Domain Availability
Shopping Carts
DATABASE MAINTENANCE is a little more difficult. It lets you maintain a database on your desktop computer and upload revisions on a regular basis. While this can be convenient, it's really only needed if you are dealing with hundreds of products.
QUESTION 4
HOW DO I MAKE SURE MY SHOPPING CART IS USER-FRIENDLY?
Your customers don't care about the behind-the-scenes function of your shopping cart - they just want quick, easy shopping.
Keep in mind that many people are still a bit wary of shopping online, so you'll want to lead the customer by the hand through the buying process, explaining each detail (such as site security when they're entering credit card information,and how billing and shipping will work) along the way.
It is a good idea to KEEP YOUR CART AS SIMPLE AS POSSIBLE. The last thing you want to do is confuse your customers or make them waste their time.
If your cart has all kinds of fancy images, it will take too long to load; if it has an array of pretty pages, it will take too long for the customer to get through... net result you will lose customers. Keep it simple.
PROVIDE PLENTY OF PRODUCT INFORMATION and prices up front; in fact, make sure your customers have all the information they need before they even get to your shopping cart.
Your website should offer everything your customers need to know, so that clicking the "Buy Now" button is the very last decision they make after looking through your site.
But don't stop there! Make sure your shoppers can easily move back and forth between the cart and your web site to browse through your products and add more items to their orders!
And when customers are ready to buy, DON'T LIMIT THEIR PAYMENT OPTIONS! Most will pay by credit card, but other methods are increasingly available. Consider options like virtual debit cards and virtual checks (PayPal is a good place to start).
Lastly, keep in touch with the customer until the product is delivered. If something is out of stock, let the customer know when it will be available and how long delivery will take. Your shopping cart should not only e-mail the customer at the time the order is placed, but also when the product is shipped.
QUESTION 5
WHAT SHOULD I BE CAREFUL OF WHEN I CHOOSE A SHOPPING CART?
Besides checking out consumer reviews of the shopping cart you're interested in purchasing to make sure that others are satisfied with its capabilities, you'll also want to make sure the cart you choose gives you:
- CONTROL The level of control you need will depend on your business and your preferences. Make sure the cart you choose offers the level of customization you need and allows you to make changes and adjustments without too much difficulty.
- SECURITY: Make sure the customer is always entering credit card information over a secure server (SSL connection).