Ecommerce Shopping Software FAQs

Ecommerce Shopping Software FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions
Below you'll find answers to commonly asked questions about CreativeCommerce Ecommerce Software. If your question is not answered below, please email or call us for a quick answer.

Pricing
Can I cancel anytime?
If my needs expand, can I upgrade my package in the future?
What is an SQL server, and why does it cost more?
How much does CreativeCommerce cost?

Hosting and E-mail
Can I upgrade my email or storage capacity?
Can I access my store from any computer?
Are hosting and e-mail included in the fee?
What can you tell me about your data centers?

Demo Store Questions
Can I keep my demo configuration?
I've used my demo, and I'm ready to purchase a solution. What's next?
Can I change my homepage design with the demo?
What can I do with my demo?
How do I acquire a demo store?

Set Up
My site is ready to go live. What do I do?
My SSL Cert has been installed, but it is not active on my site.
I've purchased my solution. Now what?
Can I integrate CreativeCommerce into my existing website?
Can I transfer all my data from an existing store or spreadsheet into my CreativeCommerce store?
Can I use CreativeCommerce as a stand-alone solution?
How long will it take to set up my store?

Website Design
Does CreativeCommerce offer logo creation, button creation or any other customer programming options?
Can CreativeCommerce design my site?
Can I design my own site?
Do I have to know HTML?

Order Processing and Merchant Accounts
What if I'm using a foreign bank?
Do I have to get a merchant account?
What if I already have a merchant account?
Does CreativeCommerce offer merchant accounts and SSL certificates?
What do I need to have in order to process payments online?
What forms of payment can I accept?

Store Operations
Does the store support recurring billing?
Does CreativeCommerce offer Return on Investment (ROI) tracking?
How will I know how well my store is doing?
How will I know when I get an order?

Drop Shipping
How does CreativeCommerce software streamline the drop-shipping process?

International Customers
Can I use CreativeCommerce E-commerce Software if I live outside of the United States?

Promoting Your Business
How can I get high placements in the various search engines?
Can CreativeCommerce help me sell my products?

Affiliates and Resellers
What is CreativeCommerce's Affiliate and Reseller Program?

Other Common Questions
How do I export to UPS WorldShip?

Answers

Pricing

Can I cancel anytime?
Yes, you can cancel your monthly store solution at any time without being assessed any penalties or additional fees.

If my needs expand, can I upgrade my package in the future?
Yes, you can upgrade your package at any time.

What is an SQL server, and why does it cost more?
A structured query language (SQL) server is a faster and more stable database type.

How much does CreativeCommerce cost?
All solutions include our complete suite of e-commerce software features. The major difference between our levels of service is scalability. Small business solutions are designed for the small- to medium-sized business with less than 25,000 products and under 500 visitors per day. Corporate solutions are designed to accommodate over 100,000 products and unlimited visitors. Be wary of providers who charge add-on prices for additional features.

Hosting and E-mail

Can I upgrade my email or storage capacity?
Yes, you can upgrade each for an additional fee per month. Please visit for pricing information.

Can I access my store from any computer?
Yes, as long as you have an Internet connection, then you will have access to your store.

Are hosting and e-mail included in the fee?
Yes, hosting and e-mail accounts are included in the price of your monthly solution.

What can you tell me about your data centers?
We have data center in California, USA. Our servers are connected to the Internet via redundant high-speed pipelines and housed in world-class facilities complete with temperature-controlled environments, tight security and redundant power back-ups. Due to the fact that we co-locate our servers, we maintain full control over all software and hardware.

Demo Store Questions

Can I keep my demo configuration?
Yes, you will be given the option to keep your demo configuration during the check-out procedure. Your demo configuration will seamlessly integrate into your new site.
I've used my demo, and I'm ready to purchase a solution. What's next?
Please go to the Pricing page and determine which solution best suits your company's requirements. Next, add the solution to your cart and follow the steps to check out.

