Are you looking for a custom eCommerce website with Content Management?

Creating new content for Google and your social media channels is probably the number one thing you can do to increase traffic to your site. Most people manage at least two websites, one for their general content and another for their storefront. It can be difficult to manage theming consistencies between the two and nearly impossible to create pages with a mix of content and catalog items.

The truth is that there are few applications on the market that can provide an integrated CMS with eCommerce. We're not talking about the eCommerce plugins you can get for your Wordpress site, but a real eCommerce application that is secure, flexible, professional, and easy to maintain.

Do you want to be able to easily add new content to your website?

Create quality content and post it often

If you frequently update and add new content to your website, then you are absolutely on the right track to success. But make sure to add content that is valuable to your readers. Either keep a blog or build a website with lots of great information related to your business. Get to know your audience and give them what they want. It could be training videos, recipes, tip of the day, or whatever you can come up with. Reinforce the new content with backlinks by updating your social media channels and getting your customers to "like", "pin", or "retweet".

Again - make your content useful. Don't just add a bunch of meaningless text to a document and jam it full of keywords. Instead, take the time to create pages with a mix of great organized content and images. If you can create a quality video along with your content (or script), that's even better.

Updating and managing multiple pages

If you've ever wondered...what's the best way to edit the pages on my website, how do I manage multiple pages and updates (like one place to edit a header and footer), and how do I add links to my products, social media channels, email signup lists, create new blogs, etc., and manage everything from one system. If you spend too much time messing around with making the same updates over and over, then you need more than a "template website", you need a "dynamic" ecommerce and CMS website all-in-one solution.

If you depend on using an editor that allows you to see what your typing (WYSIWYG) then you may not know (or want to know!) how to code using HTML. That's usually not a problem because there are many inline HTML editors built-in to applications today. An inline editor provides a simple way to add new text and format it for size, style, or headings. For some, HTML editors can seem somewhat limited, but search engine friendliness points are given when the content is organized and formatted well, which simple inline editors can provide.

Use modern tools to design pages

So what do you do when you want to change the layout of a page or add javascript to your site so you can create a banner for your custom home page? That is where the WYSIWYG editors stop and you either have to bring in a developer, or use the content managment and design tools built into AbleCommerce. There are lots of ways to edit pretty much everything on any page and you don't need to code, know HTML or CSS to do it.

Using AbleCommerce, you can turn on design mode and customize any page, add new content, move things around, add widgets, change display options, colors, fonts, background, etc. In fact, you can select any piece of text or any label on any page and change that too. All content management and store design takes place using your browser.

Another benefit, not shown in the screenshot above, is the ability to preview your changes before committing them to the page. Once saved, you can still use the reset function to use the settings from the admin templates. Change and edit at any level, a single page, multiple pages, by page type, or the whole website at once.

Combine content with product marketing

Once the content is created, you can run marketing campaigns to get users to sign-up for mailing lists, or show the top-selling products that are related to the contents of a new page that was written for a blog. For example, a merchant who sells homemade jam could show these products for sale along side an article written about home canning methods. 

By frequently creating great content with a nice mix of products or services that you sell, then you'll be on your way to creating a successful eCommerce business. 

Do you want to increase your search engine rankings through SEO?

When Google started ranking your website for mobile-friendliness, you may have seen a sudden drop in traffic if you didn't have a mobile compatible website. This happened a few years ago, in 2016. Today, most companies no longer maintain two different websites (one for mobile devices and one for PC screens) and have already converted over to a Responsive Website design. This is a website that can adapt automatically to the size of the browser that is being used to view the content. The mobile responsive website design is also recommended by Google.

Source: Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Starter Guide

Editing pages that use Bootstrap Responsive code may require the skills of a website designer or developer, so if you don't have those skills, then it can tough to upgrade your non-mobile site to a responsive format unless you plan to use a "template site" which is fine if you have only a very few pages and no eCommerce. AbleCommerce has designed a unique and easy to use system where you don't have to worry about Bootstrap or Responsive, or anything like that. Our custom CMS system allows you to create new content with the HTML inline editor, drag widgets into pages, adjust layouts, and create shared HTML snippets for use anywhere. Create awesome and unique pages easily by following any of the documented examples.

