General Q & A | Shopping Cart | Marketing Tools | Web Site Services | Member Support

What makes Zip-Cart.com different from other eCommerce providers?

1. Our Target Market

We're the only online service offering this kind of integrated service developed specifically to meet the needs of...

• home-based business owners
• small Internet mareting business owners
• direct sellers — network marketing and home party representatives

2. Features and functions

We provide you with a fully-integrated system designed to work synergistically. We don't provide a "Frankenstein's Monster" made up of bits and pieces patched together, hoping that it will somehow all work together if you finally combine all the parts. Our system is genuinely seamless.

We also provide some really useful features and functions that simply aren't available from other providers.

Fees and rewards

Our system is the most affordable, and we pay the highest affiliate commissions. We also offer a lot more products and services for you to promote to these target markets through our A-Team affiliate program.

Training that's unique and exclusive

Our members enjoy both live and downloadable training to help them make the most of their zip-cart systems — training that's unique and exclusive to The Profit Clinic. This training is not available anywhere else.

Who needs Zip-Cart.com?

If you want to sell anything online, you need a fully integrated, dynamic and affordable system like zip-cart.com. Or you need deep pockets and endless patience. Or an account at eBay.com. (Hardly the same thing!)
 
Shopping Cart Questions and Answers
 
What online credit card processors does Zip-Cart.com support?

• PayPal
• 2CheckOut.com
• Authorize.net

How many eBooks and digital products can I sell with Zip-Cart.com?

You store and serve these products on your own web site, so the number is only limited by your storage and monthly data transfer capacity for your shopping cart. We support you with dynamically cloaked links to your download pages which expire in 24 hours for your protection.

If you don't have a web site, we can provide you with hosting through our service at www.lease-a-site.com for less than US$5 a month — including a FREE domain name!

Do I need a merchant account to use Zip-Cart.com?

Yes, you do... just like any other service of this kind (despite any claims that you don't). Most of our members choose to use PayPal because it's easy, quick and safe, and offers handy extra features like Mass Pay, for paying your affiliate commissions. And since you need your own PayPal account to receive commissions from us, it just makes sense.

Does Zip-Cart.com host my web site as well?

It's not necessary, but we can, if you prefer. Visit www.lease-a-site.com for details. www.lease-a-site.com is our Web Hosting Service and handles domain name registration, web site hosting and other web site related services.

How do I get started online with Zip-Cart?

It's a simple, five-step process...

1. Create your web site.
2. Stock your shopping cart.
3. Create and load your market communications tools.
4. Set up your affiliate program, plus promotional tools for affiliates to use.
5. Start promoting and building your lists, recruiting affiliates and making sales!

What type of security does Zip-Cart.com provide for online transactions?

Two types of security are provided...

• Secure Socket Layer (SSL) encryption for all interations with your Zip-Cart account. This is optional. For secure data transfer, use https://www.zip-cart.com instead of http://www.zip-cart.com.
   
  
• by your payment gateway (SSL or Secure Socket Layer encryption for your personal and credit card details) and
   
• by our redirection system for digital download or membership pages after payment has been made. Cloaked links are dynamically generated that block identification of the location of those pages from your buyers, then they expire after 24 hours. This stops buyers sharing the location with others.

Anything more than this is really just superfluous window dressing that creates little more than the illusion of security and adds to service costs for you.

How long does it take to set up my Zip-Cart system?

It depends on how many products you want to install in your shopping cart, how many autoresponder messages you want to make available, and whether or not you want to offer an affiliate program. It may take as little as an hour or so, or it make take several days. It's a bit like the old conundrum "how long is a piece of string?" The answer is "as long as it needs to be."

With our 30-day $1.00 trial period, you don't have to worry about paying for this non-productive time.

Does Zip-Cart.com offer an affiliate program?

Yes — and it pays more than other similar providers, with lots of extra, in-demand products and services that are exclusive to our affiliates. Click here for details.

Am I committed to a fixed term contract?

No. You can close your account at any time. Our contracts are month-to-month. If you want to save money, choose our annual fee and save TWO MONTHS of fees every year! See our Terms of Service/Cancellation Policy for more information

Can I customise my Zip-Cart's appearance?

Yes, you can modify your Zip-Cart Order Form to match your web site's colours and display your logo, and you can modify your Affiliate pages as well, including adding a background image if you wish.

Do I need to know HTML to create my Zip-Cart system?

No, but it may help to save you time in some areas, such as listing your products, setting up html autoresponder messages and modifying page appearance.

How do I set up my Zip-Cart system?

