How to pick e-commerce software?

[LED]

There are a number of e-commerce providers out there and I often see discussions about which is best / worst.

Many offer free trials, sign up incentives and all sorts ... some are 'out the box' and some are bespoke...

What should I look for when picking an e-commerce website provider. :|

 

[mattlast005]

Hi,

I would personally suggest a on demand pay as you go e-commerce solution but even you will find there are many out there to choose from.

I would recommend using a free trial of the software and you will see for yourself what is the easiest to use and talk to some of the customers of these solutions.

Although I am biased I would suggest the first place to go is Tiger Commerce and start your 7 day free trial on the following link http://www.tigercommerce.co.uk/tiger-promo where you'll be able to get a free banner worth £250.

Hope this helps.

 

[quikshop]

What should I look for when picking an e-commerce website provider. :|

As the business owner it should be you compiling a list of features your online retail channel needs and then seeing which Ecommerce service providers offer the best solution for you in terms of functionality and cost.

If you are technically minded then open source is the cheapest way to set up shop. If you prefer to spend your time running your business and not worrying about the technical and hosting side of things, then a hosted Ecommerce solution might be the right fit.

If you have bags of money and the patience of a saint then perhaps a custom built shop would suit your business best

 

[zoezoe]

I would say a number of things

• Does the software do everything you need for your business now
• Does it do everything that you think you might need in 3 or 4 years
• Will you need a developer to design the site or are there templates available?
• Have you looked (and liked) other stores designed on the software
• Is it reliable

And then calculate the total costs. With regards to the second item, it is often tempting to purchase a wuick solutiuon now and worry about the future needs of your business but this is likely to cost a lot more in the long run.

We have craeted *stores* from using simple paypal buttons, roman carts, paypal carts and up to actinic so have tried most different types of solution.

 

[edmondscommerce]

If you want total control then you need to have your own solution. An open source cart is great for that.

A hosted solution is good to get you going but if your ambitions broaden you might find yourself a bit stuck.

 

[kabetz]

There are a number of e-commerce providers out there and I often see discussions about which is best / worst.

Many offer free trials, sign up incentives and all sorts ... some are 'out the box' and some are bespoke...

What should I look for when picking an e-commerce website provider. :|

I'm going to work on the basis here that you have your own server space and that it is linux based with several mysql databases allowed.

As an aside someone on this forum should really write something about this e-commerce mallarky because a lot of new people really want some positive advice.

Anyway. You've got your server.

FORGET ALL THESE: Many offer free trials, sign up incentives and all sorts ... some are 'out the box' and some are bespoke...

Go to the OScommerce homepage and browse through the showcase sites, it may take some time because the majority of the sites are rubbish.

Do the same for Zen Cart and Magento - with the same proviso.

There is no reason why these free Open Source sites should not be good enough for you but by browsing the showcase sites it will prove to you that you can be given the free software, that is very good, but still cock it up because you don't know what you're doing.

I'm not having a go here, I'm saying that these sites are FREE and will work for you but you must work at them. An e-commerce site is not fire and forget.

E-commerce is up at 9 and working on the site till closing time. There's a million people using each of these sites so expect to see several bad reviews. Take the free software and use it. If it doesn't work then there's no law that says you can't delete and start again.

 

[Deleted member 44573]

Nothing will be perfect - go for the one which offers the best support - this is what matters most

 

[Photo]

Nothing will be perfect - go for the one which offers the best support - this is what matters most

Spot on! Eventually you are going to come up with an issue you need support with. Check out the forums of the carts your interested in, you'll find out in a hurry if people are getting support or not.

 

[Deleted member 44573]

I've used x-cart for a few projects - it's got some great features & comes with an active community & paid support options. There are plenty of x-cart freelancers out there too.

 

[jdizon]

I would recommend using a free trial of the software and you will see for yourself what is the easiest to use and talk to some of the customers of these solutions.