Open Source Software offer an unparallel advantage as a platform in ecommerce world. Most medium and big businesses require customizations in their ecommerce platform which is not offered by typical hosted or cookie cutter software package. Open source ecommerce software comes with an open view of source code that can be altered or tailored to any needs. The only down side to customization is the upfront development cost and some ongoing maintenance cost, to upgrade the code and fix any bugs. These costs are generally outweighed by productivity improvements provided by customizations. Here is a list of open source ecommerce projects that are available for use. It is important to note that open source doesn’t mean free. Some of these software packages require licensing fee.

Shopping Carts:

Shopping carts form the heart of any ecommerce eco system. They the primary tool that put e in commerce. Without a solid shopping cart platform e-business can’t survive.

Magento Commerce:

Magento is one of the new shopping carts on the open source block. It is build by Magento Inc. using PHP basement framework Zend using Model View Controller (MVC) and Entity Value Attribute (EVA) models. The framework and model design makes Magento very flexible and customizable. New module that can extend Magento’s capability can be easily added to automatically check transactions against fraud or to calculate sales tax during the check. These strengths however make Magento extremely memory hungry on the server and it tends to slow down on shared servers. Magento’s web site has a comprehensive list of features

Key Strengths of Magento include:

• A structured product and shop layout. That allows sharing products between multiple web stores.
• Built in SEO support and Google Analytics for visitor reporting.
• Mobile ecommerce support.
• Rich set of checkout features which include payment methods choices, shipping calculation and more.

OsCommerce Cart

OsCommerce is the granddaddy in shopping cart world. It was first released for general use in the year 2000, which is a long time ago in the internet world. It has a large developer base and its user base is bigger than most other shopping carts. It is a light weight, shared hosting friendly shopping cart. You can install it on shared server and it will work fine. It does have a few serious down sides to it however. Its user front end is not easy to modify, most websites built in OsCommerce come out looking the same. It also lacks a second layer of defense against security flaws. Any security issues can easily be exploited by anyone familiar with them.

Zen Cart (not to be confused with Zend Framework)

Zen cart started out as a fork of OsCommerce but soon became a totally independent project on its own. It is much better managed as a project but has a smaller user base. Zen Cart offers easier changes to the user end of interface. It offers the flexibility of extending its functionality via plug-ins. It is agile and can easily be installed on a shared hosting server just like OsCommerce.

X-Cart:

X-Cart is another open source cart. It however differs from others because you need to pay for license to use it. Its license comes in two levels, the pro license and the gold license. Each license allow you different level of functionality and features. A major plus point of X-Cart is that it is PCI-DSS compliant. Which is required on any cart that accepts payments using Visa credit card. X-Cart also offers hosting plans, specially built for X-Cart.

DashCommerce

Those looking for a Shopping cart not based on PHP or Linux should take a closer look at DashCommerce. This is one of the few open source carts that are available on ASP.NET platform. DashCommerce has a paid license which costs around $100 per domain. The down side to DashCommerce is that it offers very little online documentation and support for its software. Its integration with different payment systems is also limited. These issues might make it undesirable for most ecommerce sites.

VirtueMart

VirtueMart team realized that most shopping cart available in the market lack an important feature – a content management system. In the online world where content is attracts new customers and getting the information out to customers on time is crucial VirtueMart might be the perfect choice. VirtueMart is built as a plugin for Joomla – a popular content management system. Its features include a good backend management system, product and merchandising management, payment integration with popular checkout systems include 2Checkout, paypal among others.

LiteCommerce

LiteCommerce is a free scaled down edition of X-Cart. While X-Cart prides itself in security and robust feature set, its developer realize the need for an entry level shopping cart, which is available for free and can be used in early phase of website setup. While scaled down, LiteCommerce maintains a wide range of support for payment gateways. It also offers a front end template design engine, which makes it easy to customize the look and feel of the cart.

TomatoCart

TomatoCart is another fork of OsCommerce. It contains the legacy feature set and agility of OsCommerce but also contains several enhancements. Such as roles for accessibility. This feature can be important if you have multiple users who access your shopping cart for different uses. You can limit the users for instance working on product catalogue from peaking in to customer orders or customer credit card numbers. Similarly you can stop the sales staff from tinkering with sales prices. It also allows customized product types – out of which four come pre defined. It comes with robust set of SEO features and a basic CMS system.

