- A hosted eCommerce platform, also know as a SaaS (software-as-a-service) solution, combines both shopping cart software and web hosting. Instead of needing to find your own web server that meets the requirements of the software, the whole package is provided as a service.
A hosted eCommerce platform, also know as a SaaS (software-as-a-service) solution, combines both shopping cart software and web hosting. Instead of needing to find your own web server that meets the requirements of the software, the whole package is provided as a service
This eliminates the need to download software and install it yourself. In addition, updates and maintenance are performed by the developers. Hosted eCommerce platforms also provide a web-based interface for you to manage your store, rather than requiring you to download software, so you can run your business directly from a web browser.
Hosted shopping cart softwares are generally the most hassle-free way of getting an eCommerce shopping cart for your website. Most charge a monthly fee which varies depending on the plan you sign up for, with more expensive plans providing more built-in features and other advantages. Free trials are also available to help you choose the eCommerce solution that's right for you..
The storefront is the eCommerce website accessible to customers. It includes product pages, category navigation, and checkout pages in which the customer can enter their payment information to complete the purchase. It may also contain additional pages such as the "About Us" page with company information, a Contact page with related information and a contact form, Store Policy pages including shipping, return, and privacy policies, and more.
The storefront's appearance can usually be altered by design themes or templates, which are often available from a variety of sources. Most eCommerce software has a theme store where merchants can choose from a selection of free and premium (paid) templates, and third-party designers often create their own templates for sale as well.
The administration area, also know as the backend of your website, is the part of the shopping cart software used for store management and order processing. Other names for this part of the software include the dashboard, the backend, and the control panel. Administration can be either web-based, in which the store owner logs into a website for access, or desktop-based, in which the merchant must use software downloaded onto a computer to make changes which are then sent to the online storefront.
What you find in the store administration strongly depends on the eCommerce software you use. At the very least, you'll have product and category management in which you add products, edit their information and images, and assign them to categories. All shopping cart software also includes a list of recent orders and their status (such as "new," "shipped," and "complete"). The best shopping cart software also provides you with analytics and other information, tools for customizing your store and marketing to customers, and more.