ShopSite, Inc. recently announced the release of the 11^th version of their shopping cart system. ShopSite is an industry-leading provider of catalog and shopping cart software to small and medium-sized businesses. Also, the company is one of the leading providers of ecommerce software options for web hosting providers, web designers and Internet merchants. Hosting providers typically offer their shopping cart software within monthly packages.

Payment Application Data Security Standard

The new software provides many additional features that were missing from the previous version and has passed the PCI Security Council testing for Payment Application Data Security Standard (PA-DSS). The new functions allow for better integration with popular third-party services such as, Facebook and Constant Contact.

Usage with Constant Contact

On Constant Contact, when an order is completed using ShopSite, the software will automatically send the customer’s name and email information to Constant Contact to subscribe to the retailer’s newsletter. When buyers make a purchase, check-out is the ideal time to collect this information, which is exactly why this feature was integrated into the software.

Integration with Facebook

The integration with Facebook is tremendously convenient. For instance, the Facebook Store allows customers to shop for products while perusing the company’s Facebook site. This will allow customers to learn more about the company from which they are purchasing.

Additional Functionality

Another function is the ability to separate login user accounts for each user that is accessing ShopSite’s back office. Similarly, the retailer will be given the ability to restrict specific user permissions and split them into roles like Administrator, Content Management, Order Fulfillment, etc. based on their specific job function. Additionally, reports such as, sales, inventory and coupons, can be easily generated by the software. A full list of features is available on the website.

Supporters of the Software

ShopSite has sold hundreds of copies to some of the biggest names in the web hosting industry such as; GoDaddy, LexiConn, YourHost.com, IPOWER, PowWeb, NTT/Verio and FatCow. With this most recent release, the list is sure to expand to include additional web hosting industry giants.

The 11^th version of ShopSite appears to have corrected many of the issues with the 10^th version while significantly expanding functionality. This will allow customers to have a better check-out experience thus improving repeat business at that site. The release of this program is a win-win situation for all parties involved, especially the consumer.

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Original: Version 11 of ShopSite Shopping Cart System

Selecting reliable shopping cart software is an initial decision you’ll need to make when establishing your online business.  A virtual shopping cart is much like those found in any other store.  While browsing through your products or services online, a shopping cart software package allows customers to drop items into their cart until time of the final checkout transaction.  A user-friendly shopping cart also allows customers to view quantity of items placed in the cart, total cost including sales tax and shipping and handling fees before proceeding with checkout.

Components of Shopping Cart Software

In general terms, a shopping cart program begins to work immediately after an item is placed in the cart as the software begins initializing the transaction.  The web host is typically responsible for installing and managing the software, especially for e-commerce sites.  It’s essential to ensure the software is installed on a secure server to prevent hackers from stealing valuable customer information to commit fraudulent transactions.

A shopping cart consists of two parts.  The first being the storefront, and the second being the administrative area.  Just as the name suggests, the storefront is the customized screen area in which customers can actually view while shopping on your site.  The administrative area is that behind the scenes section which keeps everything running smoothly.  This section allows you to change product inventory, configure discounts, and update applicable fees.  Although both the storefront and administrative area are viewable using a web browser, however, the administrative section may also be configured as a desktop program on your computer to configure the storefront.

Licensing Options

A shopping cart program requires either you or your web host to first obtain a license in order to download and install the program.  There are advantages to obtaining a license and installing the software yourself in that it’s a more cost-efficient decision in the form of a one-time fee.  Additionally, you have the option of hosting it on the server of your choice as well as providing enhanced customization abilities.  If you opt for your web host t purchase the license for the software, be prepared to pay a monthly or annual fee, and possibly a percentage of sales garnered.

