Because of Amazon.com and other mega ecommerce sites, online shopping has hit the mainstream and consumers expect their experience to be easy and flawless.

Shopping carts come in a wide variety of configurations and the basic functions of allowing a user to save items in a basket, create an order and process a transaction are common to every one. That is just the tip of the iceberg. Regardless of choosing an ASP solution, pre-built app, or custom development, the details require careful analysis to ensure the cart will meet all business requirements. Here are some things to think about and questions to ask.

Inventory

The meat and potatoes of a store are the products. Map out fully how products are categorized and make sure the shopping cart accommodates this structure. Document all the attributes a product can have: name, description, photos, size, color, options, SKUs, and special customer part numbers to name a few. Is it necessary to show a sample or excerpt like a sound clip of music, or table of contents of a book? Does the store inventory need to be tied to in-stock product availability?

Orders

Are orders taken individually or as part of a user account? Do partial orders need to be shipped seperately? How long do orders need to be stored?

Accounts

Another important part of an e-store is how user accounts are handled. Are customers required to log in at some point during the shopping process thus creating an account? At what point? Is this optional?

An account may take a user some extra time to initially complete, but the benefits are worth it: saved personal info expedites the next purchase, orders are grouped under an account providing a history, and preferences such as saved products, and special pricing can be established.

Accounting

How is the store tied to the brick and mortar business accounting software? Is there an easy way to get order and customer info in and out of the store? Some have APIs or modules that make the downloading orders a one click effort.

Shipping

Businesses handle shipping an infinite number of ways. Which carrier? (UPS, USPS, FedEx, other) Is there a separate handling charge? If so, is it a flat rate, percent of shipping cost or order total? Again, are partial orders shipped? Does everything get shipped from the same location and to the same address?

Payment

Credit cards, which ones? Checks? PO numbers? Split payment? When is the transaction processed, at time of purchase, when shipped or when received?

Security

Use Secure Socket Layer (SSL) technology with at least 128 bit encryption. Also encrypt any stored Social Security numbers and financial account numbers. Make sure the handling of any Personally Identifiable Information (PII) meets Payment Card Industry (PCI) data security standards. Security is paramount and regulations are getting stricter every day.

Sales Tax

Collecting sales tax? In which states? Some states have rates by county. Will the cart calculate these? Perhaps some products will be taxed and other not. Some customers may be tax exempt. Can the cart handle this?

International

Are orders going to be accepted from countries other than the US? Which ones? Other currencies accepted? Can the shipping address be in another country than the billing address?

Promotions

Are promotions important? Some merchants like to provide a promotional code to select customers for discounts. What other types of promotion does the business require?

Pricing

Most shopping carts can accommodate one price per products, but what else is needed? Many businesses have different prices for different customers (wholesale, retail, VIP). Do products need to be priced “on sale” for a specific timeframe?

Reviews

Some retailers like to allow customers to write reviews for products. Is this important?

Wish List

Much like a basket, the wish list allows customers to save items outside of the cart.

Email to a Friend

This can be for any items or just those in the wish list.

Related Products

Up-selling can be a powerful marketing tool. By relating product to each other, customers maybe introduced to items they didn’t know existed or are needed with a particular product.

Statistics and Reporting

In addition to typical site visitor statistics, e-stores often supply data that helps companies cater their inventory or improve the store: Most or least frequently ordered item, customer with the most orders, average order amount, state with highest number of orders…

There are many more things to consider when gatheing the requirements for e-commerce. Selling online has become easier and less expensive, but not simpler. Make sure to ask the right questions and make the best decision based on the requirements. Customers will not tolerate a sloppy and risky ecommerce experience.