EKM Powershop vs 123-REG

[dave1928]

Hi
Im already using 123-reg which i have found fine, but now i want to start another website but its a little restricted on some parts. EKM looks like is more flexible.

What are peoples opinions of these 2 packages and is EKM better?

Im also thinking how good the SEO features of these packages are.

Thanks

 

[kaysingh]

To be honest the off the shelf solutions are not aways good enough in projecting your brand and business as a whole. These solutions are always template based and limit you with what you can do.

 

[quikshop]

To be honest the off the shelf solutions are not aways good enough in projecting your brand and business as a whole. These solutions are always template based and limit you with what you can do.

Try telling that to the shop owners who have collectively processed over £115,000 worth of orders since the start of November on our hosted Ecommerce service

 

[Island Computer Repairs]

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Stores I have done already with cubecart are:

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www.wightcanvas.co.uk

Hope this helps

Chris

 

[kaysingh]

With a bespoke system I'm sure these shop owners would be able to double that figure.

Only talking from experience...

http://www.carrierbagshop.com

http://www.thelightbulbshop.com

 

[International Business]

try fortune3.com they are good and cheap. thanks

 

[quikshop]

With a bespoke system I'm sure these shop owners would be able to double that figure.

Maybe even treble their turnover if they skate to work on rollerblades

 

[RJH Enterprises]

As others have said I would move towards a standard hosting package with a dedicated IP and SSL certificate then use open source eccomerce software for your store.

Which software should you use? Up to you, personally my favourites are magento and oscommerce.

Cheers
Rob

 

[Marlene]

Hi,

I wouldn't go with EKM, as I have a shop with them for a year now, they do not have powerfull resources and blame everyone around when trouble arises (customer cannot get past checkout - customer's fault, customer cannot pay - payment gateway fault). Basically the main problem is that their system is not compatible with Mozilla / Firefox or any other browser using cookies - I have lost many many sales / money because of it, so you better stay away from EKM

www ukbusinessforums co uk/forums/showthread.php?t=85722

 

[Flying Hippy]

I have been using ekm for 7 months. I find the system ok. But have noticed a few people say orders are dropped I think this is a paypal issue.

I have been recommended to use protx and am looking into this as is meant to go well together.

Dropped orders can also happen at the cart when they see delivery cost your charging as small shops cant afford the same postage as i.e play or amazon

Ekm back end could be better I think they are making improvements but seems to be slow. For the price it seems reasonable.

Tried os commerce before but support is rubbish unless you pay the money which cost more than ekm if something goes wrong.

 

[gibby]

we 123 reg for domains & they are really good at that.
We did look at the e shop package but not something i would use

we use cubecart and have been through few others, many of them much more expensive and not worth the money

for hosting there are many good firms, we use www.pcs-net.com and they have always been very good with us,
For a small operation they are very cheap and very helpful

If you spend a little time cubecart will do almost anything you want.

I would avoid getting something designed as a one off by a developer as if they go out of business you can be left hanging and others wont touch it

Im just about to go into business with someone who has spent alot of money on 2 sites and both are worthless but cost 5 k each

there are some reall good web developers out there too
G

 

[movietub]

Try telling that to the shop owners who have collectively processed over £115,000 worth of orders since the start of November on our hosted Ecommerce service

I use EKM and manage almost as much in that sort of period. However we are now moving to something much more advanced and expect to more than double turnover within 6 months.

Not sure about quikshop (maybe the name is a clue...?)but EKM are extremely limiting. A good place to start out maybe but if you are considering an upgrade or second project then there are far better hosted solutions. Some which will allow complete and uninhibited design control. I'm with Pearlcart who so far have not refused any of my highly individual requests for something special! I'm writing the CSS from scratch too. It's all completely open source and you can develop it as much as you want. For example we are writing a bespoke search widget which they will incorporate once we are finished. With EKM customisation starts and finishes with tweaking the odd bit of HTML - until you tweak to much and knacker the template you started with for all time...

