The themes, plugins, extensions, and tools provided by eCommerce platforms make it easy for businesses to take their business online. You have the option to choose from various e-commerce platforms according to your precise needs and goals. Unlike other eCommerce platforms, OpenCart is open source and free. Therefore, you can use this online store management system to create and run eCommerce websites without paying any monthly fees. In addition to reducing the cost of developing eCommerce applications, OpenCart also includes features to speed up the development of custom web stores.

It allows you to create and customize eCommerce applications using popular technologies like HTML, PHP, and MySQL. Furthermore, OpenCart makes it easy for you to create, maintain and update the web store by supporting the model-view-controller (MVC) pattern. Also, it helps you promote and sell products to more customers by supporting multiple languages, currencies, and payment gateways. You can even take advantage of the features provided by OpenCart to create a solid eCommerce website according to your precise needs.

Features that make OpenCart compete with commercial eCommerce platforms

MVC pattern support

As mentioned above, OpenCart is built on the MVC pattern. The MVC pattern allows you to speed up web store development by keeping the user interface and business logic layers separate. Separation further helps you maintain your eCommerce website quickly and make changes to its source code seamlessly. At the same time, you can customize open source eCommerce platforms according to your precise needs by simply using HTML, CSS, PHP, and MySQL.

User-friendly administration interface

OpenCart furthermore comes with a simple and easy to use admin interface. It allows you to manage multiple stores through a single admin interface. You can even use the administration interface to categorize users/user groups and set precise access and privileges for each user. At the same time, you can use the administration interface to access important information related to customers, sales, and orders. The latest version of OpenCart also comes with an admin interface that can be accessed on both computers and mobile devices.

Support unlimited products and categories

OpenCart makes it easy for you to sell a large number and variety of products by supporting unlimited products. It even allows you to organize and display products in a structured way by creating multiple categories and subcategories. You have the option to create many categories and subcategories and assign products to individual categories. OpenCart also allows you to sell both physical and digital products. You can even increase online sales by providing the marketing features provided by the open source e-commerce platform.

Help boost online sales

In addition to making it easy to sell physical and digital products, OpenCart further helps you promote the products and increase sales online. The admin panel provided by the eCommerce platform allows you to create and monitor digital marketing campaigns from a centralized location. At the same time, OpenCart also helps you boost online sales by implementing rewards programs and improving the customer journey. You can even take advantage of an integrated system provided by OpenCart to promote the products effectively through customer reviews, comments, and ratings.

Supports multiple languages, currencies, payment gateways, and shipping methods

Unlike other eCommerce business platforms, OpenCart does not allow you to sell products through various online sales channels. But it helps you sell products to customers regardless of their current location by supporting multiple languages, currencies, and payment gateways. In addition to supporting thirty-five payment methods, OpenCart also allows you to set up recurring payment option for customers and sell products on a subscription basis. At the same time, you also have the option to choose from various shipping options based on the shipping address of individual customers. These options help you sell your products flexibly and enhance the shopping experience for global customers.

Choose from many themes and extensions

OpenCart is developed as a modular eCommerce platform. It allows users to customize and extend its functionality by adding specific modules. You have the option to extend the core functionality of e-commerce platforms by installing extensions for best sellers, latest, special, manufacturer, and information. Additionally, you can use the platform-provided plugin installer to add modules without writing additional code. Similarly, you can make the web store attractive by downloading a beautiful theme from the OpenCart marketplace. Currently, you have the option to choose from over 13,000 themes and extensions. However, some of these themes and extensions are commercial and paid.

Refine your product search

Most users today love fast and responsive eCommerce websites. They even expect that the website will allow them to find and compare relevant products without any hassle or delay. OpenCart allows customers to collect relevant product information through a refined search. You can create filters to make it easier for customers to find and purchase relevant products. Filters can be created as categories. But the filters will make it easier for customers to rate and compare products based on a number of parameters, including price, manufacturer and condition.

Keeps the eCommerce website responsive

A large percentage of customers today access e-commerce websites on their mobile devices. Therefore, you need to make your eCommerce website accessible and look good on smartphones, tablets, and desktop/laptops. OpenCart is developed as a responsive eCommerce solution. It makes the web store accessible on a variety of devices by keeping it responsive. You can even improve the mobile compatibility of the web store by using responsive themes.

In general, you can always consider using OpenCart as an alternative to eCommerce business platforms. But you must not forget that OpenCart, just like other eCommerce platforms, has its own shortcomings. For example, OpenCart lacks some of the strong features that other eCommerce platforms offer, such as caching and linking. Furthermore, it requires you to use additional plugins and extensions to enhance the functionality and performance of the e-commerce website. However, it has constantly evolved to compete with other e-commerce trading platforms. You can still consider using OpenCart to create custom eCommerce website development without investing extra time, effort and money.