Thread: What Is The Best Shopping Cart System To Use?

Hiya!!

OK - I will be selling items on my website.

I created my website BEFORE I noticed the osCommerce Shopping Cart tool.

So, I am NOT going to get rid of all my hard work, therefore, I will be creating a table of items.

What is the BEST way of creating a 'add to cart' button?

Can anyone tell me the whole in's and out's of selling etc?

Thanks,
Ad

Hi ad,
You really would do well to search (in the forum toolbar) the forum archives on this question as it has been discussed many, many times.

Briefly, you will learn that there is no best method for everyone. Dependends on what your needs and to some degree, capabilities, are.
PayPal is free. Can't beat that but can't do as much with it. For many, many people it works well enough. But there are other free shopping carts and, of course, the best are probably the ones that cost money.

Start your 'learnin' here .

Cheers Ken,

I will be using PayPal as one form of payment. What are the other free tools? Why is Paypal not that good?

Thanks,
Ad

There are people who don't like to use Paypal - but for a new website, it's a good way to start.

So, if I read your post correctly, I believe you want to use the website you built in BV. I do that - my shopping cart is CartManager. It's not one of the free ones, but it's more robust and not expensive and allows me to build my site exactly how I want.

One reason to use a cart like CM or other similar - is you could have various payment methods (versus using just Paypal).

Is it possible to download a free shopping cart programme and use it with an EXISTING website?

Remember, I have already got my Website template pretty much sorted etc.

Thanks,
Ad

Does anyone use the PayPal Shopping Cart tool?

If so, how does it work etc?

Thanks,
Ad

If you are satisfied with your BV design, and don't want to start over doing things yourself, why don't you simply register for free as a "buyer" at www.Joomlancers.com and post a simple project to see how many bids you get to "Clone WYSIWYG Site Layout into eCommerce Site (v.1.x)" ??? -- suggested Project title to get the best bids and the best results....
You can even post your first project free if you choose not to "register"! Just be sure to provide in your project posting a file or link to your site/template for bidders to see and figure out what you want...

Since Joomla is so easy to learn and maintain, I am sure you will get a dozen bids in the $75-250 range the first 24 hours from willing freelancers eager to build you a site that includes so many more features that you imagined, including a robust shopping cart (which is totally configurable), forum/blog, RSS newsfeeds, flash headers, "reviews" (both of product and site), polls, etc. etc. *Best of all, it is a one-time cost, unlike other "carts" or packages...
If you are worried about the reliability of the providers who bid, you need only check out their history and personal reviews -- and remember: the escrow system means you only pay them when work is satisfactorily accepted by you! And...you can always withdraw or cancel the listing with no harm or cost.

It sure beats banging your head on the drawing table trying to "fix" something that will only end up looking (and performing) like a 'fix' and worse, not do all you need it to do! Or, at best, be a poor substitute for a cleanly designed functionality that is below the radar with regard to today's consumer expectations.
Joomla is totally expandable and is configured with most everything built in already.....or easily added via MOD's that self-install.

Well not to be a spoil sport, Im gonna disagree. You might get that if you want the template only.. MIGHT. Everything ive seen on joomla was upwards of 600 bucks. Never seen anyone just bid on a template. Purchase a template maybe, have one designed.. well I dunno. I do know if you have them go in and do much at all its costly.

Karen

Karen! Hi!
You're so cute, but you might want to take a look at some existing projects there first, to see that I am right on when it comes to suggesting he post his project to see how bids come in (the most important part of the equation was getting the foundation that has so much already included and being so utterly customizable, right)..... A couple of examples:
http://www.joomlancers.com/Templates...186512863.html

http://www.joomlancers.com/Templates...186512860.html

Strangely enough, most of the simple clone/conversion jobs are marked "non-public" so unless you have registered they are not visible......but they all seem to fall in the range I mentioned. The key is to be detailed in mentioning the fact you probably want a Fantastico! install, and being clear that you want the site to look exactly like the pre-existing template with all the basic functionality enabled. Some of the more intricate (like "PSD to eCom site + PayPal + reviews &discount club enable") are closer to $300, but still, it's a one-time fee to get exactly what you want in a more soild foundation that is easy to plug-in new functionality with a simple click or two (or again, pay $30 to have someone else do it just like VH charges...).

I know it takes a lot to embrace new stuff (make a change), and even though most of my stuff is in osC and Soho (since I did the VH-Fantastico thing), I have already re-done all my osC stuff manually, which keeps my carts up to date and without the shell program scripts in my account that seem to always be a backdoor for spammers and viruses getting in......(that was a chore too, having to re-skin manual installs with a back-up).

