| Are you new to e-commerce?
Starting an online store can be a complex proposition...if you are new to e-commerce you probably have lots of questions. Here are a few of the most common questions we receive.
How much will it cost? - The answer is probably what you expect...It depends. The cost of setting up a typical e-commerce solution for the average retail business is minimal. For example, the minimum fee for setting up a LetMeShop catalog site is under one hundred dollars. But that's just the cost of the technology. Once you have the technology you still have to:
- Create a graphic design for the site to make it look pretty and professional
- Set up the layout, colors and features you want to include in your site
- Add the product information which includes images and descriptions
Even if you already have the software, skills and expertise to do this yourself you have to either invest the time or pay someone to do it. Don't underestimate the cost, in time or money. To help, we have created a time/outsourcing cost estimate sheet for common processes required in setting up an online catalog.
Will I need a credit card merchant account? - Having your own merchant account is not required. You may choose to require that your customers print out an "Order" and mail it to you with a check. Or to place the order and call with the credit card information. There are also payment processing companies that will provide payment services for you. The most well know of these is PayPal.
Our view, however, is that NOT having your own merchant account restricts your market substantially. Lots of people have little enough trust of Internet based businesses. Making them jump through additional hoops to make a purchase may result in the order not being placed. When it's time for you to have an online e-commerce site it time for you to have your own merchant account.
What kind of credit card merchant account do we need? - There are two basic kinds of merchant account. The one you use in your retail store...the one where you swipe the credit card is a "card present" merchant account. The other type is for sales where the card is not present. The discount percentage and transaction fees can be different. So, in most cases we suggest that you try to deal with the same bank where you have your business checking account. You already have a working relationship with them. If that is not possible, do the research and choose carefully. You will need to pay close attention to the fee structure AND the reputation for the merchant account company.
What is a payment gateway? - A payment gateway is a software interface between your shopping cart payment process and your merchant account. If you have a retail store, your payment gateway is the machine where you swipe the buyers credit card. On an Internet e-commerce website a payment gateway is a piece of software that takes the credit card information from your shopping cart checkout page and processes the payment.
What kind of security do I need? - Security for a website begins with a security certificate. This provides the technology to encrypt information going across the web making it very difficult for people to capture payment information being sent. Every e-commerce website should have a security certificate from a reputable source, VeriSign, Thawte or GeoTrust. Our choice is GeoTrust because the price is reasonable while providing an excellent level of service. VeriSign probably has the best reputation of any security company. In addition, any credit card information you save on your customers should also be encrypted.
Do I need a shopping cart? - The simple answer is yes. Unless you are selling a single product you need a shopping cart that will allow users to purchase multiple products through a single checkout.
How do we get the traffic we need? - Traffic is the key to any successful e-commerce website. Visitors to your website most often come from one of four primary sources.
- Traditional Advertising - Radio, Television, Newspaper, Trade Magazines and other traditional advertising can be used to point the buyer to your website.
- Online Advertising - Online banners, ads, news releases, directories and links from other sites provide direct links to your website.
- Pay-Per-Click Search Engine Advertising - Google, Yahoo, MSN and other search engines offer "Sponsored Listings" where you pay for placement. Payment is determined by how many users click on the listings to get to your site...in other words, you pay per click. While expensive, this method can generate a high volume of traffic immediately.
- Natural Search Results - Almost everyone uses one of the three major search engines, MSN, Google and Yahoo, to locate web sites. A high listing (top 10) for a search phrase (words use to search for a website) is the most effective way of generating traffic. However, with millions of pages on the web competing for top placement for each key phrase, it is difficult to get those top positions and may take months of work.
As with any business, you need to examine your options for generating traffic before you make the decision to open your online e-commerce website.
How do I get the orders? - LetMeShop provides a simple administration site for your e-commerce website. Using a password protected administration website, you simply navigate to your orders page to view each order.
How do I change the information and products on my e-commerce website? - LetMeShop gives you a simple WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get) interface that lets you create professional looking product listings with little HTML knowledge.
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