If you are an online retailer or are looking to become one, finding the right software to help you sell and manage your inventory online is important. Shopping cart software programs will help customers enjoy a positive and straightforward shopping experience on your website. They'll also make it easy for you to process orders, keep track of your sales, and know where your inventory stands.
There are many different types of shopping cart software programs. Each option will include different features, so it is important for you to take some time and learn about which option will best meet your needs. To help make this decision a little easier for you, we have reviewed five of the best software options that are currently available.
Top 5: Best Shopping Cart Software Reviews
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#1. 3dcart Shopping Cart Software
3dcart is designed to help you build an online store for your company that will help you take your business to the next level. This hosted eCommerce solution is filled with a variety of features designed to help you create an online store, sell your products, manage your inventory, and keep your customers coming back for more.
One of the features you'll receive when you sign up with 3dcart is their powerful website builder. This will help you create a professional-looking and functional online store. You'll be able to build websites for a variety of online shopping options including apparel, furniture, electronics, downloadable ebooks and other media, event tickets, subscriptions, music and more.
With 3dcart, you won't need to worry about your customers giving up on their orders because of a poor checkout experience. Their checkout system is designed to be straightforward, fast, and bug-free to provide customers with the best experiences possible. You'll be able to decide whether your website visitors get sent directly to their cart, to the checkout page, or back to a product page after they add an item to their cart.
Managing orders and product inventory is often one of the most challenging aspects of running an online business. 3dcart makes these tasks simple for you. It comes with built-in order management software to help orders get processed quickly as well as inventory management software to help you monitor and manage your inventory.
Unlike some other shopping cart software options, you'll also receive marketing tools to help you grow your business, retain customers, and add new customers. When you sign up with 3dcart, you'll enjoy built-in SEO tools, a built-in blog, the ability to export your products to a Facebook shop, and a targeted email marketing system. You can also offer promotions, coupon codes, daily deals, and group deals with 3dcart.
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#2. Shopify Shopping Cart Software
Shopify is another popular shopping cart software that can help you grow your business. This platform is designed to provide you with all of the tools you'll need to create your website, list your products, manage sales and inventory, and grow your business.
You will be able to design professional-looking webpages for your online store using the over 70 themes offered by Shopify. Their drag-and-drop store builder is designed to make it easy for you to layout your pages in a way that matches your brand and will be easy for your customers to navigate.
With Shopify, you won't need to worry about the once difficult task of keeping track of your inventory. They offer tools to help you manage your inventory, even if you sell from multiple websites or even brick and mortar stores.
If you have an existing website or blog, you can use Shopify to add a "Buy" button under any of your products listed on those sites. You will also be able to add secure checkout experiences to your website. Shopify sites can be optimized for mobile use, so you won't need to worry about which type of device your customers are using when they visit your site.
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#3. BigCommerce Shopify Cart Software
BigCommerce offers a variety of features that will help you build your website and grow your business in addition to selling your products online. One of the features you'll love about BigCommerce is how easy it will be to create an attractive online store that will help boost your conversions.
They offer a variety of themes you can choose from to create the look you're going for. Each theme is fully-customizable, so you'll be able to personalize it to match your specific needs and preferences. And, since every theme from BigCommerce is optimized for mobile use, you can feel confident that your customers will enjoy a positive shopping experience from all of their devices.
BigCommerce also allows you to customize each step of the checkout process. You will be able to control the steps your customers need to go through in order to finalize their orders and place them.
To help you increase your sales and gain new customers, BigCommerce offers a variety of other features. You can create and offer promotions and coupons to your customers, offer customized product recommendations for your website visitors, and allow customers to pay with a digital wallet such as Apple Pay or PayPal.
With BigCommerce, you will be able to sell your products through a variety or sites and locations without worrying about losing track of your inventory. The system can keep track of both online sales and in-store sales to help you always know exactly where your business stands and what you need to do next.
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#4. Square Shopping Cart Software
Square is another well-known shopping cart software that you can use to bring growth and success to your company. When you sign up for a plan with Square, you'll discover that selling your products online and managing orders is actually quite simple.
