OpenCart Development
OpenCart is my newest venture into the world of Open Source platform development (as of December 2011), but I’m enjoying it.
OpenCart is a very nicely laid out and constructed Open Source platform that is written using PHP and MySQL and free to the public. The system is fully themable, meaning that a full set of custom graphics templates can be developed and the site can be reskinned to look however an artist envisions it.
It is a robust ecommerce system offering online-store owners a comprehensive solution that includes:
- Unlimited Categories
- Unlimited Products
- Unlimited Manufacturers
- Templatable
- Multi-Language
- Multi-Currency
- Product Reviews
- Product Ratings
- Downloadable Products
- Automatic Image Resizing
- Multiple Tax Rates
- Related Products
- Unlimited Information Pages
- Shipping Weight Calculation
- Discount Coupon System
- Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
- Module System
- Backup & Restore Tools
- Printable Invoices
- Sales Reports
OpenCart ecommerce websites can be setup pretty fast, particularly if a pre-developed theme is used. Setup involves:
- Development of custom artwork or installation of a pre-designed theme
- Installation of the OpenCart software
- Setup of the OpenCart store including taxes, shipping, payment gateway, etc
- Training and assistance with uploading products and categories
The OpenCart system is a great, economical solution for a business wanting to get a store online under an economical budget and fairly standard product catalog requirements.