Pricing and Applicable Fees

Regardless of your budget, there’s a readily available and affordable shopping cart program to meet your online business needs.  Prices generally start out around $50, but can exceed $1,000.  You should also take into consideration startup fees.  While some packages don’t demand a startup fee, others may charge as much as $100.  Monthly service fees should also be considered, ranging anywhere from $50 to several hundred dollars.  Finally, you must take into account the license fee which is a bit more expensive, from under $200, exceeding $1,000.  The more money you are willing to allocate for your shopping cart software, the more features and freedom you can expect to receive.

While there are many shopping cart programs available to assist in your online business endeavors, consider your budget and desired features before making a final decision.

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Original: Selecting Shopping Cart Software for Your Online Business

Ecommerce hosting includes many features that help webmasters run their online storefronts more efficiently, including robust shopping cart applications, site building utilities and of course payment processing capabilities. One of the features that is commonly mentioned in advertisements for eCommerce hosting plans is ‘PCI Compliance’. Unfortunately, as important as this feature is, most people are not fully aware of what exactly it means and why it is important to their eCommerce hosting plan. The following information describes what PCI compliance is and how it can affect the success of your online storefront.

What is PCI Compliance?

PCI (Payment Card Industry) compliance is a term used to describe hosting plans that are in compliance with  the Payment Card Industry Security Standards, which are a type of security protocols that protect your site visitors and your business for credit card theft, fraud and other nefarious cyber crimes. These standards ensure safety whenever a credit or debit card is used to make an online purchase, which is why it is imperative to make sure your eCommerce hosting plan is compliant with the Payment Card Industry standards at all times. In fact, any company that processes or stores financial information online should have access to an eCommerce account that includes an SSL certificate and PCI Compliance.

Consequences of Not Using PCI Compliant Hosting

Surprisingly, PCI compliance is so important in the Internet industry that credit card companies and banks actually have the authority to fine business owners that are not in compliance with PCI standards. In fact, they can even disable the card that is being processed temporarily to keep you from processing any payments through your site with that card. A lot of online shoppers will also be deterred from shopping on your site if you do not have these fundamental security precautions in place.

PCI Standards

Now that you’re aware of the importance of PCI Compliance and its role in eCommerce hosting, you may want to familiarize yourself with the following standards of PCI compliance. Regular PCI audits are conducted to ensure that hosting companies are complying with these PCI standards at all times. IP addresses that are assigned to hosting customers must be regularly scanned for any vulnerabilities. Hosting companies have to take all of the necessary steps to protect customer data, and must maintain a set of standards for server setup and administration. When  PCI audit is conducted, a set of tools are used to ensure that every aspect of the hosting company’s operating meets PCI standards.

There are internet security specialist that offer complete PCI compliance services which include the installation and setup of firewalls and other required security precautions. If you are planning on starting your own hosting company it is necessary to ensure compliance with PCI standards in order to avoid being blocked by banks and credit card companies. Likewise, if you;re planning on purchasing a hosting plan with a certain hosting company it is important to make sure they’re PCI compliant so that yo do not run the risk of having your online store blocked as well.

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Original: eCommerce Hosting Features – What is PCI Compliance?

eCommerce is growing exponentially each year as more people discover the advantages of shopping and doing business online. One of the main aspects of the online shopping experience is the eCommerce shopping cart, which mediates the sale and selection of products through a convenient user-friendly interface. The shopping cart lets shoppers buy more than one item at a time, similar to their real-life counterparts.

However, just as the internet expands the normal confines of reality in every other aspect, so does the online shopping cart. Online shopping carts let you leave and view customer reviews, place items on wish lists, zoom in on item pictures and perform a variety of other activities that simplify and enhance the shopping process. Not all shopping carts are the same though, which is why it is important to choose the right one of your online storefront. The following summarized review of the top 3 eCommerce shopping carts in the industry should help you make the most informed decision possible.