After you sign up, the first thing you'll want to do is design a website and online store that matches your brand and company. Square offers a variety of templates that will help you create an online store to match your vision.
Whether you operate a restaurant, run a retail store, or manage a small or large non-profit organization, you'll find the features offered by Square to be very useful and intuitive. Restaurants, for example, will be able to offer online order to their customers, import their Instagram feed to their homepage, import their logo, and much more when creating their online store. Retailers can offer the ability for visitors to sign up for an e-newsletter, offer in-store pickup, or high new arrivals or special products for their customers.
One of the nice things about square is that your customers will be able to pay in the way that is most comfortable and convenient for them. You will be able to accept credit cards, Square gift cards, Apple Pay, and Google Pay.
Square also offers a variety of marketing features that will help you promote your company and increase your sales. These features include SEO tools, the ability to sell your products on Facebook and Instagram, and more.
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#5. Volusion Shopping Cart Software
Volusion with be with you each step of the way from creating a functional online store, to selling products to your customers, to growing your business and adding new customers. When creating your website, you'll love using Volusion's store editor. This tool will allow you to customize and personalize each page of your store using the numerous themes they offer.
You'll discover that creating a store that is attractive and has all the features you want is easy thanks to the drag-and-drop options offered. When creating product pages for the different items you sell, you can create customized options for different products. Volusion even makes it possible for you to display variant pricing options based on the different options or subsets of each product you sell.
Volusion allows you to provide customers an option about how they will pay for their order. They offer integrations with different payment processors, including PayPal, Apple Pay, and Stripe.
One of the toughest parts of being an online retailer is managing your orders. Volusion aims to simplify this process. They offer numerous order management tools to help you process orders and manage shipping.
There are five different plan options designed to meet the needs of businesses both big and small. All of the plans allow you to sell an unlimited number o products and do not include any transaction fees when your customers place an order. Other features, such as abandoned cart reports, third party gateways, and traffic growth consultation are available with some of the more expensive plan options.
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Shopping Cart Software - Buying Guide
Finding the right shopping cart software can have a huge impact on your business. It can help you make it easier for customers to place online orders while also making it easier for you to process orders and manage your inventory.
However, since all shopping cart software options are not the same, you will want to take some time to decide exactly what you want to get out of the option you ultimately select. Our buying guide below should help you determine which features are most important to you.
To guide your decision, you first need to think about the number of products you want to be able to offer to your customers through online sales. If you only have a few products you offer, you will likely be ok using a simpler shopping cart integration that will let you add a buy now button to your product pages.
If you offer a great number of products, you will likely want to select a full shopping cart platform or an add-on shopping cart platform. Add-on platforms will allow you to turn your existing website into an online store by adding features such as customer checkout, product display, and inventory management.
A full-shopping cart platform will help you to design your website pages in addition to processing orders, managing inventory, and providing a checkout solution for customers. Full platforms often include extras such as marketing tools or blog capabilities.
Before making a final decision, be sure to also consider to weigh the price of each option against the expected benefits it will deliver for your company. You don't want to spend too much money that you won't be able to make back through increased sales through your online store.
best shopping cart software
After compiling our reviews of the five shopping cart software options above, we selected 3dcart as our top pick. We think you'll find that this software will help you transform your website and the experience customers enjoy when they shop from your online store.
3dcart provides subscribers with a website builder to help them create a professional, attractive, and highly functional website where customers can explore all that your company has to offer.
There are numerous templates and options available which will allow you to set up websites for a variety of products and services such as electronics, apparel, event tickets, music, and furniture.
3dcart has worked hard to create a positive, easy, and quick checkout process for customers. One of the biggest reasons customers leave a website without completing a purchase is because of a poor checkout process. With 3dcart, you won't need to worry about this problem and can rest easy knowing that your customers will enjoy a simple checkout when they are ready to place their order.
Some of the other reasons you'll love 3dcart include the marketing and SEO tools they offer, the order and product management tools, the mobile eCommerce capabilities, and the amazing customer support.
