Simplex Design blog : Using 3rd party service to host your online store

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Using 3rd party service to host your online store Posted: 24 Jan 2014 01:14 AM PST So you're setting up your brand new online store and are ready to get selling. But are you ready to set up a dedicated server, keep it perfectly maintained and hire an IT person to help with the inevitable software glitches? Chances are, unless you're an IT person yourself, the answer is no. Thankfully, you don't have to.  Self-serve shopping carts are a necessity for large corporations with thousands of employees and millions of products sold each year, but for the other 99 percent of the eCommerce world there's a better solution. Leave the Shopping cart outside of website Unless you're in the process of trying to exactly duplicate the business practices of Amazon, you probably want to invest in a hosted shopping cart. This is a pre-packaged, perfectly bundled and easily installed system that's hosted off your server, leaving security, software, and support up to an external company. Shopping cart hosting requires an ongoing subscription, but at the end of the day it's actually more likely to save you money to have your cart hosted and maintained by professionals. This is one case where the "do it yourself" mentality needs to be left at the door. The cost of server purchase, setup, maintenance, software programming and contracting an IT professional to help when things go wrong will almost certainly go above and beyond the small monthly cost of a hosted shopping cart. The best hosted cart system offers the following benefits: Promise of a quick launch, with or without technical skills. User-friendly interface. Online support and coaching to get started on the right foot. Add-ons and upgrades available as needed. Compliance and Certification In 2010, less than 7 percent of shopping carts, hosted and non-hosted, were PCI compliant.  Now, this is a requirement to process credit cards online, and waiting for your compliance certification can take a bite out of the time you have to get your store up and running. However, compliance with these security standards offers benefits to all businesses by improving your reputation with other businesses, proof that your systems are secure, and the promise to your customers that you can be trusted with their sensitive payment information without worry. Confident, trusting customers are more likely to come back and shop with you again. Thankfully, one of the best features of a hosted shopping cart is the added security. Using a hosted shopping cart promises PCI compliance from the get-go, letting you hit the ground running from the moment you launch your eCommerce website by securely accepting all major credit cards. Built for Speed Another great feature of a hosted shopping cart is the promise of faster load time. Because your online store isn't carrying the full weight of the shopping cart on your personal server, overall load time is quicker and credit card processing is faster, a must for any eCommerce website. If your shopping cart takes too long to process, you're not very likely to keep your customers' interest—the average online shopping cart abandonment rate is close to 68 percent. If there's anything you can offer an online shopper to keep them from the old "cut and run," it's definitely best to offer it as early in the checkout experience as possible. There are many different options for managing your shopping cart and choosing which company to host with. Check the features and security, and even look into some reviews of the best hosted carts in the market to choose the one that will work best for you and your business. Remember, just because you're running your own store doesn't mean you have to do all the work yourself. About Guest Blogger Olivia Pransky is writer of Dezine Robotics website - a one stop platform for those who are in need of quality and unique information. Dezine Robotics will prove to be an informational hub for such as Web Design and Development Resources, Tips and Tutorials, WordPress, Inspiration and many more. You can check his writing in website or follow on facebook and twitter @DezineRobotics

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