BigCommerce

BigCommerce is one of the simplest shopping cart solutions available, combining this simplicity with advanced features perfectly to create one of the world’s most coveted online shopping carts. The software comes with video tutorials to help you manage your shopping car interface, and the support offered with BigCommerce s unparalleled. Performing tasks like designing your store,  configuring store settings, adding products, adjusting tax settings, setting up payment methods, and configuring shipping options are all simplified through the use of these tutorials. BigCommerce is also known for its supreme inventory controls, which let you manage your product catalog with supreme control. If you;re in need of a robust yet simple solution, then you may want to consider BigCommerce.

ShopSite Pro 2010

ShopSite Pro is a web browser based software, which means you do not have to install anything to utilize this software on your web site. In fact, most people can set up this shopping cart on their online store within about 10 to 15 minutes. The software is not only extremely user-friendly, it is also rich with features that make your job as an online store owner easier. The software provides a unique and revolutionary nine step setup wizard that takes you through the entire process of setting up the shopping cart for your customers. After this setup process is complete you can then access the toolbar to to customize items like fonts, colors, images pages and even the store checkout process. If you want maximum control with minimal effort then you may want to consider the benefits of ShopSite pro 2010.

Volusion

Volusion has become one of the most popular name sin the shopping cart industry, combining a robust feature rich interface with tabbed navigation and an incredibly simple interface to bring you one of the most widely used shopping cart solutions in the world. Volusion gives you supreme control over the design of your store through the design tab, which lets you change templates, logos, and font without limitation. The software includes a setup wizard which walks you through the process of setting up the shopping cart by asking a few simple questions. If you want a tested, tried and proven solution for your online storefront then you may need to consider Volusion.

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Original: Top 3 eCommerce Shopping Carts Reviewed

Fund raisers are popular events that are usually held by organizations such as schools, in which prizes are offered to the participants depending upon how many items they can sell. Most people employ door to door marketing to win a fund raiser, however with the advent of the internet it is now possible to market your fund raising catalog to people around the world. Ecommerce web hosting lets people with no internet experience create online stores complete with full product catalogs that are easy to set up and maintain. If you are wanting to sell the most items in a fund raiser competition then you may want to consider the following information that could help you maximize your sales.

What is eCommerce Web Hosting?

Ecommerce web hosting is a type of hosting that is specifically designed to help novice users create comprehensive online stores that are both easy o build and manage. With eCommerce hosting you receive access to free tools like site builders, product catalog builders, shopping carts and payment processing applications that integrate with your bank or online merchant account like PayPal. If you are not sure how to build a web site or sell items online then you will definitely need an eCommerce plan.

How Do I Set Up My Store?

The first step in setting up an online store after you have purchased an eCommerce hosting plan is to select a site template. Instead of building a site form scratch you will be sing complete site designs that remodel your entire web site instantly. After the design has been selected you will need to begin creating a product catalog, which will involve scanning pictures from your fund raising catalog and typing in the descriptions in the appropriate fields. If you have several hundred products to upload it may take two to three days, depending upon how fast you type. If you are having trouble uploading the pictures of your products to your web site then you can contact eCommerce hosting support at any time and they will walk you through the process.

How Do I Sell My Products?

After the site has been set up it is time to begin marketing the products in multiple ways. Most eCommerce web hosting plans come with advertising credits forGoogle Adwords, Facebook, Yahoo and Bing. Using these credits wisely could net you a couple of sales, but if you want to begin selling items regularly then you will need to begin marketing. You can start creating accounts at various  forums on the internet that have members that may be interested in your products. You can place a link in you forum signature and focus on making posts each day with those accounts. You can also open an eBay store and provide a link to your web site within your auctions, which will drive traffic from eBay to your web site. You can even make a Youtube video and include a link to your site in the description.

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Original: Ecommerce Web Hosting for Fund Raising

eCommerce web hosting is perfect for aspiring online business owners that need a simplified and robust platform to manage and build online stores. Contrary to popular belief, most online business owners are not very technically skilled, especially during the first couple of months after initiating their online business endeavors. Nonetheless, through the use of a good eCommerce hosting account many people have built and profited from online shops with minimal internet skills.

