E-Commerce...

Post non-phpwcms related topics here - but I don't want to see "hey check this or that other cms". Post if you have a point or worthwhile comment, don't post just to increase you post count!
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pSouper
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Post by pSouper »

What did you go for in the end DusX?
how did you get along with your choice?
DusX
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Post by DusX »

I am still deciding... the project that I need an open source system is moving slowly ahead.. so not a huge rush.
Would love to here some peoples opinions!!!

For another project I am seriously considering X-cart (x-cart.com)
Anyone have experience with this?
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DX
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pSouper
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Post by pSouper »

I was I have just recieved a call that could lead to me needing to create an ecommerce site and remembered this thread so was hoping you may have done my leg-work for me :D

more news on my decisions as i make them :)
DusX
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Post by DusX »

I look forward to hearing back ;)
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DX
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Jenpet
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Post by Jenpet »

DusX wrote:I am still deciding... the project that I need an open source system is moving slowly ahead.. so not a huge rush.
Would love to here some peoples opinions!!!

For another project I am seriously considering X-cart (x-cart.com)
Anyone have experience with this?
great cart, but not very cheap.. i can recommend it !
Todd
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X-cart, Click Cart Pro, and others...

Post by Todd »

DusX wrote:I am still deciding... the project that I need an open source system is moving slowly ahead.. so not a huge rush.
Would love to here some peoples opinions!!!

For another project I am seriously considering X-cart (x-cart.com)
Anyone have experience with this?
Some of the carts recommended in this thread are not open source but may still be very good carts.

Cubecart is not open source. They state so on the front page of their website. They charge only about $60 for a license that removes the powered by stuff. I looked at the demo and it seemed fine although I felt the website presented things poorly. I like to see a company that creates quality presentation even on their website.... because I think this is a reflection on the quality of their software.

Clover Shop is one of the pricier e-commerce solutions if you go with their more powerful versions. I have never used it although it does seem to have a number of very positive reviews. I also liked their presentation and demos very much.

OSCommerce was buggy the last time I tried to use it for a client. However that was about 2 years ago and it seems to have made progress since then by leaps and bounds. The price is free and thats a strong point. However, it was my experience that the shop was very hard to customize, although that might have changed too.

X-Cart is a very good cart. I have used it and it has very good support in the Forums. However, it does cost a few dollars... around $185 the last time I checked. Customization is possible by working with .tpl (template) files. This is one of only two carts I can heartily recommend without reservervation.

The final cart I can recommend is Click Cart Pro found at http://www.clickcartpro.com. It is also my favorite shopping cart out there. I know there are a whole bunch of you with red flags going up because you already know that Click Cart Pro is not PHP based but rather Perl! I too like PHP better than Perl solutions, but in all honesty, CCP is probably the most powerful and easily customized shopping cart on the internet today. In fact I do not know of a more powerful solution for e-commerce unless you have something custom coded.

Benefits of Click Cart Pro is that it can be used in conjunction with MySQL or it can used with a flat file system. Obviously, MySQL is the better way to go. It is also fully compatible with PostgreSQL and Microsoft SQL Server. So the database options are there!

It is one of the few carts with fully built-in support for what I consider to be the best and most secure way of processing credit cards on the Internet, that of the Advanced Integration Method provided by Authorize.net. You can read about it at http://www.authorizenet.com/support/guides.php. Many carts can work with AIM but are hard to configure. CCP allows you to simply enter your account numbers in a couple of places, add your secure url under which checkout will be processed and your done! Very cool!

Click Cart Pro costs about $180 and seems to be a bargain at this price. The shopping cart has several available hacks in the community forums at the softwares website.

Further, it also fully supports UPS and Postal Service shipping modules, and now also has a new module available separately that allows the store products to be submitted via right from the admin area to http://Froogle.com.

One of the sites that is using CCP that showcases how it can be easily modified can be found at http://www.gameskins.com.

There are stores on the web using CCP with over 100,000 items.

I have built 3 sites around CCP and am in the process of building a fourth. I cannot give it a higher recommendation. So if your willing to give Perl just a smidgen of a chance here, you will find a very high quality piece of e-commerce software.
93% of statistics are inaccurate.
marco

Post by marco »

- Cubecart is also totally free and fully functional if you keep their logo on your site. I don't think that is a problem, since we like to give credit to most GPL software anyway.

- If you want to remove the logo - $60 bucks!

Other options - GPL, and very good:

- cpcommerce at cpcommerce.com

ZenCart - a total re-write of OSCommerce, at zencart.com

all of the above are at least as good that many carts charging hundreds of dollars.

Forget the Perl based options; stay with PHP - that's just my bias.
Todd
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Post by Todd »

marco wrote:Forget the Perl based options; stay with PHP - that's just my bias.
My feelings were very much the same until I used CCP.... I am still a bigger fan of PHP. Ultimately it comes down to the software author. A well written Perl based application is better than an average PHP application. CCP is about as good as they come when dealing with quality software, features, flexability, scalability, and more.

There are CCP based websites with over 100,000 products in them. Thats awesome considering the software cost you under $200!
93% of statistics are inaccurate.
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pSouper
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Post by pSouper »

I thank you both for your views, very imformative and helpfull.
I have been looking in to osCommerce and was very impressed from the demo installlation and ease of use BUT as i have not used this in a real world situation I still have no real case to state a prefference.
I will now be installing a few more of your sugestions over the next few feeks :)
I will post the links along with my experiences with installing, customising and using these shortly after.
drinky
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Post by drinky »

I regularly use OSCommerce. Have used others, but OSC always wins out with regard to stability and open source community support...many many useful contributions.

It is a little difficult to learn at first, but I have found the e-books sold on this website to be of great assistance in customising OSC. http://www.oscbooks.com

Good luck with your persuits

Drinky
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pSouper
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Post by pSouper »

thank you D for the link and for your opinion of osCommerce: personally by far far the more attractive option for my situation.
If find in general the open soucre envireoment to be a more happy place :)
(maybe with the exception of grumpy old OG and his minions of darkness, but SHH!!! don't let him know i said that ;) )
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Post by Morbantokk »

i use oscommerce too. and i think its one of the best shops. i work with it for 2 years now and its possible to costumize it.
for newbies it seems to be very difficult, but everything seems difficult the first time...

and shops like zencart and others using the basic osc-code to create their own projects.

oscommerce rocks!
Willst du das Herz der Tochter erquicken, mußt du erst die Mutter fragen!
colech
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Post by colech »

Thanks for all the great comments. I have yet another website that will require OSCommerce-type features. I tend to trust the opinion of people on this site much more than the average populus because you are probably looking for the same things that I am seeing that you all are phpWCMS users. :wink:
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Ben
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my two cents worth ...

Post by Ben »

I have worked with osCommerce (http://www.emergenthomestore.com) and http://www.LiteCommerce.com (http://www.golf-technologies.com, http://www.tvhealthsolutions.com). osCommerce can do a bit more, although it is easy to get some jumbled code after applying several mods that may step on each other's feet. Lite Commerce (LC) starts at $95, but is very stable and is the little brother to http://www.x-cart.com, which is highly regarded. I really enjoyed working with LC and their customer support is excellent. I know this thread was started for open source - oh, well.

If all you need is a small cart to sell a few products, you should definately check out iUser - http://www.intensivepoint.com. I haven't used it, yet, but it would be perfect if you were only selling 3 to 5 products.

Hope this helps someone out there.

Ben
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Post by MarcoB »

Professional webhosting...
http://www.silver.nl - sales@silver.nl
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