E-Commerce Solutions
E-Commerce refers to the practice of using a website to sell products or services. It provides an efficient method of facilitating sales, and affords exposure to an ever-growing market of Internet users. As the Internet has increased in popularity, so has E-Commerce, and today presents an indispensable medium for conducting trade.
If your company sells products or services and does not have a website utilising E-Commerce, then an E-Commerce solution should be seriously considered. Through additional sales obtained by exposure to a wider and more diverse audience, the cost of such an investment can be recouped in profit.
The E-Commerce Development Process
The E-Commerce development process complements the web development process, and is begun once the web development process is complete. The E-Commerce development process consists of six stages; additional coding, merchant account application, SSL certificate installation, payment gateway application, testing, and launch.
Additional Coding
Further coding may be required to facilitate the sale of goods or services online. This may simply involve the creation of a page on which several products are listed, or the implementation of a fully-featured shopping cart system. It is this stage in which your products are listed on the website; the following stages deal with the technical side of enabling credit card transactions.
Merchant Account Application
An application must now be lodged with your bank of choice for a Merchant Account. A Merchant Account is a special type of bank account which is able to accept credit payments conducted over the Internet. It is this account into which funds from your online sales will be deposited. Supported banks are: ANZ, Bank SA, Bank West, Commonwealth Bank, NAB, St. George, and Westpac. The appropriate forms will be provided via post, e-mail, or fax, and can be completed at your convenience.
SSL Certificate Installation
An SSL Certificate must be installed, and is necessary to ensure that the credit card details of those using your website to purchase goods or services are properly secured. The SSL Certificate achieves this by encrypting all web traffic, making sure that no third party can gain unauthorized access to this information.
Payment Gateway Application
This is the final stage before we are able to begin testing of the E-Commerce solution. An application must be lodged for a Payment Gateway. A Payment Gateway provider is a third party who facilitates the transfer of funds to your Merchant Account. At no point, however, does this third party hold your money - the funds are deposited directly into your bank account.
Testing
The E-Commerce Solution will now be thoroughly tested, before it is made available to the general public. This will involve ensuring that funds are successfully transferred to your bank account, and that the ordering process works as expected.
Launch
The E-Commerce Solution is now complete. Additional coding has been completed, and your products are easily accessible through your website. You have set up a Merchant Account with your bank of choice, and secured your website and the credit card details of your users through an SSL Certificate. Anybody with internet access can now purchase your goods and services using their credit card, from which funds will be taken and deposited directly into your bank account, facilitated by your Payment Gateway.