Anyone who is interested in hosting and running a successful ecommerce website has likely heard of Miva Merchant and the shopping carts, site modules, and software programs they provide. The first thing that you will need to begin using Miva Merchant is a Miva enabled host provider, ie a provider that is able run Miva software which can be achieved by purchasing and installing MIVA Empressa on one or more server.



Empressa interprets Miva Script, the web scripting language used by the MIVA Corporation, and Internet browsers are not able to interpret the MIVA script code without it.

The next step is to obtain an SSL or Secure Socket Layer Certificate, which will allow your ecommerce store to securely accept information obtained via the Internet. This is absolutely essential, since most people will not even consider shopping at your store without one, because of security concerns.

If you do not have a merchant account, specifically, a separate merchant account for online transactions, this is the time to get one, especially since the majority of banks require it, and will not allow you to accept credit cards online without using a third party service, like PayPal. Ask your host provider whether they have any partnerships with merchant account providers, and/or visit the Miva Merchant site to find a list of merchant account provider partners.

You will also want to ensure that a payment gateway is in place. A payment gateway is the step between the merchant account provider and the Miva Merchant software, and is needed to automate the authorization process, and capture funds from credit cards, in the event that you are not manually submitting credit card payments to your merchant account provider. When a shopper orders something from your Miva Merchant powered stuore, the payment gateway encrypts their information and sends it to the credit card issuer, which in turn sends an approval or decline to Miva Merchant.

The integrations built into your Miva Merchant software are designed to save you both time and money, and following the above tips will ensure that the process of setting up your ecommerce website goes even more smoothly. Be sure to research the different Miva programs available before you purchase one, as there are different types designed for different levels and stages of ecommerce. Using Miva will enable you to be successful in your online retail ventures, and since the software is designed to grow and expand along with your store, you will soon realize why so many people choose Miva Merchant.