Your Online Shop Checklist
Here's a quick checklist for making sure you have everything you need for your e-commerce plan. It's not long.
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Domain Name
You don't need a domain name to open an account with us, but we will need one when we set up everything for you, so it's better to
have one.
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Account with a supported Payment Gateway or Payment Processor
If you want to accept credit or debit cards with your e-commerce plan, you will need an account with a payment processing company supported
by Cactushop. Cactushop works with the largest and most common payment processors.
Cactushop will work with cash and cheque payments only, but if you want your online shop to be truly international you will probably have to be
able to accept payment by credit and debit card.
Told you it wasn't long! These are the two essential elements you need for your e-commerce plan to be set up and working for you, and as
soon as these are in place you can start selling online with your own internet shop!
Things you don't need
Here's a list of things that you don't need for your e-commerce plan to work.
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An existing web site
You don't need to have an existing web site for your e-commerce plan to work. The e-commerce plan, and shopping cart, work as an independent
web site. In fact, the Cactushop Demo is just the shopping cart and
it provides all the features and functionality you need.
The excellent templating system used by Cactushop, and the commercially available templates, means that you can quickly, and easily,
change the way your shop looks.
If you do have an existing web site, that's absolutely fine too. The templating system makes it easy for you to make the shopping cart look
like an integral part of your web site.
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Programming Skills
You will need some basic computer skills so that you can create and upload images of your products, but you certainly don't need any programming
skills to set up your shop and use it.
If you want to change the basic template, it's slightly more difficult, but it's certainly not rocket science. You will need basic
design skills, a knowledge of CSS, and be able to use FTP to upload files, but programming skills are not a requirement.
Our support team is on hand, and during working hours we have Windows Programmers and Developers on staff who have a strong
knowledge of ASP - the language the Cactushop is written in - who can provide custom paid support if you require any programming.
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Thousands of Products
Cactushop will scale to thousands of products - particularly when running on MS SQL Server databases just like your e-commerce plan will be -
but it is just as happy, and just as useful, if you only have a few products to sell.
Support Payment Processors & Gateways
Here's a list of payment processors and gateways that are supported by Cactushop:
2CO V2 System
Authorize.NET SIM
Authorize.NET AIM
DIBS
Barclaycard ePDQ
Google Checkout
Paypal Instant Payment Notification
Paypal PayFlow Pro
Paypal PayFlow Link
Protx VSP
Netbanx
Realex Pay and Shop
SecPay Premium
Secure Trading ST Payment Pages
VelocityPay Hosted Pages
VelocityPay Direct Connection
WorldPay WorldDirect: Select Junior
Most payment processing companies make it very easy to open an account with them, but it is worth comparing their fees and how quickly they
pay you. Some pay funds within hours or days while others only pay funds to you monthly.