Opencart is a system designed to manage the site. In other words, the engine. A feature of this system is the availability of open source code. It is ideal for those involved in e-commerce. For example, for owners of online stores. If you compare Opencart with other engines, it is less popular. However, it copes with its own tasks no worse than many untwisted systems.
Features
First of all, it is worthwhile to understand that the Opencart module, reviews confirm this, was created exclusively for online trading. On it, you can create only a trading floor such as a store. Other projects will not succeed.
Opencart is a great option for those who are interested in creating an online store. To use this engine you do not need to have specific knowledge. In addition, the content management system boasts a developed community of users, among which there will certainly be those who know the answers to your questions.
Opencart reviews confirm that this engine is perfect for those who have no experience in e-commerce, but have an irresistible desire to try.
pros
The engine has a lot of advantages compared to competitors, which at the same time can be considered arguments in its favor.
- High speed.
- Russian-language forum.
- Reporting system.
- Convenient navigation.
- Different types of payment systems.
- Free.
- Ease of refinement.
High speed
This indicator is achieved due to the small load on the server. According to this indicator, the engine is ahead of other competitors. It is enough to choose the average hosting for a moderate fee. According to Opencart reviews, opening a store is easy.
Russian-language forum
For those who use the engine, this is especially important. Indeed, not everyone can find the answers in the original sources, and questions in the process of use certainly arise. Even if you can’t find the answer to your own question, you can create a new topic and ask more experienced users.
Reporting system
It is very important for the owner of the online store to have access to statistics in order to analyze the situation. A clearer view will develop if you read the reviews about Opencart 2, the store on this engine provides access to statistics for a certain period, it can be one day, week or month. A thorough study of the data allows the careful owner to draw conclusions about the most popular products, customer preferences, etc. Based on this information, you can create an individual offer and increase sales.
Convenient navigation
This advantage is relevant for potential buyers. The easier it is to find the right product and place an order, the higher the likelihood that your potential customer will not give up the purchase and even become a regular customer. That is why considerable attention is paid to this criterion.
Different types of payment systems
The more payment methods an online store offers, the more customers it fits. You do not want to lose potential customers just because you could not offer a convenient payment method for them. That is why it is convenient to use ready-made plug-ins from various payment systems.
Free access
This is perhaps the most significant advantage for many users who leave feedback on Opencart. A store on this engine can be created without financial injections. Starting their own business, many entrepreneurs do not have large capital, so the opportunity to save on technical solutions is especially attractive for them.
Ease of refinement
OpenCart developers have provided a convenient implementation of the code. It can be adapted to your own needs. Moreover, the lack of knowledge in programming is not an obstacle to this. The engine is incredibly popular in the market, so you can easily find a specialist who is ready to fulfill your requests. In addition, you can download additional plugins and in this way expand the basic functionality of the engine. Reviews of Opencart 3.0 confirm this.
Minuses
- Problems with optimization. This applies to all sites that are created on the OpenCart engine. Problems can be fixed, but additional extensions will have to be used. As you might have guessed, these are paid features. Theoretically, errors in the OpenCart code can be eliminated independently, but programming knowledge or financial investments will be required to pay for the services of a professional specialist.
- Indexing issues. If you do not use special extensions, the deleted pages are still indexed by search engines. As a result, this reduces the position of the site. OpenCart uniquely generates links to each page, so as a result, the same page can be opened using different links.
- Complex order form. In the standard version, the form intended for receiving orders from customers is rather complicated. To improve it, you will have to change the code or install an additional plug-in, which may be paid.
- Update. After updating the engine, installed plugins may stop working due to incompatibility with the new version.
- Poor quality plugins. Since Opencart is open source, almost everyone with programming knowledge writes plugins for it. However, not everyone can provide a quality result. That's why choosing modules on Opencart 2.3, reviews confirm this, you need to be especially careful. In the work of the online store, a lot can depend on them. For example, an incorrect order form will lead to the loss of potential customers and, consequently, profit.
Why choose Opencart?
Reviews of stores created on this engine can be the answer to the question. After all, users often share positive opinions.
What options are available for those who plan to open an online trading platform?