AbleCommerce takes care of the SEO page elements like, WC3 compliancy, HTML formatting, and CSS, all within the Bootstrap Responsive Website design. All pages are optimized based on Google's published SEO best practices. Products automatically output markup which attract potential buyers who are searching for items. Each product detail page includes Google structured data (also known as microdata or rich snippets) which enables a badge on Google's image search results, encouraging more users to click your content.

The single best thing you can do to rank better in Google, without spending a single penny on advertising or costly pay-per-click campaigns, is to create nicely formatted, visually pleasing, and purposeful content for your website - and add it as often as possible. At least once a week is a good goal to try and reach, but daily is even better!

Are you tired of maintaining more than one website and want a single place where content and eCommerce can be combined?

Do you have a website with a link to your store, but really wish your store could link to your content? That's the approach taken by AbleCommerce with its one solution for an eCommerce website and content management system. If you're having difficulty managing your entire online presence and want to start with a fresh new foundation to build from, then consider using a system that offers both eCommerce and CMS features without having to install multiple add-ons or plug-ins.

Imagine being able to pre-publish articles in advance and then have them roll out automatically to the website on the day you choose. Use any of the batch features that save you time, such as processing transactions for multiple orders at once, creating multiple shipments with tracking and shipping labels, making product price updates, and many other ways to improve efficiency for daily tasks. Even communicate with your customers about issues or changes relating to their orders.

Drop the social media widget into any page and then announce a new content link or product to your Facebook users and other social media channels. Create a custom product page layout with sidebar that has links to important documents or related product information. The ideas are endless when you're working with an all-in-one content management and eCommerce system that is designed to give you consistency and full editing control over every page.

It literally makes no sense to maintain separate websites to handle your eCommerce store, website, blog, etc. Use AbleCommerce's time-saving features to combine management of all your eCommerce needs and website pages into ONE easy-to-use solution!

(need custom graphic with before and after pix of business person managing store with cell phone from the beach) 

Then take a trip to the beach, park, or resort knowing that all your online tasks can be easily managed from your mobile phone.

Is a SaaS solution or self-hosted solution best for your online business?

If you are thinking about starting a new eCommerce storefront or moving away from your existing one, then keep reading a bit more and then ask yourself the 10 questions below. It may help you decide which type of eCommerce solution is a better fit now and in the future.

Maybe you're not even really sure what SaaS means, and if that's the case then let's start with SaaS is an acronym for Software as a Service. It could be eCommerce software, website editing software, or anything else that is hosted by another website - the service provider. Effectively, the SaaS is a type of license model where you subscribe to an online service. The application code is not accessible. There is no download or installation to worry about. This is probably the most common method of licensing available today, but it comes with downsides. You are somewhat at the mercy of your host or service provider. There will be monthly fees for the eCommerce service, of course. With some SaaS solutions, like Shopify for instance, there is a monthly store fee ranging anywhere from $30 - $2000, but they also want you to use their branded payment processer. If you want to choose your own third-party payment service. then prepare to pay Shopify additional fees on every ,  

Now, as long as you are happy with the service and software features as-is, then an SaaS solution is probably going to be fine for a lot of smaller online businesses selling standard items. But if you are serious about selling on the internet and are thinking about future growth, then it might make more sense to adapt or customize the application so it will meet your needs for advancement.

Find out if a custom eCommerce website is the right solution for your business

1. Do you have what it takes to compete online?

Let's face it, the online competition today for product sales is tough. A person can easily find the exact item and the lowest price for standard types of products, from groceries to toys to clothes. Amazon has nearly monopolized the online marketplace, but even they are more or less limited to selling standard shippable products. There are still many opportunities to sell online without competing directly with Amazon.

Case Studies for custom eCommerce Sites:

Chefshop.com is a highly successful eCommerce store owned and managed by Eliza Ward; she sells unique and hard-to-find ingrediants from around the world. She mixes some great content, like top-rated recipes and articles with the products they promote on their website. This website effectively uses content and products together, while being managed with the AbleCommerce platform.

 

This next screenshot shows another eCommerce site that is using AbleCommerce to create custom order pages. Take a look at walldecorsuperstore.com to see how Larry took his business idea for his custom wall decor business to our team of developers. What resulted was the customer's ability to choose any frame and design a custom wallboard using different materials, sizes, positions. Careful measurements are taken by the form input and the customer is able to calculate the final price before making a purchase. Check it out, it's pretty cool.  

