Saturday, May 1, 2010

E-Commerce Shopping Cart Features Costumers Need

As more and more people cling toward online shopping, they create demands for better and more efficient e-commerce shopping cart. And since they are the reason why you are doing business, giving them what they want should be your top priority. The following is a list of features that costumers may look for:

Payment options

Credit cards are often a preferred payment methods by most costumers. But those who are hesitant to give their personal information online choose alternative payments like checks, money orders, PayPal and Google Checkout. As an online merchant, always make sure to answer different types of costumers by carrying different types of payment systems.

Product Reviews

According to a CompUSA and iPerceptions study, 63% of costumers are more likely to buy from sites with product ratings and reviews. So no matter how well you promote your products online, if your site has no product review and rating, you cannot maximize your sale potential. That said; choose a shopping cart vendor that provides product rating.

Real-Time Inventory

Nothing is more annoying to costumers than going through a lengthy process of placing orders only to find out that the products they want to buy are out of stock. Real-time inventory assures the costumer that the products they see on their screen are available. Also, real-time inventory feature helps you as a merchant to monitor your stock and replenish if necessary.

Website Security

SSL or Secure Socket Layer data encryption assures costumers that their personal data are kept confidential. SSL certificate seal can be seen on the home page of your website.

Special Offers

Many merchants, especially those who have just stared their businesses online do not know that with a right shopping cart feature (coupon codes, order discounts, gift cards and free shipping), they can actually sell their products well.

Merchant who are looking for new costumers or trying to dispose old stocks can benefit from this feature.

Express Checkout

When costumers are ready to buy, make sure that you handle them as fast and as simple as possible. The lengthy process of purchasing items online can be frustrating and can drive customers away if you keep hold of them during checkout. Eliminate the risk of losing sure sales by using shopping cart express checkout option.

Order Tracking

Your responsibility to your costumers does not end when they checked-out and paid you for the products they have purchased. A good indication that you are a good merchant is the personal touch you provide to every costumer. Order tracking automatically sends order confirmation and shipping information via email. Costumers should be able to monitor where their purchased items are by logging into an account created during registration. Order tracking helps your business and your brand build reputation and costumer confidence.

Search and Browse

Costumers do not stay too long on a website if they cannot find the products they are looking for. Your main goal, therefore, is to give them the right tool that will let them search and browse from your list of products fast.

Costumer satisfaction is always the primary goal in any business. Online shopping is no different. Make sure that your costumers are always pleased by the service you provide through the help of these e-commerce shopping cart features.

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Comparing Different E-Commerce Shopping Carts

Not all e-commerce shopping carts are the same; and choosing one can be a bit tricky. Since this is one of the most important decisions you have to make as an online merchant, you have to make sure that you roll on the perfect shopping cart suited for your needs and the needs of your potential costumers. To successfully find the perfect one, doing some deep research is a great help.

When comparing different shopping cart vendors, consider the following:

Features vs. Business Scale

Wish list, registry, site search, real-time inventory, payment options, express checkout, product reviews, order tracking, website security, and order tracking: these are just a number of features that may be included when purchasing a shopping cart. If you are not careful enough, these features may define your choice for a shopping cart vendor. Instead of allowing yourself to be hypnotized with all these attractive options, ask yourself this question: "Do I really need all these things?"

It may seem very basic that you should decide according to your needs but there are certain instances where you simply become an impulsive buyer.

Deciding whether or not such feature is important requires understanding on the needs of your business. The decision should depend on the size of your business, quantity of products you sell and budget.

Price vs. Budget

Speaking of budget, the next thing you should consider is how much you can afford. Before setting a budget, try to browse first the websites of different shopping cart vendors. This will give you an idea how much such service will cost. Take note that the prices depend on the features included in shopping carts.

Once you have set your budget, stick to it.

Ease of Use vs. Looks

Most buyers are more impatient when purchasing items online than when they buy on shops and stalls. This is quite ironic since all they need to do is to move their mouse pointer to the right direction click on the products they want to buy and wait for the shipment to come; instead of visiting a shop and spending time browsing different products and dealing with (sometimes annoying) sales representatives. But this is the fact you have to consider. Buy from a vendor with easy to use shopping cart. Looking for a vendor with user-friendly features should be easy as most shopping cart providers offer an easy to use feature. Similarly, it is a plus if the shopping cart looks good but this is really not your main priority.

If possible, you need to have a shopping cart that is easy to use and at the same time, a shopping cart that looks good and can add to the appeal of your website. But if you have to choose one, going for ease of use is a wiser option.

The key here is research. Do not settle for two or three vendors. Search as many websites as you can. Read reviews and testimonials. Read articles about shopping carts. Join forums if possible. The more websites you visit; the more information you can gather that is important when deciding what features to take, how much money to throw, and what type of e-commerce shopping cart to buy. But remember: do not purchase anything that you cannot afford and do not buy something you cannot use.


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