A domain name is the address (or URL) that visitors will type into their web browser to access your website. A hosting provider, who stores the contents of the website so as it can be viewed, will usually host your domain name as well.
A shopping cart allows your customers to select one or more of your products or services, to enter their billing and delivery information, and to be notified when their purchase has been completed. Your eCommerce site will need a shopping cart in order to provide an effective shopping experience.
It’s important to choose a shopping cart that supports eWAY’s payment gateway. Check our Social Carts page to see the conversation on more than 60 carts that have integrated with our services.
Below are some things to consider when selecting a shopping cart:
- Ensure your shopping cart’s features match the needs of your business (e.g. inventory control, warnings, stock-on-hand, purchase history, sales reporting, etc.)
- Some carts provide marketing tools, which can assist in tracking and targeting customers, sending newsletters and/or including advertising banners or Google Adsense advertising on your website.
eWAY allows you to accept credit card payments in real-time, 24/7. If your chosen shopping cart supports eWAY out-of-the-box, you should only need your eWAY customer ID to integrate our payment gateway. You may also have to install an eWAY module.
If you require assistance in integrating the eWAY payment gateway into your site, our Developer Directory can help you find a developer in your area.
If any customer data is entered on your site, you will need to purchase and install an SSL certificate. eWAY is a Platinum Partner of VeriSign, GeoTrust and thawte, so we can provide globally-recognised certificates at a fraction of their retails prices (such as GeoTrust TrueBusiness ID certificates from £79 GBP per year). You can see a full range of our certificates here.
The eWAY Shared Payments product is secured with the highest level of SSL encryption available, however you should purchase a certificate to secure your own site and protect your customers.
Once you have your domain name and hosting, you will need to contact a bank to set up your Internet Merchant Account. This is a special account designed to receive the proceeds of eCommerce transactions and deposit them into your business bank account. eWAY can request a quote from your preferred bank on your behalf - this is the fastest way to get started.
More information about setting up your Internet Merchant Account is available in the Bank requirements section.
Most banks will require you to provide a live demonstration of your website, or screen shots of the purchase process. If you need help building, designing or integrating eWAY into your website, feel free to use our Developer Directory.
Your website should reflect the quality of your products and your business. Be sure to include a contact page with numerous ways you can be contacted (e.g. e-mail, mail address and phone number).
Once your eCommerce website is online, you should market your products or services to generate traffic and sales.
The right form of marketing is different for every eCommerce business. Some methods of online marketing are free, while others cost money.
Below are some marketing strategies you might consider:
- Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) involves using keywords to ensure that your website appears in search results for Google and other search engines. Many companies offer SEO consulting services. If you plan to work on SEO yourself, bear in mind that your keywords should be chosen based on what your customers are likely to type into a search engine, and that they should appear naturally at least twice per page. It’s also important for other respected websites to link to yours.
- Use social networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn to promote your brand. With Social Connect Emails you can now let your customers promote their purchases right after they've bought from you. Your brand will promoted through social media and it won't cost you anything.
- Create an affiliate program for your products, encouraging other websites to advertise your business by offering a commission of the sales they send.
- Create a pay-per-click account which will display your ad on thousands of different websites around the word and only pay when someone clicks on your ad and goes to your website. eWAY’s partnership with Google makes it easy to get started.