 

The Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory uses product kitting to create a Build Your own Selection using assorted candies. This website has some custom style changes, but uses a lot of the built-in components of AbleCommerce to display the product catalog. RMCF.com uses a shopping cart that can handle shipping of their perishable goods.

 

Georgetown Cupcake created a very stylish and custom eCommerce site that was developed by Web2Market. They chose AbleCommerce as a foundation for the website which combines online orders, corporate orders, daily specials, and a delicious looking cupcake menu.

 

ShopRite Delivers nationwide with AbleCommerce as their eCommerce solution with a custom-styled website developed by AWCS.net. They have a huge selection of offerings and the website has a beautiful menu system along with the built-in search engine of AbleCommerce.

 

Keith manages a B2B eCommerce store using AbleCommerce. Using a mix of content and a product line that is sold to the business sector, zackproducts.com is doing very well and ranking nicely in the search engines.

 

Each of the websites linked above have unique qualities that allow them to compete online. Whether it's a major grocery store chain or a custom frame shop, AbleCommerce is an extremely versitle, flexible, and customizable eCommerce shopping application.

Types of eCommerce businesses that can be successful:

Consumers have too many buying choices and it's all too easy to find the best price which usually ends with a link to Amazon. We've been around longer than Amazon and have seen how they can take out 'small business merchants' who used to do really well with eCommerce. But Amazon is an internet selling giant who wants 'world shopping domination'. Now Walmart and other major players are making price competition even more extreme. This is great for the consumer, but not so great if you happen to be selling something that Amazon offers for less. That doesn't mean you give up! It simply means that you need to evolve past the typical shopping site and offer something more (or something different) to your customers. 

All of the sites listed in the section above are successful because they offer a product or service that is unique or has a custom configuration, and they use an eCommerce platform that has the features they want or can be customized to meet their exact needs. Selling unique products, offering custom services, and just plain being different is how you can distinguish yourself from the competition.

Mix valueable content with incentives to buy

Stores that offer both services and products are ideal businesses that can use eCommerce with content. Brick and mortar businesses such as salons, vet clinics, home repair services, music stores, etc. can use an eCommerce solution like AbleCommerce to create lots of content pages describing their services and company offerings right along side related products that they sell.

For example, a music store can create a webpage with a link to a "Free Beginners Course in Clarinets", and from the same page, drop a widget into the page showing the featured clarinets on sale. You can also create subscription product for a "Lesson Package" and schedule time slots to students, collect deposits, and create invoices for automatic payments.

The sample above was put together in less than 15 minutes using AbleCommerce. Everything on the page can be customized using a browser. No coding was needed.

 

B2B stores often use AbleCommerce as their eCommerce platform because of the powerful member group feature which allows them to offer custom shipping and payment methods, tax exemptions, discounts, price levels, and a lot more. A B2B store is a specialty vertical market that has the potential to be extremely successful online, but with any new website, it takes a lot of effort and daily work to keep an online presence worth having.

We think do-it-yourselfers (DIYs) who make really awesome things should all have an online eCommerce store. The one-of-a-kind products made by skilled craft-persons can do extrardinary well with an online store. AbleCommerce is easy enough for a non-technical person to operate. There are built-in features designed for product personalization or custom orders. If you can read instructions, type descriptions and take pictures of your products, then you can sell on the internet. By operating your own AbleCommerce store, you'll reduce your costs to a few dollars per month for hosting. There are no commission or transaction fees besides your normal credit card discounts.

Two other popular types of eCommerce stores that can do very well are digital goods and autoship products. Some digital content is valueable and can be sold through electronic download. One great way to sell digitally is to offer free downloads and then get users to purchase more digital goods. Think about the number of possibilities. Creating digital content is something anyone can do, but creating quality content that can be sold may earn you a spot as a successful online business. You'll need an eCommerce system that can handle automatic fulfillment, email notifications, license codes, and secure downloads. AbleCommerce will do all this and more!

Autoship services are common now, so this feature is expected of any modern eCommerce store. If you need AutoShip subscription capability, then consider using AbleCommerce. We designed our AutoShip feature so it meets the requirements of PCI-DSS (Payment Card Industry) because of the sensitive nature of storing credit card numbers for the recurring subscription payments on future orders. More and more we see businesses offering subscription orders. That's because the AutoShip industry is profitable and it's recurring revenue which is the best kind of income. For customers, AutoShip is convenient and eliminates the hassle to remember to reorder the things consumers need on a regular basis. Finding the perfect AutoShip products to sell will likely be the key to success in this type of eCommerce business. 

