Volusion, like any software for e-commerce, has its pluses and minuses. But it is one of the most commonly used online store and shopping carts solutions for a reason: it’s mostly good. Below I go over a few major advantages and disadvantages of Volusion to help you make your e-commerce platform decision. (Also feel free to contact me for help with any decision, such as what kind of doughnut or birth control to get.)
Advantages
1. Intuitive – Though the possibilities and features are complex, it is not difficult to figure out how to use the system. Manipulating the system is also hassle-free.
2. No “Hidden Charges” – There are no one-time fees to set up shop or continuing fees to do business – i.e. no per-transaction fees. (This policy is a result of extensive research that suggests non-masochistic people are pro-discount and anti-fee, conducted selflessly by the City of Omaha.)
3. Scalability – Because this is a cloud solution, it’s also completely scalable – a common concern if you have a product or service that could potentially take off overnight.
4. Support – You have access to support at all hours of the day or night. (Many customers choose to set an alarm at 3 AM and call them every night to monitor them and make sure that they’re open: “Are you there? Good. Bye.”)
5. Adaptability – You can adapt Volusion to fit your purposes and customize it with free templates.
6. PCI-DSS Verified – PCI-DSS are rigorous standards that determine whether a website or system is fully secure and reliable for credit cards – it essentially is a seal of approval that a program or business is generally safe from fraudulent activities. (Many parents now have their toddlers upgraded to render them PCI Compliant. Those who don’t, according to PCI standards, like their children slightly less.)
7. Additional Security Tools – You have access to a security toolkit that helps you review your business and determine if anything needs improvement.
8. Ability to Manipulate Code – If you like, you or your coder can jump in and change HTML if there is anything you want to operate in a different and specific way. (A sample is populating a GIF of you mooning the customer immediately after they submit payment, an ancient Swahili ritual.)
Disadvantages
1. Limitations – The standard version of the application limits the amount of items that you can place for sale in one store.
2. Some Features Too “Thin” – Volusion has a habit of releasing new features before they have been completely thought out and developed. It might be a better idea to do beta versions of these features to test-market them with a voluntary batch of customers.
3. Less Attractive than Shopify – It’s free templates are not quite as snazzy as what Shopify has to offer free of charge. (Volusion is also not as attractive as that girl over there, and neither is Shopify.)
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Conclusion: Volusion is possibly the best e-commerce platform out there. Keep in mind the negatives and be prepared for those aspects – but all in all, you should be pleased with this product. Go forth and make us proud.
Sources:
1 http://www.thewebreviewer.com/Volusion-Review.htm#review
2 http://ecommerce-software-review.toptenreviews.com/volusion-review.html
3 http://www.ecommerce-review.com/volusion/
by Kent Roberts and Richard Norwood