Volusion, Good or Bad?

rosso75 · 24-01-08

Hi Guys,

Were just about to set up an online store (again) and really like the look of Volusion. There's a set up fee, but after that its around $25 a month for the package we've chosen.

So really just wanted to get people opinions, I know there's a lot of experts in this department Pete, Lewis, and Mike.

Any help would be great, PT.

Zayis · 24-01-08

Pete, if you're going to pay for a cart, I'll do some digging for you. There are some great ones on the market and it's worth checking.

In so far as the one you're looking at goes, they're hosting with Rackspace. Hosting simply doesn't get better than that, so this is certainly not a "don't touch them" type of post.

Also, ask this lot if they have a aus division. I know Pete demurs, but IP address can make a difference to search engine rankings. That's what the search engine chief exec's say, and I'm prepared to take their word for it. I'm not convinced it makes that much difference, but hey, every little helps. If they have a presence on Rackspace's australian servers, too, it may well turn out to be the one to go for.

Creig07 · 24-01-08

I use it for my online store, and I have to say it's top notch, except for their email functionality - which has some bugs.

kalso · 24-01-08

Thanks for your comments, Billy and Mike. Its good to get some feedback from someone who is actually using it too.

if you wouldn't mind doing that, it would be great!

WingMan · 24-01-08

There is a guy in the AUS with a B&M store who has been selling online for some time who just recently went with them. He has come back with a good review.

Personally, I'm a stand alone sort of person. I'm in business for myself, I want my shop to be mine. While I know you have to rent space soemwhere, you don't have to give "them" control of your stock.

But to each his own. Many care for a hosted cart and if you're comfortable with that, they are a good one.

Such solutions do tend to be expensive. You're talking about $ 50 a month, which will get you a year with me, but mine is pretty basic, just hosting and your choice of cart.

endor2 · 24-01-08

Pete, I understand what you are saying. We have been using CubeCart (which I believe you offer) for some time, on other projects. If I'm honest, it doesn't provide the look or features were looking for. Its a great cart, don't get me wrong but now I'm just looking for something different. As for hosting, I've already hosted the domain I will be using with LewisSellers.

wellter14 · 24-01-08

You'd be better off spending 25 x 12 upfront and get a professional designer to modify CubeCart html to your exact requirements. We did exactly that on a new project and have our own design which looks nothing like a standard cart.

lovebug · 24-01-08

Best suggestion yet. There are many CC sites that you would never know were CC. And there is a new version that includes the biggest drawback to the previous versions - it has an import feature.

It just seems so "right" for the aus. Look at v4 and a good designer.

squirtell · 24-01-08

Expand on this Pete. Not sure if I understand.

riotin · 24-01-08

It's the proprietary v Open Source debate. The proprietary software companies only licence "their" software to you. If you fail to pay, or don't want whatever update/upgrade they are pushing at any time, they can and often will withdraw support, so if anything goes wrong form then, you have no option but to upgrade.

They have you by the short and curlies. That's the theory, at least.

An analogy is this: At the turn of this century, with the AD2K scare doing the rounds, I was advised by one software vendor to "upgrade" the software I had bought from them 6 months before at a price more than double what I had paid. They pointed out a legion of "benefits" not one of which was of the slightest use to me.

My response, being a believer that there is never, ever, under any circumstances "no option", was to wave two fingers at them and walk away. That is what started me on the Open Source route. I now own, so far as I am aware, not one single piece of proprietary software. Not all OSS is free, but thee is almost always a free version available if I don't like where the developers are going with the next release. My operating systems are all OSS (Open Source Software) and I won't have a Microsoft driven box anywhere near me. They were not the vendors I mentioned, but that vendor relies upon M$ for them to be able to keep the chains on.