What should I expect from a web host in the way of shopping cart or cart support? Should I buy my own software? How much should I expect to pay a host for this part of the service? Should I get a cart service separate from my host? Thanks for any advice.

Rather than looking for a host with a shopping cart, and being tied to them, you might want to consider getting your own shopping cart. I looked at several programs. Some cost several hundred dollars, some
require a yearly licensing fee, and many require the use of cookies (which can be problematic for some people). There were so many parts requiring configuration to some of them, that I could put together most jigsaw puzzles in less time.

After a fair amount of comparison and trials of a few, I selected uShop, which is what I use for my clients. You might like it too. It lets you use your own HTML pages, and you just insert a Java applet for the products. It also has an optional authorize.net interface if you will be doing real time processing. It can also handle paying online by check.

It is exceptionally easy to set up and has only a few parts that have to be configured. You can find it at URL=http://www.uburst.com/uShop/]http://www.uburst.com/uShop/[/URL] They have another product, uStorekeeper, that stores product information in a database.

The products are reasonably priced, with uShop at $129, plus $100 for the optional authorize.net interface, and uStorekeeper at $249 (including the authorize.net interface).

The instructions are thorough and support is good. Questions posted on their support forum are answered promptly.

One of the adavantages of having your own shopping cart program (whichever you select), is that you can move to another host easily enough if you find the service lacking at the one you choose.
Unfortunately, the odds are high that will happen unless you take the time to select a proper host based on more important considerations than their shopping cart.

The criteria that a hosting company uses in choosing a shopping cart program may not be the same as yours. Some may choose a free program that lacks any support, others may choose an expensive one that might tie you to them. Making your own choice may be the best solution for you.




[This message has been edited by Duster (edited 06-21-2000).]

I read about http://www.opensales.org in a Linux magazine. It is a free, open source e-commerce software wich *seems* very well built.

I don't know what it is really worth though... but it might be worth checking out, especially if it turns out to be good :)

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[Félix C.Courtemanche | Web Designer]
[Head Designer | Co-Admin]
[webmaster@can-host.com]
[Can-Host Networks | http://can-host.com ]

We use 'In the Q', a cart designed for RaQs..We converted it to work with our Alabanza based Linux boxes. It is nice for a template based cart.

Chris Marks
http://www.netfronts.com

I agree with Duster. Once you pick a hosting company with a particular shopping cart, then you are locked into that cart.

Go to http://www.cgi-resources.com for a good listing of shopping carts, and other scripts for that matter.

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Mike Astin
WebAuthorities
sales@webauthorities.com

My company is finishing a commercialized version of a shopping cart that we developed for a customer once. The administrative part is being updated to be able to read data from a standard CSV file saved by programs such as MS Excel. We still have to write documentation for the product. If you would like to see how it works, you can look at http://www.cherishablegifts.com. I would love to get some opinions on its design.

My colleague and friend, Adrian Abraham is responsible for the Perl code that powers the shopping system. He has done a great job following the designs that I sent him. The system is entirely template driven so it is customizable.

Best regards,
Frank Rietta