2. Have you outgrown your SaaS eCommerce hosted solution?

If you find it hard to manage records and make multiple updates to your store because of a need for more advanced features such as automation, batch processing, mass update, export, and import features, then you need an eCommerce application designed to handle a high volume of orders, along with easy product and content updates.

If you find yourself wanting more from your out-of-the-box eCommerce hosted solution because of daily inefficiancies, or having to keep finding work-arounds to your custom business processes, then maybe it's time to think about upgrading to a different kind of eCommerce solution with the ability to extend integrations and make improvements that do exactly what you need. When you have a hosted SaaS solution, there will be limitations because it's not possible to customize the code or generally access the data directly.

Hosted out-of-the-box eCommerce solutions simply don't work that way. There are probably plenty of online businesses that will surely do fine with an SaaS hosted website, but what many people don't realize is that the costs of paying for something month-to-month far exceeds the cost of purchasing a perpetual software licence that can be downloaded and installed at a hosting facility or self-hosted. Most of the time, consumers and businesses don't have a choice since SaaS software licensing is much more profitable and the legacy software download/install model isn't seen as often as it used to be.

The main problem with SaaS is that you will have lost all of your investment if you ever decide that the hosting fees are no longer affordable, or if your host drops you because they simply feel like it. Yes, most hosted solutions have terms that state they can turn off your service at any time for any reason. Once your store is turned off, then everything you've invested, your products data, customer data, order history - all gone. With a custom eCommerce application, this could never happen.

So maybe when you're ready to take your store to the next level, and you want to hire a developer to write a customization that isn't available as a plugin, or make some tweaks here and there, consider using a downloadable and customizable eCommerce application that is written in Asp.Net and MVC, one of the most accepted and standard languages with more than 7 million .NET developers worldwide. 

3. Do you have unique products with customization, personalization, or purchase requirements?

If you sell products that are unique, such as requiring a customization or personalization, you will need to collect information during the purchase process. AbleCommerce makes this easy with their built-in feature “Product Templates” which allows the seller to ask for information needed to complete fulfillment of the order.

In the sample below, the highlighted field and custom labels are shown below this product's options. You can setup unlimited templates that are designed to collect information from the product they are assigned to. You can customize the type of selection (radio, drop-down options, field, text field) and you can change the label for the input. If you make the selection or input required, then the customer must enter or pick something.

Product Templates can be used in other ways as well. The other type of Product Templates are used by merchants or admins of the store. These are used to assist store admins in entering repetative product information that may be used on several products. For example, any details that show the differences in products of the same type. Product templates can be used to list a product's specifications. Another way that Product Templates can be used is to create search filters. So, let's say you sell children's toys. You can setup a product template and add filters like 'Age Group' with different options. There is no limit, so add as many "Shop By" search filters as you think would be helpful to your customers.

From the Search page, the customer can use these options to narrow down their search results to only the items that meet their requirements. If you have a large catalog of items, a faceted search engine is almost a necessity if you want your customers to easily find what they are looking for. 

4. Do you want more control over fulfillment processes or need flexible shipping options?

If you sell products that have special shipping regulations, such as oversized products, perishable goods or prohibited items, then you need the ability to create custom shipping methods. These products will not ship standard, so you’ll need a way to organize and group together shipping methods so they can be assigned to products that have similiar shipping requirements.

AbleCommerce has created a unique system for managing all your shipping needs. Create your own, install any of the built-in shipping services like USPS, UPS, etc., and select which shipping methods you plan to activate for use. Then look at your products and think about the different ways they can (or cannot) be shipped. Once you have them organized by the various ways each type can ship, then create corresponding ship groups and assign the methods that are applicable to each one. (e.g. Ground only, Standard, Express) 

So, let's say you have some large oversized item that can only ship by Ground services and separate from other items (alone). Or you may have items that are oversized or irregular in shape and they cost more to ship. These items can ship together with standard items, or they may ship alone. Either way, costs to ship these items are going to be more, so you can have the cost calculated more accurately by using the product's dimensions for the shipment calculation.

Another common need for merchants is the ability to ship perishable goods, like food. These items must be shipped by air or express methods so the product arrives fresh. Some stores sell products that cannot ship to certains states, for example an online business that sells live plants. There are many other examples of shipping methods that can be easily configured and applied storewide, or to individual products, by assigning them to your custom shipping groups.

