Why Freeware Shopping Cart Programs Are Expensive
Web Commerce Today, Issue 5, December 15, 1997
You can find a number of fairly good shopping cart programs on the Internet these days, which you can use for no charge, or perhaps pay only if you decide to use the program commercially. Let me explain why freeware is too expensive. Freeware programs typically:
- Need substantial customization to fit your particular store's identity and functions. You'll usually need to hire a Perl programmer to do this. These people typically charge $50 to $100 per hour.
- May not be upgraded as electronic commerce evolves and incorporates new features such as the SET standards. You'll have to pay a programmer to make changes.
- Do not provide telephone or e-mail support or carefully written documentation. You'll need to pay a programmer to answer your questions.
- Employ a proprietary rather than open system that makes your existing system difficult to move to a better program when your store is successful.
"But my Web hosting service has a shopping cart program already set up which I can use." Perhaps, but most of the expenses above still apply.
Your ISP or Web site developer might tell you, "We can write you a program which will do just what you need." Some programmers are looking for a good excuse to show off what they can do, but you'll be paying for many, many hours of programming time, and still be stuck with a proprietary system that only your programmer really understands. Your programmer could write you a word processing program, too, if you need him to, but why not purchase a much better program off the shelf and pay much less money?
Is there any good reason to use freeware shopping cart programs. Yes, if:
- You are on a very tight budget but want to see if your products will sell online, AND
- You, your spouse, or an extremely good friend is a programmer who can do the customization for you. (If your programmer goes south on you, so does the money you saved.) OR
- No existing store-building software provides the functionality you need in your unique application.
Some freeware or shareware programs you might consider are:
- Matt Wright's WebShop, available in the CGI/Perl Cookbook (Wiley, November 1997). One plus: even if you don't use WebShop, the book contains several other excellent programs, including FormHandler.cgi (which is well worth the price of the book itself).
- Programs in the Gordon McComb's Web Commerce Cookbook (Wiley, October 1997).
- Programs in Cliff Allen and Deborah Kania's Web Catalog Cookbook (Wiley, June 1997).
- Programs linked to the CGI Resource Index:
