•Simple systems allow the offline administration of products and categories. The shop is then generated as HTML files and graphics that can be uploaded to a webspace. These systems do not use an online database.
•A high end solution can be bought or rented as a standalone programme or as an addition to an enterprise resource planning programme. It is usually installed on the company's own webserver and may integrate into the existing supply chain so that ordering, payment, delivery, accounting and warehousing can be automated to a large extent.
•Other solutions allow the user to register and create an online shop on a portal that hosts multiple shops at the same time.
•open source shopping cart packages include advanced platforms such as Interchange, and off the shelf solutions as osCommerce, Magento, Zen Cart and VirtueMart.
•Commercial systems can also be tailored to ones needs so that the shop does not have to be created from scratch. By using a framework already existing, software modules for different functionalities required by a webshop can be adapted and combined.
Two major sub-dimensions have been identified for information load: complexity and novelty. Complexity refers to the number of different elements or features of a site, which can be the result of increased information diversity. Novelty involves the unexpected, suppressing, new, or unfamiliar aspects of the site. A research by Huang (2000) showed that the novelty dimension kept consumers exploring the shopping sites, whereas the complexity dimension has the potential to induce impulse purchases.
There are several techniques for the inspection of the usability. The ones used in the research of Chen & Macredie (2005) are: Heuristic evaluation, cognitive walkthrough and the user testing. Every technique has its own (dis-)advantages and it is therefore important to check per situation which technique is appropriate.
When the customers visited the online shop, a couple of factors determine whether they will return to the site. The most important factors are the ease of use and the presence of user-friendly features.
•A high end solution can be bought or rented as a standalone programme or as an addition to an enterprise resource planning programme. It is usually installed on the company's own webserver and may integrate into the existing supply chain so that ordering, payment, delivery, accounting and warehousing can be automated to a large extent.
•Other solutions allow the user to register and create an online shop on a portal that hosts multiple shops at the same time.
•open source shopping cart packages include advanced platforms such as Interchange, and off the shelf solutions as osCommerce, Magento, Zen Cart and VirtueMart.
•Commercial systems can also be tailored to ones needs so that the shop does not have to be created from scratch. By using a framework already existing, software modules for different functionalities required by a webshop can be adapted and combined.
Information Load
Designers of online shops should consider the effects of information load. Mehrabian and Russel (1974) introduced the concept of information rate (load) as the complex spatial and temporal arrangements of stimuli within a setting. The notion of information load is directly related to concerns about whether consumers can be given too much information in virtual shopping environments. Compared with conventional retail shopping, computer shopping enriches the information environment of virtual shopping by providing additional product information, such as comparative products and services, as well as various alternatives and attributes of each alternative, etc.Two major sub-dimensions have been identified for information load: complexity and novelty. Complexity refers to the number of different elements or features of a site, which can be the result of increased information diversity. Novelty involves the unexpected, suppressing, new, or unfamiliar aspects of the site. A research by Huang (2000) showed that the novelty dimension kept consumers exploring the shopping sites, whereas the complexity dimension has the potential to induce impulse purchases.
User Interface
It is important to take the country and customers into account. For example, in Japan privacy is very important and emotional involvement is more important on a pension’s site then on a shopping site. Next to that, there is a difference in experience: experienced users focus more on the variables that directly influence the task, while novice users are focusing more on understanding the information.There are several techniques for the inspection of the usability. The ones used in the research of Chen & Macredie (2005) are: Heuristic evaluation, cognitive walkthrough and the user testing. Every technique has its own (dis-)advantages and it is therefore important to check per situation which technique is appropriate.
When the customers visited the online shop, a couple of factors determine whether they will return to the site. The most important factors are the ease of use and the presence of user-friendly features.
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