Is ProStores the right e-commerce solution for you?
Ranked #2,208 in Internet, #129,653 overall | Donates to Young Inventors International
Is using ProStores e-commerce solution right for your business?
I have used many open source and other paid shopping cart/e-commerce solutions. There are many successful online stores thriving using ProStores that once started as just tiny speck in the online realm either looking for some extra cash or looking to expand their brick and mortar businesses to a broader base that selling the Internet can provide a company.
What exactly is ProStores?
ProStores is a top notch e-commerce shopping cart solution
Credit card and electronic payment processors you can use include top notch processors like PayPal, Authorize.Net, PayPal PayFlow Pro, CyberSource, LinkPoint, Innovative Gateway Processor or QuickBooks Merchant Solutions.
It's like a shopping cart with more ability to customize your store and add as many static or template pages as you need to. It uses templates so you don't have to know a whole lot of coding to make it amazing but some wouldn't hurt.
They do offer over 200 out of the box templates for free that are good for beginners and small companies. For those larger more sophisticated companies ProStores offers a free Certified Training Sessions package your in-house web development teams can use to learn how to make exceptional designs. If you do not have an in house web development team there are over 20 certified designers available and listed on the ProStores website.
We will discuss the good and bad of ProStores as an e-commerce solution for merchants of all sizes. There can be many benefits to expanding your business onto the internet if you are a brick and mortar location and it is becoming increasingly common for some stores to operate only online with no physical branch to visit. Both methods are perfectly acceptable and as technology flourishes beyond our imaginations into reality it is best to investigate your options when deciding how to bring your company up to date with the times and that means finding an e-commerce solution that fits your needs not the other way around.
Often when we want an answer to a question we simply "Google it" but there are literally over 33 million results when you search for "ProStores". How can you possibly be expected to find the answers you are looking for when you have to weed through millions of results. It is especially tough when tons of them are websites advertising another e-commerce solution that uses ProStores somewhere in the title or as a reference therefore it is picked up as being a relative match to your search when it is actually immaterial and not informative at all .
This is a brief incite into ProStores and our goal is to bring you first hand knowledge that can help you make the decision if ProStores is the right e-commerce solution for your business.
Best tips for using this lens
- Utilize the table of contents to direct you to the area of our lens that will best help you answer your questions.
- Share with your friends, family and co-workers by adding a link to us, favorite us, share on facebook, twitter and more.
- Share your story about your experiences with ProStores right here on this lens. We are listening and we believe that our combined knowledge will help improve ProStores in the future.
- Existing ProStores' Merchants - Add your existing store(s) to the Popular ProStores Merchants list, check out our group for eBay and ProStores' sellers here and be sure to come by our eBay and ProStores lens here. You may also want to stop by and join our Facebook Fan Page for this lens Prostores Merchants
- Visit the ProStores' stores featured that appeal to your needs then drop back by and vote on their link(s).
- Participate in our "ProStores vs. Volusion" duel (a separate lens) and add to the "Pros or Cons List
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When you have finished please take a moment to vote on the lens at the top. (Voting is a form of Feedback that helps us determine if we are on the right track to helping you with this topic.)
Please remember to "like" us as well.
Do you know ProStores from a hill of beans?
Test your ProStores knowledge! All question's answers are accurate according to ProStores as of April 7, 2010.
Hot news about ProStores
List of Pros for ProStores e-commerce solution
Add your "pros" of using ProStores and vote on our list!
