Ecommerce, Shopping Carts & SSL Certificates

eCommerce, what is it? Simply stated, it is the ability to sell merchandise or services over the internet and collect payments. Most hosting companies allow you to sell products on line, and some supply you with the tools to do so. However, are those tools up to date? Are they latest releases and have all of the necessary security fixes? I install the most up-to-date shopping carts and programs, and add the necessary plug-ins and modules to best fit your needs. I also skin your shopping cart to reflect your new or existing website, which keeps continuity between the two and maintains branding.

What type of shopping cart you need, depends on the amount of products you will be selling. If you have just a few products, then something simple like PayPal's buy now buttons might be enough. If you have more products, or need more options, then a complete shopping cart program with the ability to capture customer information, offer coupons and custom options for you products would be a better choice.

A shopping cart program also gives you the ability add, remove or revise products yourself, without the need to hire a web designer like myself. You will have full control to create specials, coupons for special events, sell virtual downloadable products and more. This will greatly reduce your expenses, and help keep your bottom line in check.

To SSL Or Not To SSL?

Short for Secure Sockets Layer, it is a protocol developed for transmitting private documents via the Internet. SSL works by using a private key to encrypt data that is transferred over an SSL connection. Do you need a Secure Sockets Layer? The answer is in how you conduct monetary transactions. If you use a 3rd party company like PayPal or 2Checkout, then probably not. That is because the actual passing of credit card numbers is being handled on their secure servers so your customers are protected from someone intercepting the transaction. SSL Certificates require you to renew them yearly or pay for multi-year certificates, and your hosting company may charge you a fee to install it and possibly a monthly fee to maintain it.