Open Cart eCommerce

How Does Open Cart eCommerce Work?

As written above, the Open Cart web development framework is written in PHP and based upon MVC architecture. The model view controller pattern makes it easy to develop extensions, thus providing an easy way to customise the framework for those familiar with PHP and MySQL.

With regards to web design, the framework offers lots of professionally designed and mobile responsive eCommerce themes. This includes a selection of free themes and paid themes. However, in order to apply these themes to your eCommerce store some basic knowledge in CCS, JavaScript, and HTML is required. You can browse through themes on numerous popular third party websites, although if you would like to make your website more unique – you could create your own Open Cart theme to use on your online retail store, either by writing your own code, or using a using an automated method with desktop software.

What If You Have No Experience With HTML Components?

If you have no experience with HTML or website development, you might be feeling confused and unsure what to do next. You may be uncertain which framework you should choose for your online store. If you find yourself in this scenario, it can be very beneficial to speak to a skilled web development agency for their professional opinion. Their wisdom and expertise could prove very valuable as your business takes its first steps into the world of eCommerce.

Also, it's worth nothing that if you choose to use the Open Cart 2 framework, you will be able to access and utilise your admin controls using a mobile device such as a tablet or Smartphone. Providing a quick way to make changes and adjustments to your website whilst you're on the go.

Why Should Your Business Sell Products Online?

In our 21^st century society more and more businesses are extending their reach using through the power of the internet and eCommerce. In many ways, an online retail platform isn't a luxury anymore;indeed some may argue that selling products online is an essential part of business in the modern world.

Two of the major advantages of using the internet to sell your products online are that your website is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and your website can be accessed by customers outside of your local area.When these two key points are combined with the multi-language capabilities of Open Cart; should you wish, this provides you with the ability to extend your retail presence to other countries.

However, the option to expand your business into different areas and/or different countries is not the only benefit of taking your business online. If you choose to create a website and sell your products online, you'll also be able to take advantage of powerful digital marketing techniques, such as SEO. Remember, Open Cart has numerous SEO friendly options to choose from when designing and developing your website, making it an excellent choice for those looking to expand and promote their products in new areas.

What Are The Advantages Of Using Open Cart To Build Your eCommerce Website?

There are numerous different ways that Open Cart is can be advantageous to your business. For example, the user interface is simple and easy to understand; users can quickly and easily customise and personalise their online store thanks to Open Cart's simple to use theme system.

Furthermore, because the software has fewer built-in features than its competitors, the use of plug-ins won't place that much stress on your server resources. Also the shopping cart software runs on AJAX technology and as such it provides fantastic site speed. These two points are very beneficial for eCommerce websites, as it's widely known that loading time has a large impact on the user experience of your customers. This means that if your website takes a long time to load, for example over 5 seconds, you could potentially be losing a significant number of customers. As such, the advantages with regards to server resources provided by Open Cart offer significant boons to your online retail activities.

If you're a new user, the dashboard is very easy to understand. This easy to use functionality is not limited to the admin dashboard area of your online retail website; it extends to the user end of your website, providing your customers with an easy to understand retail experience. It also offers more experienced users with the option for personalisation and customisation. For example, you could replace the Open Cart logo on the shop interface with your own logo.

Also, it's important to note that for those who are looking for a modern-style website out of the box – the basic store theme that is included with the platform installation is mobile responsive. Providing your users with an enjoyable online shopping experience regardless of the device that they are using to browse your website.

Open Cart Is Open Source eCommerce

Whilst there are numerous advantages of choosing Open Cart software to create your website, one of the main advantages is that the software is open source. Indeed, Apache (the most widely used web server) is both freely available and open source.

At first open source may sound like the software is less secure, however it is important to remember that people don't use source code to break software, as such many view open sourced software as a more secure option. This is because with open source, programmers can view the code without needing to ask the creators for permission. Which means they can submit updates to any errors they spot; this could result in heightened resilience. After all,the more experienced programmers looking at the source code, the quicker issues will be identified and fixed.

As open source web developers, we feel that open source is the best solution for eCommerce. It provides peace of mind in the knowledge that your platform is safe from vendor lock-in, additionally with regards to the numerous safety concerns on the internet; people are very cautious with regards to what they download. As such open source software with accessible source code that is available for inspection is a fantastic way to alleviate some of those concerns.

Still Not Convinced About Open Source?

Did you know that many popular pieces of software are open source or forked from open source software? For example, Google Chrome is a very popular internet browser with over a billion active users. This software was forked from the open source browser Chromium.

Empower Your Business With An eCommerce Solution, Powered By Open Cart

If you want to take your business into the digital world with a high quality eCommerce website, Open Cart is a fantastic choice of software.

With all of the above stated advantages and more, this software provides your business with the tools it needs to succeed in the online world. With options for SEO, payment gateways, and a plethora of additional plug-ins to choose from, you'll be in a strong position to move forward in this new phase of your business.

Need The Assistance Of A Professional? Get In Touch With The Open Source Experts At Code Media

If you have any questions regarding developing your online retail website using open source software, or if you would like to make an enquiry regarding an eCommerce web design and development service, our friendly team of open source experts will be happy to provide assistance and answer any questions you may have.

So if you would like to get in touch with us, please give us a call on 0118 380 1001 Monday to Friday 9 am to 5:30 pm. Additionally you can also contact our team using the Live Chat feature on our website.