Shopping Cart vs Shopping Cart

Everyone says their shopping cart is the best. So how do you know which one to choose?

1. The cart must be easy to navigate. Users do not want to learn how to use your cart just to buy.

2. Carts that require a signup are trash. 8 of 10 customers will not register for an account and if they do, they will not remember their pass the next time they try to buy. Asking for a registration is a sure way to lose customers.

3. Carts that use java or javascript are useless. With all the popup blockers many of the users cannot use carts that use javascript because their blockers see the normal functions as a threat. The cart should function on internal processes only.

4. You should find a cart that is easy for you to manage. Can you understand how the cart works? How difficult is it to add items, categories and photos? It's not very good if you cannot manage the inventory and sales. The cart should have a good web based management tool that you do not have to have a computing degree to understand.

5. Many carts have flashy looks but little substance. You need a way to collect credit cards. Does the cart include a secure location for payments? Does the cart allow you to do realtime payment processing? Can you collect paypal with the cart? A cart that wont let you sell is useless.

6. The cart should allow you to put all of your items online. If the cart capacity is low and you cannot advertise all of your products it would be a waste to start building.

All in all, the cart should be user friendly and functional. But most importantly it should be cheap! Don't overpay for a shopping cart. You likely won't need a cart that holds 100,000 items, so don't pay for a system that is targeting large retailers. Get a shopping cart that fits your business and budget.