Shipping methods can be used for other purposes. You can assign them to member groups to offer custom shipping rates to certain customers. You can assign shipping methods to zones which allows you to specificy exactly what region (country, state, zip, or postal codes) the method will appear for when the shipping address fits the specified zone. For each method, you can make handling fee adjustments, purchase requirements (minimum order amounts), and tax. Customize shipping carrier methods or create your own shipping methods using a matrix that you design. It can be based on weight, cost, or quantity, or a combination of all three. AbleCommerce has extremely flexible shipping offerings.  
 

5. Are you concerned about running an eCommerce website and being able to protect your customers’ credit card data?

Well, you should be worried because hacking was up by nearly 45% in 2017 and businesses are the target. Matt Cullina, CEO of CyberScout says, “With the business sector being strongly impacted, now more than ever it’s important for organizations of all sizes to not only be prepared for a data breach, but to also be taking proactive steps to plan for the inevitability.”

Source: Data Breaches up nearly 45% according to annual review by Identity Theft Resource Center and Cyberscout

Over the years, we've seen a few personal computers get breeched and it's hard to imagine the devastation this can bring to any business owner. All it takes is a single click to open an email with a virus, or accidentally ending up on a bad website. It's that easy to get your PC infected. As a business owner, if any of the PC's in your organization are compromised, then you might be in for some real trouble.

Shape Security produced the "2018 Credential Spill Report" which shows how criminals weaponize and resell stolen accounts. The report estimates the number and costs of attacks on companies in various industries that are commonly targeted by attackers:

• 2.3 Billion Stolen Credentials
• $50 Million Potential Losses per day
• Average of 15 Months to discover compromises

In the eCommerce industry, researcher Willem De Groot said that almost 6,000 online shopping sites were hacked in 2016. Online fraud is a real and serious problem. To prevent hacking, you need to be actively monitoring your website and employees, ensure that strong passwords are always used, credit cards are not being stored, encryption methods are in place, and that you are using a certified PA-DSS eCommerce payment application.

Once you have selected a PCI-DSS certified solution for your online shopping site, there is still more to do. Each vendor produces a document which explains how to install and secure a new eCommerce site. You can read AbleCommerce Secure Implementation Guide.pdf which covers the detailed process of securing your online store. It explains how to change password requirements and CAPTCHA, enable multi-factor authentication (MFA), set an encryption key, enable sitewide SSL, and securely backup your data.   

6. Do you want to customize, design, and create content that can be integrated into your eCommerce website?

If you want to be ranked well by Google’s search engine, then you must realize that a lot of work can go into SEO optimization and that adding new, relevant, and well-written content is what you must do to improve your position in Google natural search results. Following Google’s guidelines and creating a custom user experience with fresh useful content is what every website owner should strive to do.

If you already have a website, then you should first use the Google URL Inspection tool to see how your existing content is interpreted by a Googlebot. The report will show any issues that might be present and make recommendations on how to fix them.

So what are the best ways to improve your search engine rankings?

Adding fresh new content as frequently as possible. Post new content to your blog and use Social Media and Email to let your followers and customers know about it. Look alive!

• Create unique content that will benefit your target audience. The idea is to get people to read your document, so make it worth reading! If it’s good, then other people will link to it and that increases your “backlinks” which improves your page score with Google.
• Improve page components by using unique and accurate page titles, use custom page URLs, and have a great summary for your description meta tags.
• Write your content using the structured HTML format. A single heading (H1) followed by your sub-headings, but use them to organize the content into the main point and sub-points. Use an inline HTML editor to write the content and categorize new articles.
• For products, use Structured Data code which allows Googlebot to see specific product information that will generate an enhanced (rich) search result, including any product ratings and the price.

SEO optimization is a difficult and unending task. You must have a good understanding of your target audience and the keywords they use to find your website. Use online tools (and there are lots) to give you critical information about your website, such as traffic, page views, page exits, length of time on page, navigation through website and most importantly, how did people get to your website? Was it from a paid advertising campaign, or was it through an organic search? Think about the search terms that people are using and how they are being used on your website. Trying to find the perfect blend of organic search keywords intermixed with meaningful content will be one of the primary objectives to improve your search rankings.

7. Do you need precise control over inventory, including the ability to offer preorders, backorders and restock notifications?

