Canadian E-commerce Solutions & Website DesignAt Hektic Media we specialize in providing Canadian e-commerce solutions, website design, and secure web hosting services. We are a proudly Canadian owned and operated company.
We are also experts in providing custom music for film, flash, and multimedia productions.
Read our E-commerce FAQ if you are new to e-commerce and would like to find out more about what e-commerce is, and what is involved in launching an
e-commerce website.
Join our Monthly Newsletter to receive the latest sales improving tips and techniques in website promotion and marketing, as well as the latest developments in the Canadian e-commerce industry.
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E-commerce FAQIn this FAQ you will find the answers to many frequently asked questions about e-commerce. The topics covered by this FAQ include the steps and costs involved in launching an e-commerce website, and the process of how ecommerce works.
If you have a question that is not covered in this FAQ, then
contact us and we will answer your question via email.
What is e-commerce?
What is a merchant account?
What is a shopping cart?
How secure is e-commerce?
How does e-commerce work?
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What Is E-commerce? E-commerce stands for electronic commerce. Electronic commerce can be described as conducting business activities over the Internet. More simply it can be described as selling goods or services over the Internet, while accepting payment online, typically through credit card transactions.
Every e-commerce website can be broken down into the following basic elements:
• A Website Secured With SSL Technology
• Shopping Cart Software
• A Merchant Account
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What is a merchant account?
Simply put, a merchant account is a special bank account that enables your business to accept payment by credit card. You must have a merchant account in order to be able to accept credit cards.
Acquiring an online merchant account can be significantly more different for Canadian business compared to their American counterparts.
Since banks consider the internet a "high risk" medium, its is often much more difficult to acquire a merchant account through them, than it is to acquire one through a company that specializes in providing online merchant accounts. Banks often require fairly large deposits and have tighter restrictions on who is elligable to get an online merchant account.
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It is for this reason that it is typically far more beneficial for the typical business to acquire their online merchant account through a company that specializes in online merchant accounts.
The process of acquiring an online merchant account can be significantly more difficult and costly for Canadian business than our American counterparts. This is because the majority of online merchant account providers are American, and often have stipulations and requirements such as an requiring an American bank account and corporate presence before the merchant account will be approved.
Because of this, it is best to find a merchant account provider that specializes in International Merchant accounts so that the merchant account can be established quickly and easily with no ridiculous penalties or stipulations requiring an American business presence.
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Hektic Media is affiliated with Merchant-Accounts.ca. This is a division of Hektic Media that was launched to fill the void left by Canadian banks and American online merchant account providers.
Merchant-accounts.ca is the premier provider of online merchant accounts and credit card processing for Canadian and International business. The mission of merchant-accounts.ca is to provide the absolute most inexpensive, and easy to establish merchant accounts, available to Canadian and International business.
If you require help establishing a merchant account for your business, or have any additional questions about merchant account establishment in Canada, then
contact us.
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What is a shopping cart?
Shopping cart software is integrated into every e-commerce website. This software, which runs on the web server, is what keeps track of what each customer wants to buy while they are surfing the website.
The shopping cart keeps track of which items a customer wants, along with the quantity and any options such as size and color.
When a customer is ready to finalize an order, the shopping cart calculates totals, shipping charges, taxes, and then submits the orders to the payment processing gateway where the transaction is processed.
The shopping cart then emails the merchant to notify them of the sale so that they may fulfill the order.
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Shopping cart programs vary greatly in terms of cost and capability. Some shopping cart programs are built to allow anyone to launch and administer an e-commerce website, while some require a great level of technical knowledge to setup.
Some shopping carts can handle only a small handful of items, while some shopping cart programs can handle a database of thousands of items for sale on a website.
When looking for a shopping cart it is best to keep the following things in mind:
1) Make certain it is meets the technical requirements of your website.
2) Make certain you will have the technical ability to use the software.
3) Stay within your budget - don't go overboard with unnecessary options.
