Ecommerce Web site of Spices and Herbs

Ecommerce Web site of Spices and Herbs

Project Description

The overall purpose of this project was to develop an intuitive and professional spice and herbal ecommerce web site. This web site was accessed by site visitors, members (retail consumers), and B2B consumers. The business require the ability to update the web site content remotely, integrate with existing database or systems, create enquiries and orders online, accept secure payment, capture visitor data, and secure login areas for customers.. We developed the solution to cater business, customers and products.

Client had an existing web site for online spice and herbal business. They were catering spice and herbal products to individual customer, business men in spice and herbal business. They also had an existing shopping cart but lacked information architecture in the web site development. Users of web sites were getting frustrated with slow loading web sites. We aimed to ensure our web solutions were fast loading to keep the interest of visitors. Clear navigation was allowing the web visitor to reach the information that they are looking for within 3 clicks. Client only areas can be established on web sites with password protection facilities.

Capability Analysis :

There was two parts in the application. One was the front (Visitor) end site that was accessible to the members based on access rights and the second was the admin panel where the super user or a few select managers can control the content of the site as well as track.

Visitor Mode

1. A site visitor opens the home page of the application and can browse informational pages. The home page provides a simple and intuitive interface. "Search", "Login", "Shopping Cart" and "Help" links were put in top right position of the header bar. Flash banner was shown at top for elegance and beauty of web site. Primary navigation links covered the key site features including "Products", "Recipes", "Featured Item", "Top Selling", "Testimonials", "FAQ", "Gallery", and "Contact". Site was optimized for 800 x 600 resolutions with white background for universal acceptance including cross browser compatibility for Internet Explorer, FIREFOX, Netscape and MOZILLA. The footer bar was always visible and this site was not having any horizontal scroll. Footer bar was having links to key site capabilities as well as informational help pages related to the site.
2. Informational pages on the site was included "About", "Site Map", "Privacy", "Contact Us", "User Agreement " and "Help"
3. A site visitor can become a member by filling up a registration form

Member Mode

1. Member can login and see the order history
2. Member can browse paginated product, spice and herbs
3. Top Selling Product can be viewed
4. Testimonials can be viewed and images
5. Subscribe for News Letter
6. Gallery and Recipes section can be browsed
7. Member can purchase items through credit card
8. Member can edit the profile
9. Products can be searched

B2B Members (To Be Determined)

1. Member can login and see the order history
2. Member can edit the profile
3. Member can give bulk orders by credit card

Administrator Mode

1. Manage content of web site by Content Management Tool
2. Manage Members and browse their placed orders
3. Edit Testimonial Section
4. Manage Product and Recipes
5. Edit News Letter
6. Edit Top Selling Products

Technology Architecture

This web site was developed in ASP.NET (VB.NET) with MS SQL Server database at Windows Platform. Java Script, HTML, and CSS were required to design this site and keep it light weight. The users access the application through the Internet Browser and the site was optimized for Internet Explorer 5 or upward or compatible browser. The network diagram is displayed here:

External Integration
SSL and Payment Gateway system had to be integrated into system.

SSL Implementation
Secure Socket Layer (SSL) is an application-level protocol that enables secure transactions of data through privacy, authentication, and data integrity. It relies upon certificates, public keys, and private keys.

Credit Card Integration

1. The merchant submit a credit card transaction to the authorize.net payment gateway on behalf of a customer via secure connection from a web site
2. Authorize.Net receives the secure transaction information and passes it via a secure connection to the merchant bank's processor
3. The merchant's bank processor submit the transaction to the credit card interchange (a network of financial entities that communicate to manage the processing, clearing and settlement or credit card transaction)
4. The credit card interchange routes the transaction to the customers credit card issuer
5. The credit card issuer approves or decline the transaction based on the customer's available funds and passes the transaction results, and if approved, the appropriate funds, back through the credit card interchange
6. The credit card interchange relays the transaction results to the merchant's bank processor
7. The merchant's bank processor relays the transaction results to authorize.net
8. Authorize.Net stores the transaction results and sends them to the customer and/or the merchant. This communication process averages three seconds or less
9. The credit card interchange passes the appropriate funds for the transaction to the Merchant's bank, which then deposits funds into the merchant's bank account.

Tangible Benefits:

1. Credit Card Integration featured with payment gateway on behalf of a customer via secure connection from a web site.
2. Administrator has able to manage the Recipes list, add a new B2B user, manage product master list of B2B user& manage the testimonial.
3. B2C Customer can choose products, add products to cart.