Several unique terms and phrases describe the features of software we review on this site, some easier to grasp than others. This list briefly defines terms relevant to eCommerce Software.

Click here for a complete side-by-side comparison of eCommerce Software

You may also be interested in these review sites... Website Creation Software Email Marketing Services Shopping Cart Web Hosting Website Template Services

Ratings

Feature Set

The list of the ecommerce service's tools and unique traits is called the feature set.

Ease of Use

Services with intuitive controls received high marks from TopTenREVIEWS for Ease of Use. You don't have to be a computer programmer to understand how to use an ecommerce service; these are designed for computer novices. Even grandma can use a well-designed ecommerce service to sell quilts over the Internet.

Ease of Setup

To start your ecommerce website, the ecommerce service shows you exactly what to do and how to do it. If the service does not provide you with all the necessary components to start your online business, they should lead you to all the services you need.

For example, a good ecommerce service that doesn't offer credit card processing as part of their package should recommend compatible credit card processing services to make your set up task easier.

Help/Documentation

Many ecommerce services offer excellent help files and help search tools, FAQs, online tutorials, telephone support and email support, and some offer live chat support. Some ecommerce services offer you online communities where you can talk about problems and solutions with business peers.

Fraud Protection

eCommerce services offer you, the merchant, tools to prevent fraud. Examples include requiring customers to enter the CVV2 code printed on the back of most credit cards and processing your financial transactions over secure Internet connections.

eCommerce

All In One

All-in-One services give you every tool you need to go from brilliant idea to ecommerce website. The services you need include hosting, website building tools, a shopping cart, a payment gateway, a credit card processing service and a merchant account.

Hosting

Houses your website on the Internet for you. Hosting computers are powerful, dependable, and typically connected to main arteries of the Internet to ensure speedy visits for your customers. Many ecommerce services offer website hosting, data storage space and bandwidth as part of their packages.

Website Building Wizard

Helps you enter your product choices and pricing, set up your shipping options, figure any necessary taxes, and set up your store to accept customer payments.

Shopping Cart

A web-based shopping cart is an electronic version of a grocery store shopping cart. A customer can read a list of products and mark selections. When finished ordering, the customer moves to the check out by pushing a button. The order is totaled, placed and confirmed. Also, the customer enters credit card shipping and tax information at the check out.

Shopping cart software allows you to build a catalog of products on your website and integrate these into the product sales tools, such as credit card processing tools.

Credit Card Processing

Once the payment gateway accepts the transaction, this service records the transaction, removes funds from the credit cardholder's account and deposits these into your merchant account.

Hosting

Storage Space

Also known as web space. The storage you are given on your web hosting account allows you to store files, webpages, email, databases and graphics. Web space is measured in MB (megabytes).

Bandwidth

Also known as traffic. When visitors access your web page, online image, audio file, video clip or another part on your website, traffic is generated. Your total (aggregate) traffic is the sum of all inbound, outbound, and email traffic. Measured in GB (gigabytes).

FTP

File Transport Protocol, this refers to a software tool that allows you to transfer files, pictures, and video from your local computer to your hosting companies server or any other network.

Website Design

Website Builder

A website builder can range from simple to use wizards, to complete programs designed specifically to create a unique website. Some common Website builders are Frontpage and Dreamweaver.

Website Design Templates

This is how you choose what your website looks like. Templates are graphics that have been created so you can easily choose what best represents your site. Many templates are free but you can usually buy unique templates through your eCommerce provider, or through many Internet shops willing to sell you their designs.

Thumbnails and large Image Views

Allow customers to see miniature versions of your products. Several images can fit in a small space making download time faster for your customer. For a larger or more detailed image, large image views can be opened with a mouse click.

Customization

Tools allow you to change templates and the design of your website, including style, layout, colors, fonts, and images.

Shopping Cart

Maximum Number of Products

Some services set a limit on the number of products you can sell; others allow you to sell as many as you wish.

Hard Goods (Physical)

Tangible goods, such as clothing, electronics, furniture, or anything that is in physical form.

Soft Goods (Downloadable)

Downloadable goods, or services. Examples include ebooks, instructions, or scheduling of a service, such as a cleaning service.

Variants

Variations on your product, including different sizes, colors, and prices. You can include one product photo and description yet offer several variants.

Credit Card Processing

Real-Time Credit Card Processing

The shopping cart offers their own credit card processing or is compatible with other processing programs.

Other Methods - Checks, E-Checks, P.O. C.O.D.

Beyond credit card processing, some services allow other payments methods, such as checks, echecks, and C.O.D.

Automatic Tax and Shipping Calculations

Allows the merchant to figure shipping and sales taxes automatically. This service allows the merchant and customer many options when choosing shipping. Examples include same-day shipping, overnight shipping, international shipping, free shipping, and selection of a shipping company.

SSL - Secure Socket Layer

A method of ensuring that private information sent through your website cannot be accessed by unauthorized people online. Information sent through an SSL-secured form is transmitted encrypted, or security coded. SSL is commonly used for online credit card transactions.

Fraud Protection Tools

These include SSL encrypted transmission for credit card processing, also requiring details from the credit card customer, such as exact name and address verification, and the CVV2 code from the back of the credit card.

Reports

Traffic

Also known as bandwidth. When visitors access your webpage, online image, audio file, video clip or another element on your website, traffic is generated. Your total traffic is the sum of all inward-bound, outward-bound, and email traffic. Measured in GB (gigabytes).

Sales

Either the number of products sold or the total revenue gained. All ecommerce services track sales several ways.

Inventory

The inventory counter tracks of each item you carry and makes note of under-stocked merchandise so you can reorder in time. With many services you can create reports in order to see sales trends. Inventory tools also track your customer records.

Order Management

Ideally, the customer receives the full order on time. But if your goods is out of stock, you must offer choices:

• Backordering allows you to reserve an out-of-stock product for the customer. Some services will allow your customer to wait until the order is complete to ship, if wanted.
• Partial shipping means you ship in-stock items now and ship backordered items as they become available.
• A flexible order management helps meet customer needs.
• Catalog Manager helps you manage inventory and organize your goods in an online product catalog.

QuickBooks Integration

QuickBooks is a financial software program for small businesses. eCommerce services that offer integration are compatible with this financial program. This means you can copy your commerce financial data into QuickBooks easily.

Marketing

Affiliate program

A plan your ecommerce service can set up so you receive payment for selling goods, services, and advertisements for others.

For example, if you want to sell tubas on your marching band website but don't want to stock tubas, you can set up an affiliate arrangement with a tuba seller/supplier. Then customers can come to your website, pick a tuba, and click a button on your website to buy the instrument from the tuba supplier. Credit for the sale is tracked by your ecommerce service; you collect a prearranged commission from the tuba supplier for the sale.

You can also receive payment for displaying other businesses' advertisements on your website; this is an affiliate advertising program.

Email Tools

A service that allows you to send out emails and newsletters to your customers.

Search Engine Submission

Search engines (Google, Yahoo, and MSN and others) are the telephone directories of the Internet. A search engine is a massive cataloging service that indexes samples of websites. After entry of a few words, a search engine checks billions of records in seconds and returns relevant websites first.

Your first website won't be noticed in the Internet neighborhood unless you invite search engines to include your website in their listings. Some ecommerce services send your website to major search engines for you.

  ©2003 – 2008 TopTenREVIEWS, Inc.