SalesCart NET, which has just been released, is a complete developer-based shopping cart solution add-in for Microsoft Expression Web.  The new Add-in integrates directly into Microsoft Expression Web's menu and toolbar.  It is the first complete open-source  shopping cart to be added to Expression as an Add-in.  Microsoft Expression Web is Microsoft's upgraded web design tool product for FrontPage 2003.  FrontPage users may upgrade for less than $90.00 to Microsoft Expression Web.

SalesCart NET allows developers more flexibility to adapt their shopping cart software and their site hosting over service-based or hosted cart solutions.  These needs are critical for larger enterprise-level ecommerce customers who require control over all facets of their ecommerce web site storefront and checkout system.  Merchants whose product complexity or sales strategy is significantly different from the mainstream also require the customization flexibility that SalesCart NET delivers.

Its open source developer environment allows web programmers or designers with script based experience to make modifications on how the shopping cart operates so the particulars of a business can be exploited and marketed.

In addition, with the introduction of SalesCart NET for Expression, SalesCart introduces additional licensing options with its entire developer product line.  A new single URL/Domain license allows for a lower cost of ownership for single store or single merchant developers.  SalesCart NET's single developer licenses start at just $499.99 for a complete ecommerce solution and $799.99 for a complete ecommerce solution for unlimited stores and domains.  Upgrades start at just $149.99 for previous SalesCart NET users.

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US eCommerce Forecast 2008 to 2012

US Business to consumer eCommerce sales is expected to grow from $175 Billion (US $) to $335 Billion (US $) in 2012 according to Forrester Research.  A nearly doubling of Gross sales for the 4 year period. These strong numbers are despite the dire forecasts of recession in the US economy.  The explanation, in part, is due to more affluent online buyers who are less susceptible to adverse economic conditions affecting the broader base retail sales.  However, shoppers are increasingly seen using online shopping as a seasonal way to shop.  More highly directed sales is seen as increasing rather than window shopping or browse-by shopping which appears to be decreasing.   The challenges to US online businesses is keeping online shops and storefronts streamlined and functional as well as easy to find and navigate.  The other challenge is using novel search-less methods for announcing sale items for incremental sales without causing a hindrance in the checkout process.

PCI Compliance announced for SalesCart Express

SalesCart has now completed PCI compliance testing and our initial and quarterly audits for SalesCart Express.  SalesCart Express, just recently announced, is now a recognized PCI-compliant shopping cart service operating against HMS, Humboldt Merchant Services as the acquiring bank. 

What is PCI Compliance and why is it important?

Currently, all ecommerce websites must be PCI compliant, but the sad truth is not all are.  Many of these sites could be ticking security time-bombs. Depending on your ecommerce software this may or may not be something provided as a part of your ecommerce solution.  In all cases, you, as the merchant are responsible for PCI compliance.  PCI DSS stands for Payment Card Industry Data Security Standards.  These standards were developed by the card industry as a set of standards to reduce or eliminate fraud and security vulnerabilities originally in 1997 and slowly instituted on all merchants.  Any company or merchant who is processing, storing, or transmitting payment data currently, must be PCI complaint and must maintain data to show their compliance to these standards.  If you are operating an online ecommerce site and do not maintain this information or do not have a shopping cart service maintaining this compliance data for you, you could be surprised with a hefty fine that potentially will crimple your business.  Unless you have a service-based shopping cart, PCI compliance completely falls upon the merchant.

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Not being PCI compliant could mean fines

Visa has levied millions of dollars in fines to merchants, and fines of $25,000 per month for non-compliance, is typical for larger businesses.  Since 2005, more than 80% of the instances of unauthorized access to card data have involved small merchants, according to Visa USA Inc., the largest payment-card network[1].   Most of the smaller Mom and Pop ecommerce stores and merchants are simply ill equipped to handle the complexity of PCI compliance and securely operating their shopping cart software and environment. 

The problem is that the complexity of the application environment and the severity of the security threat has grown exponentially since the introduction of the first e-commerce shopping cart

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Prior surveys conducted by Visa indicate as many as 52% of smaller merchants are not correctly storing sensitive data and are operating obsolete, out-of-date ecommerce software.  These smaller merchants are now ripe for being fined by Visa and MasterCard as card providers move from investigating larger businesses to looking at the practices of their smaller merchants searching for non-compliant merchants.
[1] source: Wall Street Journal

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Licensed Solution -vs- Hosted Solution

Every ecommerce solution generally falls into one of two categories, or types of shopping cart software licensing: hosted solutions or traditional software licensed solutions.  Because SalesCart sells and distributes both types of shopping cart solutions, potential customers of SalesCart often are unsure of what license is best for them.  With no dog in the fight, we can candidly tell you that different solutions represent different facets of the evolving ecommerce marketplace.  Which licensing solution is best for you, really depends on your company, its resources and its needs.

Hosted Solutions

With Hosted solution ecommerce, all or part of the shopping cart resides on the shopping cart providers servers.  These solutions typically have a monthly or annual licensing fee.
Advantages:

• Great for smaller companies who can't dedicate at least one full time individual to their shopping cart.
• More secure:  Security often built-in and managed by the provider.
• Maintenance free:  Upgrades and updates often built-in, so future upgrades are taken care of. 
• Less responsibilities: Less worries as to being up-to-date actually increases security effectiveness.  Services typically have better up time than "standard" hosting and application support uptime is included.
• Easier to operate.  These solutions are typically plug and go.  Complex database and configuration is often already handled on the server side.

Traditional Software Solutions

With Traditional solution ecommerce, the shopping cart software resides completely under your control.  These solutions typically have a one time licensing fee.
Advantages:

• Great for larger companies or companies with complex product, delivery or customer needs.
• More flexible:  Allows the end user more control over how the cart operates.
• More Control:  Control over where the cart is hosted gives you more control over any networking issues.  Of course, the downside to this is more responsibilities.
• More difficult to operate but operation is 100% within the control of your own resources and the responsibility of you and your resources.

Equivalent:
These are often seen as advantages purported to one solution over another.

• Less Expensive.  In actuality, both solutions average about the same costs.  Even though it seems that paying a lump feel over a monthly fee is less expensive.  In the long run, you will need to pay for upgrades on a periodic basis and the cost of upgrading your store will be at least equal to those monthly costs summed had you gone with a solution where this is all taken care of for you.  In addition, you will bare costs of Secure Sockets Layer certificates and PCI compliance screening and often more complex hosting needs.
• Independence.  Generally seen as an advantage of traditional software licenses in that if the cart provider goes out of business you can continue without them.  However, this is ONLY a short term gain.  Eventually, as your cart ages, you will need to upgrade.

Announce your storefront

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Let us feature you ecommerce store. 

If you built your website with SalesCart, we would be happy to list your website on http://www.expression-ecommerce.com or http://www.dreamweaver-ecommerce.com website.

If you have a website created with Microsoft Expression or Microsoft FrontPage and SalesCart, go here (http://expression-ecommerce.com/hotsites/submit.aspx) to submit your website.

If you have a website created with Adobe Dreamweaver and SalesCart, go here (http://dreamweaver-ecommerce.com/add_link.aspx) to submit your website.