These days, compliance with the industry's security practices is one of the most significant concerns regarding ecommerce hosting. In the year 2004, an association of credit card providers developed the Payment Card Industry (PCI) Data Security Standards. While they were at first only recommendations for keeping consumers' personal information secure, they now have the force of contract in most merchant agreements. And since customers are more willing to deal with a company which protects their credit information, these guidelines are helpful to everyone involved.
Today's standards are comprised of twelve main regulations, each divided into numerous sub-regulations. These range from technology guidelines to carefully defined administrative practices. One of the technology regulations involves the encryption of information during its storage and transmittal. A firm must also maintain control over both physical and digital access to the information.
PCI standards should be followed by any company that processes, transmits or stores credit card information. For smaller companies, this is not the easiest thing in the world to accomplish. To assist them, there are many PCI-compliant ecommerce solutions available to them and range from online shopping cart software to ecommerce hosting. These options insure PCI compliance and take the burden off of the sellers and allow them to focus more on making sales.
Ecommerce hosting ratings can be found at opinion sites throughout the Web. However, an opinion from an unknown is no guarantee of satisfaction; you need solid references as well. You will be doing business with them for a long time. Is your hosting provider PCI-compliant? Are they trustworthy? Do they have a good reputation? Demand and check references.
While security is certainly a major factor to consider when looking at ecommerce hosting, you should also check out the other benefits ecommerce solutions have to offer. Hosting firms often pair up with their clients to offer online shopping cart software too. It is extremely helpful if your hosting provider has software expertise, since this can often result in better technical support for you. In the end, that means your site will be down less often and your customers will find their shopping experience a more comfortable one.
Starting an ecommerce business that makes money is not simple. It is easy to obsess over the interesting side of things, choosing what you will sell and how you will advertise. However, far more important to most people is the understanding their information is secure from prying eyes. Similarly, you have obligations enabling continued use of credit cards.
Thursday, March 27, 2008
Compare Storefront with Web
Having run both a storefront operation, and now an e-commerce business site, I can't help but compare how the two have very similar practices that determine success:
1. Location VS Search Engine Status
People need to find your business! In retail when you choose a storefront location you look for a space that will draw traffic into your store. A mall is often a great location because people love to find parking and enjoy shopping variety.
A web-based business also needs high visibility. If your site never makes it above page 10 in any of the search engines, you cannot generate the traffic that you anticipate to make your sales. Placing ads or banners on your site will help a lot to improve the number of visitors.
2. Merchandising VS Web Design
The product you are selling needs to attract attention. When you create a window display it is for the purpose of drawing a person into the store for a closer look. You do not keep the display the same week after week or people get bored and stop coming in.
The same is true in web design. The more attractive the presentation, the more likely the people will spend their time in looking through it. There are many web masters out there who do a great job in design, but now you can buy great software programs to assist you in designing your own. There is also the option of searching online for templates that you can download, ready to drop into your domain. You still need to keep things new and exciting by doing changes to keep people interested. Add a seasonal or holiday banner, vary some widgets, or introduce some flash. Moving things around your pages will keep people coming back for another look.
3. Advertising VS Marketing
This is really the same for both types of business. People visit your store, or your web because they hear about you from somewhere. Locally, people place ads in a newspaper, while the online company is more likely to depend on search engines like Google or Yahoo to help people find their site. No matter what method of advertising you use, check your costs carefully and analyze the results you get to be sure that you are spending your dollars wisely. Don't forget the power of a sale to draw your customers. People everywhere love a bargain.
The final word is that no matter if you choose to run your business from a storefront, or from a web page, it will take the equal amount of dedication to hard work and effort for it to be successful. The difference is that when you place your products on the internet, your customers can come from around the world, and that is a very BIG market!
1. Location VS Search Engine Status
People need to find your business! In retail when you choose a storefront location you look for a space that will draw traffic into your store. A mall is often a great location because people love to find parking and enjoy shopping variety.
A web-based business also needs high visibility. If your site never makes it above page 10 in any of the search engines, you cannot generate the traffic that you anticipate to make your sales. Placing ads or banners on your site will help a lot to improve the number of visitors.
2. Merchandising VS Web Design
The product you are selling needs to attract attention. When you create a window display it is for the purpose of drawing a person into the store for a closer look. You do not keep the display the same week after week or people get bored and stop coming in.
The same is true in web design. The more attractive the presentation, the more likely the people will spend their time in looking through it. There are many web masters out there who do a great job in design, but now you can buy great software programs to assist you in designing your own. There is also the option of searching online for templates that you can download, ready to drop into your domain. You still need to keep things new and exciting by doing changes to keep people interested. Add a seasonal or holiday banner, vary some widgets, or introduce some flash. Moving things around your pages will keep people coming back for another look.
3. Advertising VS Marketing
This is really the same for both types of business. People visit your store, or your web because they hear about you from somewhere. Locally, people place ads in a newspaper, while the online company is more likely to depend on search engines like Google or Yahoo to help people find their site. No matter what method of advertising you use, check your costs carefully and analyze the results you get to be sure that you are spending your dollars wisely. Don't forget the power of a sale to draw your customers. People everywhere love a bargain.
The final word is that no matter if you choose to run your business from a storefront, or from a web page, it will take the equal amount of dedication to hard work and effort for it to be successful. The difference is that when you place your products on the internet, your customers can come from around the world, and that is a very BIG market!