- Rent an online store in a specialized service that offers full user support. However, in this case, you will have to make rental payments on a monthly basis, as if you rented a room in a shopping center.
- Use a free engine like OpenCart. It must be independently installed on the hosting, which is incredibly simple and does not take more than 10 minutes.
Well-known Russian services aimed at owners of online stores release plugins that can be integrated with OpenCart. For example, by connecting Yandex.Cash, the owner of the trading platform will be able to accept payments from users.
To use OpenCart, reviews about the engine confirm this, you do not need to have special knowledge. Many hosting companies offer the installation of the engine with one click, so the potential owner of the online store will not have to delve into the technical details, leaving time to solve other, more pressing tasks related to business.
Who chooses OpenCart?
There are two categories of users who prefer this particular engine among dozens of alternative options. Firstly, those who want to open their own online store for free. Secondly, those who do not have experience in e-commerce and the creation of Internet trading platforms. In the second case, OpenCart is ideal for starting and testing an online business. It is possible that the owner will not receive due returns and decides to close it. Thanks to the use of the free engine, this will happen with minimal financial loss. After all, goods can be sold even at cost to return the initial investment in the online store.
OpenCart is recommended for those who combine core employment and their own online store. The free engine contains all the necessary functionality for e-commerce. However, this does not require financial investments. As already noted, you can start using it absolutely free.
OpenCart is ideal for novice users. The control system has a really simple interface compared to competitors, so managing it is incredibly simple.
So, if you need an online store, its opening on Opencart, reviews confirm this, it is not difficult to do. The technical side of the issue is thought out by the developers so competently that the user is not required to have professional knowledge.
Plugins
Due to the incredible popularity of OpenCart among Russian users, the owners of online stores do not have difficulty finding plugins that allow you to implement additional functions. Moreover, many of the plugins are available absolutely free.
For example, there should be no problems with receiving payments from customers. Indeed, the most famous payment aggregators offer turnkey solutions for owners of online stores created on the OpenCart engine. For example, Yandex. Cashier, ROBOCASSA and others.
In addition, there are many additional features implemented using plugins. For example, users of an online store created on Opencart can leave product reviews using a simple and understandable form. It is worth noting that installing plug-ins takes only a few minutes, but allows you to improve the functionality of the engine and make the interface more convenient for potential buyers.
Design
When installing the OpenCart engine, a potential site owner should be prepared for the lack of a visual editor that allows you to change the appearance to suit your own needs. If you need to change the design, you have to work with template files. Feedback on Opencart 2.3 claims that this requires specialized programming knowledge.
Otherwise, you can use the alternative options. For example, use another ready-made template that is more suitable for your preferences, or contact a professional who is ready to realize your wishes regarding the appearance of the site on which the further opening of the online store is planned.
When choosing a design for your own site, the owner must consider several factors.
- Engine version. A template should be designed for your version. For example, it could be Opencart 1.5. User reviews claim that if the template and version of the engine do not match, the site may not work properly. Agree, in the case of e-commerce such problems are extremely undesirable. Indeed, the consequence of such an illiterate approach may be the loss of potential orders and, consequently, profits.
- Adaptability of the template. It is necessary to take into account the fact that visitors to the online store can view the site not only from a PC or laptop, but also from other devices. For example, from smartphones and tablets. That's why you need to make sure that on all devices it will be displayed correctly.
- Design features. You need to know in advance what appearance settings a user can change without editing the source code. If we are talking about a paid template, it should be possible to test the demo version before purchase. Based on such testing and your own impressions, you can decide on the feasibility of acquiring a template.
User reviews
Due to its popularity, OpenCart gets a lot of different opinions left by the owners of online stores. Someone is completely satisfied with the functionality of the free engine and even dispenses with paid templates, using the basic functionality.
In addition, open source allows many developers to create their own templates and plugins. Someone provides them to users absolutely free of charge, and someone - for a fee. Each owner of an online store has the right to choose.
Among the advantages also note the wide functionality of the engine. Using the above site management system, you can create an online store of almost any level of complexity.
Some users of the engine are unhappy that they have to pay extra for additional functions. Indeed, in this case, OpenCart is not so free as it was originally announced.