Shopping Carts For eCommerce: What Are They, And How Can They Help Your Business?

Virginia Miller

October 11, 2023

When you’re thinking about setting up an online store, the first thing you need to do is choose the right shopping cart. But what are shopping carts, and what should you look for when choosing one? In this post, we’ll explain what shopping carts are and how they can help your business. We’ll also recommend some of our favorite carts for eCommerce stores. Keep reading to learn more!

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What Are Shopping Carts, And What Do They Do For Businesses And Customers Alike?

A shopping cart is a piece of software that allows customers to add items to a virtual cart, and then checkout with those items. The shopping cart software is typically installed on a web server, and allows customers to add items from any page on the website.

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The shopping cart software also typically provides a range of features for businesses, including order management, shipping calculation, and tax calculation. In addition, many shopping carts provide integration with payment processors such as PayPal or Stripe, so businesses can easily accept payments online.

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Shopping carts are a key part of any e-commerce website, and can greatly increase sales for online businesses. There is a wide range of shopping cart software available, and businesses should choose the most suitable option based on factors such as their budget and existing technology infrastructure.

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There are many benefits to using shopping cart software for your e-commerce website. Perhaps the most important benefit is that your customers will be able to easily add items to their shopping cart, and checkout with those items when they are ready. This can greatly increase conversion rates on your website, as customers will be able to purchase products without ever having to leave the site or wait in line at a physical store.

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How Can You Choose The Best Shopping Cart For Your eCommerce Business?

As an ecommerce business owner, one of the most important decisions you will need to make is choosing a shopping cart for your website. There are many different options available, each with its own set of pros and cons. To find the best shopping cart for your business, it is important to consider factors such as payment processing capabilities, ease of integration with your existing website and level of security offered.

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Accepted Payment Types

One of the most important factors to consider when choosing a shopping cart is the payment processing capabilities offered. Different payment types are accepted by different shopping carts, which can impact your ability to accept credit card payments online and issue refunds or store credits. Some common payment options include PayPal, check and money order, bank transfer or wire transfer, cash on delivery, and credit card. Consider which payment options are most important for your business and choose a shopping cart that supports these.

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Ease Of Integration

Another key consideration when choosing a shopping cart is how easy it will be to integrate with your existing website. Many shopping carts offer powerful integrations with popular ecommerce platforms like Shopify or Magento, which can streamline the setup process and minimize disruption to your existing website platform. However, if you are using a custom-built website or another ecommerce solution that is not supported out of the box by your shopping cart software, you may need to spend additional time and resources on customization.

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Security

Security is an important factor to consider when choosing a shopping cart, as this can affect both your customers' confidence in your business and your ability to protect sensitive customer data. The level of security offered by different shopping carts may vary, depending on the type of encryption used, the presence of security features such as 2-factor authentication or intrusion detection systems, and how frequently security updates are released. When considering different shopping cart options, take the time to review their security features and ensure that they offer the level of protection that is right for your business.

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Integrations

In addition to considering the payment processing and security capabilities provided by different shopping carts, it is also important to consider how well they integrate with other tools or platforms used by your business. This can include things like accounting software, inventory management systems, marketing automation tools, shipping providers, and more. Choosing a shopping cart that offers seamless integrations with these platforms can help you streamline your business processes and save time and money in the long run.

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Pricing

Finally, when choosing a shopping cart for your ecommerce business, it is important to consider the pricing options and features offered by different platforms. Different shopping carts will offer different features and may be priced based on usage volume or other factors that are relevant to your specific needs. Carefully evaluate each option and choose one that offers the right combination

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Customization

In addition to the above factors, you should also consider the level of customization that is offered by different shopping cart solutions. This can affect how well the shopping cart fits with your business needs and branding requirements. For example, if you want to customize your checkout process or product pages, some shopping carts may offer more flexibility than others in terms

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Ultimately, the best shopping cart for your ecommerce business will depend on a number of different factors, including your budget, payment processing needs, security requirements, and other business needs. Carefully evaluate your options and choose one that offers the right combination of features and customization to support your unique business needs.

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What Features Should You Look For In Shopping Cart Software?

When choosing your eCommerce shopping cart, make sure you have checked the features for better eCommerce cart functionality. Some essential features include the following;

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Robust discounting Features

‍Regarding eCommerce, few elements are more critical than discounting solid capabilities. Look for shopping cart software that allows you to create promotions and coupons easily and generate highly customized reports on sales activity (e.g., sales by coupon code).

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User-Friendly Checkout Process

When people visit your website or online store, the last thing they want is a complicated checkout process. Look for shopping cart software that's intuitive and easy to use, with features like one-page checkout and guest checkout options.

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Multiple Payment Processing Capabilities

To boost sales and capture as many customers as possible, multiple payment processing options are essential. Look for a shopping cart software that can integrate with popular payment gateways like PayPal and Stripe and enable you to process credit card payments directly.

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Integrated Email Marketing Tools

Suppose you want to build customer trust and encourage repeat visits and purchases. In that case, it's essential to have a robust email marketing system integrated with your shopping cart software. Look for features like automated email campaigns and strong reporting capabilities to help you better engage your customers and drive sales.

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Mobile-Friendly Checkout

Today's consumers expect to be able to shop on their mobile devices as well as computers. If you want to stay competitive, then it's crucial that your shopping cart software can be accessed and used on any device. Look for shopping cart software that's responsive with a mobile-friendly design so that you can reach as many customers as possible.

