Ecommerce

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Click a question, or scroll down to learn more about Ecommerce:

What is Ecommerce?
What are the components that build an Ecommerce web site?
What is SSL or Secure Sockets Layer? How does it work?
Do you have a secure commerce server?
Can I use your secure certificate and SSL connection?
How can I use SSL for secure transmission?
What is shopping cart software?
What is a payment gateway?
What is an internet merchant account?
Must I have a merchant account and payment gateway to do Ecommerce?

What is Ecommerce?

Ecommerce (a.k.a. electronic commerce, EC, Ebusiness, Etailing) is the buying and selling of goods and services on the Internet or more specifically the World Wide Web.

What are the components that build an Ecommerce web site?

The first component of Ecommerce is to establish a presence on the web, by signing up for a hosting account.

Secondly, to sell goods online, you will need 

a) Shopping cart software, and if you want to process credit cards online: 
b) Secure Sockets layer enabled, 
c) A payment gateway, 
d) An internet merchant account. 
If you plan to sell your products online and accept credit cards, we recommend that you subscribe to one of our Ecommerce bundles.

What is SSL or Secure Sockets Layer? How does it work?

Please see our SSL page for an explanation of SSL and how it works, click here

Do you  have a secure commerce server?

Yes, we have  a secure certificate installed to each virtual hosting server.

Can I use your secure certificate and SSL connection?

We  allow our  Ecommerce, and web hosting customers to our
SSL server certificate when our shopping cart is used.

Note: Pages constructed in MS FrontPage can not be made secure using the above manner, because FrontPage webbots do not work in the secure sockets layer.

How can I use SSL for secure transmission?

If you are on any of the  hosting plans, you get SSL secure server access with your  account. In order to use SSL on your account, all you will need is a digital certificate.

Purchase your own certificate from a Certificate Authority such as VeriSign or Thawte. The current cost for a VeriSign certificate is $349( Key generation and installation is $250.00.   A Thawte  certificate is $125.00 ( Key generation and installation $125.00).  By purchasing your own secure certificate you can then use https://[insertyourdomain.com] for your site's secure URLs.

The steps in this process are: 

Request a key be generated by contacting our SSL department. You must include in the email or fax the following pertinent information:
Common Name: (This is the name of the domain name that the certificate will authenticate. Note that www.domainname.com is different from domainname.com)
Your Company Name: (Exactly as it appears on your business license.)
Company Division: (Usually the Secure Services Division.)
Your Country:
Your State or Province:
Your City:
Webmaster Email:
Contact Phone:

We will  go to the appropriate Certificate Authority site and fill out the request for a Digital ID for your web server. When the Certificate Authority sends the final certificate, our SSL department will install the  finished product. 

What is shopping cart software?

Shopping cart software acts as an online store's catalog and ordering process. Typically, it allows a consumer to browse the web site, select items for purchase as they browse, review what they have selected; make necessary modifications or additions; and purchase the merchandise. 


What is a payment gateway?

A payment gateway is simply software that is hosted on a server that links an online store to a process that verifies that a customer who is placing a credit card order has the credit available and that the order should be accepted. Later, when the merchant is ready to submit the charges for processing, the payment gateway accepts them and submits the charges to a payment processor who facilitates the
transfer of funds to the merchant.

What is an internet merchant account?

An internet merchant account allows a merchant to process credit cards online and to have the funds electronically transferred into his/her bank account. Merchant account providers charge a fee for their services over and above the fees that are charged for the Ecommerce package you select with us

Must I have a merchant account and payment gateway to do Ecommerce?

Yes you will need a merchant account to accept credit cards. However you can do without a  payment gateway.