Ecommerce FAQ

1. Does your ecommerce hosting include the software?

Our ecommerce pricing is for the hosting portion only.

2. If the pricing is only for the hosting why is it more expensive than your other standard plans?

The ecommerce hosting includes a great deal more manual setup to ensure security. Your site is hosted on a separate server that has been put through additional security hardening and testing. The storage space and data transfer allotments are also greater than the standard plans. After sales support tends to be quite a bit more intensive as the clients do expect us to know the basic architecture of the software. Additional helper components are also often installed. Regular backups and ongoing security reviews add to the expense of operating an ecommerce server.

3.  The other guys offer free ecommerce software with their hosting plans.

Do you remember the old saying that there is no free lunch. In this case it is particularly true.  If you leave the host or they go out of business, you will have to redevelop the site. The level of customization is very limited since one size must fit all. So functionality is generally very basic. New features that come out are not automatically applied.  Security & support are again leveraged across the entire customer base. Purchasing your own ecommerce application will deliver customizable code, support from the developers, infinite upgrade capabilities and additional functionality such as shipment tracking, customer management, marketing and promotion. Picture two vendors with the same product but one is using a canned basic application and the other is using a state of the art application, which one would you buy from?

4. What is shared SSL?

Shared SSL means that instead of you buying your own certificate, you piggyback onto our certificate. To do this we provide a special subdirectory that is aliased to your ssl subdirectory.  When the client links to the secure page it is our domain name that is presented in the browser. Although this method is acceptable and accomplishes what is needed, it is generally preferred by your customers for you to have your own certificate.

5. What is the $25.00 IP charge ?

Static (routable) unique to you IP addresses are required for SSL certificates.  IP addresses because of the limited number of them are apportioned out only when absolutely needed. A SSL certificate is justification for a unique IP address.  Chinook Webs receives these addresses from our upstream provider on a temporary basis (as long as we are customers), therefore the IP address assigned to you is not portable ( you can't move it to another hosting company). The $25 charge is a yearly charge.

6. Do you sell the Lagarde Storefront software?

As of November 2002, we do not directly sell this software but we anticipate offering it within the next 60 days. In the meantime feel free to visit www.storefront.net .

7. Do you sell SSL Certificates and whose are they?

As an agent for OPENSRS (div of tucows), we do offer Geotrust certificates. They are well known for their reliability, security and speed. Pricing details on the full offering to follow soon.

8. Do you offer Microsoft's SQL Server?

Not at this time, but it is on the drawing board for spring 2003.

9. Do you offer any web design services?

No, all web design inquiries are passed to our web design partners.