PrestaShop

PrestaShop is a robust shopping cart with a very strong template system built displaying products. It comes with a strong catalogue management that allows control over thousands of products. Its catalogue management feature include bulk import and export of products. Products export to eBay, strong cross and up selling features.

UberCart

UbertCart is an extension for Drupal CMS system. It offers the content management system features included in Drupal but brings along the basic ecommerce functionality needed in a shopping cart. Over all it is a good cart for existing Drupal website.

If you own a medium sized or large online business, then buying or developing a shopping cart and integrating other required software with it will not solve your problem. You need a more extensive solution. Integrated ecommerce software consists of all the software you need in one place. You will can not only manage your online store, but also maintain detailed accounts, audit accounts and taxes, manage large inventories, and also easily organize the payroll for your employees. There are number of integrated ecommerce software available in the market. This article gives brief reviews on some of the top-rated software starting from the best.

1. Interprise Suite integrated ecommerce software review

A completely integrated solution, Interprise Suite will help you administer every aspect of your business on a single platform. This will prevent repetitive data entry and improve efficiency. One of the best qualities of this software is its outstanding graphical user interface, which makes it easy to use for anyone.  It allows access through both LAN and the Internet, which makes it faster than web applications while also allowing remote access. The business intelligence offered by this software is outstanding, which helps you assess business trends. The customization options are great as well, and fully commented source code is also available. The ecommerce module offered by this suite consists of all the shopping cart features you need to manage your online store. Also, the suite is affordable and can be accessed by multiple users.

2. NetSuite integrated ecommerce software review

The next one in the list of top integrated ecommerce software is NetSuite. Like Interprise it will perform every other function your business will need and unite all aspects of your business in a single platform. This application is completely web-based which makes it accessible over the internet, but reduces the efficiency of the system. It offers great ecommerce features which you will need to run your online store, but the flexibility is less than Interprise. It is a widely used medium-sized business and ERP solution; however it is not suitable for larger business. It is also quite expensive.

3. Everest integrated ecommerce software review

Another product comparable to the two fabulous products mentioned above is Everest Software. It is widely used by over 3000 customers around the world, which proves its reliability. However, the customer support provided by this product is weaker and it is not as customizable as Interprise because the source code is not available. It is not web based which means that it does not allow remote access, however it is very fast. It is not entirely easy to use and requires some experience. It is more highly priced than Interprise.

4. Nolapro integrated ecommerce software review

Nolapro, another integrated ecommerce software, deserves to be on the list. It is a web based application which allows secure access from anywhere in the world, but this makes it slow. It is completely free and there are no restrictions to the number of different users it can have. The graphical user interface is easy to use and quite intuitive. It has been secured with SSL.

5. OpenTaps integrated ecommerce software review

Another open source ERP with ecommerce module is OpenTaps. It is also fully web-based. It is easy to use, but it’s slow and lacks flexibility.

integrated ecommerce software

When setting up an online store you will need ecommerce software to manage your store. There are three main ways in which you get ecommerce software; you can either buy it by paying a one-time license fee, you can pay a software development company to design an application for your online store, or you can subscribe for hosted ecommerce software where you pay monthly fees to a company to host your store. Choosing the right solution for your online store requires some thought. Read on to find the benefits and drawbacks of using the third method.

Advantages of hosted ecommerce software

The first thing that is great about hosted ecommerce software is that they offer outstanding level of security to your customers. The server of the hosting company is protected and is not easily accessible so the chance of hacking is negligible. The hosted solutions are also PCI compliant so you can accept credit card payments while also ensuring the safety of your customer’s information. The security system is also constantly updated automatically. Other advantage of hosted ecommerce software is the level of support you get when you face technical problems. So, even if you lack programming experience you can run your online store without worrying about the technical details. Additionally, the hosted solution is regularly or automatically upgraded, while for other solution you will have to do it yourself and at times spend some additional funds to get upgrades. This solution for your ecommerce doesn’t cost much either. You might need to make a one-time payment lower than $100 and monthly fees which are less than $50. Much cheaper hosted ecommerce software is also available, and you get much more than you pay.