Price
The prices for both tiers Professional eCommerce and Professional eCommerce Plus are very competitive with other e-commerce solutions available.1 point
List products directly to eBay
Easily create default templates for listing to eBay for even faster listing abilities. Pulls data from your ProStores products then allows you to edit the listing and even schedule a time to post it. Estimate your costs before you post. Gain direct access to the eBay promotion tools such as Bold, Highlight, Gift, Border, Gallery, and even access to some features no longer shown on eBay directly like Home Page Featured.0 points
Start up time
Depending on your knowledge level setup is fairly easy even for beginners. You can get it all setup within a couple hours to go live with a standard template (they have hundreds to choose from) then if you want to make changes they allow you at least four versions that you can test different styles on before taking them live. You can of course always hire a designer if you need it perfect before you go live.0 points
Plug ins are available
Many of the ProStores certified designers offer plug ins to help add additional features to your site.0 points
xte access
xte access is allowed for using api. Not something everyone needs or knows how to use but very useful to larger companies with large to complex product inventory.0 points
ssml - both pro and con
Use of ssml coding is a pro and a con. The pros are that once you learn this coding it makes life much easier when designing your ProStores site. The easiest way to pull up a products info automatically without direct access to the database.0 points
Import and Export features
Both importing and exporting is fast and fairly painless once you get used to it. Upload thousands of products from an csv file. They provide you with a template (the only drawback is you have to use their format i.e. the order of the columns must match)0 points
eCommerce Solutions Manchester - Web design Blackburn - Websites Lancashire | Web Design Lancashire / Android Apps Developer / Web Development Manchester
Web design Company based in Blackburn, lancashire , We specialise in SEO, SMO and content mangement system websites. We offer bespoke web solutions to clients around the lancashire area.0 points
List of Cons for ProStores e-commerce solution
ssml
For a new ProStores merchant this is probably the hardest part. Learning how to use ssml coding to display what you need to on a site to give it the look and feel you want. Like any other code it can be a simple mistake that brings your whole site down. Most users who edit this code have some html, php, or other coding experience. If not take the time to learn it first and don't be afraid to visit the ProStores discussion board for help.0 points
Support
When I started support was fantastic however I have seen a decline over the past two years. Nothing that effected me so much but I have seen it take others days to get help. My advice just don't wait around call them back and get someones email address that knows something when you get them on the phone so next time you can cut your time in half. And I am amazed they don't offer live chat being an eBay company and all I would think they could afford it and would utilize it.0 points
Outages
It is true they have been down before for hours. Rarely has happened to me. I have been blessed (knock on wood!)0 points
Cost of designers and plug ins
If you use many of them you will find they are good at what they do but you will pay for it. I am a bit shocked at the plug in prices after all many open source solutions give away the plug ins but then again they are open source so you get what you pay for I suppose.0 points
Templates are somewhat boring
I don't think they offer as many good templates as they should. Probably because they have a store where you can buy really nice ones (too high in my book though but I am more of a do it yourself-er).0 points
eBay is taking away 3rd party checkout
eBay is officially stopping 3rd party checkout as of June 30, 2011 including ProStores even though it is an eBay company.0 points
ProStores Vs. Volusion Duel
ProStores Resources
ProStores on Twitter It is worth the follow even though they don't post too often they do try to keep you up to date when there are any real issues. Worth following is @ecommerceguy and @mabarro who are both listed on the prostores twitter page.
ProStores Group on Facebook From here you can find other resources for ProStores available on Facebook. It is run by Lin Shearer an eBay creator.
ProStores - an eBay Company
One Month Free Trial! ProStores - an eBay Company
Store Front Tools slideshow tool is a nice tool for your ProStores website. Low cost investment for a really nice slideshow tool.
The Squidoo/ProStore tool found at http://www.squidoo.com/prostores/hq doesn't appear to be working the way it originally did however it can help you get a running start on getting your ProStores store its own Squidoo lens.
- ProStores Discussion Board - Powered by vBulletin
- The ProStores discussion board. Discuss, share, comment and suggest matters of general ProStores interest with other ProStores Merchants.
- ProStores on Twitter
- Find Prostores on Twitter.com
- The ProStores Showcase powered by Squidoo
- Squidoo presents: The best marketing tool ever for ProStores sellers.
Welcome, ProStores Sellers! Ready to sell more stuff?
Squidoo makes it easy (and free) for you to set up your own pages promoting your ProStores store. Spotlight your bestselling items, talk about why you're selling t - ProStores Addons and ProStores Plugins (PShelper.com)
- ProStores Addons and ProStores Plugins(PShelper.com) - Lensmaster Note: I am impressed with the monthly plug in giveaway that PShelper.com has. For example April 2010 is a Social Media plug in which as we all know is vital to your online success in recent times.
- ProStores Custom Design, Web Development and SEO by Neoverve Inc
- ProStores design templates and customization extras now available for purchase in the neoverve store.
- ProStores Facebook Fan Page
- Become a fan of ProStores on Facebook
- Prostores Merchants | Facebook
- Welcome to the official Facebook Page of ProStores Merchants. Get exclusive content and interact with other Prostores users right from Facebook. Join Facebook to create your own Page or to start connecting with friends.
FREE ProStores store submission and review sites
- PShelper.com Free ProStore Review (ProStores Templates and Tools)
- Free ProStore Site Review! The most important thing to you as a Merchant is to sell your product. All the features that you want and expect from a shopping cart serve the same ultimate goal, which is to convert an anonymous store browser into a customer. With these things in mind, and a whole lot of research, we have compiled a list of the most common issues to ProStores stores and items that ultimately will prevent your shoppers from converting into a customer.
- Merchant Center - Claim a Store - TheFind.com - Shopping Search Reinvented - What can we find for you?
- TheFind.com - Shopping Search Reinvented - What can we find for you?
