E-commerce basics
There is amazing growth on the Internet, it seems that everyone has a Web site these days. From the smallest business to the industry giants, the Internet allows everyone to have a business online, to compete with very little overhead. Although setting up a professional business Web site is not easy. You will need a professional look that reflects the image of your business and offers features that allow your business to prosper. How you establish this Internet presence, determines if your business succeeds or fails.

We believe you should approach your e-commerce business in a traditional  brick-and-mortar layout. With a solid business plan and budget. You will also need to develop a marketing plan to attract customers and retain their business. You need to be able to keep track of your orders, ship items and perform customer service. You need to understand that there are costs for setting up and running a e-commerce business. To succeed you will need the services below.  ACSi can provide all the tools we take out the mystery to start your own online e-commerce business!  Here are some of the steps needed.

Domain Name
You will need to register a domain name for your company (www.yourcompany.com). Register your domain name here.

Web Site
Before taking Internet orders, you need a e-commerce web site. We offer e-commerce solutions that take the headache out of running your business. With many features already built into the packages we offer.

Secure Server
Some customers have concern about security on the Internet. To make sure your customer's transactions are safe, ACSi provides the following two options: You can utilize our secure certificate service we provide to you at no additional cost, or you may choose to purchase, through us, your own certificate that will have your name build into the certificate.

The secure certificate means using a secure server for Online Charge and Online Check transactions. A secure server runs software that establishes a secure connection with your customer's Internet browser using SSL (Secure Socket Layer) technology to encrypt transmitted information. You know you are on a secure server when your browser shows https:// on the browser address bar and a lock icon on the status bar.  

Merchant Account

A Merchant Account is a bank account that allows you to accept credit cards and electronic checks from your customers. Most established businesses already have a Merchant Account but you need to check with your bank to make sure it can handle Internet transactions. If you do not have a Merchant Account, ACSi has teamed up with eMerchantUSA. Whether you are a start-up or an established company, eMerchantUSA will provide the best national or international credit card processing solution for you. Choosing a merchant account, e-commerce or credit card processing provider is an extremely serious decision for every business owner. There are many important factors to consider when going with a merchant provider, which is why we train our staff to point out the options and features you might not get from other providers. 

You will need to choose a payment gateway at the time you are getting approved with the merchant company. They will give you many options to choose from. This will allow you to provide real time Online Charge processing from your customers. Merchant Solutions handles this solution as well. ACSi handles many gateway services, you will need to check with ACSi to make sure the gateway is on our approved list. Apply here! (pdf document)

Search Engine Promotion

ACSi give you the option of having us submit your website to over 100 search engines. Such as Google, Alta Vista, Net Crawler, etc. Build traffic to your site with this service. Click here to apply for this service.