WHEN in ShopSite config process must SSL be ordered?

[VDCUSA]

Hi. I have a VERIO account, and ShopSite Cart software licensing through them.
My question is:
1) To configure and continue with site dev, can I use the shared SSL license VERIO provides, and then do global search and replace on that link when ready to "turn on" my separately purchased SSL?
-OR-
2) do I have to order the SSL now, and configure ShopSite with that SSL established with my https://secure server setup [at Verio account]?

Critical decision for me as I would prefer not to have that cost hit budget until a lot more of actual site development is complete.

I am building site ASP, using Dreamweaver, and at the fabulous mapping all of site setup (server side) stage...so many questions on that with ShopSite- i.e., would prefer to dynamically serve pages, not use ShopSite template (out of box) setup, custom name ShopSite directories (so my URL/address string does not contain the software name) etc.

am I stuck with the shopsite directory naming structure? Can I establish sub domains (https://store.mysite.com) and use shopsite?

experienced site developer, newbie to ShopSite. Frustrated by template system- how exactly to reverse engineer everything.

any and all help appreciated- thank you!

[loren_d_c]

You can use Verio's shared SSL URLs as long as you like. If/when you purchase your own SSL certificate and install it on your server, you can change the secure URLs that ShopSite uses in 'SSL Security Settings' section of the Preferences -> Hosting Service menu to use the domain in your own certificate instead of Verio's. Of course any secure URLs that you may have hard-coded in your own custom HTML you will have to locate and change yourself.

-Loren

[VDCUSA]

Ok- cool. That's what I thought, but am never certain when I read ShopSite documentation. I am "reverse" engineering and not wanting to set up entirely in the ShopSite back office structure. Plan to do a lot of customization at site server and page level (and not serving html pages).

Having said all that- THANK YOU! for a fast reply and help, and helping me communicate to management exactly when I am spending money.
Cheers- thanks a lot!
)