Ecommerce

Shrink-wrapped carts have inherent problems:

1. Lack of Uniqueness: Ready-made carts suffer from lack of uniqueness (all sites look and work the same). For example, you can spot an OS Commerce-based website by it's three columns, it's forced registration, and its floating right-side cart. Checkout logic is the same on every OS Commerce site in the universe. Boring. It hurts the brand to look like everyone else. Visitors forget you... and the logical flow may not fit the way you do business.
2. Lack of Flexibility: As your business grows, a shrink-wrapped cart developer may not add the features you need to grow your business to the next level. You may have little or no control over future development or upgrades. Transform Agency provides an Open Source solution. So, you're not dependant on us for future development. At your project's completion, you'll have full access and rights to the source code. In other words, you won't be stuck and you can control future development.
3. Lack of Business Control: If you lack the source code for your ecommerce website, and your Web developer goes bust or changes ownership, you're stuck. In the worst case scenario, you'd have to start over from scratch. That’s never the case with Transform Agency since you receive full rights to the source code at the project’s conclusion.

1. You describe your "dream ecommerce site" – irrespective of cost. Add the features you need to be successful. Here's a free worksheet to help with that. Since we have a module for almost everything, your "dream features" might cost less than you expect.
2. For sites that need complex add-ons, like a dating script or auction script, we can advise you on the vast resources of Open Source freeware available. That's part of the beauty of Open Source.
3. After we've gathered your project specs, asked questions, and exhanged ideas with you, we'll draft an initial project proposal. The proposal will cover everything:
   
   

   Exact features and how they'll work Exact technology to be used Exact browser compatibility

   Exact costs and timelines Exact project deliverables Exact usage rights (in agreement)

   
   There are no hidden costs. There are no monthly fees. There are no per-transaction fees from us. You control your website.
   

"Dont make me think..."
The essense of usability can be summed up in Steve Krug's famous phrase: Don't Make Me Think (a Web-industry standard text).

Remove possible frustrations:
Visitors don't have time to figure out your Website. Make it obvious and easy or they'll leave. For example: why insist that phone numbers can't have dashes? A usable site doesn't set up unnecessary roadblocks that risk overloading the "frustration factor."

Design starts with user goals:
Some ecommerce sites sell digital downloads. Others sell tangible goods. Some require recurring billing. Each has a different logic flow, which must be supported by design to achieve a high conversion rate (good sales). That's where Transform Agency excels. View an example wire-frame mockup and sitemap.

Consistency, labelling, color logic, layout, design emphasis, branding should guide and support user actions, so the sale or signup is most likely to be completed. In short: template websites don't move merchandise.