So you want to be a Shop Owner Part 3

Today we will cover some options you have for the development of your shopping cart and the hosting resources you will need to run your business properly.

With most e commerce platforms you can do the initial shopping cart configuration and set up yourself.  However, unless you are using a hosted e-commerce solution I would highly recommend you at least get a consult from an e-commerce developer who specializes in the software/platform you have chosen.  A developer who knows the online shopping business and the software you are using can make your store successful with their experience and knowledge.  Its okay to do this "in house" so to speak, but there will be a great deal of research and learning involved to do an adequate job.

Not all shopping cart software is created equal... Remember back in Part 2 of this series we covered the different types of platforms.  Hopefully now, since you have decided on a shopping cart platform you have made certain your choice of software "can" do everything you need. This is where that e commerce developer comes in... They have a much greater understanding of the software's capabilities and e-commerce trends.

Here are some questions you might ask a shopping cart developer BEFORE you choose them.

• What are your greatest strengths as an ecommerce shop developer?
• What other shopping cart platforms do you develop?
• Do you have some examples of stores you have developed for me to view?
• Do you have a few business references I can contact?
• How long have you been in business and have you always specialized in e-commerce?
• Do I "HAVE TO" host my website with you?
• What don't you do in the development process (what will we "have to" do ourselves")?
• Do you provide ongoing support and what is the cost?

Working with an e-commerce expert will help you avoid some of the pitfalls and ensure that your new store has everything it needs to succeed.  Many times in business we absorb a cost up front and expect the investment returned to us in sales/success. Retaining a ecommerce development firm is a better choice if you will require extensive integration or customization.

Web stores, like any other website rely heavily on their ability to rank organically in the search engines.  You can make mistakes with your website, which not only hinder organic results, but can be very costly down the line to repair your organic standing.  I would suggest you do a deep read in to the "help" section or forum of your shopping cart software and look for things like content duplication, url structure, load speed, title tags and other website anomalies related to your specific ecommerce software.

If you have qualified technical person on staff with relative experience in ecommerce development, you can save some money by doing some or all of the shop development in house. Most hosted solutions are pretty easy to set up, but configuring things like payment gateways, shipping, product choices and ensuring you web store has the necessary and appropriate security measures and protections can be very difficult for an in house tech to complete properly.  Most times, these types of issues are best solved by a consultant, as they tend to stay current with the evolution and technical progression of the commerce software they develop.

What about e-commerce hosting?

Many shopping cart software platforms have advanced needs for the hosting environment.  When you are investigating your software choices, check out the hosting requirements and any suggestions the shopping cart developer has.  It just makes no sense to choose a robust shopping cart and then not be able to use it to its full potential because of your hosting.

If you are having trouble deciding what hosting is required or appropriate then consider asking the hosting company some questions...

• Does your hosting support our e-commerce software?
• Do you have 24/7 support? Helpdesk? Email? Phone?
• Can you install an SSL on this account?  Does it have a dedicated IP?
• What is your downtime guarantee and how is it tracked?
• What do control panel/account upgrades cost (if any)? Are they automatic or will you have to move my site in the future to upgrade me?
• What kind of security measures are taken at the server & network level?
• Do I have to sign on for a whole year?
• Can you give me the address of a couple of sites hosted on the same server as I will be so I can check the speed and performance?

Most hosting companies realize this is a very important decision and will be patient and answer your questions... If they seem bothered by your questions, less than knowledgeable or cannot answer them, MOVE ON.  Now is the time, there is much cost, headache and loss of business which you will suffer later for a bad choice of hosting now.

What about hosted choices?

Hosted e-commerce platforms are perhaps simpler, but have pitfalls of their own.  Check out a few stores hosted with them... Not just the demo.  Many times hosted applications lack the server side controls you will need to properly optimize your website and checkout process.  So you will want to ask the e-commerce provider some tough questions as well...

• Do I have control panel and root access?
• Are you going to advertise your service on my site?
• What guarantees of hosting uptime and website availability do you provide?
• Do you have 24/7 support? Helpdesk? Email? Phone?
• How often is my site backed up and can I initialize a backup myself?
• Do you have a data storage and disaster recovery protocol set up?
• Do I own my sites and can move anytime I like... Or is it proprietary and I cannot host it anywhere else?
• Can I change and optimize my checkout procedure?
• Can I have/use domain based email addresses?

Again, and I cannot stress this enough... This is a big piece of the ecommerce puzzle and it is crucial you ask questions and make good informed decisions at this step... Or pay dearly for it later.

NEXT...Part 4 Shop Necessities, Integration and Functionality - Due 8/15/2008

Part 5 Got My Store in Development, Now What? - Due 8/18/2008

So you want to be a Shop Owner Part 2

There are basically 3 options for choosing the software or platform to run your online store...

1. Hosted E-commerce Solutions - These are shopping carts such as Yahoo Stores, eBay Stores and Nexternal.  These platforms have at least the catalog end of your business hosted on their own servers.
2. Self Hosted Static Carts - This is a cart you host and build using a static catalog and for example the PayPal shopping cart system. You maintain this store.
3. Self Hosted Shopping Cart Software - These platforms may be open source or purchased software, but you host and maintain the site yourself.

Each platform has some pros and cons to consider.  So lets dig in to how these solutions will work for you...

The truth of the shopping cart decision is that MOST businesses need more from their online store.  Things like enhanced shopping cart functionality and cross selling, order processing and shipping tracking systems and even multiple product options are generally required.

Being able to process credit cards as well as PayPal type payment options will significantly increase your ability to convert shoppers to sales.  You will most likely require the ability to streamline and improve your checkout process to suit your needs.  Keep it short and sweet!

The ability to cross sell or suggestive sell related products is a huge advantage for any shop.  Making a sale for one item is really not a big accomplishment... But building that same shoppers order up with the additional products he/she needs or are related in nature will provide better sales and more returning shoppers.

Very likely your products are shipped... Shoppers have become very wary of the shipping scams on eBay and such.  You will want to provide a very transparent and upfront shipping estimation and rate feature to be successful.

Are your products digital or down loadable... Few shopping cart platforms handle virtual products well and this requires a great deal of investigation on your part.  Can you easily upload, allow multiple downloads, track downloads, set a time limit, require payment verification, launch automatic download links.... Yep, this one is a challenge for MOST shopping carts.

What about navigation?  I can tell you with 100% confidence that there is NOTHING more important to your store.  You will need the ability to create, add and edit your categories and internal navigation as often as you like.  Tweaking your site flow and navigation are a never ending task.  You will need an accurate and prominent search function... But NOT in place of great navigation, in addition to.

Many shops need greater functionality in the accounting and administrative ends.  The ability to properly charge sales tax only when applicable is a highly important and commonly missing feature.  You might need tighter inventory controls and sales/cost reports... Do your homework here so your don't get burned.

What about sales, discounts and coupons... Even if you believe you will not need these effective marketing tools right now, I would have to suggest at some point you will want to turn to them and be very happy you have the ability.

Ask a ton of questions of any software solution you are considering... and if they do not have the answers, move on!

Next... Part 3 Development Options and Choosing Proper Web Hosting - Due 8/13/2008

Part 4 Shop Necessities, Integration and Functionality - Due 8/15/2008

Part 5 Got My Store in Development, Now What? - Due 8/18/2008