Special Resource Section: 10 Best Practices for Choosing the Right E-Commerce Platform Provider

8. Get specifics on what will be in your contract. Not knowing the breadth of what's included in a 
contract can result in a number of ancillary costs you weren't expecting to pay. Ask your chosen solution provider the following questions to ensure you won't be paying out of pocket down the road:

• What's included in the implementation bid and set-up fees?
• What's included in monthly costs, and what's required to change orders?
• Are all of the features and functionalities highlighted in the demo included on my site?
• How do the business tools work? What can I change on the site directly?
• What will my website look like once it's live?

9. Be sure your provider's tools can be easily integrated with your other systems and solutions. Setting up a commerce-enabled website is a big enough task in itself without having to make major changes to existing systems. Ensure that the provider you choose is fully compatible with your existing hardware, web server software and operating system.