Sometimes a part of custom website development includes building an online store. The right ecommerce developer will ask about all your plans – long-term and short-term – because your website is a serious investment. If you only have a few products to sell, then having a simplistic eCart makes better sense. Likewise, if you expect to sell hundreds or even thousands of products, it’s better to plan early rather than later. It’s important to note that the features outlined in each description you see below can apply to any cart. That means cart you choose can be customized to your specification. Plus, with such a multitude of customizations, the possibilities of what you can do with your store are endless. They even include additional features not listed below like product review/ratings, printable invoices, ‘related product’ promos, coupon systems and sales reports. However, if you’d like to find out more about shopping cart web development, contact us at valuetec.

Magento

While any store can benefit from Magento, it’s a great choice for a wholesale company. You can have multiple stores and customer groups within the same website. But keep in mind, as with all of these carts, it’s an open source CMS so numerous extensions can be integrated into your site. This might include great reporting features, like knowing what products are searched more often or integrating your store with Google Analytics. Plus, when you have thousands of products to manage, you can add, edit or remove products from your website using a spread sheet. In addition to popular payment gateways like PayPal, Authorize.net and 2Checkout, you can create custom URL’s, build a sitemap and include meta-tags. If you’re seeking an enterprise class eCommerce platform, then Magento is worth considering.

Open Cart

OpenCart is a great choice for something fast and flexible. Plus, since this open source platform has nearly 14K extensions that can be added, you can literally ‘do it all’ while still staying rather simple. Adding categories and products is a snap for most stores, after some training with your developer on how to navigate tasks. However, it’s robust enough to handle thousands of products, including digital goods. As with all the other cart options listed here, you can set multiple languages and currencies for international selling. OpenCart website development is also appealing because it offers quick, market UI features, like slideshows, carousels and social media ‘share’ features. For those just starting an online business, many developers suggest OpenCart as a smart investment; however, it can be a popular choice for established stores too.

Prestashop

Created for SMB’s (Small to Mid-Sized Businesses), Prestashop is one of the popular choices for eCart solutions. Developed in PHP, some critics feel it offers a lower learning curve than Magento. And like the other carts listed here, Prestashop is popular because it also provides tons of extensions and features like allowing you to create search engine friendly URLs for SEO purposes or visitor / sales tracking. Prestashop also has the ability to integrate with other third party tools like Amazon Marketplace, PayPal Pro, Facebook, etc. Prestashop developers like it since it loads fast and you can customize your store the way you want. That means if you decide to update your site theme, making the cart match the new update won’t involve months of waiting.

WhooCommerce

WooCommerce is often the way to go if you have a WordPress website. This eCommerce plugin is great for business startups since it’s so easy-to-use, particularly if you’re already familiar with WordPress. Many developers point to the fact it provides basic reporting via the dashboard and integrates easily with Google Analytics. Thanks to WooCommerce web development, you can literally sell anything. It can be physical goods but also virtual goods, downloadable and affiliate/external products. Plus, since the fully functioning store can integrate with a blog, you can use social media to sell your goods / services. The other features that appear in other carts mentioned here can also work with WooCommerce too since an abundance of extensions can be incorporated into your site.

VirtueMart

VirtueMart is designed specifically for a Joomla CMS site. It’s limitless since you can have a boundless number of products, categories and subcategories. Plus, those products can be assigned to multiple categories if it fits more than one description. However, using extensions might require a little extra training with your VirtueMart developers. You can view statistics such as new orders, active products, etc. Products can even include downloadable goods like mp3’s, software, videos, etc. There are also customer benefits too, like shipping choices, social share buttons or automatic notification when a product is back in stock. As with the other carts listed above, thanks to an ample list of extensions, your site can include any type of store features you desire.

What’s special about content management system website development? For starters, adding new content requires little effort after the initial set-up. The site is managed by an admin control panel, so a few clicks and you’re done. In terms of what kind of page content you can add, CMS websites are quite versatile. After your initial investment you’ll find it saves you a substantial amount since you can manage your pages yourself. Another bonus that developers and SEO experts point to is how search friendly CMS can be — not for only for search engines, but also for your visitors. With a few keywords, they can find pages or products, relevant to their search. CMS development has grown tremendously over the last decade. Plus, more industries than ever are using it, like major corporations, government offices and even modest eStores. If you want a site that looks sharp and requires little knowledge of web building on the owner’s part, CMS is a great choice. If you want a powerful site that’s orderly, secure and allows eCommerce, CMS is a great choice. So, regardless of your industry or business size, you really can’t go wrong with using a content management system. Find out more today by contacting us at Valuetec.