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How secure is e-commerce?
It is widely accepted that when proper precautions are taken, Internet based credit card transactions are as secure, if not more secure, than traditional credit card transactions. The following is a quote from the Canadian Bankers Association:
"Internet commerce is no more prone to fraud than other types of payment mechanisms."
- Canadian Bankers Association
E-commerce can be considered more secure than traditional face to face credit card transactions, because at no point in the entire transaction process do human eyes come across any sensitive transaction information - the entire process is automated.
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Without the human quotient involved in the transaction, there is no opportunity for anyone to steal any information. All the information that is being passed from the merchants server to the banks server for processing has been encrypted so that it may not be intercepted and stolen.
The way that the transaction information is passed across the internet ensures that no information can be stolen, because it is encrypted with an extremely powerful encryption technology called SSL.
SSL stands for "Secure Socket Layer". When a customer types in their name and credit card number on a merchants website, it is securely encrypted using the SSL algorithm before being sent to the banks server for processing. The only way the information can be decrypted is by using the session key located on the banks server.
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Because of this, if someone managed to intercept the information as was passed between the customers computer, and the server where the information will be processed, it would be completely useless, because the information has been encrypted and will appear as useless garbled text until decrypted using the key located on the server.
Modern SSL encryption is so strong that it has been calculated that a 128 bit symmetric key would, on average, take more time to crack by brute force than the solar system has left before the sun goes nova and swallows the earth.
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How does e-commerce work?
The typical e-commerce transaction occurs as follows:
1) A customer browses through a website looking through the various items or services available to be purchased on the website.
2) When the customer sees something that they want to purchase, they click a button that adds the item to the shopping cart.
3) The shopping cart software keeps track of which items the customer has chosen to buy, and allows them to continue shopping through the website.
4) Once the customer is finished shopping, and is ready to purchase the items that they have selected, they click a button that takes them to the checkout.
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5) When the customer clicks the button to go to the checkout, the shopping cart software performs all necessary calculations to determine the subtotal, taxes, and shipping expenses to arrive at a total amount for the sale.
6) The customer is taken to a screen displaying the totals where they enter their credit card information.
7) The customer submits their information, and the data is encrypted and then sent to the merchant bank transaction server where it is decrypted and processed.
8) The bank processes the supplied credit card information and determines whether the transaction was approved or denied. The results are then encrypted and returned to the shopping cart program, usually with a value of either "transaction approved" or "transaction denied".
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9) The shopping cart program informs the customer of the results of their transaction.
10) The shopping cart program sends an email notice of the sale to the merchant so that they may fulfill the order, and an email confirmation of the sale to the customer.
11) Money from the sale is deposited into the merchants bank account - when and how this works depends on the merchant bank and merchant account agreement.
12) Transaction complete!
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How can I tell if my business can benefit from selling online?
We have developed an online form to help prospective merchants analyze their situation, to determine if they can benefit from selling online.
It has been designed to offer useful information about operating and promoting an e-commerce website, and to provide insight into potential roadblocks and problems and how to avoid them.
It also covers various tips and strategies that are useful to keep in mind when launching an e-commerce website.
Click here to go to the online form.
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What steps are involved in launching an e-commerce website?
The following steps outline the process of launching an e-commerce website:
1) Establish what it is you are going to sell and who you are going to sell it to.
2) Apply for an online merchant account.
3) Have any necessary web design work done.
4) Prepare necessary scans/artwork for all products to be sold online.
5) Set up your online catalog with your shopping cart software.
6) Find a secure web host for your website.
7) Website Launch!
We have developed an e-commerce package that has been specifically built to meet the needs of Canadian business expanding to sell online.
Click here to find out more about the e-commerce solutions that we offer.
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Free Quote
We would be happy to give you a free pricing estimate for any work you are interested in having done.
