Question
Do you run storefront software on your own website? If so, which one? ocCommerce, Zen, x-cart, miva, something else?
Just curious.. Any good or bad experiences? Recommendations?
-Jim
Answer
I used this one Jim:
http://www.ecommercetemplates.com/
But my website designer customized the heck out of it for me. Unfortunately I can't tell you much about ease of installation or anything else because she did everything except add the inventory (actually, she added the initial batch of products for me too, LOL).
Answer
I am back using Miva again. I keep trying to leave it but keep going back. I do get frustrated that you really can't change the look and feel that much. Sort of a stagnant format. But its worked, so hey, I'm back with it again.
I have tried osCommerce, ZenCArt, CubeCart, AgoraCart and find with the freebies you run into problems. Right now with the Cubecart there were updates and it totally wrecked my site that all the links end up back to the home page. I don't have time to fix that stuff.
And when you are in Canada, a lot of the freebies are to hard to configure for multiple taxes. They allow only one tax. And the shipping configurations are US based as well.
One I am trying for another of my sites is ViArt. It seems real nice and the support has been excellent. The trial is not limited (but you have a Viart top on your page) which is fine for me as the site isn't live, so it gives me lots of time to work with it without worrying about a 30 day time constraint. And it works with downloadable products.
I have consdered X-Cart. Anyone here us it?
Jill
Answer
I'm using x-cart, it seems to suit my needs, but does require some tweaking to optimize for SEO, Search, and image views. Being a "pay for" cart support seems to be more readily available, but it does come at a cost.
The system is php based and runs a MySQL database and with a heavily inventoried shop, things can slow down a bit, but there are some modifications available to remedy some of those issues also.
The cart also uses smarty tags which enables a savvy "smarty" developer to easily customize the look and feel of the cart to suit specific needs.
All in all, I'd rate it a 7 out of 10.
Answer
I'll be very interested to see the replies in this thread.
I have hoped that one or two choices would emerge as the front runners from among all of the available options for sellers that use the eBay Store and want a website/storefront.
That would provide a community who could share common issues like transferring descriptions, image hosting, inventory control, ME page linking, up selling at checkout, as well as a range of design and promotional approaches.
Unfortunately, regarding my hopes of a common usage community, the number of choices for a separate site continues to expand and fragment.
While many of the osC choices and storefront services have communities for support, few seem to have any large number of users coming from eBay Stores.
ProStores might seem an option that fits my needs but because it is eBay owned, I won't go there.
I admire those that have gone out on their own, built a site and are benefiting from being independent of eBay.
I also know myself well enough, based on my previous experience including an alternative site now sitting vacant and unused, that moving into an established community will best serve my needs and talents (or lack there of).
eBay Stores have enough enhancements, not to mention glitches, to keep me challenged and my next site will have to have reasonable ease of usage for me to have some success. I realize that ease of usage will likely cost me initial and ongoing fees but that is an acceptable expense.
St. Elsewhere is a term that started to be used on the eBay Store Board to discuss the concept of alternative sites without running afoul of the eBay censorship of discussions about specific alternative sites on their chat boards.
Unfortuanately St. Elsewhere seems to have become St. Everywhere, without a few options yet becoming the sites of choice for a majority of users.
Maybe we will scatter on the winds.
I still hope enough of us land somewhere together, so that our common roots and future interests can be mutually supportive.
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I'm using X-Cart, but I wouldn't say I'm any sort of expert like ForkTender seems to be. X-Cart does have a one-time fee, but it was pretty reasonable when I purchased it (can't remember exactly, but maybe $150.00)
I'm considering a second x-cart store (with a second license)
If I were you, Ray, I'd go with x-cart. We've got quite a few folks here at here who are familiar with it. And some that could do the basic setup also.
Elaine
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I was hoping for more answers to this thread. Hoping maybe another Miva user could let me know if its possible to redo the basic design.
Thought there were more x-cart users, but maybe they aren't visiting this forum, although if lots of people are like me, I simply use the new posts button so I don't miss anything.
Jill
Answer
Jill~
Let me ask...
Are you trying to change the look of the cart from within the ADMIN panel or by editing the source code?
The reason I ask is that in my quest to find a suitable cart solution I found very few that allowed much customization from within the ADMIN panel. Most if not all of the cart providers I looked at would not give you the ability to do much as far a design. Color changes, font changes and maybe some basic movement of some of the cart "fixed" properties where allowed, but by no means any real customization. Although, most of the providers you mention do supply you with the source code and within the code the templates to customize the entire look and feel exist.
For me, I went to a professional designer to create the "skin" and did all of the back end stuff myself. I'm about as artistic as an chimp with a crayon, so I didn't want to tackle that task. The designer used Photoshop to design the skin and I sliced it into manageable image slices and loaded the skin into my main template. With some quick tutilage on smarties I was able to put things where I wanted them.
Point being, I don't think there is an out of the box cart solution that will actually give you the ability to have all of the features your looking for and the ability to point and click to do complete customizations.
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Maybe a poll with several questions to see how many users have some form of a Store, including eBay, or website for selling, what they are using (allow more than one choice), if they are interested in starting, changing or adding a site and then some discussion of satisfaction and wants.
I'm generally satisfied with my eBay Store format, appreciate the supportive community and the enhancements but am frustrated by costs, glitches and what I consider poor customer service.
I would like a similar structure off eBay. I realize none would have the traffic but SEO and eBay customer conversion processes would help.
I see the possibilities divided into two general options. Either use an established Store site such as YAHOO (there are 20 or more choices in this category) or build a site using software such as some variation of osC.
While I admire those that have built and maintain their own site and pay only hosting and advertising costs I expect my best interests would be served by associating with a site where I pay initial and ongoing fees in exchange for active ongoing support and services.
Maybe the marketplace is fragmented because users have varied needs and want different solutions, options and costs.
But many users might be like myself where our interests are in running a profitable additional site and an expanded business without having to become expert webmasters.
Answer
Let me preface by saying…I no longer sell at all on eBay so my views are probably jaded.
I think that any serious online seller or “e-tailer” needs to begin to develop their own website, even if it’s just an initial attempt at making a presence on the internet.
The costs associated in this day and age are minimal compared to the fees that people are paying to eBay, Yahoo and sites such as these. Heck, for ~$350 you can get a year worth of ecommerce hosting, an SSL, and usually one of the “free” cart programs. Initially there is no need to do a bunch of customization. Get things set up minimally while maintaining your steady cash flow from your other venues.
I now spend the majority of my time working on my SEO and SERP’s and it has been a tough road. Some sites I have been indexed immediately and am beginning to see some real progress and others (Google) don’t seem to want to give me the time of day. I’ve read so many articles and books regarding these topics that my eyes would bleed, in the end, (imho) it’s about giving it enough time. Begin to put that time in now, and you’ll be one step ahead of your competition later.
Looking back, maybe I should have kept my eBay store alive and well through this process, but I didn’t and now have seen a marked reduction in my sales. Luckily for me it’s a secondary income so no real damage, but with the way things seem to be going over at the big venues I certainly wouldn’t want to put my livelihood in their hands.
Start now, start slow and build, learn as you go and still maintain your steady streams of income while giving yourselves options. Even if your focus is on sales rather than being a “webmaster” there is plenty of places to find qualified developers at a fraction of the cost that you’d be paying to one of the many turnkey store solutions out there.
Just my 2¢