A discussion about the process, steps and options of starting a new business

Now that I've been tinkering with my website, and thus my online shopping cart, for a few months, I feel ready to give a review of the shopping cart software that I've been using, osCommerce.

I chose osCommerce for no other reason than that it came with my hosting plan, and was touted as a "one-click" e-commerce solution.  There are other shopping carts available, both free and paid, but I have never used any of them.  So, while this will be an objective review of osCommerce, I am unable to compare it against other cart software.

While I can say that I was able to install osCommerce with that promised "one-click", once it was installed I was probably several thousand clicks away from having the shopping cart that I wanted.  The good thing about that is that is means osCommerce is highly customizable, and the bad thing about it is that there is a very steep learning curve before the shop looks anything like you thought it would.

If you are happy with the stock look and feel, it is possible to install and run the store with a bare minimum of programming or database knowledge.  This is thanks to an administrative tool that uses a wsiwyg (what you see is what you get) interface for most of the backend database functions.

osCommerce is 'open-source' software, which means that the source code is made available, at no charge, to anyone who downloads the software.  Downloads of the stock osCommerce cart can be obtained directly from osCommerce at no charge.  Downloads of an upgraded version and/or cart templates can be found at varying fees throughout the internet.

On to the review...

ease-of-use:  Only minimal knowledge of HTML is required to get the cart up and running in it's most basic mode. Adding products is done through an administration panel, and requires no programming knowledge at all.  Invoices and packing slips are easily printed, also through the admin panel.  In order to customize the cart with the look you want, and add modules for additional functions (called 'contributions'), a little more knowledge of HTML and PHP programming is needed.  When things go wrong during installation of a contribution, and they will, you will need to know enough about programming to comb through the code in search of the cause of the error.  Once you become familiar with the file structure, which seems confusing at first, it gets easier to make your own modifications.

support:  osCommerce has a knowledge base on it's website, but the bulk of the product's support comes from a large and active society of other users through a community forum.  Almost any question you have has either been asked before and you can search for the answer, or a helpful board member will be along in a short while to answer you.  It has been my experience that no matter what the hour of the day or night, it doesn't take very long to get an answer to my questions.

suitability:  osCommerce may be used for sale of products, services, or downloads.  It is easy enough to use for a small business, and pwerful enough for a large one, with the ability to accept an unlimited number of products and categories.  "Out-of-the-box" it comes translated into 3 languages, english, german, and spanish.  There are other translations available through the community forum.  It can be easily set up to accept multiple currencies.
 
cost:  Well, what can I say?  It's free.  You can't beat that!

personalization:  The cart can be modified to look any way you like, or to perform any function that you need. It is highly customizable.  That said, some modifications require that one be very comfortable with the PHP programming language.  There are also hundreds of modifications that other users have written for their shops, and then contributed to the community for others to use.  Some of these contributions require modifications to many of your files, and if your programming knowledge is limited you may not be comfortable making these changes.  In that case, it is possible to purchase carts that already have the most popular contributions built-in.

integration:  osCommerce can be used as a complete stand-alone website, or integrated into an existing website. 

compatibility:  osCommerce is compatible with most online and offline payment methods, and in fact, modules for several credit-card gateways, including AuthorizeNet and Paypal, are pre-installed in the software and just need to be turned on.

customer functionality:  The interface is easy for customers to use and understand.  They can open accounts so they are able to track their shipment or view their order history.  There is a contribution available if you want your customers to be able to shop without opening an account, as this functionality is not included by default.

So is there anything I don't like about osCommerce?  Yes, there are a few things they could improve on.

security:  This is a big one, and I don't know why this hasn't been remedied in a release yet.  As osCommerce comes, out of the box, there is no way to password-protect the administration area of the cart.  There are several contributions available for installation that provide this function, but why should I have to upgrade my cart to get something that should have been included in the first place?

customization:  Although, as I said above, the cart is highly customizable, it does not use a template system (unless you have added one), so customization must all be done by changing code in the individual files.  It does use a stylesheet, so some sweeping changes can be done, but most modifications will require changes to more than one file.

Would I recommend osCommerce?  Yes, but only if you have time or money to spend customizing it, or your store will look like a clone of everyone else's odCommerce store.