Guide to e-Commerce

The process of planning, much less setting up, an e-Commerce solution can be long, daunting, and painful. At Regal Creative, we don't like daunt, nor do we like pain and we don't believe that you should be subjected to it either.

This is why we've created our Guide to e-Commerce, so that you can be prepared ahead of time, regardless of who you decide to help you develop your e-Commerce solution.

Merchant Accounts

Merchant account providers give businesses the ability to accept credit and debit cards in exchange for goods and services. Merchant accounts aren't exclusively used for e-Commerce; they can be used for face-to-face, telephone, and online transactions. Generally, your company's bank would be the first point of contact when acquiring a merchant account. They may also attempt to sell you a payment gateway. Beware - many bank employees will want to sell you a payment gateway along with the merchant account. Always check with your web developer that the payment gateway your bank is offering is compatible with the cart software they will be implementing. Your merchant account and payment gateway don't need to be from the same company in order to work together.

Payment Processors and Gateways

A payment processor is appointed by a business to handle its payment processing, and is thus responsible for the processing of transactions and for ensuring that the card details received from the company's website are correct. When any credit card purchase is made online, the card details will be captured by the website’s payment gateway and sent to the payment processor’s secure server. The payment processor then forwards the payment information to the card issuing bank for verification. Once the payment processor has received confirmation that the credit card details have been verified, the information will be sent back via the payment gateway to the merchant, who will then complete the payment transaction.

» Click to view a list of popular payment gateways

Shopping Cart Options

For all intensive purposes, including the price and time estimates, you will want to carefully plan all options needed for your shopping cart.

• Do you need advanced product options or customization options?
• Will you require integration with QuickBooks or other software?
• Do you need real-time, up-to-date shipping quotes?
• Will you be adding your products over time, or will you use your web provider?

These are just a few things to consider when planning. Based on your e-Commerce needs, they can be more or less extensive. We always recommend brainstorming and discussing all product options with your e-Commerce provider, as this will determine cost and time estimates.

Custom cart, 3rd party cart, or PayPal cart?

Based on your e-Commerce needs, there are many different e-Commerce options available - Custom programmed shopping cart, 3rd party software, PayPal, etc.

Custom shopping cart solutions provide the most flexibility in regards to design and product options. The great thing about custom programmed shopping carts is that you can integrate them with a basic shopping cart that is used for payment processing. This usually also allows you to use the shopping cart's built in shipping options, which can save time and money on the process and development.

3rd party shopping cart software is typically very functional. This software typically provides options such as real time, up-to-date shipping with UPS, FedEx, USPS, etc., a comprehensive product management system, and the ability to integrate, rather seamlessly, with your current or upcoming website. 3rd party carts are, however, restrictive at times in regards to product customization features.

PayPal shopping carts are one of the most basic shopping cart set ups you can have. With the ability to accept both major credit / debit cards and payment through PayPal accounts [naturally], this set up proves functional for most users. PayPal e-Commerce solutions also are 100% design flexible, and can be integrated with any custom programming solution.

We're here to help

Still have questions? Please contact us, and we'll be happy to answer any questions and help you find the ideal e-Commerce solution for your business. Ready to get started? Request a quote now and take the first step to running a successful e-Business with Regal Creative.