The “Add to Cart” moment is pivotal in a customer’s journey—it’s when browsing transforms into potential purchasing. Choosing the right ecommerce shopping cart solution and designing a smooth checkout flow are crucial for preventing customer drop-off and creating a great shopping experience.
In this guide, we’ll explore the meaning of shopping carts for ecommerce businesses, how to add one to your website, and review top market options, including Shopify’s shopping cart integration.
What is an ecommerce shopping cart?
An ecommerce shopping cart is software that allows customers to select, store, and manage items before making a purchase. It mirrors the in-store shopping experience, letting customers add items, adjust quantities, and view total costs before completing a transaction.
Types of ecommerce shopping carts
Ecommerce shopping carts come in various forms, each designed to meet different business needs and technical capabilities.
SaaS (software as a service) shopping carts
SaaS shopping carts are cloud-based tools that businesses can use without local installation. They operate through the internet, like a website.
Merchants pay a monthly fee to access these carts, which come with built-in features. This makes it easy for beginners to start selling online quickly without extensive knowledge of shopping cart technology.
Hosted shopping carts
Hosted shopping carts are similar to SaaS carts. A company manages the cart for you on their servers.
You don’t have to worry about software updates or troubleshooting—the hosting company handles that. These carts often include customizable templates and integrated payment processing.
Self-hosted shopping carts
Self-hosted shopping carts offer businesses more control over design and features. You install the cart software on your own server or computer.
While this provides maximum customization, you’re responsible for maintenance and troubleshooting. Self-hosted shopping carts are typically suited to enterprise businesses or merchants with complex tech stacks.
Open-source shopping carts
Open-source shopping carts are free to use and can be modified by anyone with coding knowledge. The software is developed by a community of developers who share their work.
These carts can be either self-hosted or used with a hosting service. They’re ideal for budget-conscious businesses willing to invest time in setting up their store. However, you might need to hire a developer for significant customizations.
How to choose the right ecommerce shopping cart
When researching options for your online store’s shopping cart, consider the following factors:
Pricing
Budget is a key consideration when selecting an online shopping cart, but it’s not just about finding the lowest price. Sometimes, the cheapest option isn’t the best choice.
Self-hosted ecommerce shopping carts are typically more affordable, but they often have limited functionality compared to full-featured options like Shopify. They also require investment in technical resources for building and maintenance.
When evaluating pricing, consider:
- Monthly fees
- Payment processing fees
- Minimum transaction volume requirements
- Transfer fees
- Cancellation or early termination fees
Integrations
Look for an online shopping cart that offers integrations with your existing ecommerce platform and tech stack, as well as additional options for future growth. Your online business will likely expand over time, so you need business tools and ecommerce solutions that can adapt and scale with you.
Accepted payment types
Select an online shopping cart that supports a variety of payment methods, including:
- Debit and credit cards
- Mobile wallets
- PayPal
- Buy now, pay later services
Additional payment options can boost both conversions and average order value (AOV). For example, one in four merchants using Shop Pay Installments double their AOV when allowing customers to spread costs over monthly payments. Flexible payment options increase consumer spending power.
Customization
The ability to adjust your online shopping cart’s look and feel is crucial for matching your branding and optimizing the user experience. An estimated $260 billion worth of lost orders are recoverable through better checkout flow and design.
Consider reducing the number of steps in your checkout flow to minimize friction. Ecommerce shopping carts like Shop Pay’s 1-click checkout can simplify the process and make it easier for shoppers to convert.
Shipping options
High shipping costs are a leading cause of shopping cart abandonment. Choose an ecommerce shopping cart that allows you to customize shipping options and lets customers select their preferred shipping method.
Ensure the shopping cart experience makes these costs transparent. Many shoppers abandon their cart because they can’t calculate the total order cost upfront. Make it easy for them by providing this information clearly.
User experience
User experience (UX) refers to how easily customers can interact with an ecommerce platform, including its shopping cart. A well-designed customer experience can directly influence a customer’s likelihood to buy and return for future purchases.
Look for a cart that allows customers to:
- Easily add and remove products
- View total costs
- Complete checkout securely and easily
- Navigate between the cart and store
These features are likely to increase customer satisfaction and conversion rates.
Analytics
Ecommerce shopping cart software can track, collect, and present data related to customer behavior and sales. This information can provide valuable insights for improving your ecommerce site.
For example, if analytics reveal a high cart abandonment rate, it could indicate issues such as a complicated checkout process or unexpected shipping costs. Use these insights to continuously optimize your shopping cart and overall ecommerce experience.
