AlgoZone, Inc, has announced partnership with AbanteCart open source ecommerce project. AlgoZone is to provide commercial service with AbanteCart ecommerce solution.
Part of the exclusive arrangement, is AlgoZone offering market place with commercial extensions and templates for AbanteCart ecommerce application.

Extensions are additional skins, features and services, to complement standard features of AbanteCart. All extensions are be delivered to AbanteCart users via convenient interface integrated right into application control panel. AlgoZone complies with all industry and AbanteCart standards to provide high quality ecommerce designs, extensions and services with seamless installation process.

In addition, any external developer or company can earn revenue by submitting extensions to be sold via AlgoZone eCommerce marketplace.

About AlgoZone, Inc ( http://www.algozone.com ) 
AlgoZone Inc. is leading provider of ecommerce solutions, including ecommerce templates, custom design, usability, development and support. AlgoZone offers large selection of pre-made ecommerce designs and modules for many shopping cart solutions. The company is based in Hackensack, NJ, USA and provide global support from multiple offices in the world.

About AbanteCart – Ideal OpenSource Ecommerce Solution (www.AbanteCart.com)
AbanteCart is a free eCommerce application that is designed, built and supported by experienced enthusiasts that are passionate about their work and contribution to the rapidly evolving eCommerce industry. AbanteCart is powered with a robust and expandable core platform, state of the art feature set and a high performing user interface.

New OpenSource Ecommerce Solution that we checked resently is worth looking at. It is called AbanteCart and available at www.abantecart.com.
Interesting to note, the approach to the architecture of the cart and power functions and tools added to the core. We noticed quite a number of features that are new in concept and user interface. We see also focus to flexibility for developers in the community to grow features on top of the platform.
AbanteCart yet have to get more publicity, attention and review, but we think it has pretty strong potential on the market.

Below is the snapshot of AbanteCart:

• Expandable shopping cart application with fast growing number of extensions. Easy extension installation and management with one step installation. This allows to add virtually any feature or service to AbanteCart in the future, that this is very important in current dynamically changing technology environment.
• Upgrade support right from control panel section. Backward supportability in upgrades and backup / restore are followed in every upgrade.
• Virtually FTP Free eCommerce solution. No need to know code, complex programs or programming to manage, upgrade and install modules. Manage your eCommerce application 100% in the slick web based interface using any browser of your choice.
• Fast performing and low computer resource consuming shopping cart application. Can be installed and run in virtually any shared or dedicated hosting.
• Feature reach shopping cart application right out of the box. Standard features allow to set up complete eCommerce site with all the tools needed to sell the products online.
• Large number of payment and shipping modules supported by default or with additional extensions.
• Very secure solution with up to date industry security practices and inline with PCI compliance.
• Flexible layout for pages allows to setup pages and navigation based on best usability practices and improve conversion.
• Sophisticated and easy shopping cart control panel with “Search anything” feature for fast information location and edit. Help instructions embedded right into the control panel pages.
• Flexible resource library to manage media files in the application.
• Fast initial set up and migration from other shopping carts with easy data import from major shopping carts.

In managing your ecommerce website, browser testing is a must. The appearance of your site may differ on different browsers and screen resolutions. For example, your website might look beautiful in Internet Explorer 7, but what does it look like in Safari on the Mac? What about Firefox, or in 1024 x 768 resolution? If you haven’t tested your site in the variety of popular configurations, then there is a good chance you are turning away customers.

Merchants should have a plan developed for ongoing browser test.

The following list could be followed:

1. Develop a schedule for your browser testing. You could test your site three to six months, or when there is a new released browser. Since browsers are updated so frequently, it is best practice to schedule some time to review browser usage trends every three to six months. Set a recurring calendar appointment and allow 30-60 minutes to perform the test.
2. Decide what to test. Choose what browsers, operating systems, monitor resolutions, and devices you will be testing your site in. This would include Windows and Mac operating systems; Internet Explorer, Firefox, Safari and other browsers; and various monitor resolutions. Make sure to include browser versions, such as IE 7 and 8. Base your testing decisions on your analytics and demographic data.
3. Choose which pages to test. Decide what pages in your website will you be running a test, such as home page, product pages, etc.
4. Choose your testing platform. You may use BrowserCam.com, BrowserShots.org, and Litmus.
5. Review results, fix, and retest.