It's quite simple and straightforward, especially using our Member Guide and Tutorials...

1. Open an account with us
2. Add your products to your shopping cart
3. Copy and paste the product code links onto your web site
4. Test them
5. Start selling!

Can Zip-Cart.com be added to an existing web site?

Absolutely. That's what most clients do, in fact. They just need to add a shopping cart and selling tools to their existing web site. Your Zip-Cart is hosted on our servers, but seamless integration means smooth operation.

How does Zip-Cart.com convert more sales?

With Zip-Cart.com, you have the most powerful market communications and selling tools on the Internet. Our autoresponder, upsell and email broadcasting systems allow you to stay in touch with your prospects, clients and affiliates so that they keep you "top of mind" and either buy from you, or sell more for you, more often, to more people, for more profit!

How much does the Zip-Cart.com service cost?

Your all-inclusive system, featuring all of our integrated online tools, costs just US$29.95 per month — less than $1.00 per day! If you need web hosting for your site, add as little as US$4.58 per month — taking your total cost to $1.15 per day!

Sure, some BIG providers advertise their services from under $1 a day. But look closely at what you actually get for that. It's typically just an autoresponder system, nothing more. Every additional component costs you more.

With Zip-Cart.com you get it ALL !

Will I be notified of new orders?

Whenever a customer buys from your web site, your Zip-Cart system will automatically email them a receipt and send YOU a notification of the new order. You can also log into your account at any time to view new orders. Your affiliates can log into their accounts for real-time sales and earnings reports, too.

Can customer orders be sent directly to drop-shippers?

No, they can't, for three very important reasons...

1. It can cause frustrating, ongoing problems if you need to use more than one drop-shipper (or else it limits you to only ever being able to use one drop-shipper). This is a function that's more intelligently and effectively done by email redirection through your own domain's mail settings (we show you how to do this in our Member Support Centre).

2. Depending on what you're selling and despatching via drop-shipping, it can be risky to send orders directly to your drop-shipper without checking them first. If problems occur, it may be too late to intervene, causing frustrating delays, costly returns and inconvenience to everyone — especially the customer.

2. It adds unnecessary expense to our software development and maintenance — and higher fees to you — for a "solution" that's only an illusion for most users.

Does Zip-Cart.com offer web site hosting or web site promotion services?

Yes, we do. Visit our specialist web site, www.lease-a-site.com, for more information on these and many other services. For more extensive hosting requirements, contact http://profitclinichosting.com.

I already have a merchant account. Is it possible to use it with Zip-Cart.com?

Yes, as long as it's PayPal, 2Checkout.com or Authorize.Net. These are the only merchant service providers we support. Again, it's a matter of containing costs and passing on the savings to you. These are the three most popular gateways, so we're sticking with them.

Can I use my Zip-Cart system with more than one online store?

Yes, you can, and we explain how to do this in our Member Support Centre. It may limit the extent to which you can customise your Order Form and affiliate pages, but that's not a serious problem if you plan carefully and thoughtfully. Create your product link codes, set the correct redirection URL's and away you go! (By the way, at The Profit Clinic we use a single zip-cart account to service at least four different online stores.)

After signing up, how soon will I have my Zip-Cart system?

As soon as you sign up, you enjoy instant access to your Member account. No matter when you sign up, you can log in and download our Member Guide and begin setting up your system immediately!

Can Zip-Cart.com provide me with credit card processing capabilities?

If you don't already have a merchant account, we can provide you with a referral to PayPal, 2Checkout.com or Authorize.Net. Click here for details.

Are my customers' credit card transactions always secure?

Absolutely. In fact, they're not even handled on our site... they're done through your own secure payment gateway with PayPal, 2Checkout.com or Authorize.Net — and those guys have security that's tighter than the fundamental orifice of a fish!

How much database information can my Zip-Cart.com system handle?

Here's where we really differ from the BIG guys, who typically charge you by the number of products you have in your shopping cart and the number of transactions you make.

Our system doesn't operate on the numbers of products, autoresponders, affiliates or transactions. Instead, we measure by server storage space and data transfer bandwidth, just like web hosts and ISPs do. If you use it intelligently, (you can't squander it on huge image files because of the way we handle images) there's more capacity available than 99% of our members will ever need.

Can someone install my Zip-Cart system for me?

Yes. Our technical support team can do it for a nominal fee. This doesn't include actual loading of products to your shopping cart or messages to your autoresponders, but it does include one-on-one, personal online tuition in how to do it yourself via our conference and training system.)

What if I'm not happy with my Zip-Cart.com system?

