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.

Any ecommerce software package which is really good should be careful about all parts of the interactions with the customer in a smooth manner so that your customer thinks it as a pleasure to do business with you. It should be easy to browse the ecommerce solution and simultaneously it should give you the needful information of his purchases for simple and fast fulfillment of the order.

Website navigation is all-important for the customer. Product details should be easy to locate and simple to sort by price as well as other factors. It is also a good practice to offer alternatives to the product being viewed. Another feature to include would be products that are accessories. Registration at a website might be negatively perceived by a customer. This can be offset by offering a discount or coupon in return for registration.

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 checkout process should be a step-by-step process leading to actual billing. The customer's order is summarized for confirmation and the amount to be charged, including shipping charges and taxes, is displayed. His interaction thus far is saved, so that he can return to the checkout any time and continue from there to the payment section. Here is where the customer is giving you his name and address, personal details and credit card information. Make it optional for the customer to give you details about him, other than those needed for completing the transaction.

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.