Best Cart and Why

[BellisimaJ.]

I am trying to make a decision as to which cart to install and have a few questions. ???

1. Do I have to have a cart?
2. If I create my site using Go Live or Dreamweaver, what purpose does the cart serve?
3. Is a cart able to function as only a payment/checkout system and NOT a catalog? Is there an advantage to this?
4. Which cart is easiest to install and configure?
5. Which cart has the most attractive appearance?
6. Which cart is the most functional/has excellent ease of use?
7. How is SEO affected by the choice of a cart?
8. Which cart  do you prefer and why?
9. Can you reccommend someone to install a cart?


More questions later.

[xppman]

Yes you need a cart or at least Buy Now buttons for your products.

PP and Google Pay can generate Buy Now buttons for you.

Or if you have your own merchant account you can go with a third party cart
and they may charge you a monthly fee to host your cart.
Presently I'm using Mals Cart. $8.00 a month.

The other option and a FREE one... I'm looking at is ZEN Cart, but you have to
set it up and upload the files  to your host server and
you have access to your webhosting control panel to create a MySQL database.

That is about the extent of where I am at now. Was supposed to change to TT last week but been
doing research on the carts and such and OK generally playing a lot so.

As far as the rest of your Q's I'm sure some one will be along to answer.
I'll be watching as well because I REALLY want to set up my own cart and customize it and host it on the TT servers. That will save me 96.00 a year as opposed to using Mals cart.

[maryrussel]

Thanks to Kirk, who set up my cart I have osCommerce CRE loaded for my dog site and thanks to Jen I have Zen Cart for my writing site. They are both very helpful at setting up carts and their fees are reasonable.
Jen's website is http://www.ezstorehosting.com/
Kirk's is http://www.webgraphicssource.com/

I really don't have preference in one of those carts over another because Zen Cart works very well for my service site and osCommerce CRE works very well for my product site.

I don't think that I personally, would like Zen Cart for my product site after using os Commerce CRE. CRE seems more flexible for products than Zen to me but that's just my opinion.

On the other hand I think CRE features would be overkill for my service site.

[xppman]

Is CRE FREE? I only need a limited and simple cart.
No choices of size/color or shipping cost either.

A cart that I can
post the product, the cost, price points for multiples and
the ability to add MY logos
hosted on the secure side and paymetn options like
buttons for PP GP and my MA.

[regic]

I have osCommerce CRE loaded for my dog site

You should secure your admin directory by changing the directory name.

I'd also recommend adding the free SEO mod - i.e. pages like  http://www.uponabook.com/1812theamericanstory-p-9.html instead of http://www.theactivedog.com/product_info.php?cPath=33&products_id=62 . Without the SEO mod CRE, osC, and Zen pages aren't very SEO friendly.

Read more about making a shopping cart SEO friendly here:
http://community.tuliptools.com/index.ph...143.0.html

9. Can you reccommend someone to install a cart?

We're going to be offering free installation of osCommerce, CRELoaded, and ZenCart, and other carts in August. 

The ZenCart we'll be installing for free will have many additional mods -we should have our modified Zen version ready in 2-3 weeks.  I'd recommend Zen over CRELoaded.  It's more secure than CRE and has more features.

If you're considering buying a cart instead of using the open source carts, X-cart is a good choice. 

Is CRE FREE?

They have free and paid versions.

5. Which cart has the most attractive appearance?

The default templates that come with most carts are ugly. The good news is that with osC, CRE, and Zen you can easily modify the appearance yourself.

[maryrussel]

Thanks Regic. Great information.

[cranky_hippie]

We're going to be offering free installation of osCommerce, CRELoaded, and ZenCart, and other carts in August.

Hallelujah!! I may be saved! 

[xppman]

That's sounds great Regic.
I've already downloaded Zen and would be playing with it now
if the stoopid old Yahoo package offered me a MySQL database.

If it looks to daunting I will sure be asking for help,
unless the man in me that NEVER wants to ask for directions comes out.  LOL

I'm still coming over here... just want to make sure I have all my
shit together before I make the xfer.
I have pics hosted all over the net at SEVERAL sites that will be broken images
if I don't make the transition smooth and relatively quick.

The good thing for my situation is I can load the whole site up to TT,
and use my existing carts already on the pages
until I get ready to change those carts to my own Zen cart.

If that makes sense.

[cranky_hippie]

If it looks to daunting I will sure be asking for help,
unless the man in me that NEVER wants to ask for directions comes out.

XPP, if you don't want to ask because your "socks" get in the way, you are welcome to ask and blame it on me.  I KNOW I am ignorant when it comes to this stuff, so I'll be happy to take the giggles at my stupidity.

Just preface your questions with, "Cranky wants to know how to...." cuz I probably DO want to know how to.  ;D

[BellisimaJ.]

Thank you XP, Mary and Regic---great info!!

Regic, what is the advantage to using an X-cart over Zen, osCommerce, etc.?

Also, if I use Zen, for example, can I design and insert full pages ? Or, just modify what exists in Zen already?

Cranky, I am still having a hard time understanding exactly what a cart is and isn't. SO confusing. ???