The Importance of a Shopping Cart

The internet is a massive marketplace that is full of people from all parts of the world, so the concept of local supply and demand does not apply for online shops. In fact, there is often much more supply than demand online, because nearly every niche is being saturated with people trying to capitalize through eCommerce. To compete in the eCommerce industry you will have to offer your customers a simple, user-friendly interface that will allow them to have a convenient shopping experience that gives them everything they need. In order to facilitate this convenience you will need an eCommerce shopping cart. Without a shopping cart your site visitors would not be able to purchase multiple items and shop with ease on your site.

Benefits of Cube Cart

Cube Cart  is a new free solution has emerged that is changing the way people conduct business and buy items online. This incredible open source software will completely transform the look and feel of the shopping experience, which is why it is used by more than 1 million stores online. Even though Cube Cart is completely free, it is constantly expanding and improving because and independent developer can enhance its functionality. Any eCommerce web hosting panel that includes cPanel automatically comes with Cube Cart – another reason why the software has become so incredibly popular. Cube Cart can be installed by anyone with cPanel and the ability to click the mouse a few times. Surprisingly, this amazing free software is comparable to paid shopping cart solutions, and is not currently lacking any needed features for the average online store.

Disadvantages of Cube Cart

There aren’t many disadvantages to using Cube Cart, however it should be noted that the features of the software are intended to provide a basic shopping cart functionality. If you want a comprehensive shopping cart solution for larger, corporate web sites then you may want to consider a paid solution that is designed to be used professionally. This is not to say that Cube Cart cannot be used for a professional eCommerce shop, however its capabilities will generally be more limited than a paid solution in mot cases. With that begin said, there are some paid solutions that are no better than Cube Cart, which is why it is important to make sure you conduct a thorough and accurate comparison of any prospective shopping carts.

Click on the admin username box and create a new admin username and password for your website. This will grant you admin access to the backend of your store for store customizations and setup. Then type in your email address and your name in the base configuration text boxes below. Please ignore all other boxes and click on install cube cart.

Once the install is complete, please write down the web address and admin address of your website, and don’t forget what your admin username and password are. From here, you should jump right in start customizing your web store by logging into the admin using the URL you just wrote down. The admin features are very simple to navigate. If you get stuck, you can simply watch one of the free online cube cart video tutorials from their website

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Original: Cube Cart – Free Shopping Cart for eCommerce Hosting

Yahoo is known for being one of the three main search engines – Google, Yahoo and MSN/Bing. However, many people don’t realize that Yahoo also provides a plethora of other web-based services such as advertising and even web hosting. Their merchant services are some of their best hosting plans, with a variety of packages available that can accommodate the needs of any online business owner. If you’re interested in a comprehensive eCommerce solution for your online business then you may want to consider Yahoo Merchant Services for the following reasons.

Inclusive Packages

Yahoo merchant services are sold as inclusive plans called Yahoo Store packages. Every plan offered by Yahoo Merchant Services include all of the tools needed to build and design a business web site with minimal time and effort. You’ll also receive a free domain name, an email account, web hosting services, integrated shopping carts, payment processing capabilities, inventory/category management and even advertising credits with Yahoo Advertising!

Three Comprehensive Plans

Yahoo Merchant Services comes in three forms – Starter, Standard and Professional. Most novice business owners will opt for the Starter plan, however you shouldn’t hesitate to purchase a more comprehensive plan if you feel it is necessary for the progression of your business web site. Fortunately, it is very easy to upgrade from one Yahoo web hosting plan to another.

Yahoo Merchant Services has recently updated the starter plan to include a variety of unlimited features, such as unlimited disk space and bandwidth. The Starter plan comes with $100 in advertising credits, which makes it simple to start marketing your business web site with no investment. There is also no set up fee, and you will save twenty-five percent on the monthly bill for the first 2 months.

