Today there are hundreds of shopping cart applications, also called Ecommerce Systems.

Two Basic Distinctions

Ecommerce Systems are fully contained website content management systems. These are designed to provide a free-standing website. Once the eCommerce website software has been set up on your server, configured and customized, you and your staff can easily add new products, process orders, create coupons and change content.

Most eCommerce Systems are designed to allow you to manage hundreds to thousands of products, using a catalog store approach.

Shopping Cart Scripts, which, while similar to eCommerce systems, are typically designed to be integrated into an existing website. Simple shopping cart scripts are better suited for managing a handful of products, and can sometimes be much more limited in features than an eCommerce System.

Consider working with a website designer who has experience in eCommerce, as they can help you to look at the "big picture" and weigh the pros and cons of different approaches as it pertains to your particular situation and help you in making an eCommerce website decision.

Additional Articles

We have several detailed articles on this website related to Ecommerce, under our eCommerce article category. These articles may be useful in better understanding what you need to look for in a system, before you get too far into the process of building your webslte.

Questions?

If you have questions or would like additional information, please use the Contact Form below to get in touch with us.