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Are merchants required to charge sales tax for online purchases?
Can Addison provide Internet access to my office?
Can I make changes directly to my web site content?
Can site statistics be used to improve my bottom line?
Common Mistakes made on the Internet
Do all websites work in all browsers the same way?
How does the Web compare to other media?
How long would it take to develop a new web site for my organization?
Isn’t a web site, just a web site? I mean, aren’t all sites pretty much the same?
What are all the major elements/considerations of Real Time Online Ordering?
What is a Merchant Account and why do I need one?
Why do I need professional web site development?
Why don’t you outline any pricing for development of a typical site?
Won’t a web site just add to my business hassles?
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Are merchants required to charge sales tax for online purchases?
Shopping on the Internet isn't tax free, although it may seem that way. Under current law, online retailers must collect sales tax on purchases if the customer resides in the same state as their business address. If the customer is outside of the retailer’s home state the customer still owes a "use tax"--the equivalent sales tax to their home state--but submitting this tax is the responsibility of the customer, not the merchant.
Can Addison provide Internet access to my office?
Addison Technologies' website hosting services allows your company website, web portals and business email to be available for those browsing the web with a properly functioning internet connection. AddisonTech is not an ISP (Internet Service Provider); we do not provide access from an individual's home or office to the Internet. We do not provide PC support; this includes the email program on your PC or mobile device. AddisonTech has several strategic relationships with several regional ISPs, Tech Support Services, Network Security Services, etc. and may be able to recommend a trusted provider offering the right connectivity or support solution for your needs.
Can I make changes directly to my web site content?
In some special circumstances, we do provide FTP or FrontPage access to your web site files. However, in the majority of cases, AddisonTech simplifies your to-do list by handling all content changes on your site for you. Addison takes pride is our excellent response time with site content changes.
In situations where information changes on a regular basis and can be structured into a common template (for example, a calendar or product inventory), we will recommend building a database driven system for handling the information. All of our database systems provide secure web based interfaces where representatives of your organization can update information directly.
Can site statistics be used to improve my bottom line?
Used properly, web site visitor data is invaluable. We will help you to analyze and understand your site’s statistics with our web-based reporting tools. From this data, you can have a better understanding of which products and categories are most popular and what your target market’s primary interests are. You can then take steps to re-organize your inventory and re-focus your marketing efforts based on this new knowledge.
For example, an online furniture retailer sees that over 100 people each day are searching for the phrase "home office"; a phrase which they are currently not using to describe their office furniture line. She realizes a brand new avenue for marketing the very same furniture.
Next, suppose an online clothing merchant is aware that polo shirts have been the lowest selling item on their web site for months. However, the search popularity reports indicate that they are actually the most "looked at" item on the site. The fact that "browsers" are not being converted to "buyers" is a clear warning that the merchant should reconsider the line of shirts he is currently offering.
Common Mistakes made on the Internet
 Inadequate Site Plan
Misconceptions & Unrealistic Expections
Selecting the wrong level of web design for your business
Website Marketing is more than just search engine rankings
Providing the right functionality for your visitors
Mis-allocation of Resources
Overspending
Underspending
Do all websites work in all browsers the same way?
No. The layout of the website and some functions will vary between the different browsers. The common followup question is about browser compatibility for their website. It is important to keep a pulse on the changing browser market. As new browsers enter the market, your website may not look or function as intended. We recommend keeping a focus on the more common browsers and versions. We pay close attention to browser usage trends and apply this information as part of the site planning for your website, allowing you to make informed decisions. For more information visit the AddisonTech Blog, specifically the October 2010 post regarding browser compatibility.
How does the Web compare to other media?
The Web is a superb marketing and communications tool. By publishing on the Web, you will eliminate the high cost of printing brochures and mailing information to your customers. In addition, you can update your site at a moment's notice, and avoid information ever getting out of date.
The Internet is available to your visitors 24 hours a day, seven days a week and your web site can serve them even when you and your staff are not available. Unlike traditional media and communication methods, customers seek you out. They come to your site when they are ready, and unlike traditional media, the web allows visitors to pick out the information that is important to them.
How long would it take to develop a new web site for my organization?
This depends of course on the scope of your web initiative, but also it depends on the Addison payment program that you choose, based on your ideal budget and timeline.
Project Based development means that we will outline detailed specifications for your new web site at the start, and then work diligently towards design, construction, testing, and launch of your project. Checkpoints mark approval of each stage, and payments occur at each major checkpoint. Project-based development generally takes 1-3 months from concept to completion.