Managing inventory in an eCommerce system should be relatively straight-forward. You will need to stock levels for products, but things online are sold much different than a brick and mortar store. Most products online use options, or variants, because an online customer isn’t going to wade through tens or hundreds of possible pages to find the exact color or size for one kind of product. This means that an eCommerce merchant needs to be able to control inventory at the variant level.

If you want to sell items that are out-of-stock or preordered, then you will need the ability to split shipments, and move the out-of-stock (or unavailable) item(s) to a different shipment while shipping the item(s) that are available to ship – creating a partially shipped order.

Low stock notification events take place when a new order is placed. Being able to choose when the inventory is destocked or restocked is an important feature when handling order fulfillment or product returns. As inventory is sold, the inventory adjusts automatically and when the number in stock meets the threshold you set, then an email notification is sent to whoever needs to be notified, whether it’s the vendor, merchant, or multiple recipients.

A product inventory management report with the ability to easily to find and make updates to your low stock products will be essential. As new stock arrives and is ready to be input, a simple interface for finding the item and updating will be enough for most smaller merchants. But someone with a large inventory and may need to make many updates and frequently. Using data import tools will make inventory updates go much faster than trying to hand-enter each item.   

Some other things that you will likely need are custom inventory messages, restock notifications for your customers, and low stock warnings.

A brick-and-mortar or large eCommerce store will probably need features that help manage the more complex issues like taxes, shipping automation, and batch payment processing. Integrations, such as AvaTax for accurate tax collection and reporting, can make sure that you are properly collecting and reporting taxes. AutoShip can help you manage all your shipping needs, especially if you use multiple services and have a high number of shipments. Processing authorized payments in bulk, or editing orders and making payment adjustments are all features that any eCommerce store will need to have if they are serious about selling on the internet.

8. If you are unhappy with your eCommerce hosting or service provider, can you move to a new location?

When comparing an SaaS solution with a downloaded application that uses a perpetual software license, it's extremely important to understand how your data is being handled. By data, we are referring to products, customers, orders, etc. Behind every eCommerce system is a database, and your electronic records are one of the most valuable assets you own. When you have a hosted system, you will have limited options to get your data. Usually, it will be in the form of a CSV file which can be difficult to manage if you have multiple data sets to export. The data may be available, but it's not too useful in a spreadsheet format if you want to connect users to orders to products (functions of a relational database), for example.

Choosing an SaaS solution means that you won't have the same kind of access to your data or files as you would if the application license were purchased and the software downloaded and installed to a website. This is a perpetual type of license, and generally means you are free to change whatever you want (or at least according to the terms of license agreement). A business wanting to do a major customization will need to purchase a perpetual license. Any business who wants to keep all their customer data in a format that can be backed up and queried should also consider a software license instead of service.

Even with a license that you purchase, unless you manage your own servers, you'll need a hosting service. You should check things like 24-hour availability, allowed downtime limits, and make sure the host offers after-hours emergency support. Read reviews online and make sure that the company you select has a good reputation for technical support.

So what happens if you want to switch to a different eCommerce system? Will you lose all your data? For SaaS services, you will likely need to export as much of your data as they will provide you before the service is terminated. About the only way you can switch from SaaS services to a licensed application would be to import records provided for things such as orders and products. Since no two data sets are identical between applications, it is usually best to find someone who can help import your data from another shopping system. 

At a minimum, regardless of where you are hosted, make sure that backups are being made of your data on a daily basis and find out what the backup retention period is. Take your own backups  and store them offline. Check to make sure your hosting facility is PCI compliant, and it is also an excellent idea to get FTP access to your website files. That way, you will always be able to download and manage your website files and get backups of everything.

9. If you need a custom eCommerce storefront, will you have the freedom to make deeper application level code changes or custom integrations?

Before a developer can give you a good price for a custom eCommerce project, he or she will need to have enough information and sometimes, even the application code to create a custom integration. Developers expect to have well-written and well-documented code so the project can be completed with as few bumps as possible along the way.

Usually it’s beneficial to find a developer that is already familiar with the application you want to integrate with. Find development companies that specialize in eCommerce software integrations. It can also be a good idea to acquire the source code, especially if the customizations are deeper. Usually open source community-driven platforms will work, but lack accountability if something should go wrong (e.g. incompatibilities) can be problematic.

