Practical eCommerce Interviews 1ShoppingCart
Last month we were contacted by an editor of Practical eCommerce looking for an interview for their upcoming Shopping Cart Review edition and were happy to oblige and answer their questions.
After submitting our interview answers to Practical eCommerce they went through the standard journalistic license filter and, because the finished product is not the same as the one we supplied (which is fine!), I thought it would be nice to post the full interview here for the benefit of our Merchants.
Make sure you click over and check out the final Practical eCommerce version of the Hosted Shopping Cart Review Interview too.
Hosted Solution Questions - from PracticaleCommerce.com
1. Why should an ecommerce business consider a hosted shopping cart, versus purchasing a one-time cart license?
A hosted solution ensures:
Quick implementation and turn around, inclusive security, 24/7 monitoring, no investment in infrastructure, full & continued support, regular automatic & free software upgrades, a maintenance free environment, easy data management accessible from anywhere in the world and a generally more robust system.
In addition to what you would find in a standard hosted shopping cart solution, 1ShoppingCart also offers advanced support, industry leading security with full CISP/PCI certification, and fully integrated email, broadcast and affiliate marketing modules.
As a hosted solution we are responsible for the entire infrastructure, as well as maintaining the safe and smooth operation of our merchant’s data and order process and we’re fully prepared to deal with any emergency situations that may occur with our merchants businesses online.
Really, a hosted solution is perfect for most entrepreneurs and small to medium sized businesses which don’t have or want to invest in their own IT departments, and choosing to run your business online using a hosted shopping cart solution would prove to be the cheaper, easier and least risky solution for most business owners.
2. Critics say that hosted carts are less flexible than licensed carts. Is this true?
That’s such a broad generalization. It’s sort of like saying all domestic cars are less reliable than imports.
Like licensed carts, not all hosted carts were created equal and I’m sure you’d find both more and less flexible versions in both categories.
The only aspect of the 1ShoppingCart system that could possibly be called ‘less flexible’ was done by design and would be the actual shopping cart checkout page which resides on our servers and still offers a large amount of customization.
We’ve always focused on listening to the requirements and needs of the merchants using our system and have been very fortunate to have attracted a core group of merchants early on who also happen to be among the leading internet marketers and entrepreneurs online today.
Their feedback has helped us create a shopping cart page built to provide as much customization as possible while still providing one of the most secure shopping experiences currently available.
And while it may be true that some licensed carts may offer slightly more ‘shopping cart page’ customization (as long as you’re comfortable programming your own changes or paying for a developer to do it) many of those same carts lock you into very specific templates and design constraints through your entire storefront (website, catalogue pages etc); something you won’t encounter with a hosted shopping cart like 1ShoppingCart.com.
As a whole, 1ShoppingCart’s eCommerce platform offers the ultimate eCommerce flexibility with control over the entire process through its unique integration method, providing FULL control over the design, look & feel, SEO etc. of your own website and order process with absolutely zero design limitations.
3. What does 1ShoppingCart cost? Price ranges?
Our Shopping Cart package is just $29 per month and includes everything needed to run a business online.
One of the benefits of being a hosted solution allows for us to offer a whole suite of more advanced tools including email and broadcast marketing, affiliate marketing, ad tracking, dedicated IP services etc., without having to charge our merchants until their businesses are prepared to take advantage of the increased functionality. All modules are pre-integrated and available with a flip-of-a-switch readiness that allows us to grow alongside our merchants needs.
Standard packages cost between $29 and $79 monthly with discounts available on annual packages. The low monthly prices with no start up fees ensure a low start-up and maintenance cost for any business.
4. By PeC’s count, there are over 300 hosted and licensed carts available. How can a smaller business know which of these is the best fit? Any advice for a smaller business owner?
It’s hard to do when you’re first starting out, but it’s really important to think about where your business is going to be in 1, 3 and 5 years and choose a platform that will continue to be a viable solution throughout your growth.
Finding a solution that can grow with your business, while not having to pay for features you aren’t using right from the get-go will prove to be an extremely valuable asset for your small business.
Also consider the amount of time you want to invest in maintaining and upgrading your eCommerce solution. Most business owners will agree that time is much better spent on efforts to grow their business, not in applying the latest patch to your software or in long conference calls trying to figure out if your order process meets the newest stringent requirements being set out by the credit card industry; and that means a hosted solution is the way to go.
Other things to consider include:
- Time to market – How long it takes you to launch your eCommerce store after investing in a solution. For instance, with 1ShoppingCart and a pre-existing website, a merchant could be up and running with a few products within an hour!
- Security – Is the cart PCI/CISP certified? Do they offer HackerSafe?
- Support – Can you call someone? Submit email or ticket support? What are the hours of operation? How well trained is the person helping you?
- Is there growth potential – Is the shopping cart just a shopping cart or does it offer advanced features like email marketing, autoresponder follow-up, affiliate management, ad tracking, analytics etc.? Do you have to pay for these features before you’re ready to use them?
5. Other thoughts on hosted or licensed carts?
The fact is there are a variety of great licensed and hosted solution shopping carts available. You really have to compare what you’re getting for your money and consider how much time you want to, as a business owner, dedicate to integrating and maintaining your shopping cart process.
At 1ShoppingCart.com we’re very focused on the needs of the small business owner and ensuring a flawless and secure shopping experience. This includes supporting our merchants through the entire growth of their business online, enabling them to concentrate on growing and marketing their own businesses.
When you invest your business in a hosted system like 1ShoppingCart you’re paying for an entire secure infrastructure where millions of dollars have already been invested to build-in the highest levels of certified security, including PCI/CISP certification through the credit card industry and HackerSafe certification through ScanAlert. Both of which might be unrealistic for the average small business owner to implement but both of which are absolutely necessary for business online today.
For instance, the credit card industry enforces fines and penalties of up to $500,000 PER INCIDENT of credit card data loss when not PCI/CISP compliant. Alternatively, HackerSafe is the world’s most recognized assurance of internet security and studies have shown that displaying the HackerSafe logo is enough to increase conversions by up to 14%. 1ShoppingCart features the HackerSafe logo on the checkout process and will shortly be making it available for our merchant’s websites!
