So you’ve decided to use Zen Cart to build your eCommerce website. You’re in good company. Millions use this popular open-source software to build and manage their online stores; in fact, Zen Cart has all of the features you need to enjoy the maximum functionality for your day-to-day operations. But maybe you’re still on the fence. Maybe you haven’t actually settled on an eCommerce solution just yet, but are wondering if Zen Cart is right for you. If so, you have come to the right place. At Coalition Technologies, we are a full-fledged Zen Cart search engine optimization company, and we work with the platform on a daily basis, so we’re pretty well acquainted with the pros and cons.
Zen Cart – The Advantages
The most obvious advantage is the price: free. That’s right. Zen Cart is a PHP/MySQL open-source platform, inspired by the osCommerce model and developed by a community of passionate developers. Most eCommerce shopping carts charge a monthly fee, and most of the other open-source platforms aren’t very user-friendly for the non tech-savvy. For instance, Magento has a free, open-source platform (the Magento Community Edition), but it offers no support and requires a great deal of back-end configuration.
Zen Cart, on the other hand, is both free and easy to use. Which brings us to the second advantage: user-friendliness. Installation is a breeze, and the features are extremely intuitive, using a primarily point-and-click configuration. Even if you have absolutely no understanding of web development and design, you should have little trouble building your online enterprise with Zen Cart. In fact, this unique platform was designed to be a more user-friendly alternative to osCommerce.
Zen Cart – The Disadvantages
Of course, the program is free, so it’s bound to have some setbacks, right? The design templates are fairly simple and uninspired (though you can find a variety of third-party alternatives online), but if you want to modify them, you’re going to need a bit of PHP prowess. Though Zen Cart is simple to use out of the box, it’s not so simple to modify. For these functions, you might still need a qualified web developer at your side.
Additionally, you can forget about customer support. There are some online forums to which you can refer, but since Zen Cart is a free program, you just aren’t going to get the kind of round the clock customer assistance that you would expect from a more premium shopping cart. The other setback is the SEO functionality. In today’s marketplace, search engine optimization isn’t just a good idea. It’s absolutely essential to the survival of your business. Unfortunately, Zen Cart offers very little in the way of SEO, but as long as you have a qualified Zen Cart search engine optimization company working with you, you can enjoy the maximum benefit from the unique and intuitive platform.
Coalition Technologies – A Zen Cart Search Engine Optimization Company
Coalition Technologies specializes in search engine optimization, and we work with Zen Cart customers across a wide range of diverse industries. We work with small businesses and Fortune 500 companies alike, and we’re passionate about SEO. Our company has been featured by some of the world’s leading business and tech authorities, from PC World to Bloomberg Businessweek.
If you have made the decision to use Zen Cart, the next step is to choose the right SEO team. SEO is the difference between a front-page Google listing and total Internet obscurity. It will make a huge difference to your bottom line, and at Coalition Technologies, we aren’t your average Zen Cart search engine optimization company. We help businesses large and small to achieve and exceed their business goals, and we know what it takes to deliver results. Call us today at
for a free quote, and see what we can do for your Zen Cart business.
