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A lot of ecommerce vendors had to scrap the software they were using because later on they found it lacking in important features and benefits. Their feedback detailed here will help those willing to upgrade and those who are starting their ecommerce activity.

A ecommerce software can be termed good only if it takes care of all parts of the interaction with the customer in a seamless manner, making the process customer friendly, so that he finds pleasure in transacting business with you. The ecommerce solution should be easily navigable and be able to provide the required information for his purchases for quick order fulfillment.

Ideally your website should allow easy navigation for your customer to quickly locate the products that interest them and their accompanying pages. The product pages should not only provide product details but also be able to suggest relevant accessories and alternatives to product at hand. Additionally your customer should be able to sort this information according to price, model, features, or manufacturers. While obligatory registration on your website will ward off potential customers and therefore should be optional, you can create a viable incentive to do so by offering discounts and freebies.

The ecommerce shopping cart software helps the customer put his purchases to take to the checkout section. It should allow more products to be put into the cart or taken out or alter the quantities selected and display his previous purchases or his 'wish list' of items he wants. He should be able to go to the checkout section or continue shopping at any time. Options to see manufacturer's warranty, discounts if any, return policy and shipping information should be included.

The process of checkout should be a step-by-step process culminating to actual billing. A summary of the customer's order should be displayed indicating the amount charged, the shipping charges and the taxes levied and confirmation should be sought. The interaction thus far should be saved so that he can return to the checkout and continue to the payment section. At the payment section customer should be asked to give his personal deails and credit card information. For the convenience of the customer, only the information needed for the transaction should be sought and rest be made optional.

These are features of an ecommerce software package from your customer's viewpoint. What about the needs and requirements of your business? The ecommerce software should also take care of them by allowing you to have flexible product portfolio. Your business may add or remove various products or you may wish to build a profile of your customers. For this, the software generally includes a database so that you can add, remove or query details of products, customers, sales, inventory and other data. In short, a good ecommerce solution should take care of the needs of both buyer and seller.