If you want a list of why EKM or any of their clones will hold you back just ask

 

[ArmitageShanks]

We were with 123-reg and they were awful; support, adaptability....woeful.

Been with salepack since June, and although £100-£200/month I would say without a shadow of a doubt it's worth it.

 

[quikshop]

If you want a list of why EKM or any of their clones will hold you back just ask

Not wanting to fly a flag for EKM but it sounds like you have done well using their service and are now ready to move onto a more advanced and adaptive custom Ecommerce solution... if you have benefited from a hosted service why criticise it just because your business has outgrown it?

Surely its horses for courses, if you already turn over 1 million plus a year then an entry level hosted Ecommerce solution which EKM and our own Ecommerce service are might be a false economy, but for new or smaller businesses they are ideal.

At the top end of the market you can pay £5000 a month for a hosted service with inclusive fulfillment and call centre, one step away from completely outsourcing your Ecommerce services.

If you are after an effective sales channel for your business then there are hosted solutions out there that can meet any requirement.

 

[movietub]

Not wanting to fly a flag for EKM but it sounds like you have done well using their service and are now ready to move onto a more advanced and adaptive custom Ecommerce solution... if you have benefited from a hosted service why criticise it just because your business has outgrown it?

Surely its horses for courses, if you already turn over 1 million plus a year then an entry level hosted Ecommerce solution which EKM and our own Ecommerce service are might be a false economy, but for new or smaller businesses they are ideal.

At the top end of the market you can pay £5000 a month for a hosted service with inclusive fulfillment and call centre, one step away from completely outsourcing your Ecommerce services.

If you are after an effective sales channel for your business then there are hosted solutions out there that can meet any requirement.

Well surely that was my point?

As I said - EKM was a good starting point, now they 'hold me back'.

Thats not a negative critcism, just an accurate one based upon my experience.

The OP stated this was a second project, so inline with your point above I suggested now was a good time to look into more comprehensive solutions.

EKM is certainly one of the best starting points and I reccomend them on these forums quite often to newbies. In fact if it were not for EKM's glaringly simple interface and low costs I would possibly never have started an online shop!

 

[quikshop]

The OP stated this was a second project, so inline with your point above I suggested now was a good time to look into more comprehensive solutions.

I agree with that, nothing wrong with offering the OP alternatives and especially ones based on your own experiences, but managed solutions do not 'hold back' new projects which was your original point, and as you've proven yourself the reality is quite the opposite.

 

I agree with that, nothing wrong with offering the OP alternatives and especially ones based on your own experiences, but managed solutions do not 'hold back' new projects which was your original point, and as you've proven yourself the reality is quite the opposite.

I would agree with that, a managed solution - incidentally via Quikshops service Internet Retailer certainly doesn't hold me back from achieving what I want with the business, in fact its a very flexible service. I am aware from friends who went down the EKM route initially that they found that particular package quite limiting and it didn't grow with their needs. Having looked at their back office functionality I have to say personally I didn't like it and couldn't get on with at all, yes its essentially quite basic, but for me it didn't have anything like as logical a system as the one I'm using.

The advantages of a managed system is that it allows me to get on with my business and not worry about the techie aspects, not that I'm a technophobe - quite the opposite in fact. but I dont want to manage some of the aspects that I would have to if it was an entirely bespoke solution, instead I prefer to have a bespoke, managed option

 

[movietub]

I agree with that, nothing wrong with offering the OP alternatives and especially ones based on your own experiences, but managed solutions do not 'hold back' new projects which was your original point, and as you've proven yourself the reality is quite the opposite.

But that in no way applies to what the OP was asking...

This is not an entirely new venture, they have already used 123 reg and EKM is no less restrictive. If EKM was suitable for the new venture then equally so would 123 reg be. Both fantastically easy but as such both are feature light.

