5 affordable e-commerce shopping carts for small business

Published on: 13 July 2018 Last Updated on: 03 September 2024

Times have changed, for now, you do not need to have programming knowledge and a lot of money to create an online store. Now there are many affordable and easy to use e-commerce providers that are suitable for home-based and small businesses. E-commerce software provider offers shopping cart solutions for your website which enables you to build, edit, and maintain your online shop easily, and collect the orders without having programming or HTML knowledge. Most providers offer everything including hosting, templates and more. Some providers charge transaction and set-up fees while some do not. In all the cases, you will be offered a free trial in which you can test and decide on what you want to choose.

Here is a list of five affordable E-commerce shopping carts.

1. Shopify :

Shopify

Shopify is among our top recommendations because it is customizable and an easy-to-use e-commerce provider. The service offers mobile options as well. There is a Shopify App store just like Apple’s, through which you can shop and select add-on applications for your website. You can also buy buttons for Facebook and Twitter and get the necessary support, protection from any fraud, 100+ themes, Mobile commerce, Email marketing and Social media integration. You can run a successful online business without the large inventory overhead costs by using Shopify dropshipping. They also have a 30-day free trial, after which the packages start at $24/month.

2. 3Dcart :

3Dcart

3Dcart offers a free trial without the requirement of a credit card. There are 80 payment gateways supported which make it really easy to make a switch. The Plans start at $19.99/month and include 200 products, $25 in free ad credits, No transaction fees, Social media connectivity, Up to 4000 visits a month, 24/7 tech support. 3Dcart is an e-commerce solution suitable for people who want to sell a larger amount of products.

3. Fortune 3

Fortune 3 is a hosted e-commerce solution in which the plans start at $9.95 a month. Fortune3 is SEO-friendly and offers many designs/templates and also allows you to sell and accept gift certificates. There is email marketing, Facebook shopping integration, and the ability to create an affiliate program. Fortune 3 includes all features in all plans, and The difference between these plans is the number of products. The starter plan includes unlimited support, 20 products, unlimited storage and bandwidth and no set-up fee.

4. Avactis :

Avactis

Avactis is fully hosted with a unique difference which is that they allow the developers to white label the solution as their own. This means that, if you want to, you can sell your own e-commerce offering. You are also offered the standard feature-rich list of shopping carts that starts at $19.95/month. Avactis also has an open source free version.

5. Volusion :

Volusion is also among the top hosted e-commerce shopping carts in the market today and has more than 100,000 customers. The plans start at $19/month and offer a 14-day free trial. The VZoom feature lets the user zoom in and around the product image, and you can also connect to your store to Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube.

We hope that these options will help you in your endeavor!

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Digital Marketing: Utilize Facebook to Support Your Hospitality Business

When it comes to marketing your business in the digital world, you just cannot overlook the role of Facebook in connecting you with your targeted audience. By learning to use Facebook correctly, you can help your hospitality business go places. Many people are of the view that Facebook may not be a good addition to your digital marketing strategy when you want to promote your hotel or hospitality business, but that is not true. A study has found that there has been a 41.1% increase in the number of Facebook users between the ages of 35 years and 54 years. The same study noticed an increase of up to 32.6% in the number of Facebook users who are between 24 and 34 years of age. Both of these age groups are more likely to travel and pick your hotel if you could connect with them through Facebook. Now, it is important to mention that if you do not know how to use Facebook for sales and hotel marketing, you will be better off working with an experienced digital marketing company. However, if you have time and think you can take care of the campaign, you should pay attention to the following points which have been provided by Internet Marketing firm Web20ranker : Be Sure to Optimize Your Facebook Presence : Do not think that you will automatically get likes and new friends just because you have set up a Facebook page for your business. It is important to optimize your presence first. This way, people are more likely to find you and then connect with you. For this, you should add categories to your page to make your business type clear and then give local information along with sharing a good description of everything. Do not forget to upload exciting images of your location and hotel to grab people's attention. Your 'About Us' page should also share valuable and accurate information. It also makes sense to add keywords to your Facebook pages, just like you optimize your website for your primary keywords. Taking this step would prepare your page for the graph search, which is a semantic search engine. Take an Initiative to Engage Your Fans : You should do your research to identify your target audience. Your first target should be people who may have already visited your property and stayed there for a while. Their posts will serve as a "social proof" for your prospective guests. To get good results, start investing in those people when they are in your hotel. Give them some incentive to like your page – an incentive could be as little as free internet access for a limited time. Understand that your hotel business benefits from Facebook only when you encourage your guests and visitors to share their experience and valuable content. Similarly, you should share photos of local attractions and upload pictures of food to attract people. Promotional posts do not have high engagement rates, but you can still throw some offers once in a while to get good results. Take Advantage of Paid Advertising Options : Getting good exposure through 'free' ways of optimizing your Facebook page is a challenging task, especially after new algorithmic changes that keep news fees from being populated with brand messages. The good thing is that you can use paid advertising options to enhance the visibility of your posts and boost engagement. When done correctly, it also helps expand your fan base. Through paid advertising, you can use options to find guests on Facebook using their email IDs that you may have collected when they were staying in your hotel. Once you have located those people, you can target them using Facebook ads. Certain paid features also allow you to gain access to friends of fans, which will help broaden your fan base. Utilize Facebook as a Sales Channel : While people do not primarily use Facebook to plan trips, it still serves as an important marketing and sales channel. People can utilize Graph Search, Nearby Places, and Reviews to make up their minds about selecting your property on their next trip. However, to make it produce the desired results, you should also measure performance regularly. The number of likes certainly tells you something about the popularity of your business, but comments are even more important. Your star rating will also play a role here. If after making every effort, things are not getting better. You may need to work with a digital marketing company to maintain a well-managed presence on Facebook. Be sure to do your research to let the most experienced marketing company take charge of your Facebook marketing campaign! Read Also : 5 Steps On How To Market Your Business Using Social Media Using Social Media To Promote Start-Up Businesses Social Media Marketing Role In Technology