- PSDirectory - ProStores Web Stores - Your ProStores Directory and Marketplace
- Building a comprehensive directory of all active ProStores Web stores
Submit your ProStores store to our website directory
www.e-shoptimes.info
We have a category just for eBay and Prostores merchants.
Other helpful ProStores lenses on Squidoo
Popular ProStores Merchants
Please vote fairly (you know actually visit the site before you vote).
Prostores Merchants can list their store here and visitors can vote on them. Anyone may post a website but I will be reviewing to make sure this is a legit Prostores platform site. You can be using a Prostores reseller just so long as the platform is a Prostores platform.
http://www.hngwholesale.com
Wholesale home and garden decor items for resale o more...1 point
Internet Marketing in Delhi
At Anoopconcepts, we have the professionals who's more...1 point
Leather items, Pen sets, Clock, Decorative items, Cards and boxes, Wax products
Anoopkriti provides the huge range of items, leath more...1 point
http://www.currysimple.com/
The CurrySimple product line enables the average c more...0 points
http://www.superiorstitch.com
A division of B'Russell SproutsWear - Superior Stitch more...0 points
Sanding Discs - Sanding Belts - Wide Sanding Belts - Sand Belt - 16 x 48 Sanding Belt
The internet's premier supplier of Sanding Belts, more...0 points
eCommerce Solutions Manchester - Web design Blackburn - Websites Lancashire | Web Design Lancashire / Android Apps Developer / Web Development Manchester
Web design Company based in Blackburn, lancashire more...0 points
Web Design Lancashire / Android Apps Developer / Web Development Manchester | Ipad Development Blackburn
Web design Blackburn, Lancashire , We specialise i more...0 points
Web Design & Development | Web Design Lancashire / Android Apps Developer / Web Development Manchester
Web design Company based in Blackburn, lancashire more...0 points
Iphone & Android Apps Designed | Web Design Lancashire / Android Apps Developer / Web Development Manchester
mobile development company based in Blackburn, lan more...0 points
Featured ProStores articles
- Apr 27, 2010 @ 12:00 amProStores 9.3.2 is here...with Analytics! from ProStores Ecommerce Currents
- ProStores 9.3.2 is here...with Analytics! With the goal of helping merchants drive on-store sales and manage their business more efficiently, ProStores has released several features in ProStores 9.3.2...
- Apr 19, 2010 @ 12:00 amProStores at eBay On Location - Dallas from ProStores Ecommerce Currents
- If you plan on taking a trip to Dallas on May 7th or 8th, drop by the Prostores booth and get first hand guidance from the ProStores team on launching your own storefront or ways to improve your exist...
- Apr 1, 2010 @ 12:00 amFixing Non-Secure Checkout Images in ProStores from ProStores Ecommerce Currents
- ProStores Certified Designer PSHelper.com offers tips on building trust and reducing cart abandonment by fixing non-secure checkout images. If you are getting security warnings at checkout, then follo...
- Apr 1, 2010 @ 12:00 amBuilding Ecommerce on Rough Economic Terrain from ProStores Ecommerce Currents
- In this recent E-commerce Times article, ProStores Director Alexis Van de Wyer discusses the five of the most important factors to consider when starting an e-commerce store in tough times. Read arti...
- Feb 22, 2010 @ 11:00 pmeBay Sellers: Rate Changes In Effect as of March... from ProStores Ecommerce Currents
- If you sell on eBay, new rates go into effect on March 30 and all Store Inventory Format listings will automatically become Fixed Price listings.
- Feb 21, 2010 @ 11:00 pmIncreasing Your ProStores’ Website Exposure on C... from ProStores Ecommerce Currents
- GoDataFeed, a turn-key, Pro-Stores certified Shopping Feed compatible application, shares its guidelines for enhancing CSE performance and improving feed quality.
- Feb 21, 2010 @ 11:00 pmConversion Tip: Display Fewer Categories On Your E... from ProStores Ecommerce Currents
- Don't confuse or overwhelm your customers with too many categories!
- Feb 20, 2010 @ 11:00 pmGet On The ProStores Buzz List! from ProStores Ecommerce Currents
- Interested in getting some media coverage for your ProStores business? We'd like to help you make that happen! Our PR team is always looking for new, interesting stories to share with the press.
- Oct 14, 2009 @ 12:00 amAdd More to Your Store with ProStores Plug-Ins from ProStores Ecommerce Currents
- We've just added over 80 new plug-ins to the ProStores Template and Services Store, with more on the way! Learn more about ProStores Plug-Ins.
A little about the lensmaster - Starr Financial
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by StarrFinancial
I grew up in a small town in Southern Oklahoma and although I live in Northern Oklahoma I rarely get to go back home and visit.
I am a dedicated wife,...
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