We fully stand behind our product and our pricing, and encourage you to use our pricing estimate as a reference for comparison when shopping around to other web design & e-commerce solution providers.
We are specialists in Canadian e-commerce, and believe that you will not find a more flexible, affordably priced solution, anywhere on the net.
Click here to go to our online quote request form, and we will reply with a no commitment pricing estimate within 2 business days.
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Free online quote
This text is available for future questions.
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E-commerce solutions for Canadian business
We have developed an e-commerce solution that has been built from the ground up to meet the needs of Canadian business who are expanding to sell their product or service online. Utilizing this solution we are able to build customized e-commerce websites that are tailored to meet the varying needs of each individual merchant.
What Does This E-commerce Solution Include?
How Is It Specifically Built For Canadian Business?
Merchant Account Establishment
Shopping Carts
Secure Hosting (SSL)
How Much Does This Cost?
Are There Any Hidden or Additional Costs?
I Would Like To Get A Pricing Estimate For My Project.
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What does Hektic Media's e-commerce solution include?
Our e-commerce solution has been built to include every thing that is necessary to begin accepting credit cards online. This makes the process of launching an e-commerce website much easier for a merchant because it provides a source of "one stop shopping" that is able to provide all the services necessary for launching their website.
The following is included in our e-commerce package:
1) Merchant account establishment
2) Shopping cart software
3) Secure (SSL) web hosting
4) Website design services (if necessary)
5) Real Time Credit Card Processing
6) Ongoing technical support
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How is it "specifically built for Canadian business"?
We have researched many e-commerce solutions offered by both domestic and foreign e-commerce solution providers, and analyzed the roadblocks and problems that have presented difficulty for Canadian business wishing to sell online in the past.
With this information we have worked to alleviate these problems, providing a hassle free source of "one stop shopping" for Canadian merchants who wish to sell their product or service online.
In particular, there has been one stumbling block that has often been a problem for Canadian merchants wishing to launch an e-commerce website - the
online merchant account.
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Merchant Account Establishment
Since most banks consider the internet a "high risk" medium, it is often much more difficult to acquire a merchant account through a bank, than than it is to acquire one through a company that specializes in providing online merchant accounts.
It is for this reason that it is far more practical for the typical business to acquire their merchant account through a company that specializes in online merchant accounts.
Unfortunately the bulk of these companies are American and have all kinds of penalties and stipulations for merchant account establishment, such as requiring an American corporate presence and bank account before a merchant account application can even be submitted.
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Because of this, it is best to find a merchant account provider that specializes in International Merchant accounts. This way the merchant account can be established quickly and easily with no ridiculous penalties or stipulations requiring an American bank account and business presence.
Hektic Media is affiliated with Merchant-Accounts.ca. This is a division of Hektic Media that was launched to fill the void left by Canadian banks and American online merchant account providers.
Merchant-accounts.ca is the premier provider of online merchant accounts and credit card processing for Canadian and International business. The mission of merchant-accounts.ca is to provide the absolute most inexpensive, and easy to establish merchant accounts available to Canadian and International business.
Visit
www.merchant-accounts.ca to find out more.
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Shopping Carts
We have researched literally hundreds of shopping cart programs in an effort to find the best shopping cart programs available to meet the needs of our clients.
The shopping cart software that we use has been carefully selected because it has the power to securely handle a database of thousands of items, while still being easy to administer for anyone with the technical ability to check email and surf the web.
It enables merchants to maintain their online stores, very efficiently, with almost no knowledge of HTML or Internet based programming necessary, while at the same time being completely customisable in both look and function, so that there are no technical limitations imposed by the program.
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Here are some of the features that our shopping cart software offers:
• Simple to use store maintenance
• Multiple shipping cost calculation methods
• Multiple sales tax states and rates
• Database driven or static website capability
• Database capable of handling thousands of products and categories
• Customizable product searching
• Secure Socket Layer (SSL) compatable
• 100% Completely customizable design
• 100% Completely customizable in function (for webmasters)
• Order tampering protection
• Real Time Credit Card Processing
• Email order notification to customer and merchant
• Constant development of new functions and options
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How Much Does This Cost?