Weaknesses of hosted ecommerce software

This ecommerce solution has a few weaknesses as well when compared to other forms of solutions. Not every feature of hosted ecommerce software is according to your needs, while with custom software you design the software exactly according to your requirements. There are a few customization tools available, but still the level of flexibility offered is limited. Also not all hosted applications allow integration with other software like accounting packages, shopping engines, payment gateways etc. Make sure you don’t face problems with integration before subscribing for hosted ecommerce software. If the hosting fee is too high, then the monthly fee can be a problem as well.

Disadvantages of hosted ecommerce software

Getting third party hosting has a many benefits which come with just a few drawbacks. If one chooses the software carefully then one can surely make the most of the strengths of the software and the shortcomings will become almost negligible. With this solution anyone with little or no programming experience can set up an outstanding online store. There are many hosted ecommerce software available in the market, and you can surely find one with the features you need and the level of customization you would prefer. You just need to make a wise decision. Make use of user and expert reviews to make the best decision and ensure the continuous running of your online store.

Running an online store is becoming very appealing these days, however without careful planning there is a high risk of failure. When designing your online store you will have to decide which ecommerce software to choose to manage your online store. It is quite difficult to choose the right option because of number of different options available in the market. The available software can be classifies into three main categories; licensed software which you can buy after paying a license fee, subscription software for which you need to pay a monthly fee, and free ecommerce software for which there are no charges on the installation or use of software.

What to consider while choosing ecommerce software?

Ecommerce software needs protection

The free ecommerce applications provide all the basic features needed to run an online store, and they are equally great as the software you need to pay for. There is even some free ecommerce software that is better than the ones that cost money. Both types of software can adequately fulfill your needs, so they should lie on equal standing when you need to choose software. However, they have several drawbacks which you should keep in mind when opting for free ecommerce software.

Drawbacks of free ecommerce software

Some of the greatest disadvantages include a decreased level of technical support when using the software to set up an online store. The companies providing this software don’t provide any customer service for their users. You need to have enough programming knowledge and time to set up your store on your own and to solve all the bugs that you might face. In addition, free software is not upgraded regularly so you will not be able to provide your customers with the latest features.

Be attention!

The foremost and the most serious problem with free ecommerce software is that they offer no or insufficient security to your customers. The open source software run on a platform that is accessible to the community, which makes it easier to hack them and access sensitive information of the customers like their credit card number. You need to ensure complete protection of your customers to use free ecommerce software for your online store. To protect your online store you need to get hosting by a server with Secure Socket Layer (SSL) technology. This will ensure that it is safe to purchase from your online store. To make use of SSL server for the safety of your customers you will be charged with considerable amount of annual fee. In addition to SSL, you will also need a free shopping cart that complies with PCI if you want to include direct credit or debit card payments in one of the modes of payments provide by your store. The PCI compliant free shopping carts have undergone careful testing and analysis to ensure that their platform is protected from fraudulent activities.  If you make use of credit card payment using non-PCI compliant software then you will have to pay a fine to the credit card company.

Ensure protection of your online store

Many types of free ecommerce software provide great features for your needs; however you need to ensure prefect protection of your online store before using them.

To set up an online store one needs to make use of ecommerce solutions. There are three different ways in which one can make use of ecommerce software to set up his online business. You can hire a third party, i.e. a hosting company, to design, develop and manage your online store, you can buy easy-to-use licensed ecommerce software, or you can seek services of professionals from a software development company to write your custom ecommerce software or you can write one yourself. There are number of companies in the market, who have professionals that specialize in developing software for online stores.

Need of custom ecommerce software

With the rapid developments in online buying and selling, many people and companies are opting online business; therefore there is intense competition in the market. To ensure that your online business succeeds, you should not only provide all the basic services to your customers, but you should also add some unique features to your online store which will set you apart from the ever increasing competition. To introduce something special to your online store you should make use of custom ecommerce software. Another advantage of designing your own software is that it is made with your business needs in mind. Several types of ecommerce software are available in the market, but finding one that suits your business needs exactly is very difficult. You will have to compromise one of your requirements to fulfill the other, while custom ecommerce software will fulfill all your requirements adequately.

