Who do you LOVE? Setting up my E-Commerce biz...Your Advice?

[Julian's Momma]

I am working on a new product for moms and babies.... tell you more later

I am studying up on the logistics of getting my first E-Commerce Site up and running. I'd love your advice on who you use (or wouldn't) for the following services.

My start-up budget is slim, but I know I need to spend to get quality.

I am looking for your recommendations on:
1. Website Design (a Mothering/WAHM Momma is a plus! )
2. Logo design
3. Shopping Cart Service
4. Hosting Service
5. Merchant Account Service
6. Did I miss anything?

Thanks so much!!!

[thyme]

I have heard good things about Shopify and it pretty much takes care of #1, #3, #4, and #5 on your list.

[Ame]

1. Website Design (a Mothering/WAHM Momma is a plus! ) Watersweb She's an MDC Mama and employs Mama's too!

2. Logo design
Watersweb offer logo design, I also recommend Worth1000.com

3. Shopping Cart Service
Watersweb

4. Hosting Service
Watersweb

5. Merchant Account Service
Mals

6. Did I miss anything?
Doamin Name? I highly recommend Name.com

(I don't work for Michelle/Watersweb....but I've been a happy customer for years!)

[nursingmom]

Hosting company

Pappashop.com - go to their website and you can find WAH web designers
Merchantmoms.com - they also have list of web designers
WAHMshoppes.com
Watersweb.com - MDC mama

Finding a web designer
- what I did was email all the website owners listed on web designers portfolio to see if they were happy with the web design service

Shopping Cart
I personally use Mals-e which comes with my hosting (pappashop.com). There is one glitch that they cannot fix. No big deal. Not really affecting my business much. I don't know if it's Mals-e shopping cart or Pappashop hosting that's causing the glitch.

Merchant Accoutn

To start, I would recommend using www.propay.com to start (less than $3000 a month). It is so simply to use and their billing is very straight forward. You know what you are paying. And there is no penalty for cancelling.

I now use Authorize, recommended by my hosting company (pappashop). My billing is a headache. It takes me a long time to go through and took me a while to figure out what I was actually paying. Of course, I realize I'm paying more thatn what I signed up to pay. And it's much higher monthly payment compare to propay if you do not have much sales. And there is HIGH penalty charge if you are no longer using them.

[Kristine233]

I highly reccomend Watersweb for both hosting and cart (e-commerce) she is a MDC mom and great to work with. I use her for my hosting too and reccomend her to all my design clients.

[Julian's Momma]

Thanks for the insight and PMs!

I love to get personal recommendations... thanks for the leads.

I'll keep you all posted on how things progress!

Thanks a ton!!!