osCommerce is an online shopping store e-commerce solution that offers a wide range of out-of-the-box features that allows online stores to be setup fairly quickly with ease, and is available as an Open Source based solution released under the GNU General Public License.

osCommerce was started in March 2000 and has since matured to a solution that is currently powering over 9,000 registered live shops around the world.

Today, osCommerce has been taken to the next level, moving towards an e-commerce framework solution that not only remains easy to setup and maintain, but also making it easier for store administrators to present their stores to their customers with their own unique requirements.

Developers like gma systems + osCommerce, can provide specialist osCommerce customization to fit your needs.

Weighing up the Options

Everyone's requirements are different for an e-commerce site. The options can be broadly classified as follows:

   Developing a ground-up solution

Lots of work and the costs can be prohibitive. Initially custom built sites seem like a smart move because you can get exactly what you want, but there is a large setup cost, a long wait until the site is launched, and there are often periods of trial and error. There are also high development and maintenance costs, and it can be difficult to change web developers.

   Installing a fixed shopping cart product

Buying a commercial cart package often gives you access to ongoing support. However, the set list of features often may not allow enough flexibility for the system to change to meet individual and ongoing customer requirements.

   Adapting a freely available shopping cart option

This can provide a good base to build on. The best of these systems should be developed in an organized, ongoing way and allow a mechanism for adequate support.

osCommerce fits into this category.

osCommerce caters for a broad range of scenarios. If you already have a reasonable grasp on computer coding or have the time to learn, you can use the osCommerce software and support community to construct the entire site yourself.

Alternatively, if you are happy to pay for a complete ecommerce solution you can hire gma systems + osCommerce to customize osCommerce to your requirements.

Like any option, osCommerce has both advantages and disadvantages.

Advantages of osCommerce

   Trusted

osCommerce is well known and widely used. It has a large support community and a long history behind it.

   Cost effective

Open source software is free to download and use, and existing code/contributions are also free.

   Easy to use

The software features a familiar shopping cart model, with a number of ways to access the product catalog.

   Suitable for a wide range of stores

Clients can choose whether to build/modify their own site or use an experienced developer, and the software suits a wide range of store types. In addition, osCommerce supports international stores, as it includes facilities for multilanguage and multi-currency shops.

   Flexible

osCommerce is customizable and expandable by someone with the right skills or the desire to learn.

   Secure

The software allows the use of Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) encryption. Other features in the Administration area allow greater precautions.

   Well supported

There is a strong community of osCommerce users and developers.

   Increases effective selling

There are several ways osCommerce optimizes selling. For example, it allows product catalogs that can be browsed and searched, product specials, reviews, newsletters, as well as the Related Products feature and the What's New feature.

   Facilitates promotion of customer base

osCommerce helps merchants build up a customer base by being customer focused and easy to use, and by providing extras such as reviews, newsletters, and the Email a Friend feature.

   Customer focused

Customers find osCommerce easy to use. They can receive newsletters and email notifications about products, and they can read and create online product reviews. Customers also appreciate the secure accounts that protect their personal data, allow access to their purchase history, and provide updates on the status of their orders.

   Merchant focused

osCommerce is an affordable option for merchants and it caters for a wide range of languages, currencies and store sizes. It provides a wide range of features, including report generation, payment processing and backup tools, as well as invoices and packing slips. osCommerce features a straightforward administration area that is easy to secure, and merchants have control of catalog content and structures, products, and shipping cost calculations.

Final Comments

osCommerce is a feature-laden product, allowing many businesses to get online in an affordable way.

Thanks for taking the time to read these comments on osCommerce. We hope you have found it useful. If you want to sell online with osCommerce, please consider gma systems + osCommerce as your partner.

Web Site Maintenance Guarantee

Completing web site maintenance work on time is important to ensure that all information on your web site is accurate. This is an important part of the professional image your web site should convey. Your web site visitors expect that the information you provide for them on your web site is up to date.

gma systems + osCommerce guarantee that if web site maintenance work / updating / revising is not completed within the agreed upon time then you will not be charged.