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Toronto-based boutique agency specializing in web design and development, identity and print design.
Dec 4

Ecommerce anyone? Options for setting up online purchasing on your website.

(There is a lot of info below. Click here to download this post in PDF format.)

Let’s face it; shopping online is easy and convenient and consumers love it. You can buy almost anything online and with a few clicks of your mouse you can have electronics, food, body care products or books delivered right to your door.

More and more the option to buy online is becoming an expectation for consumers. If you have not yet jumped on the ecommerce bandwagon then your competitors could soon leave you behind as an ever-increasing percentage of product-based websites allow consumers to BUY NOW.

Service-based businesses; have no fear! Mouth Media offers ecommerce solutions for your websites as well.

Ready to make the move towards ecommerce? Mouth Media offers a range of solutions for every budget. Review the options below or skip to the bottom for an easy self-analysis.

Option 1: Basic PayPal

Our least expensive option is very straightforward and easy to set up. All clients need to do is set up a PayPal account, add their products into the PayPal system and email Mouth Media the unique BUY NOW button code for each product. We will showcase all products on one or several product website pages and embed the BUY NOW button for each product. Note that we can custom design a nice BUY NOW button and do not have to use the default BUY NOW button provided by PayPal. Mouth Media can assist with easily adding or removing products from the website at any time. Shipping is based on a flat fee (Canada, US or International and before the visitor selects a product they enter their region.

Examples:

Positives:

  • Inexpensive.
  • Easy to set up.
  • PayPal is a very recognized, secure and trusted ecommerce payment processor and conveys a great sense of confidence to the online consumer.
  • You do not need a special server, upgraded hosting package or an SSL security certificate as all the payment processing happens on PayPal’s website.
  • No merchant account required.
  • Funds are immediately deposited into your PayPal account and can be transferred into your business bank account which take up to 5 business days to be transferred.
  • Great for websites selling a small range of products.
  • All major credit cards and cash accepted.

Negatives:

  • When visitors click on the BUY NOW button they are taken into the PayPal website to process payment. This can be off-putting to a more sophisticated clientele. (IE: Suitable for a website selling inexpensive products but not suitable for a website selling jewelry worth thousands of dollars).
  • Not suitable for websites selling a large amount of products.
  • No embedded shopping cart, but multiple products can still be purchased at one time by going back and forth between the retailer website and the PayPal website.
  • Shipping is based on a pre-selected base shipping price so shipping costs are not exact. Sometimes you will lose a little on shipping and sometimes you will win a little with the end theory that shipping costs will balance out over time

Costs:

  • PayPal has no monthly, set-up, or cancellation fees for this level of service.
  • PayPal charges a per transaction fee of between 1.9% to 2.9% + $0.30 CAD. You have to sell quite a lot of products to qualify for the 1.9% cost so most clients can expect to pay 2.9%.
  • No merchant account required.
  • Mouth Media fees are very affordable to set up this option for your website. Contact us for a quote.


Option 2: Enhanced Basic PayPal with Product CMS and Shopping Cart

This option is an enhanced version of Option 1, described above with a few useful additions. It includes a Content Management System (CMS) giving the client the ability to add, edit or delete products using an easy to use, password protected administrative system. It also includes a shopping cart so visitors can add or remove products before leaving your website to process payment on the PayPal website. It also includes enhanced shipping options and there are several optional add-ons available.

Examples:

Positives:

  • CMS enabling the client to manage products for sale with the ability to add, edit or delete products yourself making this option suitable for selling a large product range.
  • Shopping cart.
  • No merchant account required.
  • Funds are immediately deposited into your PayPal account and can be transferred into your business bank account which take up to 5 business days to be transferred.
  • Great for large quantities of products.
  • A number of add-ons can be selected including:
  • Quantity threshold emails: Clients can be notified when quantities are low. For example, if you only have 5 of a particular item you can be notified when you have only one left or when the last item has been sold so that you can remove that item from your website so as not to disappoint interested buyers.
  • Products categories: This addition to the CMS allows you to have products listed in categories. Example: Products under $15.00, products for men or women or baby. Clients are self-sufficient in the ability to add, edit or delete products categories.
  • Transaction reports: Includes the ability to search and report on elements like shipping, billings, GST, PST, etc.
  • Items reports: Clients are able to run reports that can be output into an Excel spreadsheet. This is a great way to evaluate which products or product categories are doing well. Run reports for an specific date range or day, for an individual item, etc.
  • Shipping: This add-on allows for enhanced shipping options for domestic, US or international shipping options by allowing the user to choose their location before selecting products for purchase.
  • Gift Certificates: This add-on allows purchasers the ability to buy automatic gift certificates for a specific dollar amount, product or service. The Gift Certificate can be immediately printed out or emailed to the recipient. An additional add-on allows these gift certificates to be redeemed on your website for products or services.

