When setting up your online store you almost always should add an online shopping cart. The main question then becomes whether to host it on your own server, or have it be hosted on another server. There are advantages and disadvantages to each option and which you choose depends on many factors.

Using your own shopping cart gives you more flexibility whether you create the shopping cart yourself and use third party software and host it on your server. Using your own shopping cart allows you to make more specific changes and create features that directly support your products. For example, if you sell craft jewelry and have certain products that give customers the option between a ruby and an emerald, your custom shopping cart can allow customers to select which they prefer. This can offer more options in one item rather than having to list the options as multiple items.

Having the online shopping cart on your own server also allows you to have easier access to the shopping cart and its code. You can alter your shopping cart from the same place you alter your webpage and online store rather than having to go to another website or server to make changes to your online shopping cart.

A shopping cart created for your own page and hosted on your own server also allows you to use a totally unique, custom look. Ready made shopping carts hosted on the developer’s server are usually more limited in visual options and make your online shopping cart look less unique.

However, the good third party online hopping cart servers and software, such as ecompal.com, have their own advantages. Websites like ecompal.com allow you to set up your online shopping cart in far less time because ecompal.com does much of the work for you. You simply select the options you want and you are ready. Websites like ecompal.com also allow you to use a very professional shopping cart without needing to know any computer coding or having any experience with code.

Having your online shopping cart on another server allows you to have more free space on your own server. This can be a major advantage for online merchants that use a lot of pictures, videos, or sound on their webpage as space can be at a premium.

So whether a shopping cart on your own server, or another server, is best for you depends on the nature of your online business, products, amount of free server space, amount of free time, and level of coding expertise. Keep in mind that many of the online shopping cart services such as ecompal.com also have a lot of customization features, so they may be able to give you all of the options and uniqueness that you need.

Nick Hurd is the developer of eCOMpal.com a hosted online shopping cart. You will find many options that make your selling online more effective. The options include:ad tracking (including Taguchi muitl-variable tracking), affiliate tracking, coupons and quantity discounts, online catalog, integration with QuickBooks and UPS WorldShip.

You can find more information at http://www.ecompal.com - a hosted online shopping cart. You’ll be glad you did.

copyright 2007 Nicholas Hurd