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Colorado
Web Hosting Secure Server & E-Commerce FAQ
Select
a question, or scroll down to learn more about Ecommerce:
What is Ecommerce?
Ecommerce (a.k.a. electronic commerce, EC, Ebusiness,
Etailing) is the buying and selling of goods and services on the Internet
or more specifically the World Wide Web.
What are the components to build an Ecommerce web
site?
The first component of Ecommerce is to establish a
presence on the web, by signing up for a hosting account. Secondly,
to sell goods online, you will need a) shopping cart software, and
if you want to process credit cards online: b) secure sockets layer enabled, c) a payment gateway, and d) an internet merchant account. If you plan to sell your
products online and accept credit cards, we recommend that you subscribe
to one of our Ecommerce bundles, that come with these components.
What is SSL or Secure Sockets Layer? How does it
work?
Please see our SSL page for an explanation of SSL and
how it works, accessible here.
Does Colorado Web Hosting have a secure commerce
server?
Yes, Colorado Web Hosting has a secure certificate
installed to each virtual hosting server. All Ecommerce, Web Starter hosting plans
or above get SSL included in the monthly price.
Can I use Colorado Web Hosting's secure certificate
and SSL connection?
Colorado Web Hosting allows its Ecommerce, Web Standard and above
hosting customers to use the Colorado Web Hosting SSL server certificate
for free. This is simply done by referring to https://asv1.sagenetworks.com/~sv000000/
rather than http://... when creating a link in your HTML. Any directory,
www page, or image (anything in your public web directory) can be
served securely by preceding the URL in the link with https:// and
the proper server information (outlined in the following question).
Note: Pages constructed in MS FrontPage can not be made secure
using the above manner, because FrontPage webbots do not work in the
secure sockets layer.
How can I use SSL for secure transmission?
If you are on an Ecommerce,
Web Standard or above hosting plan, you get SSL secure server
access with your account. In order to use SSL on your account, change
the URL of your web pages as follows.
- Contact
our Technical Support department to get the
host name of the web server your site is hosted on.
- Then,
call your web pages as https://[inserthostname]/~provisioningID/.
For example,
if your provisioning ID were sv000000, and the host name of your Web
server were asv1.sagenetworks.com, then you can use SSL on your Web
site by using the URL https://asv1.sagenetworks.com/~sv000000/.
Note: Pages constructed in MS FrontPage can not be made secure
using the above manner, because FrontPage webbots do not work in the
secure sockets layer.
If I prefer not to use Colorado Web Hosting's name
and my provisioning ID for the SSL certificate, what can I do?
Purchase your own certificate from a Certificate Authority
such as VeriSign or Thawte. The current
cost for a VeriSign certificate is $349 payable to VeriSign, or $125
payable to Thawte for a Thawte certificate. By purchasing your own
secure certificate you can then use https://[insertyourdomain.com]
for your site's secure URLs.
The steps in this process are:
- Request
a key be generated by contacting our SSL department. You
must include in the email or fax the following pertinent information:
Common Name: (This is the name of the domain name that
the certificate will authenticate. Note that www.domainname.com
is different from domainname.com)
Your Company Name: (Exactly as it appears on your business
license.)
Company Division: (Usually the Secure Services Division.)
Your Country:
Your State or Province:
Your City:
Webmaster Email:
Contact Phone:
- We
will create a temporary certificate that is termed a Self-Signed
Certificate. Basically, it says that you are guaranteeing who
you are until the permanent certificate is finished. (Most people
utilize this for testing purposes). We will forward a copy of
the request to you when we finish generating it.
- Go
to the appropriate Certificate Authority site and fill out the
request for a Digital ID for your web server.
If you are using VeriSign, go here.
If you are using Thawte, go here.
Equifax also resells the Thawte certificate, available
here.
If you are not using either VeriSign or Thawte, go to the specific
page for Stronghold on your Certificate Authority's site for Stronghold/Apache-SSL-US
(for Unix) or MS IIS (for NT).
- When
the Certificate Authority sends the final certificate, just forward
a copy to our SSL department and
the finished product will be installed.
Where can I find information about security on the
Web?
You can find information about security at the following sites:
DevEdge (Netscape's Developer Central)
HotBot's List of Links
WebMonkey
And, if you are interested in a book, check out the O'Reilly Web Security & Commerce book.
How do I know which of Colorado Web Hosting's Ecommerce
packages is best for me?
Ecommerce Basic
If you have few products and you expect the number of transactions
to be low, then Ecommerce Basic is ideal. Mercantec SoftCart StartupT enables a store
of up to 10 items to be created. Payment processing is done offline.
Ecommerce orders are taken on a secure connection (SSL) so your customers
can feel secure when placing their order with you.