WordPress

WordPress development is popular because it’s often easier for clients to use when compared to other kinds of sites. In short, you don’t need to be a developer to make simple changes to your pages after the initial set-up. Plus, since WordPress started as a social CMS, its platform integrates perfectly with Facebook, Linkedin, YouTube and other types of social media. Likewise, search engine optimization is simple and adding new content, products, videos, etc. isn’t horribly complicated. Since it is so user-friendly, it’s not shocking that it’s so popular with individuals and businesses alike.

Joomla

Based on PHP and MySQL, Joomla website development has many followers. That’s because there are literally hundreds of extensions a developer can use. These can include eCommerce plug-ins, visitor forums, image galleries, classified ads, you name it. Whether it’s a corporate web site or a small non-profit, many businesses and organizations love the structure that Joomla CMS provides.

Drupal

Drupal development is often picked because it’s quite powerful. Pages load rather quickly and even response times are pretty speedy. It makes a great choice for larger companies. However, all sized companies can use it. Another positive attribute of a custom Drupal design is just that – its customization abilities. It’s also super secure – so secure that the White House website is built with it. You’ll find a variety of plug-ins, themes and configurations your Drupal developer can use to create the perfect website for you.

Web applications are any software that runs in a web browser and uses the internet or intranet (i.e. your own company’s servers) to send the information. They’re popular because there are many benefits to web based applications. For instance, there’s no complex “roll out” procedure since it only needs a compatible web browser. They require little or no disc space to operate. Plus, when it comes to upgrades, features are implemented on the server and automatically show up on your users’ devices. Since web applications operate within a web browser window, they’re cross-platform compatible. That means they’ll work on your operating system whether it’s Windows, Mac, Linux, etc. You can design something for your use or you can create an app that’s marketed to others. Regardless of the end user, when it comes to custom web application development, the framework used can be important. Popular web application framework choices include CodeIgniter, CakePHP, Laravel, Yii, Symfony and Zend. While many of them share similar features (like Ajax, MCV, Cache and Validator), a web application developer will decide which framework is best for your particular purposes. Just know that Valuetec can develop any custom web based application for you, like an ERP, CRM, Time Management app, Portfolio Management Systems, Custom Ecommerce or CMS solutions. Call us today to discuss your next revolutionary app idea.

Codeigniter

This PHP based framework offers a number of scripts and libraries for various functions, which makes any codeigniter web based app quite versatile. A developer at Valuetec can create just about anything – a help desk for employees, work order generator or customer history record. In short, anything your company might require can be created using this framework since it practically has every capability your developer needs for its construction, like Modules and ORM (object-relational mapping). Plus, since it’s one of the most secure frameworks, using Codeigniter for ecommerce / shopping carts is quite popular. Learn more today by contacting us at Valuetec.

CakePHP

The first-ever PHP MVC framework, CakePHP is still a popular choice for web app developers. One reason is that the functions it offers are still rather plentiful, even today. It includes developer libraries for HTML, Forms, Pagination, Javascript, AJAX, RSS and XML, to name a few. As for what you can do with it, the Cake PHP experts at Accunity can create a multitude of app possibilities – forms to help your customers connect with you, a forum for customers to discuss your products or anything else you need. The point is there are many areas where cake development can help you, and it starts by contacting Valuetec today.

Laravel

This web application framework for PHP, designed for MVC applications, is popular for many reasons. One reason Laravel web development is prevalent is its customization. If you dream it, we can create it using Laravel development. From a developer standpoint, it’s got simplicity and power thanks to capabilities such as ORM and EDP (event driven programming). Plus, you’ll get your finished app much quicker. However, if you do have changes, it takes work to do updates, but it won’t be an enormous undertaking, like starting from scratch. Whether it’s eCommerce inventories, online surveys or enabling other applications and tools to ‘chat’ with YOUR new app, Laravel does it all. Valuetec is happy to tell you more if you contact us directly.

