Part 3: Know what to look for in a shopping cart solution | Boutique ...

?

Part 3 of our Ecommerce 101 series is going to look at features or ?add-ons? and services that your shopping cart should provide you. In addition to what you are going to need to get started with an online shopping cart, there are certain features that are offered with any ecommerce solution that are kind of a ?given? and should be inherit in any shopping cart you consider.

First and foremost any shopping cart solution should be PCI Compliance ? this is huge and means they are a solution worth adding to your shortlist.

Basic features of an ecommerce solution

• Marketing tools: Gift Certificates, Sale, Auto Email Confirmation, Tell a Friend, etc.
• Typical shipping and product management tools: UPS, FedEx, USPS Integration, Printable Sales Slips, Inventory Tracking, Shipping & Tax Rules, etc.
• Customization tools: What You See Is What You Get Editor (WYSIWYG), Customizable Templates, Access to HTML code. DON?T LOOK like everyone else! Make sure you can customize your design to fit your brand needs.
• Payment methods: Payment Gateways Included and Account Software Integration

Let?s assume that your shopping cart provides you will all of the above features. Now you need to look for special ecommerce features that will ensure you remain ahead of your competition.

Special Features

• Customer Groups (wholesale and retail abilities) and customer accounts
• Social commerce tools: Facebook Stores, Twitter, and others
• Customer Support: you need to be able to call a real live person
• Ease of Use?check the software?s online forums to see what people are raving or bitching about
• Mobile Commerce Support
• SEO Tools that are easy to understand and use
• Affiliate advertising capabilities
• Product Reviews which allow you to review, edit and post
• Shopping Cart in upper right corner must always be present to help lower shopping cart abandonment

Got it all? It?s a lot to remember, I know. That?s why we are going to take you through a few of the top-rated shopping cart solutions that we offer our clients to help make one of your biggest business decisions an educated one.

Source: http://stepbrightly.com/2011/09/ecommerce-101-series-what-to-look-for-in-a-shopping-cart-solution/

free stuff cupcakes travel agency hospitals prometheus qi gaza