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Design Tip:
Ecommerce Part 2 - Shopping Carts And Databases
by Larisa Thomason,
Senior Web Analyst,
NetMechanic, Inc.
Deciding what product or service to sell on your ecommerce site is the easy part. Deciding how to sell it is much more complicated. This process involves selecting a shopping cart system, database, payment option, and Web host for your business. In Part 2 of our series, we'll discuss how to research your options and choose those that will help sell your product most effectively.
Do It Yourself Vs. Off The Shelf
You'll need to use a shopping cart system to take orders and process payments online. Customers browse through your products and select the ones they want to buy. Those items go into what is called a "virtual shopping cart" that customers can view and add or delete items before completing their transaction.
Shopping carts come in two formats: hand-coded or off-the-shelf.
Hand-coded shopping carts give you maximum flexibility and control over your site but often require special software and advanced development skills. You'll write small scripts in SQL, JavaScript, Perl, or VB, depending on your integration program, and insert the code into the page template's HTML code.
Some of the most popular integration programs are Allaire's Cold Fusion and Microsoft's Active Server Pages (ASP).
Very little coding - if any - is required with an off-the-shelf system. Some are so easy to use that you can put together a basic online store in a matter of hours. Usually, you don't buy the program outright, but purchase a license to use it. Your Web hosting provider can often provides access to a packaged system at a price less than you'd pay if you bought an individual license.
Be aware that a Web host typically only offers access to ONE shopping cart system! That's why it's critical to research and select the best system for your site before contracting with a hosting provider.
The Cart Will Carry Your Site
Your shopping cart system is the heart of your ecommerce site. Select it first and then identify which databases, Web hosts, and payment options will support it.
Packaged systems range in price from free to several thousand dollars. Here is just a sample for price comparison only. NetMechanic isn't recommending or endorsing any of these systems.
Internet.com reviewed some storefront packages and posted the results in the Ecommerce Reviews section of their site.
Prices depend on what functions and capabilities the systems provide. Pricier isn't always better. If you need a very basic shopping cart system to sell just a few products, then one of the simpler systems will suit your needs just fine.
You may even be able to get by with a free system. The Online Orders Web site has a section that briefly discusses the capabilities of 40 free shopping cart programs and contains a link to each product's Web site. The quality and reliability of free systems varies from product to product, as does the technical support available.
Take A Test Drive First
Off-the-shelf systems should have online demos that show you how to set up a system and navigate through the online storefront. Be sure to test drive each system that you're seriously considering! Evaluate each by answering the following questions:
- Is it easy to use? This is the most important question. You have to understand how to set it up and shoppers have to be able to use it easily. Some surveys have shown that up to half of all online shoppers abandon their shopping carts before completing their purchase. If your shopping cart system confuses customers, they'll just leave.
- Can it calculate shipping costs and sales taxes? Customers need to know shipping costs up front. You may also be required to pay state and/or local sales taxes when you ship to customers in your own state.
- Does it handle online credit card authentication and processing? This is crucial if you're planning to do online product delivery (software downloads, for example).
- Can you update your store online? Online updates mean that you can make quick changes to your online store from any PC with Internet access.
- Does the system offer much design flexibility? You want to be able to load your own graphics and customize the layout and color scheme to reflect the purpose of your site.
- Can you integrate the program into your existing Web site? This option means that you don't have to redesign a site from scratch. You can just take your existing content and link it to the dynamic pages.
- What reporting system does it use? The best ones will let you save reports in a variety of formats that you can download to a spreadsheet or word processor.
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Keep in mind that the easy-to-use systems are often the most limiting. They may support just one layout template or color scheme. When you're looking at the demo, pay close attention to the amount of flexibility the system provides.
Database Selection
Most packaged shopping cart systems have their own database built in, but it's an important consideration if you're building your own system. Consider the cost, ease of use, technical support, and Web host support before you make your decision.
Briefly, a database is like an electronic file. Information is organized in such a way that a computer program can quickly select desired pieces of data. To access information from a database, you need a database management system (DBMS). This is a collection of programs that enables you to enter, organize, and select data in a database. When most people speak of a "database," they usually mean a DBMS.
Web hosts typically support one database system: MySQL is a favorite because it's free. Microsoft SQL is also popular: you'll often find it (or MS Access) offered by Web hosts who use NT servers and support FrontPage extensions. Both databases are relatively easy to use and integrate into your Web site.
If you're already proficient with a certain database, then certainly make that a system priority when you're selecting a Web host.
The next issue of our Webmaster Tips newsletter will contain the third (and final) installment of our Ecommerce series. We'll discuss how to select the best Web host and wade through the confusing jumble of payment options.
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