There are no hidden costs when setting up an e-commerce website through Hektic Media.
We offer a complete, reliable solution, with everything needed to start securely accepting real time credit card transactions on the web for:
$99/month (Canadian) + merchant account fee's.Merchant accounts are examined and approved on a case by case basis through our partner companies who specialize in providing International merchant accounts.
We work with only the best merchant account providers that have the simplest application procedures and flat out best rates available to prospective merchants.
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All fees below are in Canadian dollars. The merchant account fees have been included as a reference to the standard merchant account rates.
Final Cost Breakdown:
E-commerce Package Monthly Fee: $99/month (1 Yr. Package)
Merchant Account Setup: $495
Discount Rate: 3.95%
Per Transaction Fee: NONE
Merchant Account Monthly Fee: $39.00
We have developed an online form to help potential merchants determine if they would make money selling online.
Click here to go to the form.
If you would like to get a quote for the design of your e-commerce website then
click here to proceed to our online quote request form.
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Are there any hidden or additional costs?
There are absolutely no hidden costs.
The costs that are not covered in the $99/month charge are the fees for your merchant account, which will be charged by your merchant account provider on a monthly, and per transaction basis. The pricing information on the previous page contains a listing of their standard rates.
If you require custom website design or programming, that will be charged in addition to the $99/month.
If you have any questions about our pricing please
contact us.
If you would like to get a free quote for the design/development of your e-commerce website,
click here to proceed to our online quote request form.
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Web Design and Hosting
At Hektic Media we are able to provide you with a completely customized website and hosting package to meet the needs of your individual business.
We work with you to develop an effective website, and can then host the website on our high speed servers.
Click on the following to find out more about each corresponding service:
Website Design Services
Web hosting Packages
E-commerce Hosting
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Website Design
Every website that we develop is custom designed, specifically built to meet the needs of that particular client.
We do not use templates, and we quote each job uniquely, as we believe that every clients business is different, and therefor, their website should not be based on a cookie cutter, prefabricate design.
Our websites range in size and complexity and can be built to meet any budget.
Ranging from simple, effective designs, to complicated multimedia websites utilizing the latest sound and animation multimedia technologies available on the internet.
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Small Website Pricing ExampleA small, efficiently built website, containing about 3 - 5 pages, will cost in the range of approxomitely $400 - $500.
Large Website Pricing ExampleA larger website, containing multiple pages and images, will cost more depending on the complexity of the design, and the number of pages and images involved. A large website is likely to cost in the range of approxomitely $800 - $1600.
We have incldued these prices for reference only, and emphasise that we build each website to spec, and thus, can build a website to meet any budget.
Contact us, or use our online pricing estimate form to get a
free quote today.
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Web Hosting
Our servers are located on a fully redundant network of OC-12 lines to provide extremely fast and reliable bandwidth around the clock.
Our web hosting packages never have any setup fees, and for the remainder of 2000, have reduced the rates on our advanced domain hosting.
Standard Domain Hosting: $34.99/month.
• 20 Megs Disk Space Online
• Ftp Access
• 200 Megs Transfer/Month
• 2 Email Addresses (user@yourname.com)
Additional Email Addresses & disk space are available.
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Advanced Domain Hosting: $49.99/month.
For a limited time - If a 1 year term is purchased, get the last month COMPLETELY FREE!
• 100 Megs Disk Space Online
• Ftp Access
• CGI access
• FREE Monthly Website updates
• 500 Megs Transfer/Month with site tracking
• 10 Email Addresses (user@yourname.com)
Additional Email Addresses & disk space are available.
Click here to go to our online order form.
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(SSL) Secure HostingWe use
Thawte 128 bit SSL certificates for all of our e-commerce websites. This is the strongest level of encryption currently available on the internet today.
