shopping cart/database

[MattE]

I have a client who has a few hundred products. He is currently using siteblast, which is very restrictive in what flexibility it offers.


Can anyone recommend a shopping cart+db solution that allows:

1. A cart that can be installed on a server of his choice.

2. a simple web based entry

3. The BIGGIE - one that creates html pages so search engines can access all products, category pages etc.

Faling number three, our options would then be to create static html category pages for se.

suggestions??

M

[Corey Bryant]

What language are you searching for?

If you are looking for PHP, you might check out osCommerce and the contributions that it has. Plus using ISAPI re-write on windows or mod_rewrite on *NIX, you can create searchable URLs

[mktplace]

You can always use mod_rewrite to change urls with ? and lots of & in them to what appear to be static URLs to the search engines - assuming you are running a recent version Apache. . .

This lets you convert http://domain.com/productlist.asp?ca...ue_socks&id=43 to something in the form of:

http://domain.com/catalog/socks/blue_socks/43/

it can be asp, php, even cgi scripts!

Cart choice on the the other hand, needs to be based on what you are coding in, how flexible you want to be, whether you are willing to pay for one, and what the volume of orders is (do you want auto-merchant account processing via a gateway?)

[valuecom]

PERL is the solution.
If the DB has less than 100,000 products
you can build a PERL flat file db that will
run as fast or faster than any other solution.

It is free on all servers, and has literally thousands of cheap of free scripts available
to do this.

PERL, the last and still best reminder of the days when the web was FREE...............

.. Roger

[forcefx]

The best I found was through ASP...

I created this site in less than 48 hours..
http://www.skitrucks.com/

Using SQL Server and asp was quite simple-
shopping cart is custom and easy to use - all product text and pictures can be uploaded and modified from the back-end-

I also have the ecommerce XML object that will send the weight to UPS and calcultae 3-ground shipping as well send data to any merchant accounr - collects all customer orders and totals - sends them and the admin an automated email confirmation - I can hook you up for $500.00 for the entire system and you can re-sell for 1,500 - $2,000.00

Patrick

[dpaule]

Interchange at www.icdevgroup.com is one of my favorites. Though it may look a little daunting it is extremely flexible. It runs on most operating systems, though I have about six sites on a FreeBSD, mySQL senario. Good luck and I hope that helps.

[MattE]

Thanks guys
I did find one called sun shop - produces html pages and all.

The client does not have the ability to be learning coding at all - just an off the shelf solution.
Thanks again

[smithlarry]

Look at Quikstore. It soundslike what you are talking about.

[vitamins.com.au]

I've used x-cart for years on numerous websites and I can recommend it, however, with the knowledge I acquired since, I would opt for OScommerce wich is similar but more flexible and free.
Both offer the option to generate a html catalogue from PHP but it's not necessary anymore since SEs pick up PHP very well now and my PHP pages actually rank much higher than my html catalogues with the same content.

[TrafficProducer]

Some shopping Cart links here, sorry none recommend:-

http://www.paypal.ukshoppers.com/sho...art_links.html

[smakyyy]

I used VPASP shopping cart and put together a site in about 3 hours. www.cheapskatesrus.com

it is indexed by search engines.
for example i am on the first page of google for product - bck300 and bck400

also similarly ranked on yahoo.

so i dont see any reason you should only have html pages in output as asp gives you a page that is indexed by search engines without a problem.
my 2 cents :-)

[MattE]

smakyy r u sure? no pr on any pages of depth...

[kservik]

Originally Posted by smakyyy

I used VPASP shopping cart and put together a site in about 3 hours. www.cheapskatesrus.com

it is indexed by search engines.
for example i am on the first page of google for product - bck300 and bck400

You need external deep links to product pages to rank well and you dont easlily get that with those URLs.

[maha]

Oscommerce is the best in my opinion.

[vark]

Zen Cart is a great shopping cart and is easily modified.

vark

[kservik]

What does the product URLs look like?

[anand101]

hi,
try this cart i am using it meets all your needs, http://www.shopstorenow.com
sql/asp and html product pages, full accounting

Thanks
TS
shopshop.com

[smakyyy]

i do recognise that the internal pages do not have PR but all my products do rank in SE's

so bottom line is i am up there in the search engines.
so my main contention is - that no matter what type of shopping cart you use.. u will still be ranked.wether it is php or asp or jsp or plain html.

[kservik]

Well, you have to take into account how competetive the search phrases are.

If you are serious about ranking you should go for a cart optimized for search engine spiders and for linking strategies.

Kim

[smakyyy]

well- i dont see your sites ranking that well - so am wondering what oyu base your opinion upon. not trying to put you down - just would like to know :-)

[kservik]

I wont even degrade myself to respond to that even.

[Jerry]

Smakkyv,

I've noticed that is is a bit more difficult to get higher PR on asp pages, but as you point out, they are indexed, they do show in the SE's, and we're selling product off of pages that are very plainly *not* spider friendly.

In the end, I'd say if you've got a ton of competition and extremely competitive keywords, it might be worth URL rewriting. Otherwise, all it takes is a bit of time for the SE's to grab hold of the product listings and start handing them out.