They have started, and now wnat to push things further. Clearly no one who has an online shop already but wants to find a more powerful hosting solution would benefit from EKM. EKM are entry level, everything about their service and website is geared up for new comers to e-commerce.

So my advice was specific to the OP's situation, not a criticism of EKM. I'm not sure why you would think I would be commenting about anything other then the OP's situation!

 

Perhaps the OP could give a bit more info about their current online business with 123 reg and what features they are looking for that can't be achieved with that? Just because this is website number 2, it doesn't mean that there still wouldn't be hosted solutions that would be appropriate to the situation.

It also depends on how technically minded/competent the OP is, working with a custom solution, or going it alone with Open Source software isn't everyones cup of tea, and unless you know what you're doing and are capable of creating a secure site then its probably not an advisable thing for online retail. Afterall would you want to put your card details into a site that had been created by someone who didn't know how to protect those details from hackers?

The advantages of hosted solutions is that there are a great deal of aspects taken care of for you, and the variety of hosted solutions is vast, there are some extremely capable systems out there.

On a direct 123 reg v EKM, I would say that neither is the ideal option, and both are limiting, although in slightly different ways, but whilst EKM is in the ballpark cost wise as solutions such as Open Minded Commerce/Internet Retailer etc its not as flexible or sophisticated as the offering from these guys, plus you're talking a different level of customer service. EKM, unfortunately manned by a whole host of sales people in their customer services department v someone like Internet Retailer who are staffed by people who run/have run online businesses and use the software themselves - giving genuine help and advice, which for me is a case of no contest regarding the service, help & advice I get for the money I pay.

Without more info as to what capabilities are required, what type of businesses we're talking about and what the confidence and skill level is of the OP, we can't really offer a genuinely befitting answer.

 

[dave1928]

123-REG is more restricted than the likes of EKM due to a few things. 123 reg has very limited payment options which suits my current shop but not the new pet shop as i what to eventually use protx where 123 reg does not have that.
ANother and more important problem with 123 reg is that you cannot insert and move around banners or pictures hardly at all, where as EKM is fully adjustable as far as know.

Ive used 123 reg for my current business and its fine for now.....For my new pet shop i want to start with something more flexable which from what i can see, EKM has lots more on offer.

Im also looking at tigerecommerce which i like the look of a lot so trying to decided between them two now.

Going for a full custom build might be better long term but im not prepared to invest so much money to start with when there are these very good basic packages which get you a website up and runnign for very little cost.

 

[Red Eye Media]

What are your requirements? We may be able to help.

 

[AntonyChesworth]

you're talking a different level of customer service. EKM, unfortunately manned by a whole host of sales people in their customer services department v someone like Internet Retailer who are staffed by people who run/have run online businesses and use the software themselves

Well being the person who employs the customer service department here at ekmPowershop I can confirm that no sales people work in our support department.

We are also very keen to ensure we do not run any online shops ourselves nor do any of our staff as it would be a big conflict in interests. We have had alot of customers move over to us from other web designers, ecommerce companies who did run their own shops as there was always that fear that their ideas could be stolen and im afraid to report in some cases it happened.

I think it is good to have your ecommerce provider concentrating on providing you a good service rather than doing it as a side line to their own online shops.

 

[mattlast005]

EKM is fairly limited but from what I have heard about 123 Reg EKM is far superior than 123 Reg in comparison. As you have noticed people have found success and failures with many different providors and flexibility will naturally vary from system to system. But bad customer service is never exceptable and based upon what someone said earlier in the thread that is what people have been getting from EKM. If you want to have a look at a comparison of several e-commerce providors view this link http://www.tigercommerce.co.uk/ecommerce-software-comparison.

I hope this helps.

 

[dave1928]

Thanks Mattlast005

Ive actually found tiger commerce few weeks back and they are my fav at the moment in front of EKM. The only thing that makes me think twice is ive heard a lot about ekm, that there good on SEO. Not saying tiger commerce isnt any good, they might even be better?

