Choosing the Best eCommerce Software

OPERATION E-COMMERCE a game of dissecting the best e-commerce software by zippycart.com The Face of Any Brand: Storefront Minimum Features Include: Quick Always on-screen shopping cart 100% customizable design Ideal logo placement Customer login Category pages Detailed product pages with multiple images Product ratings & reviews (moderated) Ideal displays of sale & clearance items Real-time tax and shipping calculation in cart Save-to shopping cart feature Tell-a-Friend feature Clear display of accepted payment methods Clear display of store security Easy to find contact forms The Knowledge Base: Admin Panel Minimum Features Include: easy checkout (1 page preferred) Easy access to design tools Multiple reports regarding traffic, customers, products, inventory, sales, categories, & more Email access account sections Inventory mangement Order management Customer management Product managment Bulk Import/Export of products Sales & clearance management Help: helpful tips, guides, forum access, chat, etc. Online access for management on the go Ability to manage all solution tools The Voice Box: Blogs Provide updates to customers, disclose sales, post news, and improve SEO with an easy to use blog. Breathing Life into Any Store: Marketing Tools Minimum Features Include: Email marketing integration Affiliate management tools Upsell/Cross sell tools Coupon & discount codes Gift certificates The Heart of Any Storefront: Design Wish lists Customer accounts Set sales for customer groups Private customer deals Free shipping options Get X when you buy Y deals Automatic email order & shipping confirmation Gift wrapping Shopping feed integration Minimum Features Include: WYSIWYG design editing Access to HTML & CSS FTP access Drag & Drop design tool Multiple image sizes 100% customizable Free customizable templates НTML The Protective Rib Cage: Security Minimum Features Include: SSL Technology PCI / PA-DSS Compliance Fraud protection at checkout (through requiring CV2 or Captcha) The Funny Facebook Bone: Social Commerce Sell direct on Facebook and other social networks with ease. The best e-commerce solutions integrate with Facebook directly letting merchants manage all sales in one place. Other great social media tools include the integration of Twitter buttons, the AddThis button, and the ability to post YouTube videos on product pages and more. The Pot Belly: Payment Processing Minimum Features Include: Quick checkout Set tax rules by location Google Checkout PayPal integration Multiple payment gateways Real-time credit card processing Accept multiple currencies Accept offline payments Accept checks Automatic tax calculation Checkout questions option Easy returns/RMA system QuickBooks integration Writer's Cramp: SEO Minimum Features Include: SEO-friendly URLS Ability to add static HTML pages Add HTML to product/category pages Optimize Meta & Title tags Google Analytics integration Add alt attributes to images Optimize universal navigation Include footer navigation Manage 301 redirects Storefront on own domain name Fast page load times The Rumbling Stomach: Mobile Commerce More customers are using mobile phones to comparison shop and buy online. Mobile optimized storefronts make reaching these customers a breeze and increase sales on this important channel. The Charley Horse Pony Express: Shipping Minimum Features Include: Multiple ship-to Print shipping labels Real-time rates via FedEx,UPS, & USPS integration Custom shipping rules by location & weight Real-time package tracking Order tracking for customers Drop Shipping support Estimated shipping calculator for customers Customer group based shipping rules Free shipping promotions Multiple shipping options for customers Wrenched Ankle: Maintenance and Support Minimum Features Include: 99.9% server uptime Daily backups & restores Insight into monthly bandwidth usage Phone support that fits any schedule Email support Live chat support/support forums Online tutorials like videos & manuals Regular updates to remain competitive All updates easy to install or automatically installed For hosted solutions, support should not cost extra The Knee Bone Connects to The Ankle Bone: Ways to Stay Connected Extra Perks Include: iPhone app for store management Live Chat integrated with storefront Newsletters Email marketing tools copyright 2010 zippycart.com