Recommendations for Ecommerce Website Creation

[SimonP99]

Hi everybody,
I am going to create an eCommerce website and would like to benefit from the experience of those who have been there and done that.

I have built many websites and am comfortable with Wordpress but I have never created an eCommerce site with it.

Questions:

Is Wordpress a good choice for eCommerce? If not what would, or do you use?

What themes,plugins,shopping cart, payment processor etc. would you recommend I use?

The last thing I need is for the servers to crash from promotions & press releases that generate large volumes of traffic so what hosting do you recommend ?

In a Nutshell

If you have a successful eCommerce business would you mind sharing your setup?

AND just as importantly what would you avoid like the plague?

Any advice is appreciated

Thanks in advance

 

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[16thCylinder]

I have used Wordpress in the past for a single item with variations in size, colour and quantity but I no longer recommend it for ecommerce. It can't really handle serious online physical product selling.

I have used Big Commerce for selling large numbers of lines and it is a far more robust solution. There is a monthly fee which includes the platform and hosting.

 

[SimonP99]

I have used Wordpress in the past for a single item with variations in size, colour and quantity but I no longer recommend it for ecommerce. It can't really handle serious online physical product selling.

I have used Big Commerce for selling large numbers of lines and it is a far more robust solution. There is a monthly fee which includes the platform and hosting.

Yes I kind of figured Wordpress wouldn't really cut it.

I am familiar with Big Commerce and am seriously considering it as an option.

Thanks for the input

 

[Ramble On]

Take a look at Shopify. I have been using them for 3 years now and have been very happy.

 

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[SimonP99]

Take a look at Shopify. I have been using them for 3 years now and have been very happy.

Thanks man, good to know.
They are one of the big boys so definitely worth considering.

I'll have to research them all and see which one best suits my needs.

 

[Kevin Peter]

magento with elegant themes the best combination ever!

 

[Grinning-Jack]

I use Open cart in Hostgator.
No wordpress.

 

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[SimonP99]

Hi everybody,
I am going to create an eCommerce website and would like to benefit from the experience of those who have been there and done that.

I have built many websites and am comfortable with Wordpress but I have never created an eCommerce site with it.

Questions:

Is Wordpress a good choice for eCommerce? If not what would, or do you use?

What themes,plugins,shopping cart, payment processor etc. would you recommend I use?

The last thing I need is for the servers to crash from promotions & press releases that generate large volumes of traffic so what hosting do you recommend ?

In a Nutshell

If you have a successful eCommerce business would you mind sharing your setup?

AND just as importantly what would you avoid like the plague?

Any advice is appreciated

Thanks in advance

I appreciate the recommendations folks but I fear I may just get a string of people
saying they use a particular service or setup and are happy with it.

If I could request that you be a little more specific as to what you like about your eCommerce choice
such as functionality, SEO, tracking etc and of course the price it would help immensely.

Thanks again

 

[SimonP99]

I use Open cart in Hostgator.
No wordpress.

Thanks for this idea, I have an account with hostgator
and didn't even know about this option.

I will certainly be experimenting with this...

 

[ZCP]

Provide value. Key to any business and to any good inquiry on a forum.

Your OP starts and is filled with the word 'I'. Even with that, you got feedback. Now you ask for more.

Review the first line of this post. Give to get.

 

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[SimonP99]

magento with elegant themes the best combination ever!

Thanks for the suggetion

 

[James Thornton]

I use Shopify. It's never let me down. It does have limitations if you have products with several variation options or other complexities. Although there is an app store for custom features, probably something for that.

You can fully edit the html, css, and install your own customizations if you know how to code. Fully flexible just like a custom build.

Yet it is template based, and you can have a shop up and running quickly. Even though I know how to code, it was the path of least resistance and I've never had one issue (that I didn't cause

I use the Editions template by Pixel Union, but with a fair amount of custom design and features on top. For reference (feel free to mod cut if against forum policy): http://thorntonartstudio.com/

 

[SimonP99]

I use Shopify. It's never let me down. It does have limitations if you have products with several variation options or other complexities. Although there is an app store for custom features, probably something for that.

You can fully edit the html, css, and install your own customizations if you know how to code. Fully flexible just like a custom build.

Yet it is template based, and you can have a shop up and running quickly. Even though I know how to code, it was the path of least resistance and I've never had one issue (that I didn't cause

I use the Editions template by Pixel Union, but with a fair amount of custom design and features on top. For reference (feel free to mod cut if against forum policy): http://thorntonartstudio.com/

Thanks James,
Great flexibility, up and running fast, sounds good to me. As you say the path of least resistance...
Nice website by the way your theme and design suits your artwork perfectly.

 

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[SimonP99]

Hi,
Shopify would be the most preferable choice based on the following criteria:

• It easy to set up and start using.
• Has an excellent and professional support service.
• It's a hosted e-commerce service. This means that you just pay to use their services. No worrying about getting your own hosing provider.
• It has a 14 day trial period.
• Has an excellent store for both themes and applications. This store is a great place to find applications that can enhance your store's functionality and themes that enhance the look and feel of your store

Thanks for the info man.

After Grinning Jacks suggestion I installed Opencart yesterday to give it a try.
It' seems a nice choice because you can have multiple stores on one domain and no
monthly fees. Of course there are some extensions to buy to get it functioning
right but they are one off payments. (It's an easy install)

It looks like a great way to get eCommerce stores up and running without monthly fees.

Shopify does appeal and I will probably give it a try if OpenCart doesn't work out.

Thanks again to everyone for the suggestions

 

[Grinning-Jack]

Thanks for this idea, I have an account with hostgator
and didn't even know about this option.

I will certainly be experimenting with this...

OC, is ok when you sell 1 type of goods. For example, you have 100 or over products and each of those products have 10 or over units.

My suggestion; don't use Wordpess as a e-store; it's too easy to hack.

 

[Silvio]

I prefer using Magento for e-commerce websites, as for me it is the most useful cms with lots of suitable features

 

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[People>Cash]

If you're familiar with developing magneto is best hands down for total customization

If not I usually recommend clients either shopify or Wordpress depending on their need.

Shopify is around $30 a month and is designed for ecommerce. It's easy to setup and it's great for beginners. Highly recommend.

Wordpress w/woocommerce is also a good option if your website involves a lot of content. Wordpress has best seo for blogging, articles, videos, and in general content. Woocommerce works great but you'll have to purchase some extensions if you want it to become really good.

I guess it depends on your needs and time. Also, don't forget Amazon, eBay, etsy, and other platforms.

 

[FiqqVales]

So many good options available here as me myself starting to plan out my eCommerce store. Just what I needed.

 

[Kevin Peter]

I feel the need to have a tool kit for WordPress. Either ways Magento has had very good reviews all this while and is roust enough to handle to its entirety.

 

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[SimonP99]

magento with elegant themes the best combination ever!

Thanks for the input.
Do you use the free community edition or the paid enterprise edition and how
much is it costing you?

I find it infuriating when businesses aren't forthright with their pricing...

 

[Shades]

Wordpress with WooCommerce. Never get why people think it cant handle volume. Sure, when you reach massive volume you can start thinking about something else. But by then you would likely have a custom solution anyway. Maybe you just have a host problem.