When you work with a commercial application, there are many internal procedures and practices that result in consistent, well-tested and compatible code. This is an advantage over open source platforms that might have many different contributors. Features and integrations can be more closely interrelated when there are project managers and a development team who is familiar with every line of code.

10. Are you paying too much?

The switch from licensed software to software as a service (SaaS) has dramatically risen over the years. Some companies may not realize how much money is being spent on subscription fees when compared to purchasing the application code and modifying it to do whatever you want. One of the leading SaaS providers charges $299 to $2000 per mo. for eCommerce business sites. We think it's unbelievable to pay $24,000 per year when you can purchase a license of AbleCommerce for $1995 (includes source code).

It’s not just about the convenience and monthly fees; real costs are incurred from wasted time due to inefficient or lengthy user-interface processes, or the inability customize an application so it meets your demands for automation and growth. SaaS are inflexible solutions. They can also be costly long-term.

We see many B2C and B2B eCommerce stores that face roadblocks because they need something more than your average eCommerce out-of-the-box solution. AbleCommerce is the better choice if you have custom or unique business requirements, or if you have outgrown your current solution.

If you are thinking that custom means expensive, then you would be partially right. There are many eCommerce platforms that cost well into the thousands, but AbleCommerce is something different. For the first time ever, we are offering our full featured eCommerce application to new merchants at no cost. This is a 1-admin subscription license absolutely free.

You will need to find a suitable place to host the application, or you can install locally to a development website. There are many hosting options and we can say that the pricing usually compares to the expected service level. If you are just getting started and looking for value hosting, then GoDaddy is a good option. If you need full-service hosting with customization or developer services, then you should consider checking out our partners. We offer hosting services as well. Our most common eCommerce hosting plan is $99 per month and is usually adequate for most small businesses.

AbleCommerce provides the same set of features across all plans. You just need to decide what license model makes most sense for your business needs. Do you prefer paying an annual license fee to keep the software updated (and get free technical support), or do you want to buy a perpetual license that you can own forever and use as a foundation for a major integration or customization? You decide.

 

Let’s compare a few different ways you can approach the decision to choose an eCommerce service –

Choose the statement that best represents your current eCommerce needs or situation:

• I’m just getting started so I need cheap (free, or almost free) eCommerce hosting.
• I am ready to get serious about my eCommerce store and I might need some help.
• I have my own (or need a) team of professionals, and I want to take my store to the next level.
• I am a developer and have an interest in developing plugins or providing custom services.

The table below represents the different ways that AbleCommerce can be used: as a free eCommerce and CMS system, by merchants serious about selling, as a development platform for plugins, or for enterprise level businesses that need deeper customizations or integrations. All features the same across all versions.

Detailed breakdown of costs associated with different types of eCommerce plans

Type of interest: I need (almost) free eCommerce software and Hosting FREE ($0.00) AbleCommerce 1-admin user license Install to a website and self-hosted by a service you select Technical support will typically not be available through your hosting provider.  Community support through the AbleCommerce forums and paid incidents and services available. Used by: Manage website content with need (or maybe a future need) for eCommerce. A new business owner trying to start an ecommerce business (fast and cheap), and you're ok with DIY On a budget and ready to move out on my own because my hosts rates keep going up Costs: GoDaddy’s economy plan ranges from $6 to $8 per month. (minimum self-hosted plan) We can provide detailed information on costs of hosting and installation. There is big difference between a budget host and one that offers free technical support and advanced customization services.