CMS is simply more versatile, and has more features pre-installed to think that continuing to sew patchwork quilts with the hodge-podge of "available technologies" will be sufficient down the road....


IMO

LOL Vasili,

Im familiar with Joomla and its much more CONTENT heavy than most people wanting an ecommerce look and feel care for. In fact ecommerce is almost an AFTER THOUGHT for joomla. It really is more content oriented, even YOU will have to admit to that one.

And just in case youve not looked. Some of those "hic" patchwork quits go for over a $1000 bucks these days.

Karen

Hey,

Thanks for the help, however, I do NOT want to pay anyone to build me a website, that is why I purchased my website package from VodaHost - it was better and cheaper than anything here in the UK!!

I just received an email from www.bosscart.com

Do any of you know them?

They said that their shopping cart can be used with an existing website.
Can someone let me know if this can be done on my site please?

(Only my homepage is up remember)
www.adamsposters.com

Thanks,
Ad

Originally Posted by Karen Mac

LOL Vasili, Im familiar with Joomla and its much more CONTENT heavy than most people wanting an ecommerce look and feel care for. In fact ecommerce is almost an AFTER THOUGHT for joomla. It really is more content oriented, even YOU will have to admit to that one. And just in case youve not looked. Some of those "hic" patchwork quits go for over a $1000 bucks these days. Karen

Oh, I know....they are so much a part of our American heritage too, and all the community/culture/history wrapped up in the art of making them.....(I just couldn't find a more appropriate word in my mad dash to plant a working visual. And about eCom being an after-thought....well, not quite. Sure Joomla is a CMS like phpNuke or Mamba, but by far having such a user-friendly tool to work with is the main point (it's what everyone wants: to have it all with little or no effort, right?). There are certainly more robust CMS foundations out there (not all are even close to being easy to self-maintain, granted) but none that include eCom with such seamless functionality or with as much ******** in configurability....

And now that the OP has re-asserted his position with his refined post, to me it is obvious that he should look at either seeing how a simple PayPal standard set up works for him or move into a MALS setup, since he wants a real cart "out of the box" if he wants to integrate with his BV-created site as is with as little effort required..... > BOSScart, like Americart (a Miva hybrid) sucks, and is not inexpensive overall for what it offers.

Else, go back to square one and "compromise" by selecting a Soho or osC foundation and free tremplate and doing as much customization as possible yourself, especially if you decide to go PayPal PRO! One way or the other, you get only what you invest: either time or money (and sometimes both!)

Originally Posted by Adz931

Hey,

Thanks for the help, however, I do NOT want to pay anyone to build me a website, that is why I purchased my website package from VodaHost - it was better and cheaper than anything here in the UK!!

I just received an email from www.bosscart.com

Do any of you know them?

They said that their shopping cart can be used with an existing website.
Can someone let me know if this can be done on my site please?

(Only my homepage is up remember)
www.adamsposters.com

Thanks,
Ad

Ive not heard of them, but it looks VERY limited. Youd be better of with SOHO and learning to modify it to your needs or using Cart Manager or Mals ecart to your existing site and do it yourself. Looks like they have about 10 templates/layouts to choose from. Soho has HUNDREDS that are free, plus built in form builder, built in newsletter, and drag and drop features that make it pretty effortless even for newbies. Mals and Cart Manager feature copy and paste buttons similar to paypal, but are more easily modified to fit in tables to address almost any variation need you have.

Boss Cart looks pretty LIMITED to me, but if thats what you are happy with and you can install it yourself with NO support on this end, then go for it.

Karen

Originally Posted by Adz931

Does anyone use the PayPal Shopping Cart tool?

If so, how does it work etc?

Thanks,
Ad

Hi .. Only my opinion here but ..

Why not use paypal?

You have your website built, you need only to open an account at paypal, make your add to cart buttons and a few view cart buttons and you are done.

In fact you can go to paypal and create one add to cart button and then modify this code for every item on your own computer. It's totally easy.

Payment then becomes your payment gateway, secured transactions, it's easy.

No extra fees to purchase a shopping cart, no extra fees for an ssl certificate, dedicated server and no fees added monthly for a merchant account and their transaction fees, you will only have a % fee of the transactions actually made at paypal.

Unless you are certain you are going to be making a ton of sales and are worried about the transaction fees at paypal, why not use the paypal cart system. You will pay less until you start selling alot.

It's just as easy for a customer to be taken to paypal for their payment and users do not need a paypal account to make a purchase if they want to use their credit card instead .. having a paypal account as a purchaser allows you to use your own banking account if already set up .. that is the difference there ..

I would use paypal - it will cost you nothing to set this up.

Hey LadyEye!!