Other payment programs may stretch out development of your site over time, developing and publishing new features in stages, as your budget allows.
Isn’t a web site, just a web site? I mean, aren’t all sites pretty much the same?
All sites are not created equal. A carefully laid-out home page with crisp graphics, a strong message, and a consistent, professional color scheme will leave a very different impression than a page with design inconsistencies, less-than-high-quality graphics, and poorly written content.
There is also a world of difference in the range of functionality that different sites offer. A large portion of business sites on the web are what we refer to as "static" sites, collections of web page documents which display text and graphics but don’t provide any interaction with the user. On the other side of the coin are what we call "dynamic" web sites, which at first glance look no different than static pages, but in truth allow users to store and retrieve information from an online database. Addison Technologies specializes in building dynamic sites that allow users to search through product inventories, track working hours, share messages and documents with remote co-workers, prepare complex orders, and many more amazing applications.
What are all the major elements/considerations of Real Time Online Ordering?
There are several aspects to understand and consider with real time online secure ordering as well as several providers necessary. The major elements are:
 Merchant Service Provider - this is a special bank that moves the money from Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Discover, etc to your bank account. You can select any Merchant Service Provider you wish. If you want us to recommend one, we do have several relationships for you to contact and make a decision. AddisonTech does not handle any fees associated with your MSP and is therefore not responsible for such fees or decisions.
Gateway Provider - this company provides the extra security required for the online transactions to access the credit card companies to enable the real time verification and online payments. We recommend using Authorize.Net for your gateway provider. AddisonTech does not handle any fees associated with your Gateway and is therefore not responsible for such fees or decisions.
SSL Certificates - 128 bit encryption is absolutely required for online ordering. This certificate is purchased through your web hosting company. AddisonTech handles this process for you from the purchasing, to the installation and implementation into your site. To include an SSL certificate in your project, you must select the SSL offering option under web hosting. It is not automatically included in this Real Time Online Ordering option.
You also have to select your shipping vendors. Some clients request that the end customer make this decision during the ordering process, requiring us to program all major shipping methods and locations available, while others elect to keep it simpler and easier to maintain by selecting a single shipping vendor and limited shipping time options. Please refer to the various shipping options below and select destinations as quantity of shipping vendors. You will be responsible for providing us with the rates for each vendor and delivery time and location selected.
AddisonTech is the final piece of the vendor matrix. We will host your web site and handle the design and the programming needed to pull all of the elements together. To make it happen you may need a shopping cart and online database driven store. Selecting this option simply requests us to handle the online ordering process programming. You will have to also select the other items you need to make this happen such as the SSL certificate, Online Store, etc.
What is a Merchant Account and why do I need one?
A Merchant Account allows you to accept real-time, online, payment transactions. In other words, your customers will be able to place their order and immediately pay with their credit cards through your web site. As soon as the order is placed, the transaction is automatically completed and the funds are deposited in your business bank account.
We can connect your online store with almost any existing merchant account. Or, if you do not yet have a merchant account, we can recommend several who offer competitive rates and have served our clients well in the past.
Why do I need professional web site development?
Too many businesses make the mistake of beginning their web initiative using a low-cost "boxed" solution. These businesses often learn the hard way that their web site doesn't command the same level of respect, or inspire the same level of confidence, as a custom-developed site that's tailored to their specific business needs.
Why don’t you outline any pricing for development of a typical site?
We use a very customized approach to developing web sites. We recognize that the nit-picky details of a site are much less important than the business objectives that the site helps you to achieve. Our approach to web design is to first identify the business challenges you hope to overcome with a new web site; then to outline potential eCommerce solutions that would pursue those initiatives. If you don't have specific objectives in mind, we would love to sit down with you and help you to explore precisely how an Addison Technologies web site can provide solutions for your business.
Won’t a web site just add to my business hassles?
Quite the contrary, a properly designed web site and intranet has the potential to relieve many of your everyday business hassles.
First, a web site is the most efficient means of delivering information to customers and prospects. A web site can avert dozens of telephone queries each day, and replace many of your current catalogs and publications. Second, web sites can allow automated online ordering of your entire inventory and relieve a good portion of the employee-hours currently dedicated to taking orders. Third, the right online tools can help organize and store information about customers and partners and automate everyday tasks such as recording employee hours and logging meetings with clients.
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info@addisontech.com
Phone: 800.558.1604
Pottstown, PA Office
643 East High Street
Pottstown, Pa 19464
Florence, AL Office
1831 Palmer Street
Florence, AL 35630
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