Frequently Asked Questions - Shopping Cart Software
What is a shopping cart program?
Shopping cart software is a program that makes it possible for online retailers to sell their products through their websites. These programs allow customers to select items from a retailer's website, enter their shipping and payment information, and place their orders.
What are the different types of shopping carts?
There are a variety of different types of shopping cart software. They type you'll need will depend on your website and the products you sell. Below are a few different types of platforms you may see:
Why should I purchase a shopping cart software?
If you are looking to sell your products online, or to do so more effectively than you currently are, investing in a shopping cart software is probably a good idea. Shopping cart software programs make listing your products for sale online and managing your orders simple. Most contain tools that will help you manage your inventory, calculate sales tax, and offer customers different shipping options. Some full shopping cart platforms will also help you create home pages, category pages, product pages and more for your online storefront.
What are the benefits of using an online shopping cart?
Shopping cart software offers numerous benefits for both your business and your customers. Here are some of the benefits customers enjoy that will make them more likely to make a purchase (and future purchases) through your website.
- Convenience: An online shopping cart can drastically simplify the shopping process for your customers, which is one of the reasons people choose to shop online. Offering your customers an organized website where it is easy to select the products they want, add them to their carts, and complete purchases will be a huge draw for so many of your customers and potential customers.
- Security: Customers will feel more confident knowing that the payments they make through your site are secure. When you choose a licensed shopping cart, customers will be able to see security logos to let them know their information is being protected.
- Payment flexibility: With an online shopping cart, you'll likely be able to offer your customers many more payment options than you'd be able to otherwise. Many customers have a preferred payment method, and if they don't see if on a website, they may just decline to make a purchase through that site.
- Making accounts and setting up wish lists: With many shopping cart programs, your customers will be able to create an online account where they can track their purchases or even create a wish list for the items they'd like to purchase in the future.
There are also a multitude of benefits that you'll discover for your business when you use an online shopping cart. These include:
- Payment security: You won't need to wonder about whether the payments sent by your customers will be approved or actually make it to you. Since shopping cart software programs can process payments for you, customers' orders won't be completed until their payment information is approved.
- Order management: You'll have an online dashboard with the shopping cart software you select. This dashboard can help you view and manage your customers orders and address any potential concerns they may have.
- Customer database/analytics: After customers make a purchase through your site, you'll be able to view information about them and the purchases they made. Most shopping cart programs will also automatically calculate statistics about your customers and the products they purchase. For example, you may be able to see which demographics purchased the greatest amounts of certain products.
- Professional-looking store: Many online shopping carts can do more than just calculate a customer's total at checkout. Most also help you set up your website and create an online storefront. You'll be able to create attractive product pages that will help sell your products and encourage customers to make purchases.
- Special promotions: You can easily offer special promotions or discounts to your customers. This can increase the chances that they'll visit your site to make a purchase and take advantage of the special offers.
- Integrations: Shopping cart services offer numerous integrations designed to help you streamline your business. They can be integrated with different email marketing software programs, other eCommerce platforms, accounting applications, and more. You can also integrate most with online chat programs, which can help you and your team encourage visitors who visit your site to add something to their cart to follow through a make a purchase.
- Feedback from customers: With many shopping cart services, it is easy to receive feedback from your customers about how their order experience was. This can help you make changes to your site or checkout process that may help ensure you retain more customers. Customers will also be able to rate their purchases, which can help make your products more attractive to other potential buyers.
Do I need shopping cart software?
If you are looking to sell your products online to your customers, then, yes, you will want to look into signing up for an online shopping cart service. With shopping cart software, you'll be able to list your products for sale on your website, customers will be able to add them to their carts, and then customers can enter their shipping and payment information to complete the purchase. You won't need to worry about manually taking down any shipping or payment information or losing out on customers who aren't willing to contact you to place an order.
Many shopping cart software programs also offer other tools and features that can help you improve your website and online store. Most offer a website builder to help you create attractive product pages for each item you sell that will encourage customers to follow through and click the 'add to cart' button.
