NetworkSolutions Reviewer's Comments
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Network Solutions Pro, formally known as Monster Commerce, is an outstanding shopping cart. The product management capabilities are unique and helpful. Network Solutions Pro, our "TopTenREVIEWS Bronze Award" winner, is a server-based shopping cart, which means that you don't need to download or install anything in order to create or manage your store. Network Solutions is our third ranked product because it is less intuitive than Merchandizer and ShopSite. You need to read a little more to understand the options available and how to use them correctly. If you have been thinking about taking your business to the web, Network Solutions would be a good choice.
NetworkSolutions Screenshots. Click to Enlarge
Feature Set:
Network Solutions has an interesting product management capability. Not only does it allow you to add categories to your products, but also gives you the ability to categorize your products by your different manufacturers. It’s very easy to add variants to your products. (A variant is when you would add color options, size options, metal type; gold, silver, bronze, and other options to a specific product). The great thing about these inventory options is that you can edit a product right from your site by using the built–in product editor. It lets you go through your site and edit the products from a customer's point of view. It is very easy and extremely useful for quality assurance. There are also built-in wizards to make adding products as quick and simple as possible.
One downside to Network Solution's e-commerce product is the limited number of designs to choose from. There are only 16 in the website setup wizard.
Ease of Use:
Network Solutions has an easy to use navigation. The shopping cart navigation has a title bar along the left hand side, which produces drop down menus to point and choose from. It took us approximately one hour to add a few products to the system and to become familiar with the shopping cart program. After we were familiar with the product, it took us approximately one minute per product to enter general products.
Ease of Installation:
Network Solutions Pro is a web–based program. This means no installation for the merchant. Network Solutions sets everything up for you, for a fee. Simply select a template and within minutes you will have your site up and running. You may need to download a java applet, if you do not already have it, to see the menu bar. It is quite easy to download, however.
Help/Documentation:
The Help is great. Network Solutions has FAQs, forums and an online help manual. The forum looks good, and has many great questions answered on how to get things started. The online help manual is difficult to find at first. It’s not out in plain sight.
True E–Commerce Solution:
Is Network Solutions PRO an E–commerce solution? Yes. Network Solutions will host the merchant's website and provide the tools necessary to design and manage a website. It offers the ability for credit card processing, provides flexible shipping options, and manages banner ads while making the website as secure as possible. Network Solutions PRO is one of our best all–around shopping carts.
Is Network Solutions Pro overkill?:
If you don’t need all the features of pro, Network Solutions does offer a basic package, but it does not give you as much design flexibility, as many payment options or promotional features.
Summary:
Network Solutions Pro is an outstanding product and receives our third highest ranking of all the products reviewed. The ability to pre-pay or pay month–by–month makes it an exceptional buy.
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