A few weeks ago I decided try a different type of ecommerce open source software. Cubecart.com has been a very good experience for me. In fact, this was the software that launched me into design and was my 1st experience in PHP and SQL. However, there were still issues I experienced that made me less than satisfied (checkout notification, licensing, upload capability) Since I don’t hard code PHP… I still needed a platform to work from for my ecommerce designs.
Before I begain my quest for the perfect system, I decided to make a list of things I liked and didn’t like. What was I looking for? What did it need to offer? Of course, if I wasn’t totally satisfied, I needed to know what frustrated me 1st.
So here was my list of things I needed:
Ability to accept paypal AND Google checkout- from articles I’ve read, Google Checkout is becoming a heavy hitter in the world of payment gateways. Not only is it less expensive, it’s easier to manage. However, I still wanted to still be able to accept both payment gateways just in case.
Ability to manage multiple stores on 1 back end – since I am in the process of designing several e commerce stores to incorporate SEO functionality, I needed to have the ability to create multiple stores (buying/selling)… and still use the same data from 1 database. Not to mention, I didn’t want to manage 3 stores… despite the fact I was building them…. so it hopefully could include a way to efficiently manage it on the back end.
Ability to use the software WITHOUT needing to purchase a license- One of my biggest complaints from a cost point of view for myself and my clients is the ability to make the store your own without a license. Since I am a big proponent of open source software, I knew it had to fall into that category.
SEO Friendly URLs, Site Map, Meta tags- With some PHP applications, the URLs are coded in a way that does not make it user friendly for search engines. Since I want my sites be ranked well on Google, I needed to find a software that gave me that capability to add SEO optimization.
Bulk Upload Capability -This was critical. For some of my clients and potential clients, I know that uploading products on your online store can be a chore. Especially if you have an inventory of 2000 or more! Moreover – pulling inventory reports are also important when managing stock quantity. So I needed something that gave me not only a bulk upload capability but also an export function.
Here’s what I found:
After reading and researching, I found these sites to be listed as the top open source ecommerce solutions. All with notable features but didn’t provide me everything I was looking for……
THEN, I came across Magento! I loved the graphic interface and clean layout and design. When reviewing the functionality, they had everything I needed…. and more. From multi store/multi layout designs to watch lists and multiple payment gateways. Downside: it’s in version 1.0. So it’s new… which means it’s not bug free and still is developing as well.
The Download: It took a few tries to install but the forum helped me understand what I was missing. This system does require a heavier use of resources. Since I have a business package for my hosting…. I was ok…. but I don’t know if I would recommend someone trying to operate this system on a basic inexpensive hosting package. It took several downloads/configurations… and calls to my hosting company…. not to mention a few hours reading the message board. But I was determined to get this software installed AND my persistence paid off. I finally got it to work.
The layout:This is totally different than anything i’m use to. Since it can handle mult-theme/multi stores, ensuring your folder structure is established correctly is critical. How you set up your folders for new layouts and stores is the core of magento.
The image blocks (static blocks) you use to create the graphic interface also took me awhile to understand. So for awhile, I had a store… but no stock despite the fact I had it listed…. and no home page images or navigation even when on the back end it said it was there. Since the software gives you an “open method” to design…. and everything is customizable, I needed to learn and understand what I was doing wrong. Once again.. back to the forum and message boards. The one thing to note is it’s not like other ecommerce shops that already have your navigation and home page designed. You have to create the design yourself. So I wouldn’t recommend this system for someone that doesn’t have any programming knowledge unless you have an ongoing technical support team supporting you.
The Function: Once I understood how the store was configured/designed, next was learning how it works together with the functionality. I had no problems manually adding product and processing to check out. Configuring to paypal, shipping gateways, and Google checkout was a simple step.
THE BIG QUESTION: The upload feature. I created my .XML file I needed from an export of the current database. There were a few annoying glitches during the upload process such as images wouldn’t upload and I had to manually save items to show on the front end. So I am trying to find a solution for that issue.
Although I am still testing this system to ensure before I use this on a Live Store, so far I am fairly pleased with the look and feel of Magento. However, the verdict is still out…. and more tests and functionalities need to be added (sandbox paypal, more product uploads, more static blocks). From what I’ve read they are activly developing more functions and fixes so it’s quite possible some of my concerns will be addressed as time passes.
However, I can really see the potential of this software. I’ll keep my finger’s crossed that it will be my next favorite way to design for myself and my clients.
Kimberly at greenseedwebdesign.com
The problem I have with Magento is that they put the highest priority on coding and the lowest on documentation. If 5000 people are wasting 100 hours because of lousy, outdated docs, well, do the math. They could invest 100 hours of their time and save us all many hours of frustration. I can’t believe how inaccurate some of the docs are, and they can really screw a person up. I fixed some of the Wiki pages, but I don’t know enough to make them more usable. To everyone: Please edit the Wiki if you can add value!
I totally agree. some of their documentation needs beefing up. The forum however, has been helpful. I think because they are in the early stages of development (they just reciently launched verson 1.1.1..) they have these issues. but I will be curious on how magento provides support over time