Unless you have been living under a rock for the last couple of decades, you have probably heard of online shopping, also called ecommerce. You have probably heard the term “shopping cart”, but you’re not quite sure exactly what it is. Well, obviously you know what a real shopping cart is, but what is an online shopping cart?

Well, put simply, a shopping cart is a piece of software that runs on the shopping site’s server (the computer where the website is located). It enables customers to be able to search for products in your product catalogue, and then add it to their virtual shopping basket and then purchase it.

The ecommerce cart is integrated into the website as a whole, allowing potential customers to use it easily. For example, the ecommerce site may have search links on each of the individual pages, forming part of the site’s navigation section. This enables the customer the easiest way to buy from your website.

These ecommerce carts can be written in various different programming codes. Some ecommerce software solutions are provided along with the full source code, therefore enabling confident programmers to modify the cart to their own exact preferences. This is useful if the website is fairly complex, or if there are a lot of specific functions that are required for the shopping cart to perform.

Usually, there are three main parts to a shopping cart:

-Database – this stores all the information, for example all the products, the full details of each of the products, information about customers, current customer orders.

-Storefront – this displays information to browsing customers, for example product details, the search page, and the checkout page.

-Administration Area – this enables you as the store administrator to manage your virtual store. Here you will be able to add new products, configure payment and shipping options, process any new orders, etc.

Online shopping is here to stay, and any business that shies away from ecommerce will not survive long in the modern sales world. Shopping carts are an integral part of the whole online shopping experience, so it is vital that you understand them fully if you want to be successful at online business.

4 Ways to Demystify Ecommerce

Do you sell products or services? Can they be taken online to sell? Regardless of your reply, why would you want to restrict your customer base when you can simply use an ecommerce solution and take your business online, even a revised version of your services so that you can sell to web shoppers? Not only will an ecommerce solution tell more people about what you do, your customer base will widen, as will your revenue and experience.

4 Reasons For Ecommerce:

-Greater Publicity

Show us a businessperson or service provider who does not care about getting their name out there, and we will show you someone who will most certainly fail! Businesses thrive on getting publicity, because the more people know about you, the greater are the chances of them coming to you.

-Money Saved

Say, you sell antiques. Now if you rent a shop, you will also have to pay rent, electricity bills, maintenance costs; you may also have to hire an assistant or several of them in fact if your business is big – and by the way, if you have a large business, you definitely should get an ecommerce solution. If you take your business online, however, not only will you save on the running costs, you could also work from the comfort of your own home. The money you save can then be channelled back into your business, giving you chances of even bigger profits.

-Greater Accessibility

With an ecommerce solution, your wares will be accessible to customers 24 hours a day, seven days a week, all year long! Come rain, snow, or hail, your customers can simply log on to their customers, go to your website, and order away! Moreover, you could be anywhere in the world – on vacation, at a meeting or conference, traipsing through a jungle – but if you have internet access, you will always be able to deal with your customers.

-Monetise!

Put up banners and text ads on your ecommerce website and earn money on the go, for no work done at all. No hassles, no haggling, nothing. Your customers will click on those ads, and earn money for you. For this again, you want to increase traffic to your ecommerce website. Spread the word!

Author Bio: For more info on this and other ecommerce topics please visit: ecommerce solution and http://www.1automationwiz.com/shopping-cart-software.htm

Category: Computers and Technology
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