I have been working on trying to set up multiple storefronts while using my 30 day trial of CS-Cart. I'm glad I am taking full advantage of the trial to test everything out because I ran into a major issue. I need to purchase multi-domain SSL, which is expensive and has limited features. Plus I set up my domains on SiteGround, and they don't offer or support multi-domain SSL. Anyway, this issue is a major roadblock. I'd probably have to move everything over to GoDaddy to make it work (not ideal).
So what I’m trying to figure out is if the cloud-based cs-cart “Saas†that supposedly is coming out soon will include SSL. I assume that multiple storefronts will be supported, and priced accordingly. So will SSL be included? My preference would be to have my own copy of cs-cart installed on servers of my choice that I have total control over. But if SaaS eliminates the SSL issue, I may just go with that instead of wasting time and money buying the software licenses outright. At least until my business grows.
Anyone have any information about this? Any updates on timeframe of SaaS release if I choose to go that direction? Thank you.
I kind of answered my own question, I think. Even if SaaS has SSL, it would be a shared SSL which is not appropriate for ecommerce checkout.
So then I guess my question is if CS-Cart would sell SLL certs like most of the other cloud-based carts do.
I'm new to all of this, so it wouldn't surprise me if I'm totally off base altogether, so I would appreciate any guidance with SS,etc.
Thank you.
When you say you need “multi-domain SSL” - do you mean; domain1.com, domain2.com etc, or; domain1.com, shop.domain1.com, rewards.domain1.com etc? (various subdomains)
If its the latter, you can purchase a wildcard SSL for $199 a year; Buy Wildcard SSL Certificates & Multi-Domain SSL | RapidSSL
Thank you for your reply. No. It woud be for completely different domains. Store1.com, store2.com, store3.com, etc. I have done more research since my original post, and it appears that I need either cloud hosting or VPN hosting, and then purchase a multi-domain SSL cert. From what I can tell, in order for CS-Cart to work with multiple storefronts using different domain names (not sub-domains), they would all have to be add-on domains within the same cPanel (or plesk, etc). I have been told that you cannot apply individual SSL certs to individual domains within the same cPanel. So in order to achieve the requirement of CS-Cart needing all of the domains to be within the same account, I have to purchase a multi-domain SSL Cert.
I don't mind having to purchase a multi-domain SSL, but the fact that I can't use individual SSL certs means that I can't ever use an EV SSL (Extended Verification SSL), which is the SSL that gives you the “Green Bar” in the browser bar. Someday I may want to invest in this more expensive SSL cert because customers feel more secure seeing it. But I don't think I can ever use CS-Cart's multi-storefront feature using EV SSL because they must be individually signed to only one domain, which means I have to have all my sites in different cPanel accounts, which from what I can tell isn't supported by CS-Cart.
I'm no expert in this, so please correct me on anything I'm wrong about here. I hope I'm wrong. But from what I can tell, if you want to use multiple storefronts in a single CS-Cart admin, and you want all of those sites to have SSL (without customers getting warning pop-ups), then a multi-domain SSL is the only option.
You are correct …
We do multistore / multi-store all the time, each with different domain names. You install CScart once, add the extra store by domain name in the admin, then you add it on as an “add-on” domain (cpanel) or a a custom vhost change / alias (PLESK).
You then add a multi-domain SSL certificate (not necessarily just a Wildcard, which is *.domain.com format, you have to add a multi-domain SSL which is usually going to have to be domain/organization verified in a multi-step and definitely a multi-day time period.
You point the domains to the same IP, which will work once you have the mutli-domain SSL installed.
We'll be launching a new set of stores for a client hopefully soon … so I'll post the urls and configs here when I get the chance.
Wow, thats news to me. Thanks for sharing.
You can use multiple certs in cPanel. You just have to do custom Vhost settigs to support it.
I need to ask.
I propose to use the 2 store SAAS.
Why exactly is a shared SSL not good for ecommerce ?