Ive had a go of the free trail for tiger commerce and was very impressed. The SEO packages seem very exspensive on fisrt viewing though.

Thanks for the comments

 

[AntonyChesworth]

EKM is fairly limited but from what I have heard about 123 Reg EKM is far superior than 123 Reg in comparison. As you have noticed people have found success and failures with many different providors and flexibility will naturally vary from system to system. But bad customer service is never exceptable and based upon what someone said earlier in the thread that is what people have been getting from EKM.

I would be careful about reading too much into what is said on forums like this as alot of the people on here are not independent and have a hidden agenda.

That's generally why we have stayed away on here as alot of the people posting negative comments about us are actually competitors pretending to be the general public.

 

[mattlast005]

To Dave,

Thanks and I'm pleased you're looking into the SEO side of things also. So many businesses lose out on this with their online business. For any online business to be a great success you need a trusted and reliable platform, a good online marketing strategy and to work with a company that give great support continuously.

I don't know what EKM and 123 Reg are like in terms of basic SEO. But I just typed EKM into Google and found an interesting thread from another forum about them??? But with any company you deal with get them to give at least 5 examples of SEO that they have done and ring at least 5 of their customers. This is the only way you can truly find out how good they are.

I hope this helps.

 

[Ali-v-8]

123-REG is more restricted than the likes of EKM due to a few things. 123 reg has very limited payment options which suits my current shop but not the new pet shop as i what to eventually use protx where 123 reg does not have that.
ANother and more important problem with 123 reg is that you cannot insert and move around banners or pictures hardly at all, where as EKM is fully adjustable as far as know.

Ive used 123 reg for my current business and its fine for now.....For my new pet shop i want to start with something more flexable which from what i can see, EKM has lots more on offer.

Im also looking at tigerecommerce which i like the look of a lot so trying to decided between them two now.

Going for a full custom build might be better long term but im not prepared to invest so much money to start with when there are these very good basic packages which get you a website up and runnign for very little cost.

If you want off the shelf then choose EKM powershop.
Most important factor is marketing he products you sell and EKM help a lot.

If you can afford a bespoke website (around £3k+) then that is the best option. Code is open to tinker with and improve the positions.

 

[silvermusic]

Having been a customer of EKM's for nearly two years with one site I have no problems in recommending them. Only ever needed to phone support once for a minor problem with a new email setup, other than that it works fine for me. I do read ekm's forum every once in a while and have come to the conclusion a lot of problems are from people tinkering with aspects they know nothing about and ending up in a mess that they blame everyone but themselves for.

For what it's worth I am of the opinion they should raise their price for a basic shop to stop a lot of time wasters that want personal dedicated support 24/7. i.e expecting something for nothing, but I guess EKM know their business model far better than I do.

For what it offers at £20 a month it's a steal, I just get the feeling some people expect too much for less than a quid a day. It works for me and works well.

 

[Ali-v-8]

Having been a customer of EKM's for nearly two years with one site I have no problems in recommending them. Only ever needed to phone support once for a minor problem with a new email setup, other than that it works fine for me. I do read ekm's forum every once in a while and have come to the conclusion a lot of problems are from people tinkering with aspects they know nothing about and ending up in a mess that they blame everyone but themselves for.

For what it's worth I am of the opinion they should raise their price for a basic shop to stop a lot of time wasters that want personal dedicated support 24/7. i.e expecting something for nothing, but I guess EKM know their business model far better than I do.

For what it offers at £20 a month it's a steal, I just get the feeling some people expect too much for less than a quid a day. It works for me and works well.

If you are looking to test the water then this is the best bet,

 

[iboxsecurity]

EKM powershop have proved to be nothing but trouble for many of my customers having moved many from EKM over to our setup and have a site designed by us with a free ecommerce package and custom template designed for them.

EKM do try and pass the buck a lot and we have had some terrible experience trying to get images and source code off of them.

