumer adopting ecommerce and slower overall consumer spending as the
factors in the slower month-by-month growth of Internet retailing. However,
this year's figures are up 63 percent over last year. Hey. Did anybody see
that? I'll say it again. We're up 63 percent over last year! Some blues.
Features that will keep your sales growing
Consulting giant PricewaterhouseCoopers released a survey that identified the
site features that are most likely to capture sales. The research found that
with the exception of search capabilities and close-up product views, most
Website features are never used by the majority of Internet shoppers. The
search function is overwhelmingly the top feature used by consumers, with 77
percent saying they have used search functions while shopping.
Other site features such as wish-lists and personalization were found to be
less important to shoppers. As a side note, we found a study by the
International eRetail Association that listed wish-lists as a tool that works
well for building loyalty, so go easy on making assumptions based on Internet
studies.
The take-away on all of the recent information about Internet retailing is
that it continues to grow rapidly in spite of the gloom that fills the
business media. To paraphrase Mark Twain, the rumors of the death of retail
ecommerce have been greatly exagerated.
About the Author
Rob Spiegel is the author of Net Strategy (Dearborn) and The Shoestring
Entrepreneur's Guide to the Best Home-Based Businesses (St. Martin's Press).
You can reach Rob at spiegelrob@aol.com.
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