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Tag results for ecommerce
Content Management Systems
WordPress, Joomla!, Drupal, and other such content management systems are commonly talked about on the web. In fact, studies indicate that content management systems (CMS) power around 26.3 percent of the web. That percentage should only go up, because CMS is the best way to power a website. The question must then be asked, what is CMS?
CMS allows web designers to set up their clients with a template to which content can be added via an administrative interface. It is used commonly for blogs or shopping carts that contain content which is constantly being updated. With CMS, every page of content (whether that be text, images, video, etc) contains variables which can be changed by the website owner. This means the site owner doesn’t have to call up his developer just to adjust some text, replace an image, or add a menu item. The owner can do it himself.
If you’ve ever set up a blog with WordPress, Blogger, TypePad, or the like, you’ve used a content management system. The administration area, where you login to type a new post, is known as the backend to CMS. The backend is where a user can administer his/her blog. However, as you may have guessed, CMS doesn’t stop with blogs. CMS is used for e-commerce, social media, podcasting, and even normal websites!
Most of the best CMS out there are free and open source. They include WordPress, Joomla!, Drupal, SilverStripe, and many more. As a web designer, I encourage all my clients to go the route of CMS, because it can help give them the independence to update their site without having to use me as a crutch. Allow me to set you up with a CMS website today!
Written by Tim on June 14, 2011
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SSL Certificates
Although we see them a lot on the web, few people actually know what SSL Certificates are. SSL stands for Secure Sockets Layer. It is a way that website owners can encrypt the information that is transferred from the user to their server.
You have probably, at one time or another, been browsing the web and seen a gold padlock symbol next to the web address. Well, that is a symbol that shows you that the particular site you are viewing is encrypted with SSL. The fact that the web address starts with “https://” instead of “http://” also shows that the website has an SSL Certificate.
While that’s all pretty neat, you are still probably wondering what an SSL Certificate can practically do for your website. Well, if you require users to input information that may be classified as confidential, an SSL Certificate is a very good idea for your site. Generally, the only time you will be receiving input like this is if you run an online store.
It is not illegal to have a shopping cart without an SSL Certificate. However, users may not buy from your site if they don’t see the gold padlock symbol by the address bar in their browser.
If you do have an online store without SSL, you are basically telling hackers, “Hey! Come get my customer’s credit card information!!” I don’t think you want that kind of message to come across!
Usually, you can buy SSL from your hosting company or domain registrar. However, you can also get it from other places. Here are a few good places to get one:
Just like domain names, you pay for SSL Certificates yearly. Prices can range from $30 to over $1,000 a year! Some plans will give your customers more assurance that your site is protected, but they don’t usually provide better protection. So, don’t be fooled, usually the cheapest plan does the same thing as the more expensive one (practically speaking).
While in most cases SSL Certificates are not necessary for your website, there are some times when it is essential to your business!
Written by Tim on April 9, 2010
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Using a Remotely Hosted Shopping Cart
In the last post I went over the details of how to get a shopping cart that’s hosted on your own site. Today, I want to show you the possibility of getting a remotely hosted shopping cart.
So what is a remotely hosted shopping cart? It is simply a shopping cart that’s hosted on someone else’s server. For those of you who are not very computer-savvy and don’t want to hire someone to set up your shopping cart, a remotely hosted shopping cart is probably better.
Generally, getting a shopping cart on a remotely hosted server is more expensive. But, if the shopping cart is not on your server, you will not have to pay for an SSL certificate or a payment gateway.
Personally, I think a shopping cart on your own server is better and more professional, plus you have full access to your cart and can customize it exactly the way you want. But, if you are just starting out, and don’t want to deal with all the work involved in hosting it yourself, remotely hosted carts may be best.
Some remotely hosted stores are free, but they usually do not have near as many features as the ones you can pay for. Here are a few options you may want to look into:
AAcart.com
eCrater (FREE)
Etsy
GoEmerchant
PayPal
Written by Tim on February 12, 2010
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eCommerce
Shopping carts are getting to be very popular on the web. In fact, recently one of the most asked questions I’ve gotten is “can you build me a shopping cart?” Well, to answer the question, yes I can! There are several steps that are required to get a shopping cart on your site. I would like to go over them in this article.
The first step involves setting up a shopping cart program and customizing it to fit your needs. To do this, you must find a shopping cart software program. This will be what holds your online store together and keeps your products organized. I generally use OpenCart for my clients. There are other programs I can use as well though. Here are a few free options:
OpenCart
PrestaShop
ZenCart
osCommerce
After you get a program like one of these on your site, you will need to customize it to fit your needs. When you download any one of these shopping carts, you will be given a default template that has some sample products. You will need to customize this to look just the way you like it.
On all four of these programs, there is an administrator section that only you can access. This section is where you can add products, customize shipping rates, change credit card options, etc.
Once you have all that set up the way you like it, you must get a gateway. A gateway is a service you can sign up for and put on your shopping cart software settings. The purpose of a gateway is to let you accept credit cards online. Generally, a gateway does not charge a monthly fee, only a percentage of your earnings (usually no more than 3%). Here are a couple good gateways to use:
After you get set up with a gateway, you must get an SSL Certificate for your site. An SSL Certificate will simply block anyone from hacking credit card information from a buyer. You can usually get an SSL certificate from the same place you get hosting, and it generally only costs about $50 a year.
If you are interested in getting a shopping cart for your online business, please contact me. I can help you get an eCommerce business for a low price. Email me if you’re interested: tim@prorarity.com or visit my web design website for more information.
Written by Tim on February 8, 2010
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