First order of business is getting approved to have a bank account that will accept these online payments. This part of your business account is called a ?erchant Account We got ours through our bank as is the case most of the time. You can also do a search for ?redit card processingand there are lots of good companies. Depending on what your website offers, there may be advantages each decision would bring that we would point out to you.

This is basically the online processor that hooks into both your customer? credit card account and your internet merchant account. The gateway verifies information, transfers requests and authorizes credit cards in real time. Leading providers to smaller merchants include FirstData, Authorize.Net, CyberSource and VeriSign. You can also use things like PayPal or Google Checkout. You may not be sure which one would provide the protection you will need or an handle the amount and type of transactions your customers will make. Seek the aid of a professional e-Commerce team
for the answers.

This is the most esoteric piece of the e-commerce site supply chain. Its geeky name is called Secure Socket Layer or SSL. It is what makes web sites have the ?ttps://on the front of the web address and the padlock that shows that the transaction is encrypted and secure. It does two main things let? people know that the site they are putting their credit card info on is secure and gives customers piece of mind that you are not a fly-by-night operation. Both are very important aspects that go a long way towards encouraging customers.

This is where your ninja web development skills come into play or you bring in a team of professionals to design it for you. I would honestly use an experienced team since there are so many things that you might not know about when it comes to an e-commerce site. Many entrepreneurs have found out the hard way what can happen with cheap web design. When you spend your money, make sure you get it done right.

This where the rubber hits the road. Merchant Account? Check. Payment Gateway? Check. SSL Certificate? Check. Web site hosting? Check. Now you have to build the store, but again there are many options. One of the best options out there is Miva Merchant. Dotcomweavers is adept at customizing that and many other e-Commerce software to your needs. Put everything together in a perfect package of streamlined convenience.