Negatives:

  • When visitors click on the BUY NOW button they are taken into the PayPal website to process payment. This can be off-putting to a more sophisticated clientele. (IE: Suitable for a website selling inexpensive products but not suitable for a website selling jewelry worth thousands of dollars).
  • Shipping is based on a pre-selected base shipping price so shipping costs are not exact. Sometimes you will lose a little on shipping and sometimes you will win a little with the end theory that shipping costs will balance out over time.
  • Switching to an upgraded hosting plan may be required.

Costs:

  • PayPal has no monthly, set-up, or cancellation fees for this level of service.
  • PayPal charges a per transaction fee of between 1.9% to 2.9% + $0.30 CAD. You have to sell quite a lot of products to qualify for the 1.9% cost so most clients can expect to pay 2.9%.
  • If an upgraded hosting plan is required this charge will generally be $20.00 US per month ongoing
  • No merchant account required.
  • Mouth Media fees are very reasonable to set up this option for your website. Contact us for a quote.


Option 3: Embedded PayPal with Integrated Purchasing, Product CMS, Shopping Cart, and Enhanced Add-Ons like Gift Certificates.

The key difference between this option and Option 2 is that all transactions are processed within your website. The PayPal purchasing module is embedded into your website for a seamless purchasing experience rather than connecting into the PayPal website to process payment. With this option you are able to include the Canada Post Shipping module which calculates the cost of shipping based on items selected and the delivery address instead of calculating shipping based on pre-selected base shipping prices. This option also includes Transaction Settings with the ability to set your currency, tax options, email info for receipt, email subject line, receipt message, receipt header and footer, etc.

Examples:

Positives:

  • Is a very sophisticated seamless purchasing experience and suitable for all product pricing levels.
  • CMS enabling the client to manage products for sale with the ability to add, edit or delete products yourself making this option suitable for selling a large product range.
  • Shopping cart.
  • Great for large quantities of products.
  • Funds are immediately deposited into your PayPal account and can be transferred into your business bank account, which takes up to 5 business days to be transferred.
  • A number of add-ons can be selected including:
  • Quantity threshold emails: Clients can be notified when quantities are low. For example, if you only have 5 of a particular item you can be notified when you have only one left or when the last item has been sold so that you can remove that item from your website so as not to disappoint interested buyers.
  • Products categories: This addition to the CMS allows you to have products listed in categories. Example: Products under $15.00, products for men or women or baby. Clients are self-sufficient in the ability to add, edit or delete products categories.
  • Transaction reports: Includes the ability to search and report on elements like shipping, billings, GST, PST, etc.
  • Items reports: Clients are able to run reports that can be output into an Excel spreadsheet. This is a great way to evaluate which products or product categories are doing well. Run reports for an specific date range or day, for an individual item, etc.
  • Shipping: This add-on allows for enhanced shipping options for domestic, US or international shipping options by allowing the user to choose their location before selecting products for purchase. The Canada Post Shipping module can be included for a more exact calculation of shipping prices.
  • Gift Certificates: This add-on allows purchasers the ability to buy automatic gift certificates for a specific dollar amount, product or service. The Gift Certificate can be immediately printed out or emailed to the recipient. An additional add-on allows these gift certificates to be redeemed on your website for products or services.

Negatives:

  • The Canada Post Shipping module requires a bit of work on the client’s part to set up. Products need to be weighed and measured and this information needs to be input into the system by the client.
  • More costly to set up than Options 1 and 2 but development fees are a one time expense

Costs:

  • PayPal has no set-up, or cancellation fees for this level of service.
  • PayPal charges a $30.00 CDN monthly fee ongoing.
  • PayPal charges a per transaction fee of between 1.9% to 2.9% + $0.30 CAD. You have to sell quite a lot of products to qualify for the 1.9% cost so most clients can expect to pay 2.9%.
  • No merchant account required.
  • If an upgraded hosting plan is required this charge will generally be $20.00 US per month ongoing.
  • SSL certificate fees are $50.00 US set up (one time fee) and $10.00 US per month ongoing.
  • Mouth Media fees are mid range but still affordable to set up this option for your website. Contact us for a quote.


