Online Shopping Carts have become more dynamic and effective over the years. However, there are some that suffer from poor functionality, compatibility, and effectiveness.
There are sources of information on cart programs, but this will break it down for you so you absolutely choose the right one. Once you install a cart program into your website, it can be complicated and time consuming to switch it later.
If you can allow me to be "basic" here for a minute: A shopping cart program is installed on a secure server to work within your website or connected to your website using a secure link. The online cart will allow customers to choose products that they wish to buy. Once the customer is ready to "Check Out" and buy, the cart then sends the information to your merchant and processor, so the payment can be processed. Having an online Internet cart that is compatible with processors such as Versign or whoever you choose to process your credit card orders is vital.
Things to consider with online shopping carts:
The compatibility
Do you want to offer an affiliate program, so other sites can send traffic to your website and you can pay them a commission? Not every shopping cart can handle that integration. You don't want an online cart installed and "put live", only to realize later that it does not integrate with your favorite affiliate software program.
Online credit card processors must be compatible to your cart software. If you stick with the top companies, this should not be a problem - but you must ask: "Is your cart program compatible with xxxx processor?"
Who are their other customers?
Most established cart software companies will have a list of sample customers. This is very helpful in your decision making for several reasons.
One: you want to see how the cart functions "live". Do you like the look of the screens (you can usually change the colors to suit your site), the speed - although that depends on the server, graphics, scripts and other things that may be slowing the site down, separate from the cart.
Two: Seeing the customer sites that use the online cart can also tell you how successful the cart company is. You want to try to make sure this company has enough clients. It is very important that this company is established, successful and has a track record. This is a major integration and you don't want to have to do this all over again. If the cart program company goes out of business for any reason, you'll have to do the whole thing over!
See a demo
You want to be the customer when viewing an online demo of the cart. You also want to see how easy it is to log in, make changes, add products, download orders and get reports. Never purchase a cart without seeing it live.
Features
Do you get an email when an order is placed? Does the customer get a timely email? Can it be integrated with UPS or other shipping companies? Does it allow for state-by-state sales tax? Make a list of things you would need.
Live support
Most companies have email support and that is good, but "live support", especially in the first 30 or 60 days is very important. Most established shopping cart companies will install the cart software for you and test it. Before or after the installation, website owners will need assistance. Even the most experienced webmasters incur issues and being able to reach someone in those times of need is very helpful. It is a deal maker or breaker for me. I want human beings!
Price
Always a factor, right? Well, don't let it be too big a factor here. Price is more of a concern when it includes monthly fees. Some companies will offer a cheaper sign up, but have monthly charges like a hosting company. I try to avoid these arrangements. I'd rather pay $400 and it's mine, than $100 set up and $25 or $50 a month. It is almost always better to buy the cart outright. I'd also rather pay a little more, knowing some of that money is going towards support staff and upgrades.
Upgrades and enhancements
Are they free? Does the cart license allow you to use it for other domains?
Like I said earlier, the choices have never been broader, but choices can bring confusion. The good part is almost all of the online cart programs have demos that you can play with and you'll know the right one for you. Don't be cheap and make sure you can call someone when you have problems.
Best of luck to you with your online business!
Nick Hunter is a marketing specialist and the President of American Investment Training (AIT). He also writes for runawebbusiness.com - a website dedicated to operating an Internet business.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Nick_Hunter
Online Shopping Carts - Shopping Cart Programs
Benefits of Using Shopping Cart Software
The age of Internet shopping is taking over the world, and even the brick and the trend is even affecting the brick and mortar store with more and more customers wanting to shop on the Internet. In order to stay competitive, a store must not only have a physical location, but it must be willing to have a website from which customers can shop. It's no longer enough to have a website for customers to see what the store sells, but it must offer an online storefront so that shoppers can make purchases from the privacy of their own homes.
In order for a merchant to have a successful online storefront, it's important that he install reliable and easy to use shopping cart software. For those who are new to online shopping and don't understand the purpose of the shopping cart, let us explain a little about the process.
Before the introduction of shopping cart software, an online shopper had to purchase each product he wanted individually unless the merchant had an order form where the shopper could include several items. As eCommerce became more popular, the importance of a better system became pertinent. If eCommerce were going to become the wave of the future, merchants would have to make it quick and easy for customers to place an order. Thus, the eCommerce solution was the development of shopping cart software that allows a shopper to make purchases and place them in a "shopping cart" much as you do at the grocery store and pay for everything when you have finished shopping and are ready to "proceed to checkout."
Shopping cart software has opened an entire new media for the online shopper, and as a result, eCommerce has exploded all over the Internet with the introduction of stores like Amazon.com who do not even have a brick and mortar store. Yes, they have a brick and mortar building, but that is a packaging and shipping facility only, not a store where you can walk in and purchase what you like. Amazon is probably the first store of its type on the Internet, but many more have opened since then. Today, instead of just books and videos, Amazon distributes products for a great deal of retailers including ToysRUs. The technology of the shopping cart software has opened up an entire new era of shopping throughout the world, and at the holidays, it's even bigger as people flock to their keyboards and monitors instead of the malls as they used to do.
How has the trend toward eCommerce shopping affected retailers with a concrete building, especially during peak seasons such as Christmas and Easter? For those who are innovative and determined enough to enter the eCommerce market, the seasons will show a boost in business, but for those who choose to limit their business to walk-in trade, they are likely to see a reduction in the sales volume compared to the previous year's figures. With people's busy schedules and the price of gasoline, online shopping is becoming more attractive to the average shopper, especially with the ease of using shopping cart software and the attractive online storefront websites that are available. Interactive websites draw customers to their products with music, games, animation, and other tools that catch the attention of a potential buyer.
New merchants should certainly not hesitate to add a shopping cart feature from the start unless your business is only one product and no choices such as color or size. For instance, if you are selling a book you wrote, and it's only in one format, then there is no need to have a shopping cart. If, however, you offer the same book in hardcover, paperback, and eBook format, a shopping cart may be a good idea in case a buyer wants to buy more than one copy in different formats. Of course, if you have a multi-product eCommerce site, to operate without a shopping cart is courting disaster. Some of the reasons for adding shopping cart technology to your eCommerce site include:
- It allows a shopper to save his purchases and return later to finish shopping
- A shopper can return to his shopping cart and increase or decrease the number of items he wants to purchase
- A shopper as an opportunity to remove products from his shopping cart without deleting the entire order
- Shopping cart software also allows the buyer to track what products he ordered and allows the seller to include shipping information
The shopping cart software makes it easier for the seller as well because he does not have to keep track of numerous orders, and it allows him to see everything a buyer ordered at one time. In many cases, a shopping cart is also connected to online inventory so that a seller knows if he has enough of the product to fulfill his orders. It also allows him to track what customers have bought and thus know what may interest a customer for the future.
About The Author
Michael Moshkovich is a web developer and internet marketer who has written over 50 articles on SEO, shopping cart software and PPC marketing. To learn more about WebCart visit us at http://www.webcart.net.