Yahoo Support

One of the most appealing aspects of any Yahoo service is their world famous support. Yahoo is known for providing quality services that are relevant to the interests and needs of their site visitors. It is a site and company that has been shaped by the media and the world surrounding it. This ability to expand and adapt to society’s changes during the past decade has proved Yahoo’s ability to listen and pay attention to its customers and site visitors. Yahoo support can be contacted at any time of the day or night, via phone, email and even instant chat. Most technical issues can be resolved with the assistance of a qualified Yahoo representative.

Benefits of Yahoo Merchant Services

With Yahoo Merchant services you’ll have direct access to Yahoo’s advertising presence through an integrated user-friendly interface. You’ll also have site building tools that produce professional results and are easy to use. Their eCommerce hosting solutions include a variety of unlimited features and bonuses such as advertising credits, free domain registration, and world famous technical support, which is perfect for novice webmaster.

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Original: Yahoo Merchant Services Overview

eCommerce web hosting is unique in that it caters to a specific market more than any other web hosting solution. In other words, ecommerce hosting accounts are geared towards business use only, whereas every other kind of web hosting can be used for virtually any purpose one could think of. Of course, ecommerce could be used for non-business purposes as well, but it wouldn’t make much sense considering the main benefits of an eCommerce account.

The following information should help you understand why eCommerce accounts are ideal for online business, especially retail businesses.

Bridging the Gap

eCommerce hosting accounts bridge the gap between the customer and the online business, providing the convenience needed to facilitate a smooth transaction on both ends. Tools like the shopping cart for example bring a real-life feel to the virtual storefront, letting the customer buy several items at once with ease, calculate shipping costs and even compare prices between products. While a regular website would use contact forms and other less automated methods of communication, an eCommerce site is specifically design to provide 24 hour customer service that is maintained automatically. Without the solid features of an eCommerce hosting account, most online businesses would undoubtedly fail to prosper.

Accepting Payments

Perhaps the most important attribute of an eCommerce hosting account is the merchant services that are provided with the plan. Merchant services are financial gateways that let the business owner collect payment through a variety of methods without having to deal with the headache of accepting each payment method individually. For example, the business owner can collect fund from Paypal and all major credit cards without owning a point of sale device, or even owning a Paypal account. While the eCommerce itself cannot do this automatically, it does provide easy integration with such services.

Building Online Shops

Another aspect of eCommerce hosting that is unique is the ability to create online shops quickly, by setting up product catalogs that are fully interactive and fully indexed within a searchable database. In these product catalogs the site owner can import pictures of products, and create a feedback system in which their customers can submit reviews, rate products, and even comment on their experiences with the products. The free input provided by previous clientel is a powerful selling point for prospective customers, as it shows the site owners willingness to keep their business practices transparent.

Keeping it All Running Smoothly

To keep the above features operating optimally eCommerce accounts come with adequate server resources, capable of storing massive product catalogs and transferring data with hundreds of site visitors simultaneously. eCommerce hosting plans also include special security features such as SSL certificates, which ensure the secure transfer of confidential financial information during purchases. If a security lapse were to occur, the consequences could be devastating for both the online business and the customer. Good security practices are absolutely essential when operating an online storefront in any market. The aforementioned features and attributes make eCommerce hosting the ideal solution for online shop owners.

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Original: The Reason Why Ecommerce Hosting Was Created

Ecommerce has completely changed the way the business world operates, bringing once local businesses to a global frontier. Since the invention of the internet the potential to make money online has been recognized, and this potential gave birth to an eCommerce hosting industry that feeds the needs and desire of internet shoppers and merchants around the world.

Ecommerce hosting accounts are designed to help online business owner sell more products with less hassle, while also giving the shopper a more pleasant and enjoyable experience. One of the ways the shopping experience is simplified of both the shopper and the merchant is through the use of shopping carts.

What Are eCommerce Shopping Carts?