We give you 30 days in which to set up and try out your Zip-Cart system for just $1.00. That's plenty of time for you to make up your mind. If you decide that you don't want to continue, simply cancel your Zip-Cart account, as well as your subscription payment through PayPal.

Can I insert HTML code into my Zip-Cart.com order page?

Yes! Your Zip-Cart system allows you to put limited HTML code at the top and bottom of every order page you create and in your dynamic catalogue pages (search results and product information pages). For an example click here.

Can I operate more than one affiliate program through my Zip-Cart account?

No. Only one affiliate program is supported by your Zip-Cart system. Intelligently planned and implemented, this can actually be an advantage. Our Profit Clinic A-Team operates in multiple markets through a single Zip-Cart affiliate account!

The truth is that most marketers with multiple affiliate programs (usually for single products) are forced to to it this way because their affiliate software and shopping carts are NOT integrated. Ours is.

What kind of reports are available?

You can quickly access a variety of searchable reports showing:

• Sales by Day
• Sales by Month
• Sales by Affiliates
• Export Sales Reports
• Affiliate Commissions
• Sub-affiliate Sign-ups
• Sub-affiliate Commissions
• Export Affiliate Reports

Once exported to your favourite spreadsheet, you can search and filter the information by any criteria you like. This is much more flexible — and safer — than doing it online, and allows you to archive search results for future reference and comparison.

It also keeps unnecessary costs down for both of us. Like the ads say... "everything you need, and nothing you don't."

I have several different domain names pointing to the same site. Do I need to have several accounts?

No. You can use one Zip-Cart account on any number of web sites with a little careful planning.

Is it possible to add options to my products (i.e. sizes, colors, materials, etc.)?

Yes. You can add any number of extra options to your products inside your Zip-Cart.

Does Zip-Cart.com allow for the sale of digital products like eBooks, audio or video files or software — and can they be delivered electronically?

Yes. The Zip-Cart system allows you to sell and deliver digital products electronically, and automatically! And your download page links are dynamically cloaked so buyers can't access them repeatedly, or share them with cronies. To make doubly sure, those links expire in 24 hours!

How are my A-Team affiliate commissions paid to me?

To participate in our A-Team program you MUST have a Business or Premium account with PayPal. (These accounts are free.) We don't send cheques/checks or other bank drafts for a couple of sound reasons...

• Cost — it costs more than $5 to issue a cheque/check. Then there are foreign exchange fees to be deducted by affiliates' banks, which can be more than the value of the payment!
   
• Time — it can take days — even weeks for international affiliates — for payment to arrive by mail, then more delays while awaiting clearance of payment. And some banks impose a mandatory 30-day hold on foreign currency cheques/checks.

By using PayPal's Mass Pay system, your commissions are transferred into your PayPal account in seconds. No delays. No additional fees. The Zip-Cart system is designed to work with this system specifically, because that's the preferred choice of the vast majority of our members.

You can make online payments from your PayPal account, or transfer the funds to your bank account, usually in less time than it takes for a cheque/check to clear.

The only exceptions to this practice are affiliates who earn US$2,000 or more in commissionsin a week. PayPal sets a maximum of US$10,000 per month, so in any week where you earn more than $2,000, we'll deposit your commissions directly into  your nominated bank account. (SWIFT number required. Contact us with details.)

How often will my commissions be paid?

We pay commissions every business day, as long as your commissions total US$25 or more. Otherwise they'll roll over each week until they reach US$25 minimum. A fee of $1 per transfer is deducted from your total weekly payment by PayPal.

Commissions are paid 31 days in arrears. In other words, your commissions for sales made in the first week of this month will be paid in the first week of next month. This allows for any refunds to be processed and deducted before payments are sent, reducing costs for both of us, and frustrating adjustments and repayments for you.

Internet Marketing Tools

Why do I need Internet marketing tools to be successful online? Can't I just submit my web site to search engines?

The decision to buy from you is the result of a multi-stage process for your prospect. It's not a single event made in isolation. The entire purpose of each point of contact is to sell them on the next point of contact until, finally, they have enough information, and enough confidence in you, to buy from you.

Of course, if they keep on getting information intended to get them to buy, they can become irritated and frustrated. They may decide NOT to buy — or, worse still, to request a refund!

That's why our "Hot Swap" sensing feature is so vital, and why a fully-integrated system — not just a bunch of separate applications cobbled together — is so critical to your success. Your Zip-Cart system senses the moment they buy, and stops sending them any more BUYING messages. Instead, it switches them to your new customer series of messages, which can congratulate them on their decision, tell them how to get the best results from their purchase, how to access customer service, promote your affiliate program and more. They're now swapped by your Zip-Cart system to your CUSTOMER mailing list, to which you send newsletters, special offers, handy hints'n'tips, etc using your email broadcast system.