Do shopping cart software programs charge extra when you sell more products?
Some shopping cart software programs will offer reduced monthly or yearly subscription fees for smaller businesses and online stores that are just starting up. Most will also have an unlimited plan option that you can sign up for (or upgrade to when your business is ready) that will allow you to sell as many products as you wish for no added fees.
Will I pay transaction fees for credit card purchases made through my website with a shopping cart software?
You will want to check with the specific companies you are looking at using for your shopping cart software needs. While some will not charge additional transaction fees beyond what the payment processors charge, other companies do charge fees.
What payment methods will my customers be able to use with a shopping cart software?
Again, the answer to this question will vary based on the online shopping cart you select. Some, of the many, possible payment options that are accepted by different programs are listed below. You will want to check with the specific companies you are looking into to confirm which payments methods they'll allow you to accept.
- Credit cards
- PayPal
- Amazon Pay
- Apple Pay
- Google Pay
- Bitcoin
Do online shopping carts calculate shipping for you?
Yes, the online shopping cart you sign up with should take care of calculating shipping costs for you. You will enter the information about your products and shipping carriers when you are setting up the program, and then it should be able to show customers their accurate shipping costs when they are checking out (or sometimes earlier in the shopping process).
You will also be able to program the software to automatically add sales tax to your orders.
Is my customer's payment information secure with an online shopping cart?
Reputable shopping cart services take measures to ensure that your customer's data is secure. This is something you will want to look for before signing up with a company to confirm that you aren't placing your customer's personal information at risk.
Some features you'll want to look for include an SSL certificate, 256-bit encryption of data, and whether the software is PCI DSS compliant.
Will a shopping cart software increase my sales?
The impact adding a shopping cart software may have on a business will likely be different for different scenarios. However, many companies have seen dramatic increases in their sales and revenue once they started using an online shopping cart.
Online shopping carts can simplify the check out process for them. They'll be able to review their order, make changes, enter their payment and shipping information, and complete their purchase all from the same page. This can make it less likely that you'll lose out on sales due to customers getting frustrated and leaving your website without making a purchase.
In the event a customer does leave your page before completing their order, many shopping carts can be set to send automated 'abandoned cart' emails. These will remind your customers that they had started shopping on your site and still have items in their cart waiting for them. These can help encourage them to return to your website and complete their purchase.
With online shopping carts, it is also easy for you to offer discounts or promotions to your customers. They can calculate site-wide sales you may be running and have a spot for your customers to enter individual promo codes you may be offering.
Since shopping cart software programs can be integrated with email marketing and other CRM services, the information from your customer's purchases can be an integral piece of helping your business grow. Your email marketing program can send targeted emails based on the items they purchased, ask customers to review their purchases, or send new product suggestions for them to consider based on the previous items they purchased. Clearly these features can lead to more future orders and increased sales.
Can a shopping cart software help me sell my products on social media or Amazon?
Yes, many software carts can be connected with your Amazon, Facebook, eBay, Houzz, and other online selling marketplaces. This will help you manage your business from one convenient spot and keep everything organized.
How much will I pay for shopping cart software?
The size of your business and the number of orders you process will impact the price you need to pay for a shopping cart software. Another factor that will influence your cost is the features included with the shopping cart software. For example, if you pick a product that doesn't offer all of the website building tools, you will likely pay less than you would for one that offers all of these features.
Why do customers abandon their shopping carts on a website?
Abandoning a shopping cart refers to when customers have added one or more items to their shopping cart on a website and decide to leave the website without following through and making a purchase. The reason a specific customer abandons their shopping cart on your site may be impossible to know, but there are some common reasons why customers may leave your site before completing the checkout process:
- Complex checkout processes
- Limited payment options
- Lack of trust
- High shipping fees
- Higher prices that other similar sites or products
- Technological glitches
Best Shopping Cart Software - Final Verdict
Don't wait to take your business to the next level. Head over to 3dcart's website today to choose the plan that will help your business grow.