Dave if you are still looking into solutions try oscommerce or Magento if you are serious about ecommerce without going into a fully bespoke solution.

PM me if you wish to discuss more indepth.

 

[silvermusic]

If you are looking to test the water then this is the best bet,

Depends on what you want I guess, for me on the site I have with them it offers me more than enough features and will do for the foreseeable future, on top of that I've had no problems with reliability either.

 

[silvermusic]

EKM powershop have proved to be nothing but trouble for many of my customers having moved many from EKM over to our setup and have a site designed by us with a free ecommerce package and custom template designed for them.

I'm not here to stick up for ekm, They're more than capable of doing that themselves. But, as I mentioned earlier a lot of the so called problems are from people tinkering with code they don't understand, I've seen it time and time again on their forums. If these customers are so smart why do they not have local backups of code and images, I do, hardly brain surgury is it?

If you have the expertise, you can customise it no end, I did mine from scratch and am pleased with it. However if you're clueless about HTML and are not capable of understanding thier tags system there's loads of templates available.

 

[AntonyChesworth]

But with any company you deal with get them to give at least 5 examples of SEO that they have done and ring at least 5 of their customers. This is the only way you can truly find out how good they are.

I totally agree with this, for any ecommerce solution i would recommend that you both speak to the company and ask for some examples of high performing sites and I would also recommened speaking to their customers who are using their service to see what they think.

 

[quikshop]

I totally agree with this, for any ecommerce solution i would recommend that you both speak to the company and ask for some examples of high performing sites and I would also recommened speaking to their customers who are using their service to see what they think.

I couldn't agree more, the only way to find out about whether any sort of Internet service company is right for you is to talk to existing customers, view/check their portfolio and ask for examples of claims made on their websites such as good natural seo.

Doing the groundwork first especially when you are looking at a long term business relationship with a hosted Ecommerce service is essential.

 

[emerchant]

Well being the person who employs the customer service department here at ekmPowershop I can confirm that no sales people work in our support department.

No but you do seem to have plenty of sales people over there at your place (ekmpowershop)

 

[AntonyChesworth]

No but you do seem to have plenty of sales people over there at your place

Yeah we have a strong sales team as you note on your website.

 

[sockpuppet]

Yeah we have a strong sales team as you note on your website.

A little bit arrogant Anthony, don't forget you were a small company once like many here, its hard enough work anyways but with people calling your customers and lying about you...

 

[new2bus]

To be honest the off the shelf solutions are not aways good enough in projecting your brand and business as a whole. These solutions are always template based and limit you with what you can do.

Go for a cart that is not off the shelf then pay someone to design it for you, there are designers on this forum that will not be near £3,000 to give you a really impressive site that will knock the socks of a standard template layout one from an off the shelf company, without the problems of being tied into anything.

I personally use and recommend Zen Cart, but their are others that have mods to do a lot more than some of the off the shelf sites offer, but you would need to have a design done to knock the Zen Cart look from it.

I would recommend sending a PM to a few designers on here and see what they offer in the way of design, because in the long run you will find your money better spent.

 

[AntonyChesworth]

A little bit arrogant Anthony, don't forget you were a small company once like many here, its hard enough work anyways but with people calling your customers and lying about you...

There was certainly no arrogance intended, think you may have read my post wrongly.

 

[alphanumeric]

i am independant and for me EKM = big pile of no.

maybe just me but they seem to just make things very difficult, template system is very basic, ok for some one who knows nothing, but as soon as you want to do somthing more complex it becomes very frustraing.

Seemingly no way to have a custom css files or js, it all has to be within the pages.
No easy way to upload template images.
As default everything seems to use tables, and not div's.

If you want to test the water then fine, but chances are if your still about in 12 months you will be out growing the system.

improve the template system
add ftp
or online filemanger with image upload (not some crappy fck editor thing)
better modification of the checkout
and update you code to use divs and ul/li and not tables

and the whole system will be a 100 times better