How To Choose The Best Legal Structure For Your Business

Starting a business can be exciting, scary, and - let’s be honest - confusing! You don’t need an MBA or any other business degree to start a successful business. But, there are other important things that you need to make right from the beginning. While there are many things that need to be done correctly from the start of the business, there is one thing where you cannot make a mistake Choosing The right business structure. Your business structure is important in many ways. It decides how your business will showcase in front of others, what power you will have over your business, and most importantly, what type of taxation it will fall under. Seeing how the current entrepreneurs are so hung up on sole proprietorship that they do not see the benefits of other business structures. Today, we have come to take you on a journey and make you see the different business structures and what each offers to a business. What Is A Legal Structure Of A Business? Every new business requires the formation of a business entity that can be considered its identity in the market. This is where the concept of a legal structure comes in. A legal structure, also known as a business ownership structure, determines the flow of power within the business, the type of income tax you need to file, and highlights the risk to which your business is exposed. The most common legal business structures are as follows: Sole Proprietorships. Partnership. Corporation. Cooperative. Limited Liability Company (LLC). Related Resource: 5 Financial Risks of Starting a Small Business and How to Avoid Them Types Of Business Structure While there are many legal business structures, we have picked the most used currency in the world. This Legal Structure covers almost every aspect of legal business structure. 1. Sole Proprietorships This is the simplest form of legal business structure. In this type of business structure, one individual is solely responsible for the business profits, debts, and liabilities. This business structure works great for small to medium-scale businesses. This entity does not offer separation or protection of any personal and professional assets. While this is great for small businesses, it might be difficult to scale up. 2. Partnership As the name suggests, this type of business structure is owned by two or more individuals. The legal partnership structure can be further divided into two entities: General Partnership and Limited Partnership. A general partnership is where all the shares are equally divided among all the partners. In a limited partnership, one individual has control over all the business operations. While others are just contributors and shareholders for the profit. 3. Corporation When a business is considered a corporation, it becomes a separate entity from its owner by law. It is considered a separate entity that enjoys legal rights just like any other person. For instance: It can sue others. It can be used. Buy and sell a property. It even has the right to sell the right of its ownership. 4. Limited Liability Company (LLC) A Limited Liability is a hybrid structure that allows owners, partners, and shareholders to limit their liability while enjoying the tax and flexibility of a partnership business model. Under the umbrella of the LLC, members of the business are shielded from any personal liability related to the business as long as they have a written LLC Operating agreement contract. However, to do that, the business needs to have the best business bank accounts with all the necessary features. 5. Cooperative A cooperative business legal structure follows the concept of serving the same people who are working for the business. All the members are responsible for making business decisions, and whatever the profit business samples, it is shared among the members. A cooperative business structure offers the following advantages. Low taxes. Increased funding. Better discounts and services. Factors To Weigh Before Choosing A legal Business Structure While an individual can choose any business structure they like, there are a few considerations you need to look into. 1. Complex Procedure Businesses with fewer people don’t need complex procedures to rule their business operations. Instead, they can just follow a simple business format. However, if your business has many employees and offers different types of services, you must select a business structure that can support all your business requirements. The best way to understand what kind of legal business structure you need is essential that you understand the goals and a business structure that help you achieve the least complexity. 2. Continuity Of Existence You are not starting a business with a lifespan of only a decade. That means, while you are planning for your business, you must plan for its continuity. Hence, it is important that you see how a business is concluding. If you are thinking of securing your business for future financial security, you must also look into the right business structure to support your needs. 3. Control Business is all about control. If you cannot control how your business is operated, you will never be able to calculate the ROI at the end of the day. Hence, it is essential to decide how much control each individual requires to operate the business. For instance, if someone wants to have more control over their business, sole proprietorship might be a more suitable business structure. 4. Liability When running a business, you need to ensure that your personal liabilities are not tied down with your business. In that case, what will happen is that your personal liabilities will be used to cope with business losses. Hence, to separate your business from your personal liabilities, choose a legal business structure that protects your personal assets. Conclusion Choosing a business structure is dependent on what you want to achieve from your business. Depending on what you want from your business, you can go with any legal business structure. While you are free to decide for yourself which business structure you want to go with, it is a good idea that you take help from a business lawyer. A business lawyer can help you understand the differences and benefits more detailedly. They will even help you with all the paperwork needed to establish your business as a legal entity. Read Also: 6 Steps to Starting a Business in Michigan Why Do Businesses Need Lawyer’s Advice? 7 Ways to Plan a Smooth Business Succession Having Business in Foreigner Country, Advantages and Disadvantages

