Best Shopping Carts

One of the “must haves” if you want a successful online ecommerce business is a good shopping cart program. Shopping carts allow customers to select items, and then initiate payment for them – as well as enter in shipping information so that you can mail their purchases to them. It is important to have a shopping cart program that is convenient and secure.

Features that some with shopping carts

There are many different shopping cart programs that you can use. Some of them are rather stripped down, without frills, simply allowing the customer to select items and then pay for them. The best shopping carts have more features, designed to make the process more interactive and satisfying for the customer. Some features that you can look for in shopping carts include:

Ability to change quantities. Some shopping carts allow customers to easily add and remove items, as well as change the quantity. This is a useful feature that makes it easy for customers to change their minds, rather than having to go through a number of steps to make changes.

Automatic billing. Shopping carts are usually set to bill customers automatically. This way, you do not have to worry about spending hours going through purchase and transaction information and sending out bills. Some shopping cart programs can be set up for automatic recurring billing. This is useful if your business offers a service or subscription. The program can automatically bill – and collect payment – without you having to instruct it every month.

Calculators. While not strictly necessary, these are convenient. Most customers want to know exactly how much they will be paying. Shopping carts that perform shipping and tax calculations allow them to figure all of these costs immediately. You are a more convenient shopping experience when your shopping cart provides these calculations.

Coupons. The best shopping carts accept coupon and promotion codes. These allow you to use special promotions to draw in customers.

Payment options. As technology advances, there are many payment options available. Some shopping carts are set up to accept a variety of payment methods. Third party payment, such as Google Checkout or PayPal, is gaining in popularity, and you should look for a shopping cart program that allows you to accept this, as well as credit cards. Additionally, it is possible to find shopping carts that allow you to accept e-checks and Bill Me Later. A variety of options can make you more attractive, since customers are able to choose their preferred method of payment.

Other considerations when choosing a shopping cart program

While the above features are nice, it is important to realize that there are other considerations as you look at shopping cart programs.

First of all, a measure of coordination is required. You merchant account provider’s payment gateway needs to be compatible with the shopping cart that you choose. It is a good idea to speak with your merchant account provider about which shopping carts are recommended for the payment gateway. Another thing you can do is look for an integrated merchant account provider that offers all of the ecommerce tools you need. Then you will be sure that the payment gateway and the shopping cart program are compatible with each other.

Another consideration is security. You want to sign up for some sort of security program, or choose a shopping cart that comes with security. These programs protect customers from having their information stolen. VeriSign and Trust-e are just two of the security programs that you can use. Make sure that your shopping cart is protected.

Along with a security program, you should also have a verification process for orders. After the customer inputs all of the purchase and address information, there should be a “review order” button. This button should then take the customer to a page that lets them see the complete order details before confirming. This should be the last chance to back out. Then a “confirm order” or “place order” button should be used.

Also, make sure that the design of your ecommerce business Web site is convenient and flows well. From your shopping cart, the customer should be able to navigate to other areas of the site. The search function, home page, catalog and other areas of the site should be fully accessible from the shopping cart for customer convenience.

Shopping carts are necessary if you want to conduct business online. Make sure that you choose a shopping cart program that works with your merchant account, and one that is convenient for your customers to use.