Running many e-commerce shops

whats the best option / strategy

[hasanali]

Hi All
I have come up with some questions, I hope you can answer them.

I believe, to set up an ecommerce shop, u need the following :

1 - website address e.g. www.mysite.com
2 - hosting plan (including SSL certificate)
3 - An ecommerce software to create product description and a shopping art....
4 - A payment system to accept credit card payments

Now, I want to setup 5 different ecommerce shops (5 different web site addresses), selling different products.

What is the best option for me to setup 5 different sites (I may have to create new sites in the future).

I would have to buy new domain names.

But would I have to buy new hosting plans, setup new carts and apply for new Payment Processing services. I believe applying for new paymet Services (such as 2Checkout) is the most expensive part of setting up a new ecommerce site? How can I minimise this cost?

If you are running many ecommerce sites > how are you doing it?

kind regards

[FalseDawn]

You can be really cheap and look for a shared hosting plan that allows you "unlimited" add-on domains (not subdomains - they are different)
You will of course still need to register a domain name for each one. The only trouble with this is that you are limited to 1 static IP, so you won't be able to use a dedicated SSL cert for each one.

Better (IMO) to start off with something like a VPS - which provides a lot more flexibility. Budget around $50 a month for this.

Depending on what your sites sell, you could get away with having 1 merchant account, or you might need 1 for each if the products are totally different.

If you are just starting out, why not just use something free like Paypal, and consider a merchant account if things start to pick up?

[blueskym]

Heres How i work it

1) have one MASTER DOMAIN ( where database is held )

2) Have as many other domains as you want /either forward the domains with frames onto a folder on the master domain or hold the domains in their own little webspace

Each domain then pulls out which part the databse it needs , each website is a subcatagory of the master domain
I ..use <snip> for shoppping cart ( IE / database )

I use a third party payment system called worldpay , or you can use paypal so no SSL required

Works for me ..mi\ght work for you

PAUL

[edited by: lorax at 3:56 pm (utc) on Nov. 19, 2005]
[edit reason] removed URL - please see TOS & Forum Charter [/edit]

[digitalspyders]

I developed a multi-store managment system. And can install just the public files into another folder or account and connect it to the master db. Big headache to create but it does the trick well.

[rkangrah]

Why would you need 5 different stores?

Can you create a store that sells 5 different types of merchandises.... might reduce the headache....also time and costs...

Oh you also want to reduce developing the store by going to E-Commerce Hosting. It includes domain name, web hosting, shopping cart and Admin Panel all in one package.

All you have to do is login to the admin panel and create a catalog from there.

[edited by: lorax at 6:11 pm (utc) on Nov. 20, 2005]
[edit reason] No URLs please! [/edit]