Saturday, August 9th, 2008
When shopping around online for a shopping cart system there’s a few things to be aware of
You’ve probably notice that there are a number of “shop in a box” providers. They package the product very well, and make it seem very simple - they may also fool you on price. Some will be looking to make their money on the upgrades, or an added extra for security. They may not offer any on-going support, or make it a condition that you need to use their hosting services
Then there’s additional cots in feature upgrades, advice, gateway fees and the software purchase can end up costing you more than you bargained for.
Whilst they make out how simple these software programs are to set-up, they can actually be quite difficult for the average user.
Most people are well aware that starting a shopping cart from scratch can prove to be a very expensive exercise. There are a number of websites that offer an ecommerce solution, with companies specialising in shopping cart software development.
Most companies will only provide you with a basic version, not a total solution to online selling. The system maybe very functional but lack in design - or it comes with a standard template that does not match the image of your business
You will find that many “shopping cart providers” are hosting companies that “resell” ecommerce software, and do not have any follow-up or support service.
We’ve helped many clients with a total solution for their online shopping carts. We’ll supply a software system that is a stand-alone package - so you can have it hosted on your website and not have to pay ongoing monthly fees
You can manage every aspect of your website information as well as all product, shipping, payment and checkout information through the one web based admin panel.
Your shopping cart contains a custom page creator that allows users to add unlimited custom information pages.
Our shopping cart software enables customers to add, edit and delete products (from the shopping cart) from every page. Your customers can keep shopping and adding products without moving away from their current shopping page.
Posted in Web Site Development | No Comments »
Sunday, August 3rd, 2008
If you’ve got more than a handful of products that you want to sell on your website, then most likely you’ll need a shopping cart. We’ve helped many clients build a simple shopping cart - contact us now for details
A shopping cart is just a fancy term for a software application that allows your customers to search the range of products in your online store, add a selected product to their shopping basket, and place the order, whilst making a payment.
The customer then waits for the goods to be delivered, and everybody is happy.
Simply, a shopping cart software program normally includes:
· The website that displays the goods, just like a traditional high street shop – and since there are no salespeople to help the customers, the website also displays additional information to store visitors (e.g. product detail pages, search pages, checkout pages, etc.)
· There’s a backend database that stores information such as product details, customer data, order information, etc.
· And an administration area that allows you, the store administrator, to manage your store. For example, this is where you add products, set up shipping & payment options, process orders, etc.
Your shopping cart should be easy for the customer to navigate, and present the product information that’s both useful and graphically pleasing.
You should include a search feature, so that your customers can quickly locate a specific product. The more search options available, the better (e.g. price, part number, description, etc.)
An area for the customer to login, so existing customers can change their account information, view previous orders, etc. There should also be a way for customers to retrieve a lost password.
Special pages where customers can easily find products that are on sale, featured products, products that belong to the same brand, etc.
We’ve helped many clients build a simple shopping cart - contact us now for details
Posted in Online Shopping Carts | No Comments »
Saturday, August 2nd, 2008
This feature first appeared in Inside Retailing Magazine and is taken from www.insideretailing.com.au
Australian retailers are not fully leveraging e-commerce, and with Google Checkout about to launch, they’d better wisen up…
By Sandra Hanchard, analyst, Hitwise Asia Pacific
The challenges faced by traditional retailers in leveraging the online channel, such as payment security, distribution or the prevalent franchise model in Australia, are outweighed by the considerable benefits in meeting consumer retail needs on the internet. A survey of the online shopping landscape using Hitwise Australia data indicates that consumers are actively researching brands and products across thousands of websites on a daily basis as they make their purchasing decisions.
There is general consensus however that manufacturers and retailers in Australia are not meeting online consumer demand to its full potential. The PricewaterhouseCoopers Retail & Consumer Outlook Australia 2007 Report states that, “major retailers in the UK and US are investing heavily in the internet as part of their multi-channel strategies,†but continues, “yet in Australia, few retailers appear ready to take advantage of the trendsâ€. (more…)
Posted in Make Money From Websites, Online Shopping Carts | No Comments »
