Hosted Shopping Cart vs. StandAlone
February 13, 2009 by: admin
Many people are grappling with this question: Should they get a standalone shopping cart and pay a one time fee for it, or should they pay a smaller monthly fee. Before you go to the bottom line – which is the cost of the product, you have to realize that running a store is more than the software to list your products and accept payment. Here are a number of questions to ask yourself when shopping around for the right solution:
Are you technically able to install and upgrade your service alone? Or will you end up paying a lot extra to other service providers to do it for you?
Are you ready to regularly check for and install updates to your software?
Can you update your store seamlessly or will there be disruptions in service?
If you use a standalone service, will you regularly back up your files, or do you risk losing them?
Is your server secure enough for your financial and transactional data?
Will your hosted solution customize options for you?
If you switch shopping carts, will your URLs change?
The list of questions can go on and on. Personally I chose a hosted solution and never looked back. Although now, if I were to change the software I run my store with, I would have to take into consideration losing all my backlinks and Search Engine Positioning that my links with my hosted service provide.
What is your take?