How to design your custom ecommerce software

Custom Ecommerce Software

To design your own ecommerce software the first thing you need to do is to assess the needs and wants for your business. You should determine the storage space and the number of maximum of products your online store will need. Determine the feature set you need for your business and the appearance of your webpage. Add some features that will be unique to your online store. After you have a complete report on everything you need, you need to look for a software development company to design your custom ecommerce software. To choose the right company you should check if it has programmers experienced in writing ecommerce software. Examine some of the website they have designed and carefully study their portfolio. The next important consideration is pricing.  Especially designed ecommerce solutions generally cost more. Look for a high-standard company that will design your software for less. Lastly, you should also check if the company will give you technical support in case bugs arise in your online store. They should also be open to making changes to your software and updating it as per your requirements.

Custom ecommerce software gives attraction to your online store

Differentiate your online store from thousands of other online store by making use of carefully designed custom ecommerce software.  With the reports about your customer’s searching and buying behavior, constantly make changes to your online store. This will ensure that the shopping experience of your customer always remains pleasurable. Also, think of ways to attract more customers to your online store.

For a successful business you need ecommerce software

To set up a successful online business, no matter what size, one needs to get ecommerce software to help him manage his website. There are numerous different online store applications available in the market, which makes the process of choosing the best one very difficult and confusing. First one needs to narrow down his options according to his needs like the size of online store, the ability to integrate with accounting software of your choice etc. Once the number of choices has decreased one should compare ecommerce software with respect to their features, ease of use, display and so on.

Some of the top rated software

comparison of ecommerce software

As a guide to manage this process, this article selects some of the top-rated ecommerce software which includes Volusion, Shopify, GeoMerchant, ProStore and Network Solutions, and compares some of their qualities and features. This will give you one of the techniques you could use to compare ecommerce software and choose the best one. Several comparison tables are also available online, which display the information in simplified manner.

Tips to pick up the right software for your business

The first step you should take is to verify if the software has enough storage space for the size of the business you are planning. If the number of products and customers is large then you should choose software with greater storage space and maximum number of products. For Volusion and Network Solutions the maximum number of products in 100 and 300 respectively, this makes these applications suitable for small stores. For medium sized store Shopify will work well as it allows 2500 products. Whereas, for slightly larger stores ProStore will work as it offers space for 10,000 products. If you store is going to be very large, and you mean to keep developing it and adding products to it then GeoMerchant, with unlimited storage space, should be chosen. Another important factor to consider is whether you will be selling hard goods or soft goods. All the applications in the list can be used to sell both hard and soft goods except for ProStore and Network Solutions.

Credit card payments

The next important factor is if the software enables you to process credit-card payments, and if it can be integrated with your payment gateways. All of the selected software can process credit card, but NetSolutions does not offer real-time processing which can give rise to time delays in the completion of payment transactions. The information entered by the user must be protected from fraud and misuse; therefore the software must have fraud protection tools. All of the chosen applications have fraud protection except NetSolutions.

Quick comparison

Once you have compared all the important characteristics and features and have reduced your options, compare the prices of the software.  For smaller stores, Volusion charges a monthly fee of only around $20 with no setup charges, while Network Solutions costs $50 monthly charge and a setup fee of $50 as well. So, in terms of price Volusion is better. For larger stores, Shopify charges $60 monthly fee only, but ProStore charge $30 with $100 setup fee making ProStore preferable; however ProStore is not suitable for stores that sell soft products.

To compare ecommerce software one must have several considerations in mind. When one has selected software with equally great features, one must read user reviews to get insights on how well the software works.

With the developments and easy availability of the internet, the number of people who shop online is increasing rapidly because of the less time consuming process and better availability of the information to make a decision. Therefore, ecommerce seems like a very attractive business venture; however running an online store is one of the most competitive businesses. One needs to do careful planning to set up an online store that will thrive and prosper. An integral part of a plan to run an online store is an ecommerce software solution, and running an online store without it is next to impossible. There are many reasons why one needs to buy ecommerce software to ensure the success of their online business.

ecommerce software for online business solutions

To optimize your online store

Ecommerce software is essential to manage your website. Without it, managing a store either big or small can be very difficult. Your ecommerce software will maintain everything for you. This software not only handle your online business, but also defines your existence online which is very important to enable people make use of the great services you provide. These packages have outstanding search engine optimization strategies so that the buyers are aware of your store and the promotions it offers. Buy ecommerce software and make it easier for people to reach you.

