eCommerce is one of the fasted growing segments of the internet. More and more people are started to buy online, with the value of their purchases getting higher and higher. If you're thinking about setting up your own eCommerce web site, here are the 3 more important things to consider.
Secure Sockets Layer (SSL)
If you're going to be accepting credit cards as payment on your site, you need to have a secure connection. This type of connection encrypts your customer's sensitive data so it can't be intercepted and stolen as it travels across the internet.
If you don't have a secure connection (which is indicated by https: at the beginning of your web address, instead of just http:) your customers won't be confident enough in your security to give your their personal information.
To get a secure connection, you need to apply for what is known as an SSL certificate. These certificates are issued by companies such as Thawte and Verisign, which require information about you and your location that they can physically verify.
Once you get this certificate, it gets installed on your web site. This lets your customers know that the issuing company has verified who you say you are, and is guaranteeing that information.
Third-Party Gateways
If the whole SSL certificate process sounds too complicated another option is to use a third-party gateway, which is basically another company that handles the financial transaction on your behalf.
When your customers are checking out on your website, they get redirected to the gateway's site where they provide their credit card details. This information is never given to you so your customers can be confident their sensitive information is safe.
Most of these third-party gateways will charge a transaction fee and possibly an initial setup fee for you to use their service. These fees vary, so it's worth comparing them to see who offer the best deal.
Shopping Carts
A shopping cart is a script - or piece of software - that gets installed on your website. It will help to automate the whole buying process for your customer.
Shopping carts will help to organize your products into categories, track returning customers, suggest upsell items and helpful accessories for purchases and may even offer a review system for your customers to post feedback on their purchases.
A shopping cart will improve your customer's experience as well as create a more structured layout for your site. There are many different carts available, many of which are free.
When you're choosing shopping cart software, be sure to check whether it is compatible with your chosen payment gateway or merchant account provider.
John Lenaghan writes about ecommerce web site hosting and other website hosting topics on the Hosting Report website. Find out more at http://www.hostingreport.org
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