Comparison of Shopping Cart Software

Shopping Cart Software Definition: What is Shopping Cart Software and Why is it Needed?

According to current studies, many German consumers spend more than 1,000 euros a year on online shopping. Over 85 percent of German consumers order more than once a month on the internet. This undoubtedly means enormous potential for all companies that can offer their products online.

More and more goods or services can easily be purchased online. For consumers, online shopping has been commonplace in many areas for years. Fashion, electrical goods, music, books or even travel, training courses, consultancy services and other services are now primarily purchased or booked on the web. Even B2B is increasingly adopting e-commerce. In particular, many buyers now prefer to get operating resources online. With the Corona crisis, customer acceptance and thus the sales of online retailing increased significantly.

However, online shoppers are also becoming more demanding. E-commerce experts who cannot offer their target group a completely smooth shopping experience have a hard time. In this context, current statistics on shopping cart or shopping cart abandonment rate are particularly interesting. Almost 70 percent of all online customers cancel their purchase during the checkout process, i.e. in the shopping cart. Important reasons for this are unsuitable payment methods, a cumbersome purchase process, technical problems, lack of motivation by the shop operator or even a bad visual impression.

A good shopping cart software prevents exactly these factors. While there are virtually no e-commerce systems or online shops without a shopping cart - the integrated solutions are not sufficient in many cases. This is mainly because they were developed for the masses. The individual preferences of special target customers can rarely be intercepted.

With the help of suitable shopping cart software for advanced online checkout systems, a shopping cart can be created that is much more precisely tailored to the target group. For customers, the use of such a tool can make the entire purchase process - from adding products to the shopping cart to payment and completion of the purchase - much more pleasant and thus reduce the cancellation rate.

Creating a Shopping Cart with Software: How Does Shopping Cart Software Work?

Most people have already had experience with the basic functions of shopping carts in e-commerce. The shopping cart is the area where customers collect the products they plan to buy. Finally, they receive a list of all selected offers that they can change or finalize. The business is finally completed by determining a payment method and a shipping option.

This frontend process is identical for almost every shopping cart. E-commerce learners are even well advised not to use a structure that deviates too much from this standard. Because an unfamiliar procedure at the end of the purchase is actually one of the central reasons for a cancellation.

How the shopping cart sequence can be organized in the background using the shopping cart software or how it works and what is possible with it depends in particular on the integrated features. The following elements are typical.

• Catalog management: The shopping cart allows a list view of all articles that customers want to purchase online. The software allows clear product titles, pictures, prices and other information to be specified. In addition, buyers should get the opportunity to edit quantities or sizes. In some shopping carts, cross-selling strategies and/or other sales promotions can also be applied.

• Solutions for abandoned shopping carts: Abandonment in the shopping cart is a big problem for e-commerce learners. Even if customers are just browsing and using the shopping cart for an overview of the products they might want to buy later, this leads to a cancellation with standard internet shopping carts. However, good cart software has solutions ready to avoid this. Here, carts can be saved and the prospects can be specifically reminded of their products left there by email.

• Integration of specific customer payment gateways: Shopping cart e-commerce software can significantly contribute to providing customers with a seamless payment experience. Such a thing is important solely because in fact, more than 50 percent of shopping cart abandonments result from unsuitable payment conditions. With a good online shopping cart software, e-commerce learners are able to adjust the payment conditions - and especially the offered methods - precisely to the expectations of their target groups.

• Calculation of taxes and shipping fees: The automatic calculation of sales tax and shipping fees can convey transparency to customers. At the same time, corresponding information is of course legally required. Especially for shop systems that were developed outside the EU, it can make sense for legal compliance or just for creating structures familiar here to implement an external online shopping cart solution.

• A user-friendly interface: Another central factor for shopping cart cancellations is difficulties navigating through the shopping cart to the checkout. With some shopping cart software, not only can certain features be integrated that ensure a smooth sequence. The interface layout and design can also be adapted advantageously with them.

• Shopping cart analysis and performance management: Online shopping carts can organize and categorize information on purchases in historical sections. It is possible to receive prepared or visually useful reports. These in turn give e-commerce learners an overview of the performance of their shopping cart and other business-relevant insights.

What are the Advantages and Disadvantages of E-Commerce Shopping Cart Systems?

Shopping cart systems for websites and online shops support e-commerce in a variety of ways. The most important advantages of cart software are explained below.

• A better shopping experience: Many customers shop online, particularly because they do not want to go through the tedious process of shopping in the store. But even in the online shop there can be stumbling blocks, which can significantly reduce the quality of the buying experience. The shopping cart is often crucial in this regard. Online shopping carts with convenience features, such as catalog management, shopping cart cancellation insurance, target group-precise payment gateways, voucher entry fields, discount calculators, quick payment options, etc., contribute significantly to more comfortable shopping. Normally, this can significantly increase sales.

• Improved order management: Shopping cart software allows sellers to optimally organize and track an order from assembly to delivery. Whenever a new order is placed or an existing order is canceled, notifications can occur. These not only inform those responsible about the incidents themselves, but also provide central data that is necessary for processing an order very easily. These include, among other things, product variations, item codes, order numbers, shipping and payment details, etc. These can then be processed automatically in return.