I actually use paypal myself and have added another email to my account (for my website transactions).

Can you tell me how I would use and install the PayPal Shopping Cart?

I just dont understand how it works ha ha!!

I know I need to place an 'Add To Cart' button next to each item. But are you saying I have to place a different item number for each 'Add To Cart' button?

Ahh, someone just help and advise me on how to install this etc!!!

Thank you ever so much!

Vasili - I have put a lot of work into my website, especially when you consider I have absolutely no experience of website building. I just need as much help as I can get. I will in no way get rid of what I have done so far.

Cheers anyway!!!
All the best,
Ad
www.adamsposters.com

Originally Posted by Adz931

Hey LadyEye!!

I actually use paypal myself and have added another email to my account (for my website transactions).

Can you tell me how I would use and install the PayPal Shopping Cart?

I just dont understand how it works ha ha!!

I know I need to place an 'Add To Cart' button next to each item. But are you saying I have to place a different item number for each 'Add To Cart' button?

Ahh, someone just help and advise me on how to install this etc!!!

Thank you ever so much!

Vasili - I have put a lot of work into my website, especially when you consider I have absolutely no experience of website building. I just need as much help as I can get. I will in no way get rid of what I have done so far.

Cheers anyway!!!
All the best,
Ad
www.adamsposters.com

Hi.

This is what you will need to do. I go directly to paypal, so these instructions are for that.

1. Log into your paypal account and choose the merchant tab.

2. You can then choose Buy it Now or Add to Cart buttons, choose the Add to cart

3. For each item you intend to sell, you will need to create an Add to Cart button .. for each item, you will put the price and the description.
You will also choose whether you want the customer to be able to purchase more than one of these, whether you want their mailing address included, an extra note, etc.,

4. You will also set up shipping prices, determined via per item, which you include when making your add to cart button, or whether you have shipping set up in your paypal account itself that goes in a chart method dependent on price of products purchased.

5. When you create the code, there is also coding that is created for a VIEW CART button - you need only take one of this type of code as you can apply it on all pages ..

6. Continue creating an add to cart button for each product you want to sell.

7. If you can edit the code, you can simply take the code that paypal creates for you for your first item, and then change the item name and price each time in the same code and apply it in a new button - basically, the same code is created each time with just the different item name and price .. you don't need to go to paypal to do all the buttons, you can do them from one offering ..

8. You also need to create a thank you page in blue voda and publish that, and you will see when creating your buttons that you can send people to this thank you page after they purchase. This is an area where you can tell them a little more when they might receive their purchase etc.,

9. You will also be asked for a url to direct people to should they cancel their order, I usually direct them to my contact page where they can email me as to why they are cancelling, etc., or you can choose any page, you dont need to create a specific page for this ..

Hiya,

Thank you for the info.!!

So are you saying, if you want to, you can have only ONE code for a 'Add To Cart' button?

Sorry if I sound dumb!

I will be attaching a reference number to each item I have ie AP001, AP002 etc.

I searched the forum and found a topic;

I like the idea of what this site does www.pinatapalace.com

It belongs to the member Bethers.

I dont want to use CartManager, like she does, but something similar and free would be great, as I believe they use PayPal.

Thanks,
Ad

No, sorry, you cannot just have one code that will do it all ... you can have the basis of one code but need to adjust it for every item.

I think perhaps you should just disregard any reference I made to changing the coding, I really shouldn't have suggested that, it is just complicating things for you ..

So please ignore that ...

If you use paypal, please create a button for every product that you are going to sell ...

You cannot have what cart manager does without purchasing Cart Manager

Free - is paypal and their free shopping cart ....

You can follow some of the other suggestions made by other members in regards to other carts ..

Ad,
I use CartManager - which will give you more options than Paypal by itself - but you would be able to use it with Paypal to take payments. One reason it would be better than setting up the Paypal buttons only - is if in the future you decide you want to add a merchant account, you wouldn't have to redo your buttons to do so - just add it into the cart on CartManager.

CartManager does have a fee - You could also consider using the free version of Mal's E - it would take away some of the options on that cart, but is viable if money is a big issue. CM is not expensive, and I find worth every penny for me. But that's me - and we are all different.

Using CM (or Mal's) you don't need a SSL or anything else. CM also has HackerSafe on the check-out pages, which is a security level many customers like to see.

Hiya,

Thank you Beth!

How would I use Mals with my website?

LadyEye;

What should I use in PayPal:

'Website Payments Standard' or 'Express Checkout'?

Thanks!!
Ad
www.adamsposters.com

I just answered you about MALS on your other post. Most use Website Standard for paypal buttons. Express is part of a cart system like Mals or CM or Yahoo etc.

Karen