E-commerce is basically selling products and/or services and processing payments over the Internet. E-commerce is short for Electronic Commerce. You've seen pages that you can click on buttons to "add to cart" and then use a credit card or PayPal to pay for purchases on the Internet - that's e-commerce!
How an Online Store Works
When we provide you a shopping cart quote, we need to know the size and type of store, products you will be selling and how you plan to get paid. One of the most important concepts when you purchase an online store is the determination of product categories. The shopping cart is like set up to make you think of virtual aisles in a store. The store will place products in these aisles. The customer browses through these aisles on the Internet looking for the product that interests them most. Many ecommerce websites have a way to search to help customers find the products sold online. When they find what they want, they can add it to their virtual shopping cart. When they are finished shopping, they can go to the checkout page where they provide their shipping information and payment details. The software verifies the payment, completes the sale, and provides the customer with an invoice or purchase confirmation. As orders are placed, you receive e-mail messages confirming/informing you that a transaction has taken place in your store. You can then connect to the server and download the orders.
Database Development
Integrating a database into your web site is where real power and functionality come into play. In small shopping carts, the database is hosted by the company providing the shopping cart. This is a very reasonably priced solution for a small business as your site will be less expensive to build. However, databases aren't just for keeping track of items in the shopping cart - they can be used for an infinite number of things - event calendars, names and addresses, articles, and more.
How do I Sell My Products or Services On-line?
Every client's needs and expectations are different, therefore solutions will be different based on the products/services being sold, the number of products or services offered, how the product/service is delivered, managing of inventory, the end-user demographic and how payments are collected. There are many ways to approach an E-commerce development so once we find out your needs, we can choose an ecommerce website to fit your needs. The actual cost of the online shopping cart will vary depending on the number of products, payment method and extra features required.
What can you do for me?
I can help you choose the most cost-effective solution based on your needs -vs.- budget. It may be a fully integrated merchant account data based store that can perform inventory of thousands of items, or a simple "free" shopping cart attached to Paypal. Whatever the situation, I can help you to determine the best ecommerce solution for your needs, and implement it.
C O'Malley & Associates' Web Design expertise will bring you growth and satisfied customers.
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