Frequently Asked Questions

What is an eStore?

An electronic store (also called eCommerce, online shop) is an online facility that enables buying and selling of products and services via the Internet. An eStore is a convenient and a secure website where your customers can purchase your products or services online, using different payment options, such as payment gateways like Paypal or Authorize.net, postal check or money order, and so on.

Why should I open an eStore?

An eStore helps you reach a wider market scope and make your products and services accessible to more people. It is a convenient way for people to purchase products – at just a click of a button. It also helps you manage your sales better through catalogue inventory systems, and a content management system. If you want to learn more, just drop us a line.

What products can I sell? Can I sell downloadable files like music or software?

A wide variety of products and services can be sold online. You can sell just about any products you sell on a brick-and-mortar store to your online store- apparel, home and office supplies, gadgets, books, toys, luxury items, cosmetics, food and beverages, one on one coaching, subscription, webinars, ebooks, music, and software. You can sell all kinds of products and services, physical or virtual, for as long as it’s not illegal, and it isn’t harmful software (i.e. a virus or other destructive or deleterious program).

Also, be guided by the products and services that are illegal to sell over the web or on specific areas or locations. It is important as well that you will be able to deliver the products and services that you have displayed on your online shop.

How much does it cost to start an online shop?

Much, much less than it will cost to set up a physical shop! All you need to pay for is a registered domain, webhost, and the design and development or the eStore. The cost of design and development will depend on the variation of products or services, the eStore features, and the management framework of the online store.

How long will it take for my shop to go online?

Anytime between two to four weeks, including the population of the eStore with products. Again, this will depend on the complexity of the shop and the variety of products and services.

I already have a website. Can I integrate my eStore in it?

Yes, definitely. If you wish to keep the look and feel of your website, we can redesign it to incorporate your eStore.

How many products can I sell in a Small Shop? In a Big Shop? What’s the difference?

This will depend on what type of product or service you are selling, the diversity, and volume of your products. If you only have one or a few products, a Small Shop would be appropriate. If you have several product lines that need to be classified – something like the aisles of a grocery, you’ll need a Big Shop.

What software do I need to put up an eStore? Do I have to learn programming?

You will need a standard web browser in order to access your store and its management and administration area. Learning some basic HTML is a plus, but not necessary, since we can help maintain the store for you.

How do I get my customers´ payments?

You can receive your customers’ payments through bank deposits and credit card payments. You simply provide the bank details on your site (on checkout) for bank deposits. Credit card payments may be processed through merchant accounts and/or payment gateway services. There are several online payment facilities nowadays that enable online entrepreneurs to accept online payments via credit card and e-check. All you have to do is to sign up for a payment gateway account and/or a merchant account.

What´s a payment gateway?

A payment gateway is an eCommerce service provider service that authorizes payments by customers for
e-businesses and online vendors. Payment gateways provide a secure transmission of sensitive details such as credit card numbers between the customer and the merchant and also between merchant and the payment processor. Popular payment gateways include PayPal, Authorize.net, and Google Checkout.

How do I manage orders?

An order management module is included in the management framework of your eStore. You can access and manage this from any computer in the world as long as you have your username and password. Through the order management module, you will have the ability to accept orders from clients without you having to communicate with them physically.

How will I ship the product to my customers?

This will depend on your policy for shipping. You can make use of the post, a courier service such as FedEx, DHL, TNT, or UPS – or you may employ a fulfillment house to take care of your deliveries. Keep in mind though that some customers are very particular with the courier company that will handle their products. They wanted to make sure that the products they have purchased will be delivered to them in its best quality.

How can I assure my customers that my eStore is secure?

Your eStore or business website ought to come with a guarantee to eliminate any doubt that someone might swindle your customers out of their payments. An SSL, or Secure Socket Layer encryption service will notify your customer through browser messages that they are transacting over a secure connection and will assure him of three things:

  1. That your website is what it claims to be;
  2. That the information sent and received through your website cannot be forged or altered;
  3. That any sensitive data, like credit card, bank numbers, patient information for medical sites, are encrypted, and cannot be intercepted or decoded.

How do I promote my store online?

Keeping your site’s contents fresh and updated is a great way of making your site viewers interested. Updating the contents will also give your customers timely and accurate information about your site. In order to promote your store and create a marketing presence online, you also need to participate on social networking sites, communities, and online forums. This will encourage people to visit your site and buy your products as well. Use relevant meta-tags in your site for search engine optimization. Promos and discounts (tier pricing, bundled product, free shipping, free products with every purchase, coupon codes and newsletters) are great ways to entice your customers to keep visiting the site and purchasing products.