To improve your online business revenue

With ecommerce software you will surely improve your online business revenue. Since the software will do everything for you, you will not need to spend money on extra labor to take care of different things like keeping an up to date product list, or generating discount coupons. Additionally, with good ecommerce software, the shopping experience of your customer is guaranteed to be enjoyable and satisfactory. Ecommerce software offer templates for your web site that are professional in design and easy to use. Therefore, it will help build customer’s loyalty ensuring greater income.

To get report of your online business

One of the greatest advantages of ecommerce software is that you will be able to review detailed reports on customer activities. All the browsing and buying data is saved by the software and reports are generated so that you can analyze the patterns is customer’s response to your store. In this way you can gain insight into the factors that can improve your store’s attractiveness and quality of services. To be able to constantly improve your store according to your customer’s needs you should buy ecommerce software.

To connect to your payment gateways

You also need to use ecommerce software to not only receive orders from the customers, but it also enables you to receive payment from them directly completing the transaction. The software allows your customer to connect to your payment gateways.

To ensure a better support system for your website

There are many different ecommerce applications available in the market, and some of them are free. The free ecommerce software provides all the necessary features, but they are not always easy to use and they don’t provide support to their users. So, if you are facing technical problems with your website, you will not be able to contact the software company for assistance. To ensure a better support system for your website, buy ecommerce software and provide uninterrupted service to your customers.

Why not shift your business to the internet when everyone today is making use of online stores to look for products and to shop online? With an online business you can rapidly improve the quality of your service and the number of customers, while also cutting down on your expenses. An online business has a number of advantages; however setting up an ebusiness that works involves careful planning. Setting up an easy-to-use and customer friendly online store without using business ecommerce software is almost impossible. You need this software to assist you in the management of your business.

Business ecommerce software

Get better support system for your business

Numerous ebusiness applications are available, and many of them are for free. However, the customer service and the number of features offered by the free versions are limited. For more advanced features and better support system, one needs to invest in well chosen business ecommerce software. 

Always keep in mind!

There are various things you should keep in mind before making the investment. If proper caution is not taken then one might end up wasting a good amount of money on the software, and their business might fail as well.

The first thing you should do is to make a rough sketch of the business activities and its characteristics. You should consider whether the business is large or small, and the number and type of customers that will be doing business with you. When buying business ecommerce software you should check for the size of business it has been made for. If you buy software that is designed for a small sized business, then it will not have the capacity to hold your business data and also the information on the customers.  Another equally important factor is the number of users it allows. If the business is large then the number of possible users must be greater. Also, the software you are buying must have all the features you require. If there are some extra features which your business does not need, and if you are being charged for those features, then try buying different software.

Great tip for you while buying business ecommerce software

When buying business ecommerce software you should also consider how customer-centric it is i.e. how easy-to-use it is for your customers. It should provide a great interface for your customers, and finding the products or service they need should not be more than a two clicks away. Completing a transaction must also be simple; they must also be able to view their order histories.

Check compatibility of your business ecommerce software

Every business must manage account for it to run efficiently, but business ecommerce software doesn’t provide accounting features which help you in bookkeeping. You must integrate an online accounting package to your software. To ensure seamless synchronization you must ensure that the software you are buying is compatible with the accounting package you are using. Otherwise, you will not be able to keep track of cash flow through a reliable system.

Get full detail about your ecommerce software

When buying ecommerce software you should have a clear idea of the features you are paying for. Some companies charge extra on additional features which will add to your costs. You should also be well-informed about the hidden charges involved and the taxes you would be paying with the fee to better plan your business.

With the rapid developments in the internet online shopping is becoming widely common. People, nowadays, prefer looking for the products, comparing the prices from different sources and buying them online. The goods they order are delivered right to their doorstep without much hassle. Merchants are also looking for online stores to advertise and sell their products. To start an online store with heavy traffic and large amount of merchandise one needs to choose ecommerce software. There are numerous options available in the market, some of them are free and some charge monthly. One needs to be very careful when choosing the best ecommerce software for his online store.