Can I change my homepage design with the demo?
Homepage text and graphics can be changed, but you cannot upload your own header or footer or change any graphics until you have File Transfer Protocol (FTP) access. Once you purchase a solution, you will receive FTP access.

What can I do with my demo?
You will have access to the same administration area in your demo store as you would in a live store. You will be able to upload product photos and information to the site, as well as set up your shipping rates (by either establishing flat rates or by pulling current rates from UPS, USPS, FedEx and DHL). Only a few features, such as the database import/export feature, have been disabled in the demo.

How do I acquire a demo store?
Please go to http://ecommerce.creativewebsols.com and click the Try It Now button under Free 14-Day Trial.

Set Up

My site is ready to go live. What do I do?
When you are ready to make your site accessible to customers (switch from the Internet Protocol [IP] address to the domain name), just let us know. We will login to your account and change the appropriate settings for you. Customers using version 2 can accomplish this themselves through their Administration section.
My SSL Cert has been installed, but it is not active on my site.
Please access the Quick Setup page and click the checkbox for the SSL Cert (located at the bottom of the page). Your SSL Cert will not work while your site is running on the IP address.

I've purchased my solution. Now what?
You will need to make your site secure in order to protect confidential customer information (like credit card numbers) by acquiring a Secure Socket Layer (SSL) Certificate (Cert). Our SSL Certs provide industry-standard 128-bit data encryption, as well as peace of mind for both you and your customer. Please go to the SSL Certs page to view our selection of SSL Certs.

Can I integrate CreativeCommerce into my existing website?
Yes, CreativeCommerce software can fit into any existing design. One option is to copy the HTML of the surrounding of your existing web pages, and paste that into the "header & footer" files of your new store. This way the store will look the same with you company logo and design. Another option you have is to keep your existing website 100% and simply change the link of your "add to cart" buttons to link to your new shopping cart... this method works even if your existing store and your new store are running on completely different domain names.

Can I transfer all my data from an existing store or spreadsheet into my CreativeCommerce store?
Yes, use of the CreativeCommerce Data Import/Export Wizard allows you to import data from any existing source. In addition, you can export data, edit it and re-import it to your site with just a few clicks of your mouse. The export feature also includes the ability to Save Exports for "one-click" customized export queries to comma-separated values (CSV), tab-delimited or MS Access formats.

Can I use CreativeCommerce as a stand-alone solution?
Yes, CreativeCommerce is 100 percent capable of being utilized as a stand-alone solution.


How long will it take to set up my store?
The number of products you offer will dictate how long it will take to set up your store. Fortunately, you can easily upload all your products via our import wizard. On our end, we require 24-48 hours to process your paperwork and ready your virtual storefront.

Website Design

Does CreativeCommerce offer logo creation, button creation or any other customer programming options?
Yes, we can design your logo, buttons and e-mail templates in addition to any of your other programming needs.

Can CreativeCommerce design my site?
Yes, if you want to have an entirely unique website, simply add our CreativeCommerce website design package to your order. Our professional designers and graphic artists will create a custom website for you that will set you apart from the competition and help to create an identity for your company.

Can I design my own site?
Yes, the software is DESIGNED to allow great flexibility in CUSTOMIZATION! You can integrate your custom HTML header and footer with the software content pages and then modify the colors, graphics and display options of the pages to complement your particular design.

Do I have to know HTML?
No, you can set up a complete store without any HTML knowledge. CreativeCommerce offers a free Design Gallery full of ready-made website templates so that you can open for business INSTANTLY!

Order Processing and Merchant Accounts

What if I'm using a foreign bank?
You can use any bank in the world if you manually enter the credit card information into their system after the order is placed.
Do I have to get a merchant account?
No, you can run the store without a merchant account. Paypal is a free alternative solution, but a major drawback is that customers are redirected to the Paypal website during the checkout process as opposed to staying on YOUR website the entire time. Another option is to collect credit card information online and manually enter the data into your retail terminal.

