| A premium web cart versus a standard web cart, | | | | part-time hobby. Because a hobby business is well |
| which way should you go with your ecommerce | | | | suited for free software as you're not really expecting |
| business? | | | | to grow the business nor are you expecting to make |
| How you make this decision can literally decide the | | | | a full time living from the venture. |
| short term and long term future of your online business. | | | | But if you're trying to create a real business, then you |
| This decision extends far beyond the simple layout of | | | | need to look and act like a real business coming out of |
| your website, it actually affects your entire marketing | | | | the gate. Think about how an offline business is |
| and sales strategy. | | | | started; lets take a pizza restaurant for example. |
| So let's compare the basic concepts of a premium | | | | The business owner opens their pizza restaurant in a |
| web cart and contrast these virtues to a standard | | | | location and building that is well suited to support the |
| web cart. | | | | business long term and for profitable success. The |
| Standard Web Cart - Just The Basics | | | | reality is that they lose money up front as they incur |
| When people first decide to get an online business up | | | | the expenses to pay rent, outfit the restaurant with |
| and running, they're often thinking about 1 thing and 1 | | | | tables, chairs, decorating etc. |
| thing only: how do I sell my widget and collect the | | | | They do this because they know that trying to start |
| payment? | | | | their business in the cheapest location and the |
| But along with the excitement of the new business | | | | cheapest building is going to result in very few |
| prospect, there's the accompanying fear that goes | | | | customers. |
| along with any new start up. Fear of failure, fear of | | | | Starting an offline business without a proper location |
| losing money, etc. So at this point in the decision tree, | | | | and appropriate outfitting is not a "stepping stone" to |
| the new online merchant starts looking for online | | | | success, it's a path to assured failure. And an online |
| shopping cart software that will get the basic job done | | | | business is really no different. |
| at the lowest cost possible. | | | | So let's look at the positive and negative attributes of |
| Free shopping cart software suddenly looks like the | | | | using a "premium web cart" for your business. |
| obvious choice and for some online businesses it will | | | | Premium Web Cart - Negative Attributes: |
| be the best choice hands down but for others it can | | | | - Cost - It's not free to start and will never be free. |
| be a costly mistake they never recover from. | | | | You will pay for the service for the life of your |
| Standard Web Cart - Positive Attributes | | | | business just as you pay for electricity, internet service, |
| - Cost - Free shopping cart software pricing is really | | | | and cable TV month after month. Cost is the single |
| hard to beat. | | | | negative associated with a premium web cart. |
| - Simplicity - Since there are few options with free | | | | Premium Web Cart - Positive Attributes: |
| software it's usually easy to set up. | | | | - Increased Revenue Per Customer - A premium web |
| - Availability - All you need to do is download it and get | | | | cart will typically have multiple up sell mechanisms that |
| started. | | | | effectively get your customers to buy more from you |
| - Large User Base - This is a double edged sword but | | | | per transaction. Think about McDonalds and "would |
| at least you know the "good and the bad" of the | | | | you like fries with that"...it works very well and is |
| system based on actual usage of others. | | | | something all online merchants should be doing every |
| But as the old saying goes; "there's no free lunch in | | | | day. |
| America". | | | | - Affiliate Systems - Having an army of affiliates selling |
| Standard Web Cart - Negative Attributes of Free | | | | your products is the greatest sales force known to |
| Shopping Cart Software. | | | | modern man. You pay them nothing until they create a |
| - Flexibility - What you see is what you get...literally. If | | | | sale and put cash in your pocket. An online business |
| you want something different then you need to hire a | | | | without an affiliate program is selling only a small |
| professional programmer to make the changes for | | | | percentage of its capability. |
| you. | | | | - Ease of Use - Extensive video tutorials and top rated |
| - Support - The software is free but the support will | | | | customer support. When you need help, you now |
| cost real money. There are usually large forums of | | | | have a true expert to help you. |
| people that will help answer your questions but it is a | | | | - Upgrades and Installation - All automatic and included. |
| "forum" format with no guarantee that anyone will | | | | - Complete Systems - Creating a system in a piece |
| respond to your question or in what time frame the | | | | meal fashion means you will have multiple programs all |
| answer will be forthcoming. So if you have a pressing | | | | running independently of each other. A premium web |
| question, you'll need to pay one of the professional | | | | cart solution will place all your systems under one |
| support companies to answer you questions. | | | | umbrella. |
| - Installation - For the technically proficient, this is usually | | | | - Multiple Websites - It's very likely that you'll have |
| not an issue. But if you're not comfortable with FTP, | | | | more than 1 website / revenue stream so you'll want a |
| setting "permissions" or linking MySQL databases, then | | | | system that allows for this expansion. Not many |
| you will need to hire a professional to assist you with | | | | systems will allow this but the best ones will. |
| the installation of the free shopping cart software | | | | - PCI Compliance - Don't risk your money and possibly |
| before it'll actually do anything. | | | | even your business. At $10,000 per incident, all it takes |
| - Large User Base - Do you really want your business | | | | is 10 stolen credit cards from your system and you |
| looking and acting like thousands of others out there? | | | | could have a $100,000 bill in the mail. |
| - PCI Compliance - Just as the desktop auto | | | | Summary |
| responder programs fell by the wayside 8 years ago, | | | | If you want people to treat and respect your business |
| these stand alone programs are not PCI Compliant | | | | like it's a real business then you need to treat your |
| and with the crackdown of the credit card companies | | | | customers as they expect to be treated by a real |
| on the rise, once your business hits their "radar screen", | | | | business. You never see a name brand business using |
| you're liable for up to $10,000 per violation. | | | | free shopping cart software or PayPal as their primary |
| - Looking Small - Last but not least, you spend a lot of | | | | payment processor and neither should you. You can |
| time and effort to look like a "polished" business with a | | | | find a premium web cart solution for about $30 - $40 |
| positive web presence. But as soon as your customer | | | | so invest the $1 per day and look like a real business. |
| adds their product selection to the shopping cart, the | | | | Your online business success will depend upon it. |
| illusion is broken and you've just screamed out | | | | A premium web cart or a standard web cart, which |
| "Beginner, Amateur, Small" in one action. It's the same | | | | fork in the road will you follow? How you answer this |
| as using PayPal as a payment processor because | | | | question is likely to determine the long term fate of |
| they're free...it's the tell tale sign of a beginner business. | | | | your ecommerce business. Discover how "free |
| Premium Web Cart - Advanced Shopping Cart | | | | shopping cart software" can cost you more than just |
| Software Solutions | | | | lost sales, it can easily cost you a lot more than you |
| This is where you really need to decide if you're ready | | | | possibly imagined! |
| to be in business or if you're really looking for a | | | | |