Option 4: Full Ecommerce with Online Merchant Account, Integrated Purchasing, Product CMS, Shopping Cart, Enhanced Shipping Options and Enhanced Add-Ons like Gift Certificates.

The key difference between this option and option 3 is the replacement of PayPal as the payment processor with your own merchant account through a bank like Chase Paymentech. This option allows more freedom with regards to the collection and storage or purchaser information and allows greater control over elements like Confirmation & Payment Information, Receipts, Thank You Pages. Etc. It also allows for enhanced online store settings like GST, HST, email accounts, business address. It also allows for the creation of purchaser accounts including login (with forgot password component), which are important if you are interested in creating an online community with wish lists, etc.

Examples:

Positives:

  • Is a very sophisticated seamless purchasing experience and suitable for all product pricing levels.
  • CMS enabling the client to manage products for sale with the ability to add, edit or delete products yourself making this option suitable for selling a large product range.
  • Shopping cart.
  • Great for large quantities of products.
  • Funds are immediately deposited into your PayPal account and can be transferred into your business bank account, which takes up to 5 business days to be transferred.
  • A number of add-ons can be selected including:
  • Quantity threshold emails: Clients can be notified when quantities are low. For example, if you only have 5 of a particular item you can be notified when you have only one left or when the last item has been sold so that you can remove that item from your website so as not to disappoint interested buyers.
  • Products categories: This addition to the CMS allows you to have products listed in categories. Example: Products under $15.00, products for men or women or baby. Clients are self-sufficient in the ability to add, edit or delete products categories.
  • Transaction reports: Includes the ability to search and report on elements like shipping, billings, GST, PST, etc.
  • Items reports: Clients are able to run reports that can be output into an Excel spreadsheet. This is a great way to evaluate which products or product categories are doing well. Run reports for an specific date range or day, for an individual item, etc.
  • Shipping: This add-on allows for enhanced shipping options for domestic, US or international shipping options by allowing the user to choose their location before selecting products for purchase. The Canada Post Shipping module can be included for a more exact calculation of shipping prices.
  • Gift Certificates: This add-on allows purchasers the ability to buy automatic gift certificates for a specific dollar amount, product or service. The Gift Certificate can be immediately printed out or emailed to the recipient. An additional add-on allows these gift certificates to be redeemed on your website for products or services.
  • Allows greater control over elements like Confirmation & Payment Information, Receipts, Thank You Pages. Etc.
  • Allows for enhanced online store settings like GST, HST, email accounts, business address.
  • Allows for the creation of purchaser accounts including login (with forgot password component), which are important if you are interested in creating an online community with wish lists, etc.

Negatives:

  • The most costly option.
  • Some banks can take a lengthy amount of time before your funds are available (Example: one month)

Costs:

  • There is a set up fee charged by the bank as well as monthly and per transaction fees.
  • Merchant account required.
  • If an upgraded hosting plan is required this charge will generally be $20.00 US per month ongoing.
  • SSL certificate fees are $50.00 US set up (one time fee) and $10.00 US per month ongoing.
  • Mouth Media fees are mid range but still affordable to set up this option for your website. Contact us for a quote.

Self-Assessment:

  • Do you have a small amount of products and a small budget? Option 1.
  • Do you have a larger range of products and a small budget? Option 2.
  • Do you have a larger range of products and a larger budget? Option 3.
  • Do you want a sophisticated, seamless purchasing experience and have a larger budget? Options 3 or 4.
  • Do you require an embedded shopping cart? Options 2, 3 or 4.
  • Do you wish to run reports and analyze sales of specific items, date ranges, price ranges, etc.? Options 2, 3 or 4.
  • Do you wish to sell gift certificates? Options 2, 3 or 4.
  • Do you want the most sophisticated solution available? Option 4.
  • Do you wish to have a Members area? Options 3 or 4.