Need help selecting Ecommerce Solution...

[indig0blue]

Hello Everyone,

I have been considering Ecommerce solutions from Network Solutions and Volusion. Both of these options offer everything I need in terms of back-end infrastructure and shipping/payment processing. My only gripe with these two options is the lack of being able to customize the design. I have a web design background and want to be able to customize the look and feel as much as possible.

The other feature that I need, is for customers to have the ability to upload a photo or number of photos when placing their order. This is a custom portrait business so this functionality is critical.

So, I guess I have two key requirements: one is to have extensive visual and design customization and the other is the ability to add in additional interfaces if need be such as the "upload photo" option that I need.

I appreciate everyone's help and am open to all solutions at this point.

Thanks.

[theengel]

You should be able to use just about any open source solution to accomplish this. I've used OScommerce, which I hate, and Jomla's Virtuemart (which I love). But the others would probably work as well.

Personally, I wouldn't touch a Shopping Cart Solution that you couldn't carry with you from host to host.

[Dubbya]

I'd recommend VP-ASP. I've been using it for two years and, having tried OS Commerce and a few others, really like it.

It's highly customizable, supports just about every payment gateway available and the back end pages are heads above most competitors. It's portable and you can do what ever you want with it. Support is pretty good and there are tons of 3rd party add-ons as well.

Try out the free demo, it's got limited functionality but it'll allow you to get a feel for it. The paid versions are very reasonably priced and full of some pretty amazing features.

Product Comparison

[Peter (IMC)]

I have a web design background and want to be able to customize the look and feel as much as possible.

Go for Ecommerce Shopping Carts & Search Engine Marketing by Merchant Metrix. They can also do your custom upload feature for reasonable pricing. It's also the best software to make sure your site is completely optimized. Even their checkout uses static URL's (Static URL's, but not a single page in a site managed by MerchantMetrix is static.)


Other solutions, especially open source solutions, require you to be a programmer, or to pay one, and you can be sure that that will always be less like you wanted and more expensive than you wanted. That doesn't mean programmers are bad people, it just means it's easier you can do it all yourself or at least change it your self (or an employee in your company) without having to be a programmer.

[doj464]

Other solutions, especially open source solutions, require you to be a programmer, or to pay one, and you can be sure that that will always be less like you wanted and more expensive than you wanted. That doesn't mean programmers are bad people, it just means it's easier you can do it all yourself or at least change it your self (or an employee in your company) without having to be a programmer.

You don't really need to be a programmer, you just have to get used to it - and having a web design background, you probably won't find it too hard. I like open source programs because there is so much customization available, and many supporting programmers that you can hire for cheap if need be. You might want to pick a specific open source solution, and stick with it. I use an upgraded version of OScommerce... similar to CREloaded.

[bj]

Try ZenCart, it's a more evolved fork of OSCommerce and fully customizable. And since there's a very active community, if there's any feature you need, you'll be able to find someone to whip up an extension for you that adds it, if it doesn't exist.

I have no problem making ZenCart templates jump through hoops. It's an easy program to skin. So is CubeCart, another favorite of mine.

[node-net]

Cubecart V4 is a very solid php MySql platform that is completely styled by CSS,easily validatable,
Cant recommend it enough. I use it for most of my ecommerce clients

[datetopia]

You probably need a more simple solution to provide exactly the functionality you require for you business, without other distracting features. You could post a project on a freelance website to get some quotes.

[saxman1973]

I took a few moments to look at Cubecart V4 as recommended by "node-net", and I agree that, at first glance, it seems to be a nice cart composed using CSS.
Having not ever used it though I have had extreme success with Early Impacts Shopping Cart. It is also composed using CSS and if you know how to navigate ASP includes and external style sheets you can customize it to whatever your site design is instead of using the cart defaults that most shopping carts give you. Good Luck with your new business!!

Saxman -

[msinfo]

OsCommerce, ZenCart and Avactis (my personal preference) are all good solutions. You can add a merchant account solution such as Echo, NexCommerce, or FastTransaction for a resonable price as well.

[villageloop]

We have worked with 3D cart for some time and thier system is an affordable hosted solution. I am not sure about the photo upload functionality, but you can customize thier templates as much as you want and quite easily. Check out thier chat and ask about the photo upload.
Their system is so easy to use, it may be worth it to have them custom build an upload feature for you if they dont already have it. You can check them out at Shopping Cart Software, Online Store Software, E-Commerce by 3DCart (and no, I do not work for them. We have used thier system for several of our clients)

[pixma85]

I would def. checkout 3dcart first than volusion than monster commerce.