eCommerce/Shopping Cart Solution for CS2.0/CS2.1/CS3.0

I've come to the conclusion after waiting several months on an eCommerce plug-in/solution for community server that one will not be made unless I put forth the money and effort to have it made myself. With this in mind I think it would be best to work with others in the community here to see what they would like to see in a shopping cart plug-in for CS. My plans are to have a working plug-in within the next 90 days that would be available to all.

What I'm looking to do here is put together a list of required features that those in the community willing to spend a bit of money would like to have added to this plug-in. So what I would like you to so it list all required features, addition features you would like to see but are not required and a price you would be willing to pay for the software add-on once it's done and has a working demo that you can test out. I'll give an example below.

• Requirements
• Platform: Windows 2000/2003 Server with IIS5/IIS6
• ASP.net 2.0 or 3.0
• Database: MSSQL2000 or MSSQL2005
• API plug-in, works with CS and other .net solutions and also works as standalone storefront.
• Affiliate system
• multi tiered affiliate payouts based on item category or department
• pay out on first purchase or all purchased for x amount of time
• Base Features
• SEO friendly urls (ie /store/department/category/item name/)
• Each /department/, /category/, /item/ has it's own meta tittle, description and keywords dynamically filled or manual edit override
• Real time shipping rates via UPS, FEDEX, USPS, DHL
• Custom shipping rates based on weight, price or total
• Ship via multiple methods
• Ability to add handling fees
• Multi lingual language files to add additional languages
• System wide code free editor for all areas with ability to override to html.
• Customer Groups, reseller, wholesale, discount or standard.
• IP ban, fraud management
• Data encryption levels - performance security slider (cc data only, cc & user data, cc user data & order history)
• Leave and come back (saves cart contents over visits in case client loses connection or doesn't finish order on first visit)
• GoogleBase database uploads
• Opt-in/Opt-out Newsletter for customers (optional)
• full SSL support
• Last IP logged for all
• Search phrase words logged
• Back-end Administration Area
• Unlimited departments, categories and items
• Multi pricing based on user status (ie. retail, sale and wholesale pricing)
• Payment processing via authorize.net, paypal, mail, gift card, PO, COD (all optional)
• Quote requests, sales rep followup option.
• Product management w/database
• image(s)
• support for subscription based items, with daily/monthly/yearly billing.
• download-able products with dynamically generated one time use url & download confirmation. (delay for verification option)
• custom item options, such as color, size, configuration, etc. 
• customer based availability, only certain customers can see certain items based on customer group.
• (optional) Inventory management, keeps track of currently in stock and allows for quantity on order status where item stock can go negative.
• show current stock
• Quantity discounts
• Tax management country/state/zip with product based override.
• discount codes/coupons per store, department category or item
• choose skin layout from list or create your own
• customized receipts/pdf etc.
• Email, mail receipts and invoices for bill in advance services.
• Email, Cell, and/or pager notifications of new orders
• Manual order approval option, authorizes but doesn't charge until it's been confirmed as valid by store owner w/offline charge option
• Back-End Customer Area
• Track order
• Gift list setup, with ability to mark what for (wedding birthday etc.)
• Wish list/Favorites/Items to buy list
• Order history
• Front-End Customer Area
• Search by any variable, department, category, item-attributes such as size, color, etc.
• Remember Returning Customers
• Survey/polls option in sidebar not annoying pop-ups
• Product reviews and ratings (can be allowed by all or by client-type) w/simple spam checker(black list phrases and words)
• Licensing Solutions (example prices, have no idea what the final price will be)
• $75/month Base - Hosted solution, pay per month/year 
• $899 - Single Site License, allows one site to install this license (can be resold via a deactivate reactivate feature).
• $1200 - ASP Server License, allows one company to host unlimited instances of it on one server (binds to single server instance).
• $1200 - Developer License, allows unlimited installations, cannot be sold alone, would have a powered by (software) developed by (developer name) on every page.

 Hi, anyone else interested but me?

I also looked at aspdotnetstorefront in combination with the single sign on module.
Is this the way to go or does it need advanced programmer skills? (which, you inderstand, i don't have)

Thanks in advance.

Ray

My plans are to have a working plug-in within the next 90 days that would be available to all.

Those are some pretty lofty goals for a 90 day timeline.   Not to mention that you (or anyone else working on it) is probably already working their main job -- which makes this a side project(?)...

Assuming you have multiple people working on it - how do you manage the source code?  Visual SourceSafe, SVN, CVS, something else?  Are you setting up tests and checking code coverage?  (Even on personal projects I use subversion [svn]... even though im the only one working on it - or ever will work on it... version control is just necessary)

I think you might want to rethink your timeline... plus you are overlooking some key areas: how are affiliate payments (outbound) processed, how are incoming customer orders processed?  Those services themselves often have a cost per month and/or cost per transaction associated...

 

But in regards to if there would be demand... if it worked (well) and was easy to setup and manage... then there would almost undoubtedly be demand for it.   Although your pricing is a little wonky... $75 / month for a hosted store front?  That is almost as much as the "Small Group" Hosted Edition of CS.  And the lowest level site license is $900?  You know the lowest end commercial license is only $300?  I would definately give some long thought to licensing and restrictions... perhaps an entry level license for ~200 with a restricted number of store sections/items... and scale up to the unlimited site license.

I really like the idea, what about multinlingual?

Best Regards

 

Any change you could incorporate the ability to charge membership fees for a CS site? I can't seem to find a membership solution out there.

Jordan

Contact Sean Winstead at 4-roads.  He's built something exactly like what you're describing.

http://4-roads.com/

Regards,
Dave

 

 

Perfect! Thanks much!

 Jordan

This sounds like a great idea, a daunting task, but a great idea. Perhaps you could leverage the ASP Commerce starter kit somehow its asp.net based, open source and i believe it has a lot the functionality you are looking for. I too would like to add subscriptions to my site perhaps based on roles. Another idea may be allowing users to have their own stores in which case they could be charged by subscription or a surcharge when they sell something and of course they would use their own payment gateway. Perhaps support for auctions. Allowing users to comment on products you could probably use cs for this. I could go on and on but anyway this is a great idea and much needed keep us posted on the development of this.

So, we are comming up on the 90 day mark... any progress? I am very interested in this add on.

 

I have had no luck contacting the developer directly. Ive sent numerous emails requesting he contact me as Im interested in purchasing a product I know he was working on. I've had no success. At this point, I have to research another alternative. Wish I was the bearer of better news, but on another note if you manage to get a hold of him, please tell him to contact me. Thanks!

I plan to start this project after the release of CS3.0, because of the lack developers interested in helping on this project I think the time frame after 3.0 release until stable will be more like 120 days.

Do you mean cs4.0 because the current release is 3.0. If indeed 3.0 then does that mean you are currently working on this project? 

Hi,

   We demonstrated an e-commerce application at the CSDC last week and are working towards a public beta that will be available soon.  If you would like more information about our product please drop us a line e-commerce@4-roads.com and we will be happy to answer your questions.

Regards,
Rob

 

Rob,

            Will your ecommerce solution provide support for subscription based services? Would individual members be able to have their own stores?

shakes:

Will your ecommerce solution provide support for subscription based services?

Yes

shakes:

Would individual members be able to have their own stores?

Yes, you could even sell a subscription that creates a shop for a user and then grants them access, using the events pipeline.

The solution is for CS 3.0 

Rob