5 best shopping cart software for ecommerce
Choosing the right platform for your small business is crucial, both for today and in the future. Implementing business technology takes significant time and effort, and switching platforms later can be time-consuming, costly, and stressful.
1. Shopify
Shopify offers a Level 1 PCI-DSS-compliant (Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard) online shopping cart suitable for new, established, and growing ecommerce merchants. It handles payments directly over SSL encryption, with no third-party accounts required.
You can use over 100 payment gateways and tailor for international selling, supporting more than 50 languages, tax rates, and currencies. Shopify is also optimized for mobile commerce, catering to merchants who prioritize selling on mobile devices.
For shipping, Shopify’s online shopping cart lets you choose fixed-price, tiered, location-based, or weight-based rates. If you’re on the Advanced plan, you’ll also get automatic shipping rates from major carriers like UPS, USPS, and FedEx.
The platform’s marketing tools let you send automatic cart abandonment recovery emails and create customer profiles with saved payment information for smoother checkouts.
Shop Pay checkout stands out as the fastest and highest-converting online shopping cart available. Websites using Shop Pay convert 1.91 times more than those with regular ecommerce checkouts.
You can extend Shopify’s reach by adding the Shopify Buy Button to other websites, such as your blog, landing pages, or online storefronts on different ecommerce platforms. This creates a consistent Shopify checkout experience across your online presence.
With Shopify, you get access to a comprehensive suite of business tools to manage every aspect of your operations. The platform’s library of thousands of third-party apps allows you to build a robust tech stack that meets all your business needs, whether you’re selling online or in-person.
Here’s a snapshot of the Shopify online shopping cart:
- Pricing: Basic Shopify: $39/month; Advanced Shopify: $399/month.
- Payment types: Credit and debit cards, mobile wallet, payment installments; third-party integrations expand payment options further. More than 100 supported payment gateways.
- International payments: Global currency conversion, more than 50 languages, customizable tax settings.
- Ecommerce integrations: Shopify Buy Button compatible with various platforms.
- Other business tool integrations: Seamless integration with Shopify’s suite of business tools; thousands of third-party apps in the Shopify App Store.
- Shipping options: Automatic carrier rates (Advanced Shopify); fixed-price, tiered, location-based, or weight-based rates.
- Customization: Matches your Shopify site branding.
2. ShopWired
ShopWired combines an online shopping cart with a basic ecommerce site builder. You can create a customized, branded online store and sell across multiple channels.
The platform offers a two-click checkout with more than 60 different payment gateway providers. However, it lacks a companion mobile app, which can make managing your business on the go more challenging.
ShopWired online shopping cart at a glance:
- Pricing: Pro: $29.95/month; Advanced: $59.95/month; Premium: $119.95/month. 20% discount for annual billing. No transaction fees. Free 14-day trial. No minimum contract.
- Payment types: Credit and debit cards; Apple Pay, Google Pay, PayPal, Klarna, Laybuy, Zip Pay, Clearpay, Stripe; more than 60 supported payment gateways.
- International payments: More than 40 international payment gateways; customers see product and shipping prices in their local currency.
- Ecommerce integrations: Facebook, Instagram, Google Shopping, eBay, Etsy, Amazon, AliExpress.
- Other business tool integrations: Klaviyo, QuickBooks, TaxJar, Reviews.io, Veeqo, Vend, Xero, and more.
- Shipping options: Customize shipping zones and rates; offer free shipping; install free shipping apps to expand options. Integrations with ShipStation, ShippingEasy, and Shippo for label printing.
- Customization: Matches your branding.
3. OpenCart
OpenCart is an open-source ecommerce cart ideal for businesses with the technical expertise and resources to build and customize an effective checkout. While it’s free to download and use, you’ll need technical know-how to create an effective online shopping cart.
OpenCart online shopping cart at a glance:
- Pricing: Free. You’ll pay for hosting, extensions and themes, and any custom development required.
- Payment types: Credit and debit cards, mobile wallets, Amazon Pay, PayPal, Klarna, Afterpay. Recurring payments also available.
- International payments: Yes; supports global currencies and more than 40 languages.
- Ecommerce integrations: Amazon.
- Other business tool integrations: More than 13,000 third-party extensions. Google Shopping, Facebook, Square, PayPal, Authorize.Net, First Data, LiqPay, Skrill, and more.
