Archive for shopping cart
Free Ecommerce Solutions
Posted by: | CommentsThe internet is a very valuable business platform. Every business needs to have an internet presence so that they can stay ahead of the competition. If your business offers good or services which may be marketed on the internet then you will need to set up an ecommerce website. An ecommerce website is simply another name for an online store front.
Ecommerce
Building an ecommerce website from scratch can be quite difficult and expensive. The shopping cart and payment modules are very difficult to implement. This type of software is very flexible as it’s possible to make the ecommerce website behave exactly as required. However, coding your own website from the bottom up will be very time consuming and could also be expensive if you outsource the development.
Ecommerce Systems
Instead of building a website yourself, it is possible to use a pre-made ecommerce system. Ecommerce software packages include all of the modules that you need and can easily be integrated into your website.
There are many different ecommerce packages available. Some of them are quite expensive and can be difficult to customise.
Freeware Ecommerce Systems
There are also freeware, open source ecommerce packages which are available. One of the most popular is OSCommerce. There are also other examples of open source ecommerce packages including CREreloaded and ZenCart, both of which are based on oscommerce.
Magento and Joomla also have their own ecommerce modules which makes it possible to use them as online stores.
Installing OsCommerce
OsCommerce is very easy to install. The easiest way is to install it through Fantastico which can be found in the cPanel hosting control panel. Other hosts will also have their own automated installers for ecommerce software.
If this isn’t possible then it’s also an option to download the installation files from the internet. These files will need to be unzipped to a folder on your computer. Then using an FTP client the files can be uploaded. It’s then simply a matter of following the installation instructions in your browser.
Setting up OsCommerce
Once OsComerce is installed on your web hosting account, you then need to customize the software. It’s possible to use template systems such as the Simple Template System to adjust colors, buttons, and background images.
There are a number of different add ons which can be installed to your Oscommerce installation. These will add extra features and customizations.
Security
If you are running an ecommerce website then you will need to collect sensitive information from your customers. To give them confidence in your site it is important that you use SSL security certificates. This will ensure that all the information is encrypted so that the data is not at risk.
Promotion
Ecommerce sites are very popular because they provide a convenient way to buy anything. This means that if your business is run properly then it can make a lot of money. However, with so much competition you will need to work hard to promote your business properly.
Why Hosting Companies are No Longer Offering eCommerce Hosting Plans
Posted by: | CommentsAlthough hosting types like VPS and dedicated hosting are amongst the most commonly used by online businesses, many online storefront owners have utilized eCommerce hosting in the past because it provided features that were specifically designed for online retail business. For example, eCommerce hosting plans often advertised the inclusion of shopping cart and payment processing utilities that made it easier for your customers to place orders, and gave you the ability to accept a wide range of payment types for greater profits.
If you’ve recently been shopping around online for an eCommerce hosting solution, then you’ve probably noticed that virtually all hosting providers have stopped offering what are known as ‘eCommerce’ hosting plans, and instead are now providing ‘business class’ plans instead. This industry change has come as a surprise to some, and has caused confusion in others. The following information attempts to explain why hosting companies are no longer offering eCommerce hosting plans, and what is replacing eCommerce hosting.
Marketing Mindset
In actuality eCommerce hosting plans, as they were called, were actually geared towards novice webmasters that needed an all-in-one solution for their online storefront aspirations. However,as major booms in the hosting market have declined slightly, and hosting companies have amassed a more steady and experienced client base, many people have stop purchasing eCommerce hosting plans. In essence, all of the features offered with eCommerce hosting plans can also now be found in business class, VPS and dedicated hosting plans. These features include shopping carts, payment processing capabilities, SSL certificates and store builders, all of which are being offered with conventional premium hosting plans. In fact, there is no discernible difference between eCommerce hosting plans and business class plans.
Concept of Competition
One of the reasons why few are offering eCommerce hosting plans anymore is because of the concept of competition. When one hosting provider makes a change to their marketing and sales material, it is not uncommon to see all of the other major players in the industry follow suite. This is because hosting companies have to maintain certain similarities in order to compete. The term eCommerce is not as appealing to some as the term ‘business class’, hence the change. Likewise, when a company changes their prices, their competitor must also change their pricing in order to compete on an even level. It is not clear which company decided to eliminate eCommerce hosting plans first, but it is evident that the change was initiated by one pioneering hosting provider at the top of the chain, which inspired the competition to do the same.