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Abandoned Cart Functionality

One challenge that many eCommerce businesses face is the high rate of cart abandonment, where users add items to their carts but still need to complete their purchases. To minimize this risk, look for shopping cart software with features like automated email reminders and abandoned cart recovery tools, which can help you re-engage potential customers and increase sales.

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Security and PCI Compliance

A key concern for any online store is security, as you'll need to ensure that customers' sensitive payment information is always protected. Look for shopping cart software with robust security features, including support for PCI compliance and secure checkout processes.

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Payment Gateway Options

To sell products or services online, you'll need to be able to process payments. When shopping for a shopping cart software solution, look for options that integrate with popular payment gateways like PayPal and Stripe. This way, you can accept credit card payments and other payment methods (e.g., digital wallets).

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Customizable

Another essential feature to look for when shopping for a shopping cart software solution is customization capabilities. With the right option, you'll be able to tailor and personalize your online store to suit your unique brand or business needs. This can include customizing product catalogs, checkout pages, and order management systems.

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Easy To Update

To stay competitive in today's fast-paced e-commerce environment, it's crucial that your online store can be easily updated with new products and promotions. Look for shopping cart software that is easy to use and doesn't require specialized technical skills or coding knowledge. With the right option, you'll be able to update your online store quickly and easily.

Tax and shipping calculations

Finally, you'll also need to look for shopping cart software that offers advanced tax and shipping calculators. This way, your customers can quickly get accurate rates for their purchases and ensure that you comply with applicable laws or regulations.

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Mobile-ready

Another essential feature to look for when shopping for a shopping cart software solution is mobile readiness. This way, you'll be able to offer your customers the convenience of shopping on their smartphones and tablets. Look for options that are responsive and optimized for secure checkout processes.

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Affordable

One final factor you should consider when shopping for a shopping cart software solution is affordability. While you'll want to ensure that your option offers all the crucial features you need, it's also important to be sensitive to pricing. Look for opportunities with flexible pricing plans or one with a free trial, so you can test the system before investing any money in it.

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Inventory management

A vital part of any eCommerce business is managing and tracking inventory. With the right shopping cart software, you'll be able to keep track of your items' statuses in real time and automate reordering processes so that you can always have enough stock on hand.

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However, it would help if you determined the eCommerce website goals while choosing the best features for your eCommerce shopping cart. You can minimize your costs when choosing the features based on your needs.

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How To Set Up And Use Your New Shopping Cart?

The new shopping cart needs to be set up with the following steps;

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- You can obtain a merchant account through an online merchant service or your bank.

- Make sure your web hosting company offers a small monthly fee or a shopping cart free of charge.

- You can use the shopping cart of PayPal.

- You can take advantage of open-source software by adding a free shopping cart to your website.

- You need to purchase software that can help with the shopping cart installed on your website.

- If you can program your eCommerce shopping cart, you can use Structured Query Language and Hypertext Preprocessor.

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Tips For Optimizing Your Shopping Cart For The Best Customer Experience

Once you've found the perfect shopping cart software solution for your business, there's still work to be done. To deliver a great customer experience and improve your sales, here are some tips for optimizing your online store:

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Have High-Quality Products

Ensure your products (and their descriptions) are high-quality and accurate. For example, suppose a product is listed as being in stock when it's out of stock or needs to accurately reflect what the customer will receive (e.g., different colors). In that case, this can easily cause frustration and drive users away from making purchases on your site.

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Make sure Links Work Properly.

Ensure that all links across your website work properly and drive traffic toward the desired destination (e.g., landing pages). Broken links are frustrating to customers and can cause them to lose trust in your brand.

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View Software on Different Devices

Make sure you test your shopping cart software solution before going live by viewing it on different devices (e.g., desktop, tablet, phone) and browsers (e.g., Chrome, Safari, Internet Explorer). This way, you'll be able to catch any user interface issues and correct them before they affect sales performance.

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Create a solid refund policy

It would be best if you also had a solid refund policy. This way, customers will feel confident about their purchases and be more likely to make repeat purchases in the future. For instance, you may want to offer a 30-day money-back guarantee or have one specific for certain product categories (e.g., apparel, electronics).

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Offer multiple payment options

Offering multiple payment options is another good way to ensure that your customers are satisfied with their shopping experience and return in the future. Popular online payment methods include credit cards, PayPal, Google Wallet, and Amazon Payments. Ensure these different options are clear for your customers during checkout.

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Ease the payment process

One final way to improve the customer experience is by making their checkout and payment process as seamless as possible. Be sure that your shopping cart software offers multiple payment options, such as credit cards, debit cards, PayPal, or Apple Pay. You'll also want to ensure that you provide a guest checkout option so that customers don't have to create an account with your site to purchase items on it. The easier you can make this process for users, the more likely they will convert and become repeat customers!

The selection of the best software is essential to make the customers more likely to purchase and complete the shopping cart experience seamless. Overall, it has been identified that the selection of the right eCommerce shopping cart for the business can boost your conversion rate and salvage these lost sales.

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Conclusion

Shopping carts are an essential part of any eCommerce business. They allow customers to select the items they want and place them in a virtual cart, making it easy for them to purchase multiple items simultaneously. In addition, shopping carts can help you fulfill Amazon orders quickly and easily. If you're looking for a reliable fulfillment partner to help you take your business to the next level, get in touch with Simpl today. We'd be happy to discuss our services with you!

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