Yii

Custom Yii development is widespread for many reasons. It ‘plays nice’ with other apps and codes. Temperament aside, Yii website development is secure yet still fast. It also provides a Yii developer with a wealth of features like Modules, ORM and EDP that can be used in the Yii framework. Although it was built with enterprise applications in mind, it really is for any sized project. Plus, since Yii adopts the proven MVC architecture, it allows for clean separation of concerns (SoC), meaning one section of code can be modified without corresponding changes to other sections. Plus, when it comes to Web 2.0 applications, Yii development leads the pack for its high-performance. The app experts at Valuetec are ready to talk to you if you contact us today.

Symphony

Symfony development is often picked for its dependability and rich developer features (PHP5, Modules and ORM). Any Symfony developer will tell you it’s scalable, which means it’s adaptable to meet your demands. It’s also compatible with the latest technologies, so it lowers the risk of glitches. In addition, using this framework automates common tasks, which allows your developer to focus entirely on the specifics of your application. Plus, since custom Symfony apps integrate easily with JavaScript libraries, it’s another reason production time is shortened, which means your project finishes in a timely fashion. To discuss your next web app development project feel free to contact us at Valuetec.

Zend

Zend developers like this framework because it offers a wealth of components and features, like Sympfony, which include PHP5, Modules and ORM. That saves programming time so you get your apps quicker. Does your company’s web application need to authenticate a user? Do you want control over who can access your resources? It’s secure and well structured, which is why many APIs at leading companies like Google, Amazon, Yahoo and Flickr support Zend frameworks. So whether you want to create forms you can use on multiple pages of a web site or you want to link an RSS feed, you’ve found a Zend development company to help you do all you need quickly and effectively.

Anything can be stored in a web based database. That means you can keep track of whatever you want in your company or organization so any business decisions you make is done based on facts. Let that soak in a moment… A database is one of your key business investments and it can handle whatever tasks you want, including, but not limited to: customer demographics, purchase orders, performance reviews, product catalogs, employee records, job listings, member directories, event calendars, project management, store locators, inventory management or any kind of CRM (customer relationship management). Not all web database development is created equal though. So before the first line of code is typed, make sure any web database applications will grow as your company grows. For example, let’s say your database management team constructs a CRM to track customer service calls. You decide you want the same kind of system for your support or marketing teams. When you pick the right web database development firm from the start, changes and additions like this won’t involve completely dismantling your current workflows. They’ll integrate seamlessly and contain the specifications you require. Valuetec are database experts, so let us use our development skills to help you. Call or email us for more information today.

MySQL

The MySQL database continues to be the industry standard. One reason is its ease of use. The interface isn’t overly complicated for novices and it still contains the power needed for larger projects. From a php MySQL developer stand-point, many third-party tools can be added to the database. What that means for you is your database is more versatile; it can contain more functions, commands, etc. To discuss a project with Valuetec, call or email us today.

MSSQL

Like MySQL above, a MSSQL database is versatile and scalable, but two of its biggest attributes are its security and its compatibility with other Microsoft products. It’s also platform independent, which means it works on just about every operating system (Windows, Linux, etc.). If you have information you want kept in secret (like employee personal info) an MSSQL server database is the way to go. Also, it’s ideal when it comes to business intelligence capabilities – you can manage and forecast business needs since analytical models can be developed to breakdown the business information that’s collected. Valuetec is ready to help you with your development needs if you contact us today.

Couchbase

For those who want to move away from the SQL world, Couchbase development does just that – it’s a NoSQL database. As for its functionality, you can stream data for real-time analytics, if Big Data is important to your company. Plus, as any Couchbase developer will tell, access to the database extends to mobile phones, tablets and connected devices with secure authentication and authorization. That makes it a great ‘in-the-field’ type database. So if you’re looking for something to help you stay connected and organized, let Valuetec help you.

MongoDB

Like Couchbase, MongoDB is a type of NoSQL database. Its JavaScript-based query DSL makes it a powerful development tool for companies like Intuit, Foursquare, Forbes and eBay. Businesses seeking MongoDB database development often do so because they want their data quickly and they have extremely large amounts of data to distribute across multiple machines. To learn more, talk to a MongoDB developer at Valuetec who can shed light on which option is best for your purposes.