It is the era of shopping cart websites. Over the past few years, the eCommerce industry has witnessed massive growth across the globe. Many businesses have switched to online modes of business management and expansion. Product-based businesses have cashed this opportunity in the best ways possible by moving their inventories online. Customers can easily search for any product online and find the businesses offering the same products in the area. Not only that, customers can easily buy products online from eCommerce websites in a matter of a few clicks. Especially over the past couple of years with the COVID-19 crisis hitting global businesses, the majority of businesses moved to online modes of interacting with their customers. However, it is worth mentioning that the online business environment is quite fast-paced. This means, if your shopping cart website is not up to the mark, your potential web visitors may not hesitate from looking for another website. In this article, we will have a close look into the details of how to add a shopping cart to your website easily, and in the right way.
Shopping Cart Integration
The process of adding a shopping cart to your website is known as shopping cart integration. Keeping in view the competitive market scenario, shopping carts can cater to a number of business needs as preferred. Moreover, the cost for different shopping carts also varies. While this may be true, it is also important for business owners to stay up-to-date with the latest shopping cart technologies and trends. If your shopping cart website is not up to the mark, you may end up losing profit margins. Furthermore, if you are planning to start your eCommerce website from scratch, there are several technicalities involved that can take a lot of time and money before you even launch the website. However, if you choose shopping cart integration for your existing business website, you can not only save money but also save your efforts and time.
How To Add Shopping Cart to an Existing Website
There are many platforms that offer shopping cart integration or existing websites. You can do your research on Google and review the websites to find what fits your business goals. It is important to remember that not all shopping cart integration websites offer you a hassle-free experience. Some companies have hidden costs as well as technicalities involved. If you are looking for a quick and appropriate solution, the following classification between different types of shopping carts can help you steer your way towards your eCommerce website.
Fully Hosted Service
A hosted shopping cart solution refers to a fully managed hosting service for eCommerce businesses. Such shopping cart services are typically quick and easy to set up. A shopping cart, in this case, is provided by different hosting companies that offer pre-built platforms where you can add your products and set up the prices. Moreover, you do not have to get the hosting service for your website separately. The hosting companies offer you a package deal to kick-start your online store. While this may be true, it is important to know that fully hosted shopping carts offer limited access. You may not be able to make a lot of customizations based on your preferences. To find fully hosted shopping cart companies, you can look up Google and compare the pricing plans for each. You can also review the features offered by each hosting service to choose the best option for your online business.
Standalone Shopping Cart
One of the most popular solutions that eCommerce businesses prefer to choose is a standalone shopping cart. As the name suggests, a standalone shopping cart is an independent solution for online businesses. Such shopping cart services allow you free installation and customization options as needed. With standalone shopping carts, you are free to choose the hosting service provider for your website, unlike hosted shopping carts. More often than not, website owners tend to pick a hosting service of their choice. This solution is a great fit for such website owners as they can simply buy the shopping cart for their existing website without hosting. It is important to mention that some of the features may require programming skills to make modifications. You may also need to get the services of a web development company to integrate the cart to your website.
CMS Plugins for Shopping Cart
The CMS plugins are most popular with those business owners who like to have things done quickly. Shopping cart plugins for Content Management Systems (CMS) can ease the trouble of going through a lot of complications. You can easily make modifications and manage the content of your business website with a few simple and easy steps. Some of the commonly used CMS plugins for shopping cart integration include WordPress eStore Plugin, WooCommerce, and WP e-Commerce. You can compare and find the best eCommerce solution that you need for your website. However, all the CMS shopping cart plugins are paid solutions. You may need to review the prices of each first to make the perfect decision.
Should You Add Shopping Cart to Your Existing Website?
A lot of business owners tend to ask this question that whether they should integrate a shopping cart to their existing website or start a website from scratch. The answer to this question is both yes and no depending upon the needs and timeline of a business. If you are just starting with your business, can spend more, and have a time of a few months, you can opt for building your business website from scratch. However, if you are in the expansion phase and want to start your online shop for selling your products, getting a ready-to-go shopping cart solution will most likely be a great fit for you.
Regardless of the choice, you are willing to make, it is important to remember that you will have to pay more money in case you choose to build your website from scratch. On the flip side, if you choose a ready-to-go shopping cart solution for your website, you can save both, your money and time.
The Role of Web Development Companies
Shopping cart integration is a quick and easy solution. However, you may need to get the services of a web development company to carry out the setup process and make any modifications based on your preference. There are many web companies that offer ready-to-go website solutions. This way, you can find all your solutions on a single platform. Such companies do not hesitate from going the extra mile to set up your shopping cart on your existing website and also make any changes as per your need.