The New eCommerce Hosting
Since web hosting providers realize that the majority of webmasters are actually engaging in eCommerce, it became counter-intuitive to market eCommerce plans, which appeared as gimmicks to the trained eye. As more people began to notice the benefits of dedicated and VPS hosting, it became obvious that eCommerce hosting was simply a hyped up version of shared hosting with a few added features. Now, since eCommerce hosting plans are no longer being marketed by the major companies, business owners are turning to more powerful solutions like cloud VPS and dedicated hosting.
ShopSite Pro Shopping Cart Review
Posted by: | CommentsRegardless of your level of expertise as a webmaster, you need a competent and powerful shopping cart solution for your online storefront. Although most shopping carts provide the basic features needed, there is a considerable difference between each product. One software that is gaining a lot of notoriety in the industry recently is ShopSite Pro, which is a robust shopping cart solution that includes a wealth of features that are both unique and useful. The following review outlines some f the the most attractive features and aspects of ShopSite Pro.
Design Features
ShopSite Pro is one of the few browser based shopping cart solutions that does not require you to download or install anything. Surprisingly, even though the software is not installed on the web server, it gives you extensive control over the design of the checkout process. No HTML or coding skills are needed to operate the user-friendly administrative interface that includes a tool bar complete with customizable images, fonts, colors and other design attributes. The software also automatically generates reports that give you a good idea of your progress based on sales statistics that are gathered during the checkout process. Perhaps the most attractive design aspects of ShopSite Pro are its categorization benefits, which let you easily organize your product catalog without extensive experience or internet skills.
Administrative Control Features
One of the most notable features in the administrative panel is the power edit feature, which lets you edit multiple products simultaneously using a variety of criteria. This feature is especially useful when managing large amounts of inventory. The admin panel gives you easy access to preferences like shipping options, checkout procedures, merchant processing setups, and inventory display options. Although ShopSite Pro lacks extensive control of back orders and partial shipments, it is easily one of the most robust shopping cart solutions available. As a web site administrator it is important that you ave access to all of the tools needed t keep your store operating smoothly and to maximize your sales for greater profits. ShopSite Pro gives you supreme control over all administrative functions to ensure the steady growth of your business.
Marketing and Security Features
ShopSite pro is perhaps the best option when it comes to marketing because it gives you the ability to maximize your profits through up-selling and cross-selling automatically during the customer’s checkout experience. The program also allows for affiliate program integration and setup, the generation of comprehensive sales reports, and the ability to send a bulk promotional newsletters to your customers for increased conversions. One of the new features in ShopSite Pro lets you integrate your eCommerce site with social networks for maximized profits. Using ShopSite pro you can attract customers from networks like Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. The program also incorporates the usage of SSL as well, which will give you the security needed to continue operating your online storefront without worries or risks associated with insecure web pages. If you need a secure and competent solution for your online storefront then you may want to consider the seemingly endless benefits that ShopSite Pro has to offer.
Review of Volusion – Professional eCommerce Shopping Cart Solution
Posted by: | CommentsVolusion is a company that has been developing revolutionary eCommerce technology and solutions since their inception in 1999. Over time Volusion has managed to amass a customer base of more than one hundred thousand, which consists of small business owners and corporations alike. In fact, in 2009 alone, the amount of online transactions that were conducted using the Volusion shopping cart exceeded $2 billion!
After releasing several successful versions of their shopping cart solution, Volusion now has more than 150 employees stationed in Austin, Texas and Simi Valley, California. The following review outlines some of the key features that have made Volusion so popular during the past few years.
Customer Features
Volusion is an all-in-one shopping cart solution that provides a comprehensive payment processing solution for virtually any online business. Volusion lets your customers zoom in on products that are of interest to them by automatically generating dynamic thumbnails. It also lets you create multi-tier pricing for certain site visitors such as members of a discount club.
As a merchant that utilizes Volusion you can offer your customers coupon codes that can be used at checkout, and they can even leave product reviews about your items. You can also categorize your items into various groups that simplify your site visitor’s navigation and shopping experience. All product description fields are completely customizable, and your customers are given the option to view a ‘view all’ screen that displays all of the items currently in the shopping cart.
Administrative Features
The administrative panel of Volusion is perhaps its greatest strength, giving you complete control over the checkout process that your customers experience. One feature that is particularly interesting is the ‘Return on Investment’ (ROI) feature that lets you monitor your profits in real time. You can also print documents, shipping labels and receipts from directly within the administrative panel.
Volusion also automatically generates confirmation emails that are then sent to your customers whenever a purchase is made. Having automated confirmation emails sent to your customers is a huge time saver and is incredibly convenient for the busy online business owner.