Ecommerce Special
If your needs include a larger number of products or you want the
convenience of processing transactions completely online, then Ecommerce
Special fits your needs. Mercantec SoftCart LiteT enables you to
create stores of up to 100 products with an optional online payment
service. After obtaining a merchant account, payments may be processed
using Cybercash or other selected payment gateways. With the included
hosting services, Ecommerce Special allows you to present a very functional,
sales-generating Web site at a very reasonable cost.
Ecommerce Pro
If your plans include a large Web store - greater than 100 products
- then Ecommerce Pro is the plan for you. In addition to the unlimited
number of products that can be accommodated, Mercantec SoftCart ProfessionalT has the
same great features as SoftCart Lite, such as support for online payment
services and SSL. Ecommerce Pro is a complete and robust ecommerce
solution that also includes Web hosting services.
It is not required that you select an Ecommerce package to handle
Ecommerce on your Colorado Web Hosting web site, however since we
have bundled the necessary Ecommerce components together for you,
we are attempting to save you time and money from purchasing all of
these components separately.
How many products can I sell with Colorado Web Hosting's
Ecommerce packages?
Theoretically, it is unlimited. Colorado Web Hosting
packages and supporting versions of SoftCart have been built to support
various levels of products (or SKUs). A merchant can sell from 10
or less to thousands of products and the SoftCart family will support
it.
What is shopping cart software?
Shopping cart software acts as an online store's catalog and ordering
process. Typically, it allows a consumer to browse the web site, select
items for purchase as they browse, review what they have selected;
make necessary modifications or additions; and purchase the merchandise.
The shopping cart software selected by Colorado Web Hosting is Mercantec's
SoftCart 5.0. Each Colorado Web Hosting Ecommerce package includes a version of SoftCart.
Where do I get support on the OpenMarket ShopSite
Express, Manager, and Pro products?
Colorado Web Hosting recommends that all users of the
ShopSite products use the support mechanisms of OpenMarket:
http://www.shopsite.com/help/index.html
There is a demo shopping site available at OpenMarket:
http://www.shopsite.com/cgi-bin/demo/demo.cgi
And a "Quick Start Guide":
http://www.shopsite.com/help/setup.html
Also - here is the URL to online demos for Express/Manager/Pro:
http://www.openmarket.com/shopsite/demo/
Credit Card Processing Information:
http://www.shopsite.com/help/payment.merchant.html
Other support materials including FAQ's, training, etc.:
http://www.openmarket.com/shopsite/products/table.cfm
http://www.shopsite.com/help/faq.html
http://www.shopsite.com/help/new.users.html
What is Mercantec SoftCart 5.0?
Mercantec SoftCart 5.0 is considered one of the most
popular Ecommerce solutions on the market today because of its reputation
for ease of use, unparalleled security, proven reliability, open architecture
and worldwide adaptability. Out of the box, SoftCart provides merchants
with an easy to use interface that walks new merchants through the
required steps of setting up a viable Ecommerce storefront capable
of accepting both on and offline orders.
What differentiates Mercantec SoftCart 5.0 from the
competition?
- Ease
of Use
- Ease
of Deployment
- Unparalleled
Security
Is Mercantec SoftCart secure?
SoftCart offers the highest level of security in the
industry. Not only is the data encrypted going from the shopper to
the merchant, it's encrypted when it resides on the server prior to
downloading by the merchant. It is critical that all data (credit
card info) be encrypted while traveling to and from the merchant.
This is one of SoftCart's hallmarks.
Where do I get support on the Mercantec SoftCart
products?
Colorado Web Hosting will provide support in getting
SoftCart installed on your account. Basic support in set up is also
available, but Colorado Web Hosting advises all customers to read
the available documentation provided by Mercantec.
You can reach the Mercantec Online Support and FAQs at http://www.mercantec.com/support/index.html
What is a payment gateway?
A payment gateway is simply software that is hosted
on a server that links an online store to a process that verifies
that a customer who is placing a credit card order has the credit
available and that the order should be accepted. Later, when the merchant
is ready to submit the charges for processing, the payment gateway
accepts them and submits the charges to a payment processor who facilitates
the transfer of funds to the merchant.
What is an internet merchant account?
An internet merchant account allows a merchant to process
credit cards online and to have the funds electronically transferred
into his/her bank account. Merchant account providers charge a fee
for their services over and above the fees that are charged for the
Ecommerce package you select with Colorado Web Hosting.
Must I have a merchant account and payment gateway
to do Ecommerce?
No. You can have just the shopping cart to capture
the order information and then manually process the transactions offline,
as you do normal non-web sales.
Where do I get support regarding VeriSign?
VeriSign has an extensive support area online. Be sure to refer to this site
to get the answers you are looking for regarding your VeriSign secure
certificate.
