Q: Do I need to know HTML or be a programmer to build my own e-commerce store website? A: Absolutely not! If you can use a keyboard and mouse you can build a professional looking web store site using Fast eCart . Watch a demonstration to see how easy it is to do it yourself.
Q: How can I collect money on my web store? A: Fast eCart automatically works with Paypal, a globally accepted method for making and accepting secure payments on the web. It's free and easy to sign upas a business member and begin accepting credit card payments immediately.
Q: How do I make my web site available to everyone on the web? A: After you build your site using Fast eCart, all of the HTML pages will automatically be generated and saved to your PC. HTML is the language of the Internet. Websites need to be stored or hosted on a special computer connected to the Internet called a web server. This will be explained a little later.
Q: How do I get a domain name of my own, like DIYWebStore.com? A: It is important to have your own domain name for your site to look professional and to give your web customers confidence to buy from you. A .com domain name is the standard for a commercial site and carries the most prestige. 1and1 and DotEasy are popular choices because they make it simple and cheap by registering your domain name and including dependable web hosting for one low price.
If you want to use a free hosting service or space from your ISP, register your domain name with a company that provides a service called URL forwarding or domain forwarding. Then when a customer types www.yoursitesname.com into their browser they will be automatically forwarded to www.somefreehost.com/yoursite or wherever your site is hosted. Visit 1and1 to register your domain name and get free URL forwarding and a lots of other features for a super low price.
Q: Do I need need to pay extra to have my site on a host that supports online shopping carts or e-commerce? A: No, with Fast eCart you can use ANY web host, including the free ones and web space provided by your ISP (Internet Service Provider).
Q: What web host should I use and how do I sign up? A: There are thousands of choices available. Once again, 1and1 or DotEasy are selected by many aspiring entrepreneurs starting a new web business. They offer very afffordable plans that include business hosting and domain name registration for a single low price and make the set up process simple and painless.
Q: Is help available if I have a question about building my web store? A: Free lifetime technical support is included by Fast eCart software vendor Code 9's friendly support folks, and as an added bonus you also have access to the DIY Web Store team. It's an unbeatable combination that is only available right here at DIY Web Store!
Q: How will I know when someone makes a purchase at my web store? A:Paypal will charge the customer's credit card, put the money in your account and send both you and the customer a personal email.
Q: Can I create more than one web store? A: Yes you can create as many stores as you want, each with an unlimited number of pages, categories and items. Just install Fast eCart in a separate folder on your PC for each store you want to build.
Q: What if I want to change the look of my web site? A: Fast eCart comes with several site themes. After you have entered your information and are ready to see how it looks, simply click on build and select a theme from the list. Try as many as you want until you find one that you like. DIY Web Store recommends the optional Theme Pack which provides over 100 additional themes.
Q: How do I let people know about my site? A: Most web traffic is referred from search engines so it is important to get listed. Most search engines have a "submit site" or "submit URL" link on their main page that allows you to manually submit your site to be included in their directory. Doing it yourself can be time consuming and produce questionable results. Specialized websites offer free or paid services to submit your site to the search engines in ways that may enhance your acceptance and favorable placement. 1StopSubmit is an example that offers free and very low cost levels of submission services. Remember, submit your web site to search engines only after you have copied it to your web host and are happy with the content and the way it looks, and you have reviewed it to make sure there are no errors or broken links.
Q: The extra money is great, but even more would be better! How do I drive more traffic to my store? A: Look for search engines that have not listed your site and resubmit your domain name. You can also search for informational sites that are related to your products and post messages so that others will know your site is available. Consider a service like Yahoo! Search Marketing or Enhance Interactive to inexpensively place "sponsored results" on search engines to drive users to your site when they search on related terms. Each service is currently offering $25 of free advertising so it is a perfect time to sign up.
Q: How do I copy my finished web site from my PC to the web host so the rest of the world can see it? A: Your web host will give you instructions on how to do this. Many times you will use a FTP (File Transfer Protocal) program. You will enter the username and password that you set up with your web host. When you start the program you will see two windows, one pointing to your PC hard drive and one to your host. Simply highlight the files you want to move and click a button to move them. CoffeeCup Software offers both free and reasonably priced full feature FTP programs you can download.
Q: I know I don't need to know HTML to use Fast eCart, but I want to learn anyway. Can you recommend a way for me to get started? A: Many people find text books difficult, boring and way too time consuming. One Hour HTML is a slick training tool that is fun and helps you learn basic HTML very quickly.
