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Zen Cart - a free, open source shopping solution

Guest post by: Sue Cooper

Article Overview: If you have a online store Zen Cart is definitely something you should know about. Let us see how this free, open source shopping solution can help you.

Zen Cart - a free, open source shopping solution

Zen Cart is viewed by many as the must have management system for anyone who operates an online store. This software is available for free through the GNU General Public License and enables the user to take control of their online sales. Many similar systems are expensive but Zen Cart is free. However, this is not the only advantage of this software. The major advantage is functionality.

This superior functionality stems from the fact that Zen Cart was developed through the collaboration of online store owners, programmers, designers and consultants. They got together with a common goal of changing how online sales worked and they succeeded. The creators of this program set about developing this software according to five key points which create the philosophy of Zen Cart. A summary of these philosophies includes:

1. Never lose sight of the objectives of the online shop owners.

2. Design the software to be as easy to use as possible.

3. Pay attention to what the users think about the software.

4. Always try to expand database and server options.

5. Persevere to create a superior shopping cart application.

Although these philosophies may sound simplistic, they are actually the cornerstone of creating a truly useful piece of software. These philosophies not only put the needs of the users in the forefront but also reflect a dedication to continually improving to meet the ever changing needs of these users.

Anyone who sells a product or service online will appreciate the many valuable features of Zen Cart. In particular they will enjoy how easy this software is to install and setup. The installation program takes the user step by step through the installation process to ensure the software is setup correctly the first time. During the process the user will also have the option to customise certain aspects of the installation, if desired. However, even users with no computer experience can complete the standard installation in a matter of minutes.

Although there are a host of incredible features offered through Zen Cart, one feature users rave about is the pricing feature. In particular users are impressed with the variety of options available through the pricing feature. For example there are many options available for putting items on sale. Users can list one or more items on sale, alternately they can put entire sections or even the entire store on sale. The sale prices may be in terms of a percentage off the original price or a fixed price reduction. This gives the store owner a great deal of flexibility with promotions.

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Article Tags: free online shopping cart, free open source, shopping cart, zen cart
Referred by: http://www.searchengineworkshops.com



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