What if I already have a merchant account?
If you already possess a merchant account, check with your bank to ensure it's an Internet merchant account (as opposed to a brick-and-mortar retail merchant account). It's often best to sign up for a separate merchant account for Internet transactions. For more in-depth information, view our merchant services page.

Does CreativeCommerce offer merchant accounts and SSL certificates?
Yes. We offer both merchant accounts and SSL certificates. You are welcome to purchase these items from us or from the vendor of your choice.

What do I need to have in order to process payments online?
You'll need to have an Internet merchant account to process the payment online and an SSL certificate to encrypt the transmitted data. For more in-depth merchant account information, please go to the Merchant Service's page. For more information on SSL certificates, please go to the SSL Cert page.

What forms of payment can I accept?
You will have the ability to accept credit cards, checks, Paypal, wire transfers and purchase orders (POs). CreativeCommerce is integrated with over 50 major credit card and electronic check gateways. Click here for a complete list of integrated gateways.

Store Operations

Does the store support recurring billing?
Yes, you can setup products and memberships with recurring billing.
Does CreativeCommerce offer Return on Investment (ROI) tracking?
Yes. Accessing CreativeCommerce's complete ROI tracking system lets you know how well your advertising and marketing campaigns are converting to SALES! You have the ability to track all clicks to your website from Google Adwords, Overture or any other advertising banner ads, as well as all free search listings and inbound links.

How will I know how well my store is doing?
You have the ability to select a time period and view total monthly sales, most visited categories, most visited products, top-selling products, top customers, total sales tax, total sales tax per state, top affiliates by clickthroughs, top affiliates by sales, etc.

How will I know when I get an order?
As soon as an order is placed, your customer will receive an order confirmation e-mail and you will receive an order notification e-mail.

Drop Shipping

How does CreativeCommerce software streamline the drop-shipping process?
When an order is placed, an e-mail is sent to the drop-ship vendor. E-mails can also be sent to notify the drop shipper of partial order fills. In addition, you can choose to pre-authorize funds at the time of the sale and capture funds while processing or shipping the order.

International Customers

Can I use CreativeCommerce E-commerce Software if I live outside of the United States?
Yes, we have a lot of international customers and are integrated with several international gateways.You may either use Planet Payment or Worldpay for your gateway or any bank in the world if you manually copy the credit card information into their system after the order is placed.

Promoting Your Business

How can I get high placements in the various search engines?
Our software is optimized for search engines. It strategically places your keywords, meta tags and text to help you capture top rankings for all your products. Static HTML pages using your keywords in the URL provide an extra boost in search engine rankings. Plus, the .htm pages lose NO functionality, and everything remains completely automatic.

Can CreativeCommerce help me sell my products?
Yes, we provide you with full affiliate program functionality, e-mail marketing functionality and the ability to offer coupons and gift certificates, as well as many other customer experience tools. In addition, you'll have the ability to export feeds to third-party shopping marketplaces, including Froogle, Shopping.com, BizRate, Dealtime/Epinions/Shopping.com, Yahoo Shopping, NexTag, PriceGrabber, etc.

Affiliates and Resellers

What is CreativeCommerce's Affiliate and Reseller Program?
Details coming soon. For inquires, please contact info@creativewebsols.com

Other Common Questions

How do I export to UPS WorldShip?
The shipping process works like this:
1) Mark the appropriate orders in the admin area as order status Ready to Ship.
2) Click on Import/Export, then Saved Exports in the admin area.
3) Click Export, which generates a comma-separated value (CSV) file of those orders that are ready to ship and automatically updates the status of the exported orders (to Shipped, for example).
4) Save the CSV file to your computer.
5) Open WorldShip software on your desktop, click Import and select the saved CSV file. The transaction is now complete.
An advantage of WorldShip is that it offers the ability to auto-send tracking number e-mails to the customer