Shipping Mistakes Commonly Made by Small Businesses

Many small businesses are heavily based on shipping products to clients. As any proprietor of such an enterprise can attest, there are numerous factors for shipping-based small businesses to take into account. The type of merchandise being shipped, desired delivery windows, and shipping partner qualifications are just a few of the things these businesses have to regularly consider. As is the case with any business built around shipping, there are a number of seemingly minor errors that can result in client displeasure and loss of repeat patronage. So, if your enterprise is looking for effective ways to ensure client satisfaction, take care to avoid the following blunders. Working with Unreliable Shipping Partners When your small business is built around shipping, placing your trust in unreliable shipping partners is just about the worst thing you can do. In fairness, every shipping company is guaranteed to make the occasional blunder, but if damaged items, lost shipments or missed delivery windows are regular occurrences, you’d do well to take your business elsewhere. Any mistakes made by your shipping partners are liable to be visited upon you. When a client receives a damaged shipment or a shipment arrives well past its projected delivery date, most clients are going to expect answers from you, not the shipping company – even if the error in question is explicitly their fault. In the interest of avoiding such uncomfortable situations and ensuring client satisfaction, avoid working with shipping partners who have routinely proven themselves undeserving of your trust. Even if you have a longstanding relationship with specific partners, don’t be afraid to take your business elsewhere if their lack of professionalism has negatively impacted your financial bottom line. When searching for shipping partners you can trust, look for companies that possess solid reputations and are experienced in handling the types of items your enterprise specializes in. Making Promises That Can’t Be Kept Overpromising is never a good idea – be it in business or any other area of life. Promising more than you can deliver is practically guaranteed to result in dashed expectations, which can quickly destroy even the most robust of professional relationships. Unfortunately, when making a play for new clients, many small business owners won’t hesitate to promise the moon if it means winning over new patrons. While overpromising may seem like a sound strategy at the moment, it almost never pays off long-term. To avoid the undesirable consequences associated with overpromising, never commit to delivery timelines you know you and your shipping partners can’t meet. Doing so may entice a few new clients, but these individuals are unlikely to become repeat customers when you invariably fail to deliver on your boasts. Failing to Make Special Arrangements for Delicate Cargo Depending on the types of products your small business regularly ships, some special arrangements may need to be made. For instance, certain items – i.e., food – are highly sensitive to warm temperatures. As such, items of this type often need to be placed in specialized shipping containers and/or protected by cooling packs. To ensure that you, your clients, and shipping partners have a solid idea of the kinds of temperatures a shipment has endured throughout its journey, employ the aid of a good temperature indicator. Similarly, if any of the items you ship are exceptionally fragile in nature, impact, and shock recorders are likely to prove a worthwhile investment. As the name suggests, these helpful tools serve to provide a detailed accounting of the various impacts and shocks a shipment experiences while en route to its destination. Keep in mind that the fewer precautions you take with delicate cargo, the more likely it is to incur damage or become outright broken while in transit. Needless to say, failure to make special arrangements for such items commonly draws the ire of any clients who receive damaged shipments. When your business is built around shipping products to assorted clients, mistakes should be few and far between. Even if certain blunders aren’t explicitly the fault of your enterprise, many clients will expect you to bear the brunt of the responsibility. While expecting to never make mistakes is unrealistic, there are a number of simple steps you can take to minimize them. If you want to keep clients happy and coming back for the foreseeable future, steer clear of the blunders discussed above. Read Also: How Many Jobs Are Available In Real Estate Investment Trusts? 0123Putlockers And Servers – Watch Movies Online Is Real Estate Investment Trusts A Good Career Path? REITs Pros And Cons

5 affordable e-commerce shopping carts for small business

1. Shopify :

2. 3Dcart :

3. Fortune 3

4. Avactis :

5. Volusion :

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Digital Marketing: Utilize Facebook to Support Your Hospitality Business

How To Choose The Best Legal Structure For Your Business

Shipping Mistakes Commonly Made by Small Businesses

5 affordable e-commerce shopping carts for small business

1. Shopify :

2. 3Dcart :

3. Fortune 3

4. Avactis :

5. Volusion :

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Quit the Rat Race: 5 Tips for Becoming an Online Entrepreneur

How To Choose A Practice Management Software For Your Law Firm

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Content Rally wrapped around an online publication where you can publish your own intellectuals. It is a publishing platform designed to make great stories by content creators. This is your era, your place to be online. So come forward share your views, thoughts and ideas via Content Rally.

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Popular

Follow Us

Recent

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