Checklist When Shopping for a Shopping Cart By Sally Curran
February 11, 2008
Your site might be the belle of the ball. The pages are stunning, aptly attracting attention to your wares. And the material is smartly written, conveying every tidbit of information a potential buyer might ever want. A key part of that total package is missing, however, unless customers can gather the goods they want to pay for and complete the transaction.
A shopping cart is a highly important component of any e-business. While no one set of specifications will work for every Web store, we'll walk you through the basics of choosing and setting up the perfect shopping cart for your site.
Simply put, a shopping cart is software that permits customers to collect and buy merchandise online; it acts as the interface between the seller's Web page and inventory listings. Shopping cart software uses cookies to accomplish this.
Shopping cart software is available in two main varieties: standalone pre-built software and custom-created solutions. Kevin Harman, president of Brand Labs, guided the owner of RedHatsandMore.com through selecting a shopping cart for the site. He said that RedHatsandMore.com has used both options. The benefits of the custom option were the complete control of the design and functionality of the site, while the major drawback was the time necessary to "stay on the cutting edge and implement new features." On the flip side, the benefits of pre-built are the large number of at-the-ready features; however, your design options are limited.
The first step in selecting the right shopping cart for your e-commerce site is to evaluate what the specific needs of your site are. Michelle Greer, a marketing specialist for Volusion, said that new vendors should first create a list of the features they need and want for your site's shopping cart. Take a look at other sites to see how others are accomplishing your goals. Check out competitors' sites, as well as e-businesses you buy from yourself. Note what you like and dislike. Greer then suggested prioritizing the features and determining whether you want to take the time to find the right cart for your store (pre-built) or if you'd rather hire someone to find and set it up for you (custom).
A Shopping List for the Perfect Cart When deciding exactly what features to implement, remember there is no one-size-fits-all cart, but there are proven ways to avoid mistakes that lead to abandoned carts, according to the MarketLive report, "The Perfect Shopping Cart." The report provides 17 cart considerations in its "Checklist for the Perfect Shopping Cart":
Keep customers informed wherever they are on your site by implementing the global shopping cart.
Display shipping costs and tax as soon as possible to avoid sticker shock.
Give customers access to multiple shipping methods and update the cart total based on the revised shipping fee.
Empower customers to edit directly in the cart with add, delete and modify functions.
Build trust by offering guarantees and prominently displaying your privacy and security policies.
Use third-party validators like ScanAlert and Verisign to increase credibility.
Provide information at the right time — for example, provide stock status as well as expected delivery times before checkout.
More information is always better — customer service numbers and FAQs should be prominently displayed.
Sell in the cart with kickers and Add To Cart items.
Offer discounts, promotions, or offers — such as free shipping — for increasing their order size.
Keep customers on your site with "Continue Shopping" suggestive selling tactics.
Provide customers with Save Cart functionality so they can come back later.
Give customers a Wish List option for items they want but aren't yet ready to purchase.
Enable customers to print or email their shopping cart.
Integrate messaging that highlights the benefits that can be earned through membership in your customer loyalty program.
Promote your Gift Cards with "Add-to-Cart" functionality.
Don't let empty carts mean No Sale — drive customers to other parts of your site and offer them new, unique and interesting products.
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