Why Shopping Cart Software?

Don't let the name fool you, shopping cart software is a lot more than just a cart. Good shopping cart software can help your Internet business in other capacities as well, including:

• Payment Processing – Many programs offer credit card processing as well as check, COD or other methods of possessing payments.
• Webpage Design – Many merchants are not web designers, so some programs will include wizards to help you build your webpage without requiring you to know HTML.
• Storefront Design – Store front wizards incorporate templates or other tools to help you set up your storefront.
• Inventory Control – Good programs will keep track of your inventory and generate reports.
• Shipping – Nearly all software offer a shipping tool that calculates shipping costs for customers based on parameters that you set, some can even link up to common shipping methods like FedEx.
• Tax Calculation – Most shopping cart programs can calculate taxes, a valuable tool, especially since many states are considering requiring that merchants collect taxes for online sales.
• Customer Management – Many shopping carts programs have features that will let customers view their previous purchases. The program will also recognize the customer when they come back for a return visit.
• Marketing – A shopping cart is useless if you don't sell anything. Marketing help can be invaluable, some programs offer information on affiliate programs and help with merchandising. Many are able to create coupons, gift certificates or other incentives. In addition, they provide sales reports and 'hit' or traffic information as well.
• Security – Customers will not want to purchase online if they feel the website cannot protect their personal information. Many shopping cart programs will offer protection by encrypting information, processing credit cards through reputable processing services and by allowing customers to move through their program without having to download cookies.

On this site, you'll find articles on shopping cart software and services and reviews so you can decide which software will best fit your business plans. At TopTenREVIEWS We Do the Research So You Don't Have To.™

What to Look for in Shopping Cart Software

Choosing the right shopping cart is one of the most crucial steps to making your online business a success. Your customers need to be able to purchase your product(s) as easily as possible, with a sense of security. For the business owner, the software should be simple to use, with lots of useful features and great customer support when needed.

We reviewed 22 of the leading shopping carts programs to help you find the program that will improve your chances of reaching your sales goals.

Below are the criteria TopTenREVIEWS used to rate shopping cart software:

Feature Set
The features range from a simple shopping cart to accounting and inventory functions. The programs that offered the most features and in turn, the most flexibility received high scores in this area. The most important goal is to find the program that includes desired features at a desirable cost.

Ease of Use
Good programs are easy for the entrepreneur and the customer to use. Wizards are helpful in webpage and storefront development, menus and help should be easily assessable and presented in a logical manner.

Ease of Setup
The software should install quickly and without errors. If it is a program that is accessed online, it should be easy to get to and use.

Help/Documentation
Excellent customer and technical support is paramount. The program should offer inner program support in help menus, user manuals, FAQs pages or other methods. The manufacture should offer support through telephone, email, mail or chat. The help should be useful and prompt.

Once your have your DBA ("Doing Business As") established, a bank account open, market desirable products and the perfect shopping cart software, you may be well on your way to a successful Internet business. If you're already in business, but are not happy with your shopping cart program or have out grown it, look into a new program that will help you manage all of your concerns more efficiently.

To read our review of the #1 product, ShopSite Pro, click here.