Webmaster Tips and Tools

How To Solve The Online Shopping Cart Mystery

Copyright (c) 2009 James Roche

As you start to grow you business with more services, products and sales you'll need an easy way to manage all that money coming your way. But only accepting checks limits your growth - it's time to enjoy the ease and freedom of collecting money online. I'm going to show you (in plane English) how to set up and use an online shopping cart for maximum profits.

~~ "What is an Online Shopping Cart?" ~~ A shopping cart is an online software system that acts as your online catalog and allows your customers to order from your website. A good online shopping cart also sends bulk emails, bills clients, tracks ads, links and manages your clients and affiliates plus much more.

~~ "Which company do you recommend?" ~~ The online shopping cart I recommend is 1 Shopping Cart: www.InfoProductGuy.com/1shoppingcart.html. They are great - and most internet marketers use them. Plus they have excellent live customer support over the phone. (Make sure you have international phone service because they're in Canada.)

~~ "How does it work?" ~~ A customer comes to your site and clicks the link to buy your product. They are taken to a page generated by your online shopping cart where your customer enters their billing address and credit card information. On the bottom of the form is the order button.

A secure third party called the "Payment Gateway" then takes the money from their credit card and enters it into your bank account.

If all goes well the customer is taken to a page on your website that you specify when you set up the order form in your online shopping cart. It's usually a download page where they can now get full access to your product. Or it's a thank you page telling them their order is processed and will be shipped to them in "X" number of days.

~~ "So a 'Payment Gateway' is different from my online shopping cart?" ~~ Yes. It's also called your Merchant Account. They are separate from your online shopping cart because they are a secure third party that communicates between the customer's credit card company and your bank. The most common is Pay Pal - but they take about 3% of each sale. Ouch! I recommend you sign up with your own merchant account company. I use and recommend www.Authorize.net.

~~ "What else does the shopping cart do" ~~ A lot! 1 Shopping Cart also manages all your bulk emails. So let's say after someone signs up for your ezine or buys your product you can send them ongoing, automatic emails with bonus tips, reminders, opportunities, etc. This is all set up by you once - the shopping cart remembers when to send the emails so you never have to think of it again.

These are called "Auto Responders" and are a very powerful and profitable marketing tool because you can automatically get seen by your customer as often as you like without having to remember to email them all the time.

You can also send one-time announcements and ezines with your online shopping cart. These are called "Broadcasts" because it's like standing on the roof top and broadcasting your special message to your list.

Your online shopping cart can do much more...but the main benefit is it holds your list - your database - your goldmine...and this is where many beginners make their biggest mistake...

~~ "What mistakes should I know about before getting an email service and online shopping cart?" ~~ Due to recent *spam* laws, you are required to get a "Double Opt-In" from anyone leaving their names and emails to receive your ezine or Special Report. It's not enough anymore to take their information and call it a day - your new leads must confirm that they really do want to be on your list. Your email service or online shopping cart will automatically generate a special email to your new subscriber and ask them to confirm that they do, in fact, want to receive information from you. It's a hassle - but necessary.

So this is where a lot of new business owners get trapped. Let's say you started your online business only sending emails...so you signed up for a service that only does emails. The day you're ready to add product to your website is when you now need a shopping cart. But a service like 1 Shopping Cart also does email so you don't need the original service with the other company, right?

Well here's the catch...

Due to the strict *spam* law restrictions you can't just export your old list into your new online shopping cart and call it a day. Everyone on that old list must "Re-Opt-In" to confirm their subscription with the new system...and most people can't be bothered.

So you will have to gradually bring the old list to your new online shopping cart so all your database is under one happy roof. You can do this by offering new teleclasses, special reports, offers, etc. and require that everybody "opt-in" to get your offer. Eventually all your active people will transfer over to your new, confirmed and "clean" list.

Bottom line...just get 1 Shopping Cart for your emails, products, affiliates, etc. as soon as possible and you'll be covered.

About the Author:

Small business marketing consultant, James Roche, shows you how to attract more clients and make passive revenue with information products. Discover his proven and practical marketing strategies with his free special report, "The Shift: Quit Struggling, Make a Difference and Join the New Rich" http://www.marketingmadeeasyblueprint.com/free