Thread: Shopping Cart Advice

Hello VodaHosters :),


My father is the proprietor of thebestvacuumsiteever.com, and we have recently signed on to your service. Since this is our first website, we were wondering whether anyone could offer any advice on which shopping cart we should use for our e-store.

I see you have several threads devoted to technical issues of specific shopping carts, but I couldn't find any topic or sub-category devoted to comparing and contrasting them. So I'm wondering what the commercial people think of them and their strengths and weaknesses. This seems like the most appropriate forum for that, but of course you can move as need be.

I appreciate this advice in advance as a n00b!

Regards,

ManyMinds

Many Minds-
There are so many variables you need to address about what YOU (or in this case, your father) need in a shopping cart. How many products will he be selling? Do you have a merchant account or plan on getting one? Do you plan on selling just through paypal? Do you need a cart that is catalog driven? If not, do you want to completely design the store, including the cart?

Ok, I know I'm confusing you, but you need to sit down and see what you need/want - then you can look at the various options. You'll see by the links in my signature, that I have stores. I build using BV and I use a cart called Cart Manager. This is a method that is not a catalog driven cart and the method I prefer. However, if you want a catalog driven cart, you might want to look at Soho (which is offered by VodaHost). If you go with that and have a merchant account, you then would need to purchase a dedicated IP and SSL certificate.

If you only plan to sell using Paypal, you can use any of the above methods. But I would recommend then that you build with BV and use the built in Paypal features.

If you want a catalog driven cart and do not want to use Soho, you have many other options through VH - including using OSCommerce or ZenCart to name a few. And if you don't want/need the catalog cart - there are other options other than Paypal or CM - Mal's Ecommerce is one.

But, YOU need to do your homework. And before you can start building a store anywhere, you need to make the shopping cart decision.

Thank you for responding Beth.
I'm Brian (the Dad) and my site "thebestvacuumsiteever.com" will sell about 300 items to start with. Initially I will use paypal only for payment, but will this choice allow me to configure the design of pages or will I have to do it paypals way. Can you explain a catalog driven site from one that is not.

Based on your information I am leaning toward VH with built in paypal features. but will this allow me any design flexibility.

Many thanks,

bstvacbrian

Using BV and the paypal built in - allows you complete design flexibility.

Using a catalog driven cart (Soho, OsCommerce, ZenCart, etc) will not give you the same flexibility - but will make some other things possibly easier. There are plusses and minusses of both ways. Most people will say the more items you have, the easier it will be with a catalog driven cart - as you follow the rules of inputting the information, and it generates the "catalog" pages that people see.

Personally, I like being able to completely design - so choose not to use that type of cart. Now, if I was a wholesaler, say, I would use that - where I wouldn't need all the flexibility.

It really depends on what will work best for you.

Originally Posted by Bethers

Using BV and the paypal built in - allows you complete design flexibility.

Using a catalog driven cart (Soho, OsCommerce, ZenCart, etc) will not give you the same flexibility - but will make some other things possibly easier. There are plusses and minusses of both ways. Most people will say the more items you have, the easier it will be with a catalog driven cart - as you follow the rules of inputting the information, and it generates the "catalog" pages that people see.

Personally, I like being able to completely design - so choose not to use that type of cart. Now, if I was a wholesaler, say, I would use that - where I wouldn't need all the flexibility.

It really depends on what will work best for you.

hi bethers can you please help.....i am useing bv and am trying to put tick boxs next to my products, ie size, color, i am using paypal and need to link the tick box to that, so i know what has been ordered! been trying to find out all day!! many thanks

Adele,
That has to be part of your shopping cart - you'll have to look at Paypal to see if they can do that - or talk to Naval about what he has - or use something like I do - CartManager - or look at Mal's E.

Originally Posted by Bethers

Adele,
That has to be part of your shopping cart - you'll have to look at Paypal to see if they can do that - or talk to Naval about what he has - or use something like I do - CartManager - or look at Mal's E.

many thanks Bethers......can you us cartmanager in bluevoda? and where will i get it from? does it work with paypal....sorry i am really new to all this...many thanks again

Originally Posted by adele1972

hi bethers can you please help.....i am useing bv and am trying to put tick boxs next to my products, ie size, color, i am using paypal and need to link the tick box to that, so i know what has been ordered! been trying to find out all day!! many thanks

You can do this at paypal, when creating your "add to cart" buttons, you choose more options, you end up having page 2 of creating your buttons where you also can provide the links for your custom "return to site" pages, and "thank you's" for purchases - here is where you can add the drop down menu to add sizes or colors .. paypal doesn't offer price variables for individual items, however, Naval has made a post in regards to adding a bit of extra script which will have your paypal button do this for you as well, (if the same item in different sizes or colors needed a price differential that is) .. but yes, you can do this at paypal ..

So instead of using the paypal features within BV - go directly to your paypal account and create your cart there ..

Many many thanks ladyeye

Hi! First post... don't even know if I'm in the right place or doing it right but here goes...

Bethers, I've beuilt the first part of my wife's site and am now at the shopping cart stage, something I've never done before. I want to have design control, using bv, and understand that Cart Manager will allow mw to do this. Is this true? Will I be able to integate the shop into the feel of the site? Will the free download give me a feel for the comfort of using it before I buy? And lastly, although I visited it once, I cannot again find your reseller's page... can you provide me with that url? I know you are the last one to really promote yourself financially in this forum but I'm asking so it should be ok... thank you for any help ypu may have.

Ken
sedonaaromatherapie.com

Ken,
If you download the trial version - it will work the same as if you buy it - except you won't have the extras that are in the higher priced versions.

You can get to it here: CartManager

And you can reach me at my contact info from that site if you have any questions.

Thank you, Bethers! I don't know how you keep on top of everything going on here with everything else you do but I'm grateful you found my query. Will be in touch.....:)

Ken

will always be a private.....^....