OpenCartis an open-source e-commerce solution available for free download. Great for small and medium businesses, OpenCart offers a cost-effective e-commerce solution to jump start your online store. Daniel Kerr, the main developer of OpenCart, created this e-commerce solution with the objective of helping struggling online merchants who can't pay for their software. Right now, developers and users can actively join the development of this e-commerce solution.
Overview of OpenCart
Out of the think-tank box, OpenCartprovides a better understanding, control, and management of online stores. Having full control of the template management, online merchants can choose a responsive and catchy template for a complete integration with the e-commerce store. Being an open-source e-commerce solution, developers and users can explore and create extensions for the best impact of the online store. Integration with numerous payment gateways, currency support, and and valuable backup tools wrap up a strong and result-driven e-commerce store that has the capability to reach more customers and increase conversion sales.
OpenCart delivers basic features and capabilities for an enhanced search engine optimization, in direct aim to increase marketing potentials. While others are negative about the capability of OpenCart to deliver analytical report, this e-commerce solution generates automated reports for the marketing strategy guidance of online merchants. Global merchants use OpenCart not just because it is freely distributed and released under the GNU General Public License Version 3 (GPLv3), but because its essentials-rich features are trusted and reliable.
Website Design
An OpenCart store comes with a default theme with several customized themes online merchants can use to increase attractive appearance of the e-commerce website. Custom designs are supported by HTML language; HTML is a common design language used globally and most online retailers know the basic of this web design language. However, there have been complaints on the process on how themes are created, which seem to be complex and sophisticated.
Back Office
One of the online merchants' favorites among OpenCart features is the BackUp Manager. Placing high importance to protect your store from sudden crash, the Administration Dashboard streamlines backing up and storing files into the database, which you can retrieve any moment you need these files. The User Groups feature enable the administrator to setup capabilities of users on managing the store. Instead of giving full management to all administrator-users of the store, the main store manager can only allow some for specific people to avoid overlapping of tasks.
Another good thing on OpenCart's Administration Dashboard is its simplicity and logical setup. All details are rightly placed on corners and sections for online merchants to feel at home in managing their stores. The storefront works on a module, which can be personalized and customized with the Administration Panel. Changes are reflected on the e-commerce store in real time.
Shopping Features
OpenCart supports multiple stores and adding new products seamlessly. Online merchants can sell soft goods or downloadable products, and hard goods on their stores. You can even upload graphics of t-shirts and such other products. However, a setback online merchants must face is the complex process of adding new images to the store. It can give headaches on novice online retailers and users of OpenCart.
The Shipping Price Calculator and Shipping Weight Calculator of OpenCart offer automatic integration of various shipping carriers into the store. Customers can get direct quotes on how much they should pay to checkout a product. Plus, USPS Price LookUp simplifies the shipping process for the commonly-used shipping carrier.
Payment Options
There are more than 20 payment gateways integrated directly in the OpenCart e-commerce solution, beside the extensions you can add later, to help you engage with customers and avoid abandoned shopping cart. Authorize.net offers a direct credit-card processing under a secured network and pathway, while the online store can also accept non-credit card options. Third-party online processing gateways like PayPal and WorldPay are supported by the OpenCart solution.
The One-Page Checkout system of OpenCart is another advantage that online merchants can have for their stores. Most consumers don't give much leeway on the long process of checking out a product, with the simplified checkout page, you don't have to lose potential customers. Plus, Guest Checkout is also supported, and you can prompt customers to register after purchasing.
Tax Customization
If you have an international market, you need to have a store that can handle different national tax rates. With OpenCart, online merchants can customize tax rates according to country for a full compliance of government tax statutes. For the United States purchase, OpenCart supports taxing by state to ensure a proper consideration on all aspects of taxation. And you don't have to do it manually, with OpenCart, everything can be automated and simplified for online merchants' convenience.
If you have an international market, you need to have a store that can handle different national tax rates. With OpenCart, online merchants can customize tax rates according to country for a full compliance of government tax statutes. For the United States purchase, OpenCart supports taxing by state to ensure a proper consideration on all aspects of taxation. And you don't have to do it manually, with OpenCart, everything can be automated and simplified for online merchants' convenience.
Marketing Features
Online merchants love OpenCart because it can deliver the best on increasing revenue of the store. Equipped with SEO capabilities and integration, adding tags, meta titles, meta descriptions, and writing products to be more search engine-friendly, OpenCart stores can rake heavy traffic. The Reward Points system, product comparison or reviews tool, gift vouchers, and affiliate programs are few features you can use to improve your store's marketing pitch. The Product Grid or List can help consumers to locate or transfer to another product details easily.
Another good point of OpenCart is the Product Rating feature. Customers can rate products to provide a guideline on other consumers. If the store is selling good products, product reviews and rating features can help to boost conversion sales; otherwise, the store may also suffer the opposite.
Security Features
While others have complained on the lack of general security standard, OpenCart prides in its Versign partnership to protect financial transactions and details. Generally, OpenCart stores run under the PHP programming language with the MySQL database. A concern of most online merchants is the flaw on the local file inclusion and the cross-site request forgery bug, which poses an increased risk to takeover of the store. Roughly said, there are several security vulnerabilities that must be taken into consideration by online merchants prior to using the e-commerce solution.
Customer Support
With regards to customer support, complaints do abound. Although, there is a community forum for issues and concerns to be addressed by other developers and users, OpenCart team gives small attention on the problem raised at hand. There are knowledge-based articles and documentations you can find at the website of OpenCart. Plus, you can find screencast videos to help you install, configure and use OpenCart efficiently.
Cost
You don't have to pay a single dollar to download and use OpenCart, being an open-source e-commerce solution. Great for small businesses, you can start selling without spending something, except you need to subscribe to a web host – and you need to pay for that. What you need to pay are the extensions, plugins, and themes you will be integrating with your storefront.