To find out more about how secure e-commerce is,
click here to go to our Ecommerce Faq.
Our secure hosting is included as part of our e-commerce package, which includes everything that is needed to begin securely accepting real time card credit card transactions online.
Click here to find out more about the e-commerce solutions that we offer.
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Music and Audio for Flash, Film and Multimedia
We specialize in providing music and audio for film, flash and multimedia.
Our artists have been writing electronic music for over 7 years, having worked in virtually every genre of electronic music including techno, drum & bass, trance, ambient, house, breakbeat and happy/hardcore.
Click here to download some of the latest songs by our artists in mp3.
If you have a project that requires audio or music for flash, film, or multimedia, then
click here for our online quote form, or
click here to contact us.
If using the online quote form, please leave a description of the project, along with a description of the mood/sound you require, and we will get back to you shortly.
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About Hektic Media
Based in Burlington, Ontario, Hektic Media has been in operation since June 1999. We are a very customer oriented company, and enjoy working closely with our clients. We allways offer free consultation, and are happy to answer any questions regarding website design or e-commerce that our clients may have.
Please feel free to contact us for additional company information:
Hektic Media
549 Deerhurst Drive
Burlington, Ontario, L7L 5V9
Tel: (905) 333-6890
Fax: (905) 847-1397
E-mail:
info@hekticmedia.com
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Articles, Tips, and our Monthly Newsletter
We continually build upon our resource of useful articles and tips, for building, launching, and promoting any e-commerce venture.
Our articles cover a broad range of topics focusing on improving sales through effective marketing and promotional techniques.
Join our monthly newsletter to find out about the latest additions to our online sales and marketing resource, containing the latest news and developments happening in the Canadian e-commerce industry. Additionally it contains hints, tips and strategies for increasing sales and improving the effectiveness of your advertising, and occassionally covers a few other interesting topics too!
We respect your privacy and do not sell our email lists.
You may opt out of receiving the newsletter at any time.
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Links and Resources
Links & Resources Online
•
www.merchant-accounts.ca - Merchant Accounts.ca
•
www.acceptcreditcards.ca - AcceptCreditCards.ca
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Introduction - Page 1 of 1
E-commerce FAQ - Page 1 of 2
E-commerce FAQ - Page 2 of 2
What Is E-commerce- Page 1 of 1
What Is A Merchant Account - Page 1 of 3
What Is A Merchant Account - Page 2 of 3
What Is A Merchant Account - Page 3 of 3
What Is A Shopping Cart - Page 1 of 2
What Is A Shopping Cart - Page 2 of 2
How Secure Is E-commerce - Page 1 of 3
How Secure Is E-commerce - Page 2 of 3
How Secure Is E-commerce - Page 3 of 3
How Does E-commerce Work - Page 1 of 3
How Does E-commerce Work - Page 2 of 3
How Does E-commerce Work - Page 3 of 3
Can My Business Benefit - Page 1 of 1
What Steps Are Involved - Page 1 of 1
E-commerce Solutions - Page 1 of 1
What Does It Include - Page 1 of 1
How Is It Specifically Built - Page 1 of 1
Merchant Accounts - Page 1 of 2
Merchant Accounts - Page 2 of 2
Shopping Carts - Page 1 of 2
Shopping Carts - Page 2 of 2
How Much Does This Cost - Page 1 of 2
How Much Does This Cost - Page 2 of 2
Additional Costs - Page 1 of 1
Web Design & Hosting- Page 1 of 1
Website Design - Page 1 of 1
Website Design - Page 2 of 2
Web Hosting - Page 1 of 2
Website Design - Page 2 of 2
E-commerce Hosting - Page 1 of 1
Music & Audio - Page 1 of 1
About Hektic Media - Page 1 of 1
Articles & Tips - Page 1 of 1
Links & Resources - Page 1 of 1