Where do I get support on CyberCash?
There are a number of documents on establishing a CyberCash
account, a merchant account, and other information, all located at
the CyberCash web site. For help on our Colorado Web
Hosting CyberCash gateway, please contact our Technical Support department.
What are the files involving CyberCash installed
in my directory?
First, download and/or read the CyberCash manual that contains a majority of the
information you will need to know about CyberCash (including setting
up your storefront).
In the user's root directory these files are installed:
ccpaylogo.gif
cyberlogo.gif
test-mck.html (the test page)
The ASP scripts and templates are installed in your CGI directory:
CCMerchantCustom.inc
CCMerchantTest.inc
directpaycheck.asp
directpaycredit.asp
example-query.asp
fullfillment.asp
mswalletpay.asp
testdriver.asp
in a subdir of cgi-bin: templates:
cardPayment.tem
customFailureResponse.tem
customReceipt.tem
customRedirectResponse.tem
directchecksale.tem
directcreditsale.tem
failFulfillment.tem
mswalletsale.tem
mswjs.tem
mswPayment.tem
scriptError.tem
tempDifficulties.tem
thanks.tem
Please note that .asp files go into NT accounts, and .cgi and .pl
files go into Unix accounts. .inc and .tem files can go into either
type of account.
There is also a "logs" directory, in which nothing is installed. CyberCash
creates logs there for the customer to troubleshoot and see how many
people are using the pages for ordering. For more information on each
of these files, please refer to the CyberCash documentation.
What are the complete steps necessary to implement
CyberCash?
- Establish
a relationship with a CyberCash-affiliated financial institution
(most banks).
- Register
as a CyberCash merchant at amps.CyberCash.com. It is not necessary to download
the MCK software as instructed on their page, as Colorado Web
Hosting will install this for you during setup.
- Send
the CyberCash ID, the Hash Secret, and the CyberCash Key to Colorado
Web Hosting via fax or email. Allow Colorado Web Hosting to setup
your software with your account.
- Build
your storefront or shopping cart and use the templates and scripts
included to connect to CyberCash. The testing forms are good examples
of the form information needed to send CyberCash for a transaction.
- Test
your account. By entering bogus credit card information during
the test phase, you can determine if communication with CyberCash
is working properly.
- Request
with CyberCash to 'go live' by returning to amps.CyberCash.com and indicating that you want
to switch to live mode, that is, to enable the account for real
transactions. This can take as long as 24-hours and CyberCash
will email the merchant when ready. Note: Make sure your storefront
is still hidden from public view.
- Perform
some live tests by running payment transactions. These transactions
will actually be processed. Use the administrative interface for
CyberCash to perform refunds and get your money back.
- Make
your storefront public when you are confident everything is working
properly.
What do I need to get started with CyberCash?
- You
must have a virtual account with Colorado Web
Hosting in order to use our CyberCash gateway. If you are a Dedicated
or Co-Located Customer, you will need to install the necessary
software available through CyberCash.
- You
must have a Merchant Account with your bank. This is any account
that can accept credit card debits & credits. If you currently
take credit card transactions for your business, you already have
a Merchant Account. Often, this can take the longest time to acquire,
as you must present credit information and allow time for the
application to be processed. Please allow two weeks.
- You
must have a CyberCash account. This account must be setup before
Colorado Web Hosting can begin installation of your CyberCash
software. It is necessary to send Colorado Web Hosting, via email
or fax, the resulting CyberCash ID, the Hash Secret, and the CyberCash
Key.
What do I need to send Colorado Web Hosting to set
up CyberCash on my account?
Colorado Web Hosting needs five pieces of information from you, three
of which should be given to you upon signing up with CyberCash for
an account. (If you do not have this information, please contact CyberCash
to obtain it).
From CyberCash:
- CyberCash
ID
- Hash
Secret
- CyberCash
Key
From Colorado
Web Hosting:
- Your
Account's Username
- Your
Account's Provisioning ID
Send this
information to Colorado Web Hosting's SSL
department, via fax or email. Colorado Web Hosting will then proceed
to install the necessary scripts in your directory.
How do I submit refunds, perform manual transactions,
check my monthly balance, etc. with CyberCash?
All account information is on the CyberCash side. Colorado
Web Hosting does not affect this administration and there is no connection
between transaction amounts, problems, support, refunds, etc. and
Colorado Web Hosting, Inc. The Administrative interface with CyberCash
can be reached by logging into your account there at amps.CyberCash.com.
How do I get my shopping cart to send the necessary
info to CyberCash?
Communications with CyberCash is done through form
information. The form involves basic HTML code and it is necessary
to set the fields and action of this form specifically. Use the templates
contained within your directory after we setup your CyberCash software
as a guide. |
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