Shopping cart software
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What is an online shopping cart?
An online, ecommerce, or website shopping cart is software that allows users to select and purchase items and helps vendors display and sell their products and services online. Shopping cart scripts range in price from free to hundreds of dollars, and they offer a wide range of features.
Ecommerce shopping carts are just one element of an ecommerce website. Payment processors, and SSL certificates are commonly used with shopping carts to complete online transactions.
Some web hosts offer support for specific free or commercial shopping carts. Free shopping carts are common, while web hosts with services specifically for ecommerce web hosting are more likely to provide support for commercial shopping carts.
Shopping cart features
The following are some of the features that many shopping cart programs offer. Most offer features beyond the ones listed here.
Website
- Multi-language support
- Ecommerce website templates included
- Customizable checkout pages
Products
- Can indicate which items are recent arrivals or best sellers
- Can assign products to more than one category
- Can hide products
- Can use kilograms or pounds
- Can show how many units are in stock
- Can include a wish list
- Automatic inventory updates after products have been purchased
- Support for downloadable items (scripts, PDF files, etc.)
- Product search by description keyword, color, size, and/or other details
Pricing
- Discounts, coupon codes, and/or gift certificates
- Can support different currencies
- Can list items as "featured" or "on sale"
- Can offer discounts for quantity purchasing
Ordering, payment, and shipping
- Support for common shipping options
- Shipping rate calculation
- Tax calculations based on where the order is shipped to
- Automated emails sent to customers after orders are placed, shipped, or cancelled
- Shipping rate displayed for customers before they go to checkout
Other
- Integration with Quickbooks or other accounting software
- Newsletter signup and sending
How to choose a shopping cart
These steps will help you choose the best online shopping cart for your website and your needs.
Start with what you have
If your web host already supports one or more shopping carts, look at those shopping carts first. They'll probably be easier to install, and chances are that your web host will be able to offer some assistance with them if necessary. In addition, ecommerce web hosts may have bulk pricing for licenses and be able to pass on savings to end users.
List your needs
- Platform: most but not all shopping cart scripts can be used with Linux, Windows, and other platforms. If you already have a web host, look for shopping carts that can be used with the platform that your website is on.
- Number of products: check that the maximum number of products for the software is more than you'll need.
- Integration with payment methods: shopping carts are typically integrated with merchant accounts and other payment systems. Look for shopping cart scripts that integrate with the payment methods you'll be offering.
- Other features: consider the above list of some shopping cart features and decide which features you need and want. Add to the list if necessary when you compare and test-drive shopping carts.
More is not necessarily better. Shopping carts that meet your needs and allow for you to expand your online store probably serve your needs better than shopping carts that offer more features than you need. The latter can be more difficult to install and use, and unneeded features can get in the way.
Decide on a budget
Free is good, but the features that free shopping carts offer will be limited, and support and updates might be limited too. If you find a free online shopping cart that meets your needs, consider your future needs as well and the ease of upgrading to different shopping cart software if necessary.
Read reviews
Reviews can be found at product and review sites and in forums, where members ask for and give opinions on shopping cart software options.
When reading reviews, note what people liked and didn't like about shopping cart software that you're considering. Their concerns may or may not be the same as yours. Note also which points are repeated by different reviewers.
Try out online shopping carts
Shopping cart websites typically have demos that users can try out. Look for the features on your list of needs and wants. Observe how easy it is for you to use those features and do normal tasks.
See also
Web Hosting Wiki article text shared under a Creative Commons License.