Choose the best ecommerce software for your online store

Factors to consider while choosing ecommerce software

There are several factors you must consider before choosing ecommerce software. First you should consider how well designed it is. It should provide you with an easy-to-use web interface to manage the activities on your online store. It should allow you to enter new products in just one simple steps and it should also let you enter content pages like about us and FAQs. It should also give you comprehensive and organized information on the sales, users, inventories, categories, taxes, shipping rates etc.

Will eCommerce software fulfill your needs?

When choosing the best ecommerce software you should ensure that your online store provides great features for the convenience for your customers. The customers should be able to create their user accounts to personalize their shopping experience. With their user account they will be able to view their order history and keep track of the products they have ordered. The software should also provide great customer service to assist the customers in forms of forums, live chat and call. It should also enable the customers to search for the products and add the products they like in a wish list. In addition, to attract more customer your ecommerce software should allow you to give out savings or delivery coupons to the customers or give them special discounts. The best ecommerce software must make your customer’s shopping experience enjoyable and valuable.

All you need is your data security

On a more technical side, the ecommerce software must ensure the customers that your shop is secure. Your data and the customer’s information must be protected. It should have the right amount of disk space deepening on the amount of products you sell and the number of shoppers. The shopping cart you choose must also be compatible with the payment gateway you have. The payment options your online store offer must include credit card, and you must ensure the customer that the transaction is taking place over a secured connection. If the customer still opts against a credit or debit card, then offer other options like money order or echecks. While all the above features are a must have, a good ecommerce software must also have a great customer service for its users. You should be easily able to contact the customer support when you face technical difficulties or bugs in the software.

Choosing the best ecommerce software is a difficult task because of the unmanageable number of options available with equally great features. You should make use of expert and customers review at ecommercesoftwarereviewss.com to make the better choice.

With the rise of the internet selling and buying online i.e. ecommerce is becoming increasingly common. Ecommerce can be categorized into four main types: b2b, b2c, c2b, and c2c.  When the transaction occurs between two companies that own a business over an electronic network, then it is classified as b2b ecommerce.  In this process, the selling company advertises and markets its product and services to a business that comes right after it in the supply chain. The operation can occur between a manufacturer and a wholesaler or a wholesaler and a retailer. As an example, if a cloth manufacturer sells fabric to a cloth tailoring business over the internet then the process is b2b.

Need of b2b E Commerce Software

Today companies are not just taking orders online with other companies, but they are also marketing and selling their products online. To manage the sales, companies need to make use of b2b ecommerce software. With this software the business essentially sets up an online store where the buyer can view a list of products, which can be separated into different categories, they can see up to date prices and inventories of your products from anywhere in the world by using the internet, they can buy the product online using a credit or debit card, and the can view their invoices and all their transactions. As a seller, the b2b ecommerce software will enable you to manage your online store easily, make it easier for the customer business to see your products, carry out the monetary transactions online with safety, and keep track of all your sales. Also, by integrating an online accounting package with your online store maintaining your accounts and analyzing them will become much easier.

Enhance your sales with b2b E commerce software

Using b2b ecommerce software will make managing volumes of b2b operations much easier for you, and it will also improve your efficiency and sales. By automating your marketing and selling you can make it easier for your customers to take decisions, and the chances of errors in the buying business orders will drop down to zero. By providing them a store where they can easily buy your products, you will not have to invest much in customer service to facilitate your customers. Also, using online store takes up much less time compared to taking orders manually. You can easily promote new products to different companies by analyzing their needs and by highlighting the features of the products that will fulfill them. Your online store will also ensure that your customer has no room for complain, which will help enrich customer experience and will enable you to build and maintain strong relationships with other businesses.

Top 3 b2b E commerce Softwares

b2b ecommerce software

If you have a business that sells to other businesses and if the volumes of your sale are too large to be handled manually, then b2b ecommerce software will make sales management much easier for you. There are number of solutions available. The most notable among them are IBM B2B Ecommerce Solutions, Nexternal, AceFlex, etc. You must choose the right solution for your business by examining their features and reading experts and customers reviews.