Type of interest: Getting serious about eCommerce - moving out on your own If you're under the umbrella of Etsy, Ebay, or Shopify and thinking about upgrading to a different eCommerce system to save money or have more options and controls, then AbleCommerce offers many different ways to get started or migrate from your existing service. If you are totally new to this, then there are a few other things that you'll need if you haven't gotten them already: A domain or website name. Choose wisely. If you can find the perfect name, then it only costs around $10 per year to own it. (hints for a good website name: use only .com domains, avoid dashes, represents what you do or sell, short as possible, easy to spell and remember) An SSL certificate (costs around $99 to $299 per year) will be required if you have a login form or take payments. You'll also need a merchant account for payment processing (PayPal, Authorize.net, or Chase Orbital are big players in the eCommerce payment industry and great choices!) Each have their own reasonable monthly fees and transaction fees which includes processing of your credit card transactions to your bank (these usually run about 2.5-2.7% depending on whether you have a high risk business). AbleCommerce handles the provider configuration and there are over 200 compatible integrations built-in. A host for your website that can manage Windows Asp.Net applications The last step is to put it all together. The software will need to be installed (by you, us, or your host) and configured for secure SSL, payments, shipping, and taxes. A lot more goes into building a store, but once you have these 4 things running, you can start taking orders. Used by: Any business that is ready to get serious about their online presence (website/social media/blog) and eCommerce store. Existing eCommerce merchants who are tired of paying excessive monthly fees and want to save time by managing all the content and commerce under one system. Merchants who need more features without having to install a zillion plugins. Businesses that want to customize or change the application so it better fits their needs.  Costs: AbleCommerce software license for 2 admin user version: License cost is $295 per year ($24.58/mo) License requires customer to self-host or choose a full-service provider ($ varies) Or host with our custom SaaS service (starting at $99/mo - pay month-to-month plan) Hosting really depends on your service level needs. If you just want cheap DYI, then GoDaddy is probably a good choice. If you need more service or support, then we recommend checking out the AbleCommerce recommended hosted solutions list. Web2Market.com, AWCS.net, and AbleMods.com all offer quality custom development services and full-service hosting with support and custom development. AbleCommerce also offers competitive pricing for eCommerce hosting, specialized support, and custom work.

Type of interest: I'm ready to take my store to the next level So you've made it to the next level and you're ready to move past the typical eCommerce small business by ramping up your online store. Maybe you're looking for an integrations with accounting systems, inventory control systems, a custom helpdesk, custom reporting, or access to the database for direct custom integrations. Whatever it is you want to do, the AbleCommerce software platform is going to make it possible.       AbleCommerce is written with .NET developers in mind, but a lot can be accomplished directly from the user interface, so you may want to work with someone who is familiar with Ablecommerce and customizations. They can work with you directly to integrate or make deeper customizations. Host on a plan that gives you access to the server so some control over the application and website processes can be obtained. Many places offer competitive hosting for virtual or dedicated servers. Used by: Medium to large, and enterprise-level businesses, online only or integrations with brick-and-mortar stores. Any eCommerce business that is looking for a custom integration that requires access to the application source code. Businesses that manage or maintain their own eCommerce server and have employees dedicated to store management. Any online business (5+admins) that prefers to own a perpetual license key instead of renting software from month to month. Over time the savings are significant. Costs: A one-time-only purchase of AbleCommerce with a perpetual license (per domain) includes: All the same great features plus unlimited admin users and development licenses All the eCommerce application code along with the Visual Studio SLN source: one-time license fee $1995 CommerceBuilder source code (which can be useful as a reference, but usually isn't necessary for most customizations) Software maintenance agreement for $495 per year. (optional, first year included) Compare our pricing with Shopify Advanced, their prices range between $299 - $2000 per month.

Type of interest: I am a developer looking for an eCommerce application to write or integrate with. Written using Asp.Net and MVC, AbleCommerce is an easy platform to write to, or integrate with. Our new plugin architechture allows developers to create distributible packages that can be uploaded and installed with one-click using the Merchant Admin. The plugins are easy for customers to access, install, and configure. You can check out some of the shipping and tax plugins that are available below. Host on your local Windows PC using a development environment with Visual Studio. AbleCommerce is driven by a MS-SQL database which is configured during installation. Launch the application to a hosted production IIS website. Get unlimited development installations so you can always keeping your development work separate. We are working on a new Able Marketplace (Summer 2020) where you can advertise and market your own works for all AbleCommerce customers to see every time they login to their Dashboard and want to look for new plugins. Used by: Developers with knowledge of Asp.Net MVC5 framework and Responsive Bootstrap. Learn more about developing with AbleCommerce and get a free download today.    How to Get Started: DOWNLOAD and install a free-forever development license which you can use to earn an income from custom eCommerce projects for your customers. Join our affiliate program and earn money for referrals, or get big discounts as a reseller for AbleCommerce. Please use our contact form to let us know what you need. We are here to help. Requests for new features is growing daily...join our community forums to get involved. Costs: Absolutely nothing

AbleCommerce has the major carrier's shipping plugins that you can one-click install and use for free. Choose from Australia Post, CanadaPost, UPS Online Tools, and USPS.  More integrations coming online soon…FedEx available by request only.

 

We offer many more Payment Plugins and also the Avalara Tax plugin if you want to make sure that your eCommerce storefront is meeting the new tax laws.