General Solution Questions

What does the Innovative Merchandising Solutions SiteStarter™ Solution include?
The necessary steps and know-how to get online with a professional Web presence. The SiteStarter™ package includes customization of three (3) pages for you: Home, About Us, and Contact Us and three customized items added to your eStore. Need more? Simply upgrade to one of our Custom Design Services Web Packages. All additional features  are automatically included with the Solution.

What if I want a more robust site than the basic Innovative Merchandising Solutions SiteStarter™ package?
Four additional Web packages are available based on your business and Web site requirements. See the Custom Design information for all package upgrade details.

Why do you need my email and other company information to get me started?
The company information and email you supply at the time of sign up helps us give you a head start on your site. Once we know your company name and type we can provide you with a personalized structure for your e-business.
Innovative Merchandising Solutions SiteStarter™ uses your personal information for the purposes of generating your e-business. Additionally, from time to time we need to tell all our customers via email about service enhancements and other information that affects your online business.

I'm not a technical person. What if I need help once my site is turned over to me?
The Online Professor will come to your rescue! The Online Professor is available any time from the Management Console to:

• Assist you to create and make changes to your site
• Teach by showing you what to do on a practice site

Additionally, you can access the text-based Help function from any area of the Management Console or contact Support at Support@vista.com or 425-558-9119.

What are the system requirements for using Innovative Merchandising Solutions SiteStarter™?
You need:

• A PC running Microsoft Windows 95, 98, NT, 2000 or XP, or a Macintosh running MacOS 7.0 or newer
• Microsoft Internet Explorer or Netscape Navigator version 4.x or higher.
• An email account from any provider you choose, including free services like Hotmail.
• An Internet connection (modem, cable or other) capable of a minimum speed of 28.8 kbps.
• A monitor resolution of at least 800x600

I would like to sign up with a free ISP (Internet Service Provider). Will this work with the service?
Absolutely. You may use any ISP you choose with this solution.

Can I sell products with Innovative Merchandising Solutions SiteStarter™?
Yes! Included in this service is full-service shopping cart capability and, if you choose, the ability to accept and process credit card orders online. If you select the merchant account feature, we will provide you with a discounted online merchant account and very low merchant account rates. We use Secure Socket Layer (SSL) software to protect your transactions, data and your customers' data from fraud. Of course, you can sell products via your site without a merchant account by taking orders over the phone, mail or fax and collecting payment in the form of checks or money orders.

I'd like to accept appointments and reservations online at my site. Is this possible?
Yes! This solution has a powerful, easy to use Reservations feature. From the Management Console, located under the Admin tab, go to "Working With My Site", click "Add A Page" and choose the Reservations function. Then click on your newly created Reservations page to personalize it.

I already have a site. Will you host it for me?
To ensure we have ample storage space for sites, we do not host sites that are not utilizing our service.

How long does it take to personalize my site?
Your site will be customized and turned over to you for a final review within ten business days from the time we receive your completed Innovative Merchandising Solutions SiteStarter™ or Custom Design Services Package Workbook. See the Custom Design  information for complete package details.

Who makes changes to my site once it's turned over to me?
You do, which means you have complete control over your online business. The easy to use Management Console (located under the Admin tab) is where you will add, delete and edit pages on your site. You can access this feature by selecting "edit my website" at the home page. You have password-protected access to the Management Console 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Once you make a change on your site, it's live on the Internet.

How do I access the Management Console of my site?
When our Web Specialists complete the customization of your site they will contact you for a review and will supply you with your User Name and Password giving you access to the Management Console for your site. Click on the Admin button on your site, enter your User Name and Password and you will see the Management Console.

Can I pay to have changes made to my site for me?
Yes. You can upgrade your package at any time. For simple changes, we offer Web Site Maintenance in 30-minute increments. Contact us at Support@vista.com or 425-558-9119 for pricing and details.

How do I delete my site?
Simply email Support at Support@vista.com or call 425-558-9119 and let us know you would like to have your site de-activated.

Can I have files for my visitors to download on my site (e.g., Real Audio or Video, Adobe Acrobat PDF's, etc.)?
Yes

Can I get more space than 20 megabytes?
Yes, for an additional fee of $9.95 per 5MB of additional space. Contact Support@vista.com or 425-558-9119 with your request.

Can I use my own domain name (or the domain I am planning to get soon)?
Yes. Through Domain Bank you have the option of purchasing your own domain name. Or you can assign an existing domain to your site. Both can be accomplished through the %% company_name%% SiteStarter™ program.

I live outside the United States. Can I still use your service?
Our services are available outside the United States but in US dollars only.

How will I get people to come to my site?
Marketing functions help you attract first-time visitors and encourage repeat visits. Through the "Marketing Tools" function of the Management Console you can submit your site to search engines and directories, create and exchange banner ads and even create email newsletters (e-newsletters) using our message templates and send them to your customers.
Once you have visitors coming to your site, use Polls and Surveys or track what they purchase to deliver information to them that's specific to their interests. For instance, if you are a specialty cheese store, you can send an email to all of your customers who purchased Brie in the last six months and let them know about a sale you are having on Brie de Meaux.

I want to list my site with Search Engines and Directories. Can you help?
Yes! One of the Marketing Tools included with your Web site is a Search Engine and Directory Placement tool.
After entering your description and keywords, your site will be automatically listed with these Search Engines: Google,  AllTheWeb, AltaVista, and Lycos. You may also submit your site to the following Search Engines for a fee: Excite, Overture, FindWhat, Google AdWords and Inktome. The directories you may automatically submit to include Yahoo, LookSmart and Open Directory Project.

Most search engines take between two to five weeks to process your registration. Some, like Google, are much quicker, perhaps two to five days.

An initial Search Engine submission is done for you with any of our Custom Design Packages .

How can I tell who visits my site?
Site Analysis includes sales reports, lead tracking, ROI reports and site traffic reports. A visitor registration field is standard on site as an avenue for you to gather customer emails and other information. Visitor data available includes: name, user name, password and email address.

How safe is my information online?
We currently meet the industry standards for information security. Your site is password protected (with a password that you create) so that only those who know your password can edit your site. All credit card transactions made on member sites are protected using Secure Socket Layer (SSL) software. Once a credit card has been accepted on a site, the credit card information moves through our processing network to the merchant account-processing network. These transactions are also encrypted to protect them from fraud.

Additionally, your personal privacy is of utmost importance to us. We will not share your personal information (or your Web site visitors' personal information) with third parties without your permission.

I've heard about sites being "down" for technical reasons. Will this happen to my site?
There will be short periods of scheduled "down" time when the servers will be undergoing updates and maintenance. We will make every effort to schedule these during non-peak traffic times. You will be notified in advance via email of these planned updates. Additionally, as with any ISP (Internet Service Provider) we may experience random "down" time.

Have a question not answered here?
Contact us 6am-6pm PST, Monday through Friday at Support@vista.com or 425-558-9119.