Making a sale to an existing customer is SEVEN TIMES EASIER than making a sale to a new customer.

Can you see the power and versatility that your Zip-Cart gives you?

The ultimate purpose of your online selling activities should always be to turn your buyers into your most productive, profitable SELLERS.

They've already experienced the benefits of what you offer. They're excited by the difference it's made in their own lives or businesses. They want to tell everyone about it, with no thought of being paid for it. This is normal human behaviour.

So how much more excited will they be if you offer to pay them a commission on every sale that they refer to you? And, if you decide to use your two-tier commission feature, they can earn commissions on any sales referred by their own customers!

Every successful Internet marketer has said that their #1 selling tool is their affiliate program, and their #2 selling tool is their mailing list. Your Zip-Cart system delivers both — and more!

Your mailing lists (one for each autoresponder) allow you to segment your target audience intelligently and provide them with the information they need to move forward in buying from you. All with NO active involvement from you! You can send them up-sell incentives and offers, reminders, mini-courses, eBooks, price lists, newsletters and ezines and anything else you can think of that will help turn them into an enthusiastic promoter of you and your products or services.

You can qualify them further into even more narrowly-focused niche markets using additional autoresponders. And because your lists are all opt-in, you know that they're interested in the messages you're offering. If they lose interest, or realise that their needs are different, they simply unsubscribe. And you still have no active involvement in the process!

Your email broadcast system allows you to communicate, at any time, with all or any of these three important groups...

• your subscribers
• your customers
• your affiliates

Submitting your web site to search engines, advertising in ezines, swapping links with other sites, swapping ads with ezine publishers, writing articles and other promotional activities may drive traffic to your web site, but your Zip-Cart system gives you the tools to maximise what happens once they arrive.

Educating, qualifying and emotionally bonding them to you is much more effective when it's interactive in securing their name and email address, upselling them to your other goods and services, and encouraging them to drive traffic to your site as a member of your own affiliate team.

How many autoresponders do I get with my Zip-Cart system?

As many as your server storage space will accommodate. We don't limit numbers, only overall storage and data transfer capacity. And if you find yourself running out of storage space or bandwidth, you can increase them for a small additional monthly fee.

Why is it important to track your ads and promotional activities?

Every successful advertising practitioner will tell you the same thing: "the devil is in the details... you have to test, test and test some more. Then monitor, measure and modify your results, then repeat the process again and again, until you get it right!"

In other words, test and track continuously if you want to get the biggest possible bang from your advertising buck.

Whether you're doing...

• email ads,
• ezine ads,
• web site and banner ads,
• ad swaps,
• article writing
• forum sig files, or
• any other kind of online promotion,

you need a system that will...

• record what you're doing,
• how much you're spending,
• what results you're getting,
• what your conversion rates and
• your return on investment.

That's exactly what your Zip-Cart provides as part of your integrated system!

Web Site Services

Can I register my domain name with Zip-Cart.com?

Yes. Simply visit our specialist web site at www.lease-a-site.com.

Can I host my web site with Zip-Cart.com?

Yes, you can. We offer feature-packed, LOW-cost web site hosting packages at our web services site at www.lease-a-site.com.

Can I build a web site with Zip-Cart.com?

Yes, our www.lease-a-site.com web site system gives you the tools you need to build your own web site, including content management software, blog, chat, forum and tons of other really useful FREE software.

What other web site services do you provide?

We offer you low-cost software for the most powerful Squeeze Pages on the web, with up to FIVE redirect URLs and autoresponder links on your squeeze pages and single-click encoding of your web pages for personalising your pages for each visitor! A fantastic way to build your mailing lists and bond with your prospects. Visit our specialist web site at www.spendsmarter.com for details on this and other low-cost webmaster and Internet marketing resurces.


Member Support

What kind of help and support does Zip-Cart.com provide?

We offer round-the-clock support to all our customers via our support ticket system (email). To reach us, simply visit our Member Support section from inside your account.

What's the best way to contact the company if I need help?

The best way to contact us for help is by submitting a "Support Ticket" from inside your account.

What's the best way to contact the company if I don't have a Zip-Cart account?

The best way to contact us for help is by submitting a "Support Ticket" at The Profit Clinic Store:

http://www.profitclinicstore.com/support


General Q & A | Shopping Cart | Marketing Tools | Web Site Services | Member Support