Support
Volusion also provides robust support solutions through their user-friendly web site, amongst which are the ‘Build my Store’, ‘Manage My Store’, and ‘Expand My Store’ services. Aside from these innovative and unique services, Volusion also provides 24 hour support via instant chat, or email support tickets. If you’re the ‘Do-It-Yourself’ type then you may prefer the extensive library of support documentation provided in the site’ support section, which includes helpful videos and informative articles.
If you’re not confident in Volusion’s ability to provide excellent support, or you’re just curious as to how the software looks and feels, you can take advantage of their free 14 day trial which gives you full access to the software for a full two weeks, completely risk-free.
Effective E-Commerce Ideas
Posted by: | CommentsThe e-commerce industry is constantly changing. In order to remain competitive it is important to be cognizant of the new ideas in this ever-changing business. Companies are inventing innovative ideas to attract new customers, retain the old and advertise their products via internet like never before. The following are five innovative ideas for the e-commerce world:
- Restructure your shopping cart
- Test location of stress-relieving content
- Utilize Clickstream tool
- Add a handwritten note to items
- Offer a prize for new subscribers
One new idea is to streamline your shopping cart to make the checkout process less time-consuming for the customer. For each additional page the consumer must load to complete the checkout process is another chance for them to change their mind. Instead, combine pages and eliminate redundant steps.
Another excellent initiative is to test stress-relieving content at locations on different web pages. This content includes points of satisfaction, security icons and the return policy. It is beneficial to separate sensitive content from pages that feature transactions. This content will help visitors and users feel much more safe and comfortable with ordering a product from your site.
The Clickstraem tool identifies which sites users originate from and where they go after. It also allows you to view where your visitors come from and go after leaving your store. This is an excellent tool to learn more about the type of individual visiting your website.
Taking a step back from technology by adding handwritten thank you notes to the packing slip in your shipment adds a personalized touch. Try to add the customer’s first name to the letter. This takes little effort and really helps your customer feel appreciated and improves their feelings about the company.
Finally, by offering a raffle for a prize to new subscribers of your email letter will greatly improve signups. Since it is simple to signup for a newsletter, customers are willing to do this in exchange for the chance to win a prize.
E-commerce methods of attracting and retaining customers are constantly evolving. With new methods being created by competitors at all times, it is in your best interest to remain ahead of the curve and keep the attention of the customer. This can be done with something as simple as a handwritten note sent with shipped items or by making the customer checkout process easier with a streamlined shopping cart.
Ecommerce Site Building Checklist
Posted by: | CommentsBuilding an eCommerce web site involves many aspects, most of which are overlooked by the novice webmaster. Building a checklist before you build a web site can help you create a site that is enjoyable for your visitors, and profitable for your business. Gradually understanding the construction of a successful eCommerce site is the best way to educate yourself on the most important aspects of eCommerce and customer satisfaction. The following checklist can help you avoid some of the many trivial mistakes that novice webmasters often make when trying to build an eCommerce site. Simply ask yourself the following questions, and if the answer is no to any of them, then you still have some work to do.
Does My Site Look Professional?
Before you begin uploading item descriptions and pictures, or trying to source suppliers for your massive catalog of products, you’ll first need to make sure that your site looks professional. The two biggest factors that online shoppers consider are convenience and trustworthiness. If your site does not appear to be professional, most of your potential customers will leave before ever viewing your products or their prices.
Does My Site Have a Good Shopping Cart?
The shopping cart is literally the focal point of the shopping experience, primarily because it is the main interface that customers will use to checkout. If the shopping cart has glitches or is outdated and inconvenient, most of your prospective customers will become frustrated and look for another site. Thus, before proceeding with the construction of your eCommerce site it is absolutely necessary to “test drive” your shopping cart to view your site form the perspective of a site visitor.
Is My Site Secure?
Security falls under the second aforementioned important aspect of eCommerce – trustworthiness. If your site is not secured you’ll have a hard time closing any sales online. Regular internet shoppers have been educated to look for sites that begin with HTTPS before providing any credit card details, so it will be fairly difficult to have a successful online business without an SSL certificate. Fortunately, most eCommerce hosting plans come with SSL certificates.
Does My Site Have Convenient Navigation?
If it is difficult to navigate your site and find a particular product then it will be nearly impossible to have a high sales volume. Most people shop online because they are looking for a good price on a particular item. If your site does not have a properly organized product catalog and a good on site search engine, then finding the right product will be inconvenient for your customers.
Can I Accept All Major Payments?
The concept is simple – the more payment methods you can accept, the more potential customers you have. Only accepting credit cards can greatly limit your sales volume, especially in modern times as online payment processors are becoming increasingly popular. It is important to ensure that your site can accept money orders, credit cards, debit cards, and payments through online payment processors like PayPal, MoneyBookers, and AlertPay.