Is OpenCart an Effective Ecommerce Solution?

eCommerce is getting easier over time as new software and solutions have become available. For example, you can find dozens of eCommerce solutions to transform a website into an online store in a matter of minutes! However, of the many solutions, two stand out: OpenCart and WooCommerce.

What is OpenCart?

OpenCart is a stand-alone eCommerce solution. This means that it is not a plugin so you can seamlessly integrate into your website. This needs to be installed into your server.

As complicated as it may sound, OpenCart is actually very easy to use. It uses a one-click system, which means just press Install and its own design takes care of everything. In a few minutes, your website and the OpenCart are ready.

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Many are currently using it because:

It is reliable—there is no use getting the most advanced eCommerce software when it lacks the support it needs from its designers and developers. Missing or irregular updates, for example, already makes the system at a very high risk of being attacked by malware. When you use OpenCart, you will receive free software updates and technical support forever.

It is templatable. The software gives you a variety of templates that can be used to enhance branding and make your shopping cart appear more attractive.

It is scalable. Some eCommerce software can handle only X number of product categories, products, images, etc. OpenCart does not set such limits. Thus, you can expand your offerings conveniently and quickly as your business grows.

It is already optimised. We believe that SEO needs to be handled by professionals. This is the only way we can guarantee that your pages are indeed optimised. Nevertheless, we give credence to well-built software that is also ready for optimisation as it makes our job easier. OpenCart is one of these applications.

It lets you run a store properly. OpenCart has different:

  • shipping/delivery options
  • tax rates
  • currency choices
  • payment options

You can also:

  • Generate and print reports and invoices
  • Display your shopping cart in different languages
  • Allow product reviews and ratings
  • Set up a discount coupon system
  • Resize images
  • Sell downloadable products
  • Back up and restore the entire store (this can be part of your disaster recovery)
  • Log errors for tracking

Most of all, OpenCart is FREE. It is built by an open-source community. Since the developers are not working for a selected people, they can design the eCommerce with users’ needs in mind, not profit.

OpenCart Vs WooCommerce

OpenCart is indeed one of the best programs for eCommerce, but how does it stack up against other eCommerce solutions such as WooCommerce? These two share very similar features, and they are both reliable and well-known. What sets WooCommerce incredibly different from OpenCart is the fact that it is a plug-in.

A plug-in is something that you integrate into your existing website. In this case, to run WooCommerce, your website needs to be built using WordPress. This eCommerce solution is designed only to work with WordPress.

Although this may sound very limiting, there are also a number of advantages:

  • It is much quicker to set it up. Any WordPress theme supports WooCommerce. Just search, add it to your website, and you are good to go.
  • WordPress is a great content management system. Most developers or even those with only basic web knowledge build their websites using WordPress because of its ease, convenience, and functionality. You have access to hundreds of WordPress themes, extensions, more plugins, etc., that give you more control as to the design and function of your eCommerce website.
  • WordPress is easy to optimise. Over 80% of WordPress themes have already been optimised. Simply put, you have only a few things to deal with as far as optimisation is concerned.
  • Plug-ins are updated. These updates are also immediately rolled out, so you can take advantage of these changes as soon as possible.
  • It is free. Again, just download the WooCommerce plug-in, and you are done.

Conclusion

So which one is it going to be? When two things look and feel almost the same, it is hard to make your choice, and it is the same thing here with OpenCart and WooCommerce.

We greatly admire OpenCart because of its simplicity in use and extensive functionality. However, if you have an existing website that has a WordPress theme, I highly suggest that you go for WooCommerce.

It only takes a few minutes to convert your website into an eCommerce website where customers can place an order and you can process invoices. You can also choose a host of other extensions that can make your online store more solid, efficient, responsive, as well as user friendly.

If you want to use WooCommerce as your eCommerce solution, we can definitely help you. Call Ignition Media on 55 687 515 or visit our eCommerce page for more information.

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