Seth Sobotka Reviews StoreFront 6 Ecommerce Solutions
by Seth Sobotka / 323.932.8888
www.practicallydutch.com

Whether you are a brick-and-mortar store looking to get online for the first time or even if you have an existing Web site, your Web site’s look and feel should be just as important as how a site works. How you choose to present yourself on the Web can be a determining factor for potential customers. A nicely designed site can be inviting and encourage the shopping experience. Well designed sites also generate an air of confidence for the shopper and respectability for the merchant.

At Practically Dutch, we went in search of an eCommerce engine that provides our clients with the functionality they desire and provides us the flexibility to design unique and interesting Web sites. With the multitude of eCommerce engines available on the market today, it can be overwhelming knowing where to start. LaGarde’s StoreFront 6 took a lot of the guesswork out of picking a solution. Several key factors led to StoreFront as our engine of choice.

First, StoreFront offered all of the same end-user features that you might find at an online giant like Amazon. Customers would be able to create saved carts, email friends about products, save address books, have items gift wrapped and be able to track their purchases. As the saying goes, “the customer is king,” and StoreFront has taken the time to ensure that customers have the features they come to expect.

Second, StoreFront offered one of the most comprehensive backend tools for the merchant and the administrative tools are very easy and quick to use. StoreFront has done all the work for you like grouping options together and even supplying links to open accounts with shippers and marketing sites. Maintenance is quick and changes take effect immediately, so no more hassling with uploading files to a Web host. In addition to StoreFront’s built in tools and reports, the software can also be integrated with QuickBooks.

StoreFront has also taken a lot of the hassles out of set-up and configuration. The software comes pre-configured with over 15 major payment gateways and StoreFront also easily integrates with UPS, USPS, FedEx and others to provide shipping costs to customers.

Finally, StoreFront’s backend can be wrapped around virtually any design. It is important that our clients’ Web sites be designed with thought and care. It is also important that a Web site represent the tastes of the merchant and be able to compliment a company’s identity and product offering. Practically Dutch could not afford to be locked in to one or two sets of templates that would take control over the design. StoreFront put few restrictions on us and has allowed us to create a variety of site designs, each tailored to meet our clients needs.

StoreFront provides a low-cost, extremely solid foundation with which we build our clients’ sites. Feature rich for both the merchant and customer, StoreFront gives us creative freedom without jeopardizing functionality. Easy to use, extremely flexible, and reasonably priced, the decision for us was simple: StoreFront by LaGarde.

by Seth Sobotka / 323.932.8888
www.Practicallydutch.com

Click on the images to view screenshots of websites created with StoreFront.