Building Web Sites All-in-One Desk Reference For Dummies®

Chapter 1. An E‐Commerce Primer

In This Chapter

• Establishing a domain name

• Serving your Web catalog to customers

• Accepting payments with PayPal

• Getting paid with credit cards

• Using a secure server

Your client is an entrepreneur with a product or service for sale and wants to take the business to the next level. Or perhaps you're creating a Web site for a bricks‐and‐mortar business that wants to kick the business up a notch. Your solution for either client is quite simple: Design an interactive e‐commerce site for your client. When done correctly, an e‐commerce site makes it possible for your client to conduct business worldwide, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. That's right — a store that never closes.

Of course, any venture has its pitfalls. Your goal as a Web designer is to create an attractive, interactive site that your client's customers can easily navigate. In addition to the usual bells and whistles you'll include on an interactive site, you also need to provide a manner in which Web site visitors can order and pay for their wares and a method for your client to collect her money. In this chapter, you'll learn basic e‐commerce concepts such as setting up the site, working with credit card authorization packages, and obtaining a secure server.

Nailing Down E‐Commerce Concepts

If you build it, they will come. Not! The world of e‐commerce enables a merchant to branch out and present her service or product to a worldwide audience. However, if the merchant does not address certain issues, ...