LCR Computer Services, Inc. can provide the platform you need to launch your e-commerce business successfully! We offer secure server (SSL) services, and have chosen AgoraCart as our preferred shopping cart solution for your business.

If you're new to online selling, you're probably asking what the heck this is all about. In the paragraphs that follow, we'll try to explain the basics of e-commerce for you. If you already know the basics, give us a call at 815 338-1072 or email us at info@lcrcomputer.com and we'll work with you to determine the services you need. We'll build a package for you with pricing that will make you smile!

So, what do you need to know, and why?

The first step, after you've decided to sell your product or service online, is a domain name and a service provider that can host your new web site and set up the necessary e-mail services. You'll also need credit card services (also known as a merchant account) to provide your customers with a safe and secure method to pay for what they buy.

Unless you have previous experience in developing web sites, you might want some help designing and setting up your site, at least to begin with. You need a method to receive orders and do all the fulfillment tasks. And it doesn't stop there. You need the online version of advertising your site by listing your site with search engines, so that people can find your website.

The experienced staff at LCR Computer Services can explain these services and help determine the package you'll need. We can host your domain name and virus-scanned e-mail as well as provide the space to host your online business. We can help you find the right web designer that can meet your e-commerce needs. And we can do all of this for a very attractive price.

We use AgoraCart at LCR to provide the software that gives your customers the web equivalent of a shopping cart. AgoraCart provides a great foundation for setting up an e-commerce site, and allows you to easily make minor updates (such as price changes).

It's our experience that AgoraCart is the easiest e-commerce solution to maintain. If you have the knowledge, however, you can build your website. We can provide support if you need it, since most people need help setting up their first e-commerce site.

Remember the secure server services (SSL) at the start of this article?

When you place an order online, most people want to use a credit card to pay for the purchase. When filling out the online order form and you enter your credit card number, make sure there's a closed padlock somewhere on your browser screen. This indicates that the form is using SSL. SSL (Secure Server Link) means that your credit card number will be encrypted when you send it to the merchant. This makes it very hard (we've learned never to say impossible) to intercept and get your credit card number. This is absolutely necessary in order for you to have successful online business. People need to trust that someone can't eavesdrop and grab their credit card number.

Your website also needs to be designed with security in mind so that hackers can't get to your customer's credit card numbers. LCR knows how to keep hackers out of your website. We spend a lot of time every day making sure they don't break in.

You also need to make sure that your shopping cart and website don't accidentally let people get to information they shouldn't have. AgoraCart provides ways to keep sensitive information out of prying hands and make sure your customers come away satisfied with their online purchase. LCR and AgoraCart make a great combination!

It's a lot of work to pull it all together, but we can get you there and do it safely and at an attractive price. Give us a call at 815 338-1072 or email us atiinfo@lcrcomputer.com.