To someone who is relatively new to e-commerce, you may be surprised to discover that there are a number of e-commerce solutions that are offered for free at an entry level. For someone who is just starting out and may be unsure of how fast their business will grow, these free solutions are great options. But before you start to look at the various software packages available, it is helpful to first establish your e-commerce needs. You can do this by evaluating your business.

Making Sure the Shopping Cart You Choose Is Right for Your Business

Take a look at the products you plan to sell. Are they items that are already widely available on the Web or are they things that are truly unique? If you are entering an already competitive market, take some time to browse the websites of your perceived competitors. Many of the free shopping carts require that the website displays their copyright notice on the footer of the page. In this way, you can gain some insight on what shopping carts they are using. At the same time, you can browse those sites to get an idea of the different set-up options available and the functionalities of the systems. This will give you ideas regarding the features you can have on your site. Things like discount coupons, signing clients up for newsletters, comparison features, and product recommendations can help you create a successful e-commerce website.  It is also a good idea to do an online search and see what shopping carts are recommended by IT forums.

How Does a Shopping Cart Integrate into Your E-commerce Website?

A shopping cart on its own is not a comprehensive e-commerce tool. It is simply a virtual shop front, a place where customers can browse through the various products that you have on offer and select what they want to purchase. The shopping cart provides a place where the customer can collect and store items until they are ready to proceed to the checkout counter and pay for the items.  Your shopping cart generally does not include your checkout, shipping or payment gateway. It also does not include your merchant account which is needed when accepting credit card payments. It is therefore important when selecting your shopping cart to choose one that integrates with your payment gateway and merchant account. If you are already a merchant account holder, speak to your card processing firm and find out what their recommendations are.

Essential Features of a Good Shopping Cart

You want a shopping cart that not only showcases your products but also helps you to grow your business. You also want a program that can accommodate your business as you grow and does not set limits on the number of products that you can have in your store. Look for shopping carts that has customizable product fields and options to include different sizes and pricing options. The shopping carts that make recommendations of additional products or allow customers to compare different brands are in a way virtual salespeople for you. These are the carts that you want to choose for your business. Make sure that the cart has an easy user interface and is easy to navigate. Otherwise customers may get frustrated and leave your store. Integration with your design and payment software is also a must.

Some Top-Ranked Free Shopping Carts

Opencart is a software package is a user-friendly open source program that is designed using PHP. It is known for its search engine optimization and simple user interface. A nice feature is that customers can post their reviews of products. This means that your customers can see other customers' feedback on your product and this can help boost sales.

Prestashop is a professional e-commerce solution that can be obtained via a free download. A strong feature of the program is that it allows you to track and update your inventory and process orders in real time. The enhanced security features allow for payment to be made directly into your commercial bank account. 

Storesprite is another software package that is free but carries a copyright notice. You can pay a small fee so you don’t have to feature the notice on your site. The system has helpful calculations features, and it is easy to install and use.     

Wordpress is one of the most widely used open source shopping carts available. It is easy to install and use, and integrates well with other plug-ins and software applications.