- Shipping options: Integrations with Australia Post, Citylink, FedEx, Parcelforce, Royal Mail, UPS, USPS, and more. Many third-party OpenCart extensions are available, some with additional fees.
- Customization: Offers discounts, coupons, and specials; merchants have extensive flexibility, provided they have the resources to leverage the platform fully.
4. Weebly
Weebly is a basic online store builder with affordable pricing options. Owned by Square, it integrates seamlessly with other Square-owned platforms.
However, Weebly has its limitations. It’s more restricted than other online shopping carts in terms of functionality and customization. Its affordability comes at the cost of fewer features.
The Weebly online shopping cart at a glance:
- Pricing: Free basic account; Personal: $13/month ($10/month, billed annually); Professional: $16/month ($12/month, billed annually); Performance: $29/month, ($26/month, billed annually).
- Payment types: Credit and debit cards, Square, Stripe, PayPal, Apple Pay, Android Pay.
- International payments: Depends on the payment gateway.
- Ecommerce integrations: N/a (Weebly is an ecommerce platform).
- Other business tool integrations: Square suite of tools and integrations.
- Shipping options: Automatically calculates and displays shipping costs based on weight, number of products, location, and carrier.
- Customization: User-friendly drag-and-drop editing; add field for customer notes; automatic sales tax calculator; security badges; abandoned cart recovery.
5. Ecwid
Ecwid stands out from other options on this list. While it offers a dedicated online store builder, its primary purpose is to transform existing websites into ecommerce sites.
You don’t need technical coding skills to start selling online with Ecwid. However, while it offers an online store builder, it may lack the depth of features that growing brands require.
Ecwid online shopping cart at a glance:
- Pricing: Free to build and launch your store; monthly paid plans start at $25 ($21/month if paid annually); no additional transaction fees.
- Payment types: Credit and debit cards, Apple Pay, Google Pay, cryptocurrency, gift cards, promo codes.
- International payments: Supports all official global currencies.
- Ecommerce integrations: Ecwid, WordPress, Amazon, Wix, eBay.
- Other business tool integrations: MailChimp, Google Ads, Facebook, Square, Clover, Vend, Alice, Instagram, Google Shopping.
- Shipping options: Automatically estimate shipping costs when provided with customer location.
- Customization: Upsell related products; set minimum purchase amount; display or hide store footer.
Why choosing the right ecommerce shopping cart is important
Selecting the best software ensures a seamless shopping cart experience, making customers more likely to complete their purchase. The shopping cart is the final touchpoint before a customer buys, so you want to minimize the risk of shopping cart abandonment here.
With an average cart abandonment rate of 70%, choosing the right ecommerce shopping cart for your online store can help you recover many of these lost sales and boost your conversion rate.
Plus, an ecommerce shopping cart is essential for converting online sales, accepting payments, and processing transactions. Without it, online shoppers would have no way to select items and pay for them, rendering your ecommerce site a mere website without selling functionality.
Modern online shopping carts also store valuable data you can use for various purposes, including marketing, forecasting, and pricing strategies.
Read more
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- What Is Ecommerce Fulfillment? Guide to Fulfillment Strategies
- 7 Best Ecommerce Platforms for Small Businesses in 2024
Ecommerce shopping cart FAQ
How long does a cart stay active in Shopify?
In Shopify, abandoned carts typically remain active for three months by default. After this period, the cart expires and the items are removed.
Does Shopify automatically send abandoned cart emails?
Shopify doesn’t send abandoned cart emails automatically out of the box. However, you can easily set up automated abandoned cart emails using Shopify’s built-in abandoned checkout recovery feature or through third-party apps available in the Shopify App Store.
Can I track customer behavior in my shopping cart?
Yes, you can track customer behavior in your shopping cart using analytics tools. Most ecommerce platforms, including Shopify, offer built-in analytics that shows cart additions, removals, and checkout progress.
What is a shopping cart in ecommerce?
A shopping cart in ecommerce is software that allows customers to purchase items from your shop or save a list of items they wish to buy together in the future.
Who has the best shopping cart?
Shopify offers the best ecommerce shopping cart solution. Shop Pay, in particular, is the fastest and highest-converting online shopping cart available.
How much does an online shopping cart cost?
The cost of an online shopping cart can range from free to several hundred dollars per month, depending on the features and the capabilities you need.
How do I make a cart for my ecommerce website?
You can create a cart for your ecommerce website using either a self-hosted or licensed shopping cart. A self-hosted cart involves fewer steps and relies on integrations, while a licensed shopping cart is custom-built from scratch to meet your specific needs.