Make it a point to test your website every few months to ensure browser and operating system compatibility. When you are able to test your pages this way, you can at least reduce the number of problems your pages have with the different browsers. Sixty minutes of your time could save your thousands of dollars of lost sales due to the site not working properly on your customer’s computer.

An abrupt stop in your online sales can be very alarming. Hopefully you haven’t experienced this scenario. But if you have, you know that feeling when your orders stops arriving in your inbox. What to do? Have a test with your website and see to it that you’ll run around through these areas that you need to check.

Check your site code. Even a small error in your coding could make your site useless. If your drop in order volume is your concern, run a test order on your site. Go through the entire checkout process, including entering valid credit card information, to be sure you haven’t missed an important detail. Test your site on a regular basis. Roll out site changes with care or utilize a test site for major changes to your site.

Check related services, it may have expired or changed. It is possible that you have failed to renew an integrated service that is part of your site and shoppers are unable to proceed with their purchases. Some of the leading culprits are your site security certificate, your credit card gateway, or perhaps a JavaScript-based service like a gift registry. If any of these services go down, your shopping system could fail along with them. Once you find the problem, immediately renew or reactivate the broken service.

Check for viruses. Often sites that have been compromised by the installation of malicious scripts have been reported. When Google detects a virus intrusion, it will post a message by your organic search listings, informing the world that the use of your site could harm a visitor’s computer. Sign up for a Google Webmaster Tools account and follow the suggestions that Google has provided for removing the infection and making your site secure. Once you have followed the corrective steps and notified Google, it will review your site and determine whether to place it back among the search-engine listings.

Check your website’s traffic, it may have dramatically slowed down. If nothing has changed with your on-site factors, you want to watch your search traffic closely. In order to function as an ecommerce business owner, you need to utilize a web analytics package such as Google Analytics. If you have a serious traffic dip, determine the leakage and work with the source to get your site back on track.

Have you redesign your site? It may have affected you site’s traffic and conversion. Your site’s design may look cool, sexy and awesome, but it can have negative effects on your site traffic. If you cannot immediately identify the issue with your new site design, enlist the help of an expert to assess it and offer suggestions. As with several of the other issues, Google Webmaster Tools is your friend. The diagnostic tools will tell you if you have blatant issues with your site and page structure, as Google sees it.

If find your ecommerce business in trouble, site testing and statistics review should give you the insights you need to rebuild sales.

Challenges in Creating a Commercial Website Design

Designing a commercial website is a demanding task. The website designer must learn how to put his creative ideas into reality. All the principles in basic designing in content, usability, appearance and visibility are applied.

In a typical world, web design consists of text and images. However, there’s even more to that. That’s why; I am writing this article to discuss the several issues you encounter while creating a commercial site.

1)     Rapid Technological Change- This process complicates the method of positioning resources to enhance web presence.

2)     Poor Layout- Layouting a website is a matter of content delivery. The idea of publishing different contents such as texts, photos, videos, boxes, automatic pop-ups, podcasts, etc. should imply the adaptation of creative standards. There must be a balance in all forms and functions.

• Text Readability
• Ease in Navigation
• How Well-Optimized the Site is

3)     Wrong Layout Type- Three of the popular dimension formats are: pixel measure in static content, em measure in proportional content relative to font size and percent measure in fluid content (shrinking and growing).

Choose the inappropriate layout type that is inconsistent with the overall theme of a website yield disaster. The hybrid design is generally prescribed by several experts due to its warm and balance effect it gives the eye. A good example of a hybrid design is Wordpress.com

4)     Issues on Layout Concerns- The use of space is becoming more fluid in its potential. When right spacing is applied, it immediately communicates the style to its target audience. Perhaps, some web designers tend to forget that no content is more at risk to changes and variations than the space.

5)     Wrong Utilization of Device- A web designer has absolutely no control over device manufacturers. Those operating system, mouse, touch screen, etc. can result to complicated browser changes. For this reason, these designers are advised to adjust target environment. They should put an effort to remove common mark-ups that corrupt web content.