Ecommerce shopping carts serve a similar function to that of a shopping cart found in an actual store. With a good eCommerce shopping cart you can add many products to your cart, buy them all simultaneously, and even view reviews and testimonials from previous customers. Since shopping carts represent the primary interfaces that will be used to help you customers checkout, it is very important to make sure you choose a hosting account with a suitable shopping cart. If you already have a hosting provider, and you would like to change your shopping cart then you my want to consider the following free shopping carts.

ZenCart

ZenCart is especially appealing to novice online business owners that are not trained in internet technology. This shopping cart lets you develop your eCommerce shopping process, without the need professional programming or site development skills. Instead of editing pages using HTML, you’ll be able to use an integrated WYSIWIG editor to develop the layout of your eCommerce site. ZenCart is fairly flexible, letting you create multiple product catalogs and other interactive features that streamline the online shopping experience.

osCommerce

osCommerce is one of the most popular shopping cart programs available because it is user-friendly, yet diverse. osCommerce specializes in providing a convenient and enjoyable experience for the customer, thus increasing sales rates and and client satisfaction. The software provides customers with detailed shipping and processing information, as well as pre-order information such as in-stock availability, product reviews, and even automatic email updates. OsCommerce also prides itself in being one of the most secure shopping cart solutions available, while also being compatible with several payment processors such as Paypal. The software even supports Multi-lingual and Multi-currency support.

Cubecart

CubeCart is highly customizable, user-friendly and allows for a variety of convenient features and modifications. Die to the template-based layout, the appearance of the shopping cart can be adjusted almost instantly, simply by changing the template. This shopping cart also automatically generates search engine friendly URLs for product catalog pages. Users can even enjoy advanced checkout and shopping features such as the use of gift certificates, coupon codes, tax and shipping calculators, multi-currency support, and secure digital download delivery. You can also bring your business to the next level by using the auto list-building and email marketing features within CubeCart.

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Original: 3 Free eCommerce Shopping Carts

Selling something online is relatively easy, considering you have access to the entire population of the internet at your fingertips. Once you know how to get traffic, the money is going to come eventually, as it becomes a numbers game eventually. Although getting traffic is not extremely easy, once this is accomplished, you then have to find a way to convert that traffic into money.

If you’re trying to sell physical products then you’ll definitely need an eCommerce hosting account. If you want to sell digital products, an eCommerce account would help but is not absolutely necessary.

Do I Need eCommerce Hosting to Sell my Product?

The answer to this question depends upon what you’re selling, and how much you plan on selling. If you are selling actual products that need to be shipped to an address, then having a eCommerce hosting account linked to a merchant account would be optimally. If you are selling a small amount of physical products and you do not have a large product catalog, then you could settle for a regular hosting account, and accept payments via a payment processor such as PayPal or AlertPay. On the other hand, if you’re selling digital products such as eBooks or down-loadable software then the choice is entirely up to you. Once again, the more products you are trying to sell, the more beneficial it would be for you to have an eCommerce hosting account.

How Can an eCommerce Hosting Account Help You?

Ecommerce hosting accounts do several things that contribute to the overall success and organization of your online business. Perhaps the most important feature offered by an eCommerce hosting account would be the amount of server resources you’re given, and the per-installed software that helps you build product catalogs and accept orders easily. One such software that no serious internet merchant should go without is a shopping cart. If you have ever shopped online then you have probably used a shopping cart, maybe without even realizing it. The shopping cart is simply the application that lets users buy several products at once and conduct a variety of other interactive activities within your web site.

Safely Selling Digital Files

If you’re selling digital files then you need to be concerned about people sharing your digital files online. One of the ways people share digital files easily is by linking people to the download page that you supply upon payment. To protect yourself from such an occurrence you need to find a way to lock the file so that only one person can download it. You can do this by signing up for eJunkie, which will let you host your digital products online without having to worry about more than one person downloading the file. When a person submits payment to your eJunkie account they are automatically taken to a secured page that only works for one user.

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Original: Ecommerce Hosting and Digital Product Sales