Thursday, March 13, 2008
Competitive Reviews On Ecommerce Hosting And Services
With the turn of the century, ecommerce hosting markets have become highly competitive. Many ecommerce hosting companies offer website hosting with similar features and at similar prices. The potential customer can choose from a variety of ecommerce providers. The customer may be influenced to sign an agreement with the ecommerce hosting company solely based on the presentation and advertising strategy used without evaluating the reliability and quality of the firm. For this reason, a large number of experts, critics, and users provide ecommerce reviews. A review refers to the critical evaluation of product information, performance, and price. Ecommerce hosting reviews reexamine the salient features of various ecommerce hosts offered by companies and provide the buyer with a systematic guide for choosing which host is best for him.
Ecommerce hosting reviews compare the service offered by various companies for sale. Important aspects such as facilities offered, affordability and features that differentiate one company from another are covered. Reviews also provide information related to the service they offer to clients for technical support and website maintenance. Ecommerce hosting reviews also cover important aspects such as security, space, speed, uptime, and email services provided by the hosting service. Quality reviews may also provide readers with additional information such as control panel navigation, software availability, FTP services, and access to server logs and errors. Some reviews may also provide a rating for a select few ecommerce hosting providers to indicate their relative merit. The ratings when compared allow the customer to make the right choice and finally approach the company for service. Ecommerce hosting reviews only evaluate the performance of authorized and licensed hosting companies. The reviews also offer details of contact information of the hosting provider along with the pricing of different packages offered by them.
Ecommerce hosting reviews are easily available online on websites and in related magazines and journals. Reviews are not always reliable. Some ecommerce hosting reviews are biased and offer one-sided evaluations of the service.
Ecommerce hosting reviews compare the service offered by various companies for sale. Important aspects such as facilities offered, affordability and features that differentiate one company from another are covered. Reviews also provide information related to the service they offer to clients for technical support and website maintenance. Ecommerce hosting reviews also cover important aspects such as security, space, speed, uptime, and email services provided by the hosting service. Quality reviews may also provide readers with additional information such as control panel navigation, software availability, FTP services, and access to server logs and errors. Some reviews may also provide a rating for a select few ecommerce hosting providers to indicate their relative merit. The ratings when compared allow the customer to make the right choice and finally approach the company for service. Ecommerce hosting reviews only evaluate the performance of authorized and licensed hosting companies. The reviews also offer details of contact information of the hosting provider along with the pricing of different packages offered by them.
Ecommerce hosting reviews are easily available online on websites and in related magazines and journals. Reviews are not always reliable. Some ecommerce hosting reviews are biased and offer one-sided evaluations of the service.
Significant Security Concerns In Ecommerce Hosting
These days, compliance with the industry's security practices is one of the most significant concerns regarding ecommerce hosting. In the year 2004, an association of credit card providers developed the Payment Card Industry (PCI) Data Security Standards. While they were at first only recommendations for keeping consumers' personal information secure, they now have the force of contract in most merchant agreements. And since customers are more willing to deal with a company which protects their credit information, these guidelines are helpful to everyone involved.
Today's standards are comprised of twelve main regulations, each divided into numerous sub-regulations. These range from technology guidelines to carefully defined administrative practices. One of the technology regulations involves the encryption of information during its storage and transmittal. A firm must also maintain control over both physical and digital access to the information.
PCI standards should be followed by any company that processes, transmits or stores credit card information. For smaller companies, this is not the easiest thing in the world to accomplish. To assist them, there are many PCI-compliant ecommerce solutions available to them and range from online shopping cart software to ecommerce hosting. These options insure PCI compliance and take the burden off of the sellers and allow them to focus more on making sales.
Ecommerce hosting ratings can be found at opinion sites throughout the Web. However, an opinion from an unknown is no guarantee of satisfaction; you need solid references as well. You will be doing business with them for a long time. Is your hosting provider PCI-compliant? Are they trustworthy? Do they have a good reputation? Demand and check references.
While security is certainly a major factor to consider when looking at ecommerce hosting, you should also check out the other benefits ecommerce solutions have to offer. Hosting firms often pair up with their clients to offer online shopping cart software too. It is extremely helpful if your hosting provider has software expertise, since this can often result in better technical support for you. In the end, that means your site will be down less often and your customers will find their shopping experience a more comfortable one.
Starting an ecommerce business that makes money is not simple. It is easy to obsess over the interesting side of things, choosing what you will sell and how you will advertise. However, far more important to most people is the understanding their information is secure from prying eyes. Similarly, you have obligations enabling continued use of credit cards.
Today's standards are comprised of twelve main regulations, each divided into numerous sub-regulations. These range from technology guidelines to carefully defined administrative practices. One of the technology regulations involves the encryption of information during its storage and transmittal. A firm must also maintain control over both physical and digital access to the information.
PCI standards should be followed by any company that processes, transmits or stores credit card information. For smaller companies, this is not the easiest thing in the world to accomplish. To assist them, there are many PCI-compliant ecommerce solutions available to them and range from online shopping cart software to ecommerce hosting. These options insure PCI compliance and take the burden off of the sellers and allow them to focus more on making sales.
Ecommerce hosting ratings can be found at opinion sites throughout the Web. However, an opinion from an unknown is no guarantee of satisfaction; you need solid references as well. You will be doing business with them for a long time. Is your hosting provider PCI-compliant? Are they trustworthy? Do they have a good reputation? Demand and check references.
While security is certainly a major factor to consider when looking at ecommerce hosting, you should also check out the other benefits ecommerce solutions have to offer. Hosting firms often pair up with their clients to offer online shopping cart software too. It is extremely helpful if your hosting provider has software expertise, since this can often result in better technical support for you. In the end, that means your site will be down less often and your customers will find their shopping experience a more comfortable one.
Starting an ecommerce business that makes money is not simple. It is easy to obsess over the interesting side of things, choosing what you will sell and how you will advertise. However, far more important to most people is the understanding their information is secure from prying eyes. Similarly, you have obligations enabling continued use of credit cards.
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