• Data collection and analysis: Cart Solutions provide a wealth of information. These can not only be used for optimized purchasing processes, but can also be used, for example, for sales and marketing campaigns. If cart software doesn't come with analytics, corresponding data is usually still integrable or exportable with an external application.

There are undoubtedly some strong arguments for using shopping cart software. Nevertheless, there can be specific disadvantages or difficulties when using them. The central challenges that companies or customers can face are as follows:

• Data Security: Online shopping cart solutions must ensure 100 percent protection of consumer data against possible theft. Furthermore, they should strictly handle transmitted information in accordance with European data protection guidelines. There may be deficits or need for improvement in systems that were not developed in the EU.

• Compatibility Problems: External shopping cart software is a factor that can cause problems at the technical level. If the application is no longer up to date or simply does not function well with the basic system, this can lead to crashes, long loading times, incorrect displays or similar difficulties. These in turn weaken the online shopping cart and the buying experience significantly. In such a case, even a shopping cart orientation that is visually and functionally very precise for the respective needs via the software no longer helps!

Finding the Best Shopping Cart: How to Choose the Right Shopping Cart Solution or What Should You Pay Special Attention To?

A software that best suits the company's requirements and customers should always be chosen. This should be done regardless of whether an e-commerce website is to be created from scratch or an online shop or its shopping cart is to be optimized. Target groups from different sectors always have different expectations of their online buying experience. Therefore, a shopping cart can only be maximally effective if it knows how to meet these sufficiently. In this context, interested parties should pay particular attention to the following factors when choosing a suitable shopping cart service.

• A Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) or a self-hosted shopping cart: With self-hosted shopping carts, companies have to manage the application completely themselves. This requires some experience in development. SaaS solutions, on the other hand, are maintained by the provider. They are better suited for companies with fewer human resources.

• The Scope of Function: Typical functions were already mentioned above. Interested parties should always pay attention to these. But some other features may still be necessary to meet one's own requirements or those of the target customers. Examples include shipping integrations or quick checkout processes via Amazon and PayPal.

• The Running Costs: Each shopping cart has its own price plans. The higher the costs, the greater the scope of functions. However, caution should be exercised when choosing a price level or a plan. Because maybe not all offered functions and/or services are needed. Then you may pay significantly too much. Free shopping card software is only the right solution in rare cases. It normally only offers very limited functions (not applicable to open source solutions).

• Customer Support: Since the shopping cart is a very important aspect for successful online businesses or for preventing purchase cancellations, interested parties should generally choose a solution that is ideally compatible with the rest of the software architecture. However, there can still be problems or business-related questions from time to time that can only be solved by a professional. Therefore, choosing a software with a support that is as broad as possible is almost always recommended. E-commerce beginners in particular should not skimp here.

• Easy Updating and Scaling: E-commerce is a continuous process. The chosen shopping cart software should therefore be able to grow with the further development of one's own business and also with the change in the expectations of the respective target group.

What Do Shopping Cart Softwares Cost?

Basically, there are three types of shopping cart software. In addition to the range of functions, these supply models in particular determine how much a shopping cart solution costs.

1. Open Source Shopping Cart Software

Open source software is released with an open license that allows all developers to access and edit the source code. An open source shopping cart has both advantages and disadvantages. As a rule, such a cart system is free. Since the source code is freely accessible, flexible extensions are possible.

However, such programs are rather something for experienced users and/or companies with corresponding personnel resources. A central customer service is not always available. If it is, it is usually not familiar with the company's individual adjustments. In addition, such software must be downloaded and installed on a web server. This is not only associated with effort in the short term, but in the long run users have to take care of administration and maintenance themselves.

2. Licensed Shopping Cart Software

Licensed shopping cart software is significantly simpler than open source applications. It is developed by certain providers and is made available in the respective purchased version after purchase. Prices range from around ten euros to several hundred euros.

The entire further development of the software is carried out by the company that developed it. Independent developers are often allowed to realize add-ons or other extensions. However, this is only possible with express permission. With such a solution, one is largely bound to the range of functions that the provider specifies.

Usually, a one-time fee is payable for the use of the software. However, some providers also use a monthly or yearly subscription model. The (technical) support is possibly not included in the license or has to be purchased extra or expires after a certain time.

Licensed shopping cart software can be installed and maintained in the same way as open source software. But there are also hosted solutions as software-as-a-service. These variants are usually best suited for companies that do not employ IT professionals and/or e-commerce beginners.

3. Hosted E-Commerce Platforms or Comprehensive Online Shopping Software

Larger hosted e-commerce platforms, also referred to as SaaS solutions (Software-as-a-Service), combine the shopping cart software with various other useful functions and web hosting. Usually, they offer a web-based interface for managing the entire shop. Hosted e-commerce platforms are generally the most straightforward way to get a functional e-commerce shopping cart.

Most providers charge a monthly fee that varies depending on the package. More expensive rates can cost several hundred euros. As a rule, however, they also include more integrated functions and other advantages. Many hosted e-commerce platforms offer a free trial period. However, products cannot be sold from a free test shop. It serves here only to be able to assess the handling of the software.

Free shopping software or platforms that offer a free package are usually very limited in scope. Here users, for example, can only manage relatively few products for the shopping cart or they are not suitable for analytics.