8 Steps for Choosing E-Tail Storefront Software

in Forum: Building a Website that Works
Source of this discusssion: /articles/1529/1/8-steps-storefront-software.asp Page description: Here's what to look for and what to avoid when choosing an ecommerce solution.
May. 08 2007 at 12:05 AM
CraigL Posted by: CraigL
From the article on the SuN home page this May.

I was impressed with this article, particularly in two major points. The one is about being able to personally (or through a developer you've chosen) customize storefront software solutions.

The other was the highlighted information about looking for a shopping cart. I know that it wasn't until I joined the SuN community that I began to really understand that a shopping cart isn't the same thing as a Web site.

We've found repeatedly, working on a shoestring budget, that although lots of places promise easy templates, all you need, 1-stop-shop, and so forth, they rarely work that way. Yes, if you yourself are a technophile, know a whole lot about Web languages, including things like Ruby and Javascript, fine.

But what if you don't know all that stuff? What if you're simply trying to make and sell a product? What if your expectation of starting a business was to put some product descriptions and names on a web page, sit back and collect the money?

There's not a whole lot that's easy to understand, and focused into 8 steps or thereabouts, that explains the most important thing: How do I get paid?

We need more articles like this, I think. Particularly with a beginning business person in mind, who doesn't know all that much about Web this, electronic that, database something.

Biggest gripe with bad shopping carts: Not knowing the shipping costs until almost at the very end of the order process. Then, when the shipping is SO high, having to abandon the entire thing. What a total waste of time!
Craig Landes
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Defining the undefinable. "There are 10 kinds of people in the world---those who understand binary numbers and those who don't." - Unknown

International Society of Curmudgeons
May. 08 2007 at 6:20 AM
vwebworld Posted by: vwebworld

Shipping charges is one of the reasons for abandoned orders for ecommerce sites.

I suggest to my ecommerce clients whenever possible offer FREE shipping (and include the shipping costs in the price of the product).  There are certain situations where additional shipping costs may be required, but free shipping is a good goal.

~Roland

Web Design | Golf videos | ecommerce articles | Golf Lessons
May. 09 2007 at 12:22 AM
CraigL Posted by: CraigL
Yes, shipping is a big, big issue. Right now, Bert's been doing a lot to help understand the various problems, with the "Ideas for Dealing with Shipping" thread. It's a helpful and related discussion, with a PDF white paper on the subject.
Craig Landes
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Defining the undefinable. "There are 10 kinds of people in the world---those who understand binary numbers and those who don't." - Unknown

International Society of Curmudgeons


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