What is a web store?

What is a Web store?
What is e-commerce Web hosting?
How do I get started?

A Web store is a special-purpose Web site designed to display and sell products. Just like traditional brick-and-mortar stores, Web stores can sell just a few products or thousands of items, they can advertise their products, have sales, and accept various forms of payment. Unlike brick-and-mortar stores, however, Web stores can reach customers all over the world, instead of being limited to one city or neighborhood.

The Storefront

From a customer's point of view, a Web store is special-purpose Web site that offers products for sale. A Web store has one or more pages that display and describe products, and a shopping cart where customers can buy those products by giving their name and address and, typically, providing credit card information. Beyond that, the look and feel of a Web store can vary quite a bit, depending on the number and types of products being sold, and the taste and skill of the person who designs the store!

The Back Office

Your view of the store as a merchant is quite different. Although your store is made up of pages, and there are products for sale on those pages, you don't have to edit the store pages directly, and you don't even have to know how to make a Web site or page. You access the store's back office with your favorite browser, and add products and pages to your store by clicking on buttons and filling in fields.

Your Web store will notify you when you have new orders, and it provides easy, secure access to order information. Payson Associates plans offer other advanced features so that you can provide your customers with the easiest and most efficient online store available.