E-commerce
Put simply E-commerce is a generic term used when referring to selling anything over the Internet. Vanbar Multimedia has the knowledge and experience to make it safe and simple for you. We will take the fear and complexity out of your E-commerce.
Most E-commerce consists of a set of simple stages:
- Product Database
An online database is used to store the information on the products such as Product Code, Title, Price and so on. But don't worry, you don't need to be a whiz to use it as a series of simple online forms are put in place for you to enter and amend the information as needed. - Shopping Cart (Basket)
Once you've got your database you'll need a web site to enable people to browse and buy from it. A shopping cart is simply a facility on your web site to record the choices people make. - Payment Service Provider (PSP)
The heart of E-commerce is processing credit and debit cards online. To do so the web site is integrated behind the scenes with the software of a PSP who will authorise or decline the transaction. There is a wide array of companies and banks to choose from. Vanbar Multimedia will gladly recommend a few that best suit the pricing structure that meets your needs and provides the best return on investment. - Merchant Account
The last stage is all importantly to transfer the funds to you. To do so a Merchant bank Account is needed.
Security
The first thing to realise about E-commerce is that we never store credit and debit card details. Therefore the security comes down to two key aspects:
- Transmission
It's still necessary to send the details that are entered into the web site across the Internet to the PSP for processing. As with all secure E-commerce facilities the transmission is encrypted to prevent anyone intercepting it from being able to read it. To do this we use an Equifax 256bit high-grade encryption SSL certificate. - Server Security
All that's left is to then ensure that the work we have put into place does not get tampered with. To do so we make sure that the hardware, software and even security of the building is all top-rate.
Common Pitfalls
Through talking closely with our customers we have identified the most common pitfalls listed below. Identifying these up-front cuts through the red-tape and makes sure we always get it right first time:
- Currency
Most Banks and PSP's (see above) charge for additional currencies. - Delivery
You're on the Internet, you're global! So it's best to discuss where you will delivery to and your pricing options. - Stock
Do you need to track stock-levels online, in real-time? Can you always guarantee that you can fulfil an order? - Returns
As with mail order a clear returns policy is essential in most cases. - Merchant Account
Are you setup to take the money?