e-commerce and online stores

Selling Online Selling online sounds easy. There are so many online stores, you'd be forgiven for thinking there's nothing to it. When we've developed your online store and you're winning the sales, we hope you'll feel the same way.

so, What makes a web site sell?

Why are some web sites so popular? Why do we return to the same sites time and time again? Why do we tell our friends? Inevitably, a large part of that is the service you offer to your customers, and a large part of how they see that service is down to your web site. If it's attractive to the eye, portrays the right image, makes it easy to find a product, and easy to buy, you're well on the way to a successful sale

Spencer Rigging But what happens after the sale? If you're easy to contact and quick to reply, if it's east to track shipping, if you never have to enter your personal details twice however often you return and you regularly keep in contact, you're well on the way to a successful business relationship that will stand the test of time.

A business tool, not a beauty parade

To often, web sites are developed starting with an attractive design. That's the wrong way round. By starting with the result you want, then deciding how it will work, and only then how it will appear, you'll avoid having a beautiful shop window but a locked door. At Palmedia, we'll always deliver web sites that sell - a business tool, not a beauty parade.

Your requirements, our features

Different e-commerce sites have different managers and different customers, and they all need different things. One size fits all is fine if you're buying something simple. Online selling isn't simple, and what's more, your business depends on it. A Palmedia web site is like a well tailored suit, but by basing all our sites on powerful, established, and customisable online software, we can deliver expertly tailored quality at high street prices.

The technology

Lares Penates All e-commerce sites need a strong, reliable, and well features starting point, and to deliver that we use one of two solutions, from e-store application developers Comersus and Interakt. We work with these companies because we know their products inside out and we know they can't be beaten. However If you prefer, we can also work with a solution of your choice, or even develop one from scratch. We'll be happy to answer questions and help you make comparisons - but if you tell us what you need, we promise to deliver the best solution for you.

taking payment

A store is no use of your customer's can't pay. We can work with all leading payment gateways to deliver payments that work. Most commonly, we work with Protx, Worldpay, and Paypal, but every store and every company is different and we'll recommend the best and most effective solution for you as part of your web site project.

Costs for taking credit cards online range from 2.5% to 5% of transaction values, plus set-up and monthly costs that vary between nothing and several hundred pounds. You may need a merchant account from your bank, or you may not. This is a minefield we can navigate for you, integrating your choice of gateway to take payments easily.

the law

Developers of custom ecommerce
sites and specialists in:

osCommerce

Comersus Cart

The only thing worse than no sale is a sale that ends badly. We'll make sure you're site considers all the key legislation, from distance selling regulations to the data protection act, the companies act and the disability discrimination act. They all apply. We'll help you with terms and conditions,returns policies, european rules on email newsletters, and all the other technicalities so you don't have to worry.

the customers

Everything you do is about your customers, and that makes them critical to us too. Every site we build is designed around the people who might visit, whatever their computer, whether they are at home or in an internet cafe, and whatever their disability. We'll test your store thoroughly and make sure it is easy to use. We'll think about how your customers think, how they look for a product or service, and how they buy.

Making it all work

We'll pull all these aspects together for you so you can concentrate on your business, not the technology that underpins it. We'll sort out the web hosting, the domain names, the email. Of course, we'll talk to you all the way.