Hey guys...

I've been designing sites for 8 years or so, almost entirely just small business brochureware type sites with static pages, general information about a business type thing.

I want to start doing e-commerce sites but i don't know the steps.

I'm looking for advice on how to get this done. I will be selling template monster templates that we customize and install (cre loaded, or os commerce, zen cart, etc) That's the easy part.

The part i don't know anything about is:
1) Who to have my clients sign-up with for their Merchant account?
2) If they already have a merchant account somewhere what information do i need to get from them to make it work with their website?
3) Where to buy the SSL certificate?
4) Who can i use to install the SSL certificate for me? I tried last time on my own a few years ago with os commerce and it was a nightmare. Had to pay a guy $150 to do it. It's probably easy but im totally ecommerce illiterate.
5) Any other advice you can tell me.

I want to be able to give a client who is totally clueless about the web and wants their online store a list of things we'll need from them to make the store a go.

Thanks for any help you can offer :)

Dave

bump bump bump

For a merchant account, you can contact WHT members such as cdgcommerce ( www.cdgcommerce.com ), Corey Bryant ( www.milehighmerchantaccount.com ), dgoodale ( www.merchant-accounts.ca ), and there are more. They can explain all your options depending on your clients' location, needs, etc.

You definitely do not need to pay someone $150 to install an SSL Certificate. If you are having trouble, just post a thread here at WHT and you will get all the help you need. ;)

Vito

Usually, it's your webhost who installs an SSL certificate for you. If you buy it from them that is :) I bought one long time ago from Hostgator and they installed it for me.

1) Who to have my clients sign-up with for their Merchant account?

I love CDGCommerce personally, and paypal is almost a requirement as well.

2) If they already have a merchant account somewhere what information do i need to get from them to make it work with their website?

Will vary depending on who they use. With the content management systems you listed you could simply instruct them where to put in their information from the admin side of things.

3) Where to buy the SSL certificate?
I've used http://www.regfly.com/ before (their budget SSL certs) and I like them.

4) Who can i use to install the SSL certificate for me? I tried last time on my own a few years ago with os commerce and it was a nightmare. Had to pay a guy $150 to do it. It's probably easy but im totally ecommerce illiterate.

Installing the SSL certificate should be independent of the actual site (much like creating an e-mail account is going to be done independently of the site). In any event they really aren't that hard to install, most control panels for the hosting tell you step by step what to do.

Awesome, thanks guys. This helps huge. :)

1) Who to have my clients sign-up with for their Merchant account?I would recommend either completely staying away form this and letting your clients handle it. Maybe recommend a couple of companies (i.e. who do you use?)

You might sign up as an affiliate / reseller for some of the larger ISOs. In the United States, there is some specific text that you will see in the footer. Let's take a look at CDG Commerce's (http://www.cdgcommerce.com/) web site and look at their footer: CDGcommerce is a registered ISO/MSP for First National Bank of Omaha, 1620 Dodge St., Omaha, NE
and Merrick Bank, Salt Lake City, UT - Members FDIC.
This tells you CDG is a registered ISO/MSP and what bank he is with. An agent will have something like "independent agent office" with a certain ISO.

Having said that, if the client is a member of Sam's Club or Costco, tell them to review that as well.

2) If they already have a merchant account somewhere what information do i need to get from them to make it work with their website?You need an electronic payment gateway. If they have a swiped (or brick and mortar) account, tell them to find out what electronic payment gateway the merchant account provider is compatible with. Then all they need is the gateway. And most providers won't charge anything except for the discount rates / transaction fees for the extra account.

3) Where to buy the SSL certificate?Comodo.

4) Who can i use to install the SSL certificate for me? I tried last time on my own a few years ago with os commerce and it was a nightmare. Had to pay a guy $150 to do it. It's probably easy but im totally ecommerce illiterate.Take a look at the control panel. If you can generate a CSR, you can install the cert. Most control panels have this option now and they are much easier to install than even two / three years ago (meaning more control panels are offering this now.

5) Any other advice you can tell me.
If you are in the United States, you have hundreds of processors to choose from and scores of electronic payment gateways.

Most of these gateways (LinkPoint / YourPay, Authorize.net / Cybersource, Payflow, Quantum, Yahoo!®, etc) that will connect to a transaction processor (First Data, Nova, etc). Some of the transaction processors that have a relationship with the issuing bank and acquiring bank can complete the transaction instead of sending it to the card associations (Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Discover, etc). You might even remember the lawsuit that Visa was suing First Data because Visa was getting cut out of a lot of the transactions because First Data was completing the transaction. Fortunately, that was settled (http://www.financial-insights.com/FI/research/viewelement.jsp?containerId=FIN203055&sectionId=FIN203055-S-0001&elementId=FIN203055-E-0001).

The transaction can be broken down into about seven steps
Authorization
Merchant Balancing
Capture
Capture
Interchange (V/MC Only)
Interchange (V/MC Only)
Merchant ACH
The electronic payment gateway will virtually connect your website to a transaction processor.

If you are in the United States, you have a number of options. Getting a merchant account is pretty good if you are doing more than $1,000 a month. One of the bigger reasons is getting your money. Some (http://www.gidforums.com/t-10950.html) think this is not important but I have to object. Getting your money is usually the best thing, right? And with a merchant account, your money is deposited into your bank account within 48-72 hours usually after the batch is completed. If you do the math and look at what you might earn if the money if in your interest bearing account you might make money with your money.

The IPSP (Internet Payment Service Provider) like (some versions of) PayPal are relying on your money to earn interest. Some of them will send your money weekly or twice a month, while some will send it only when you request it.

The electronic payment gateways will also offer you an API to process the transaction on your website. This helps with the flow of the checkout process. The user is never directed to another website. You can get a test store from most of the electronic payment gateways but some of the skilled developers think this is unnecessary. And others think it is a great option to have. Now, even some members of Paypal can get this as well.

The electronic payment gateways might charge you a transaction fee - some based on a fixed fee and some a percentage. Some gateways will give you XXXX number of transactions free per month and then charge you. And some gateways will just charge a flat fee (similar to AOL giving away their software so you will use service). It is the gateway that is really important. When the gateway is down - your ecommerce site is basically shut down. Although some gateways offer a way for you to still send the transaction and once the gateway is back up, the transaction will be processed.
For a merchant account, you can contact WHT members such as cdgcommerce ( www.cdgcommerce.com ), Corey Bryant ( www.milehighmerchantaccount.com ), dgoodale ( www.merchant-accounts.ca ), and there are more. They can explain all your options depending on your clients' location, needs, etc.

VitoThanks for the mention Vito!