What is Zen Cart?
Zen cart is an online management system. It was first introduced in 2003. It is an open-source e-commerce platform allowing businesses to build and manage online stores. Zen Cart is a free, user-friendly, customizable platform that won’t demand heavy investment. It is one reason for its immense popularity among small to medium-sized businesses.
Some key terms and definitions that will help you understand what Zen Cart is and how it works are:
- Open Source Software:
As mentioned above, Zen Cart is open-source software. It indicates that the source is available for everyone to use and modify. As a result, it allows businesses to customize the platform according to their specific requirements. This open–source software also enables developers to create plugins and add-ons to boost the platform’s functionality.
- E-Commerce Platform
Zen Cart designs an e-commerce platform to help businesses of all sizes sell their services and products online. It is incorporated with tools and features that allow companies to create and manage their online store. Thus, business owners can perform various tasks, from product management, order management, payment processing, and shipping to tax calculation.
- Shopping Cart
One of the pivotal features of Zen Cart is the shopping cart. Businesses can manage inventory and track orders. Customers can browse products, add them to their cart and complete the checkout process without hassle. Zen Cart integrates payment gateways to process payments securely.
- Themes
Zen Cart offers its users a wide range of customizable themes. It will determine the feel and look of your store and includes layout, colour scheme, and typography. Businesses can use any of these themes to create an online store. Companies can also customize themes according to their branding and style.
- Modules
Zen Cart provides several modules to help businesses enhance the functionality of their online store. These modules include social media integration, search engine optimization, and email marketing.
- Payment Gateways
Payment gateways are integrated into Zen Cart, enabling businesses to process payments securely. PayPal, Stripe, and Authorize.net are among the payment gateways supported by Zen Cart.
- Shipping Methods
Zen Cart enables businesses to configure various shipping methods, such as flat rate, weight-based, and destination-based shipping. Companies can also create shipping zones to apply different rates to multiple regions.
- Tax Calculation
Zen Cart includes built-in tools for calculating taxes based on the customer’s location and the products being sold. Businesses can configure tax rates for different regions and products, and the platform will automatically calculate taxes at checkout.
- Product Management
Zen Cart helps businesses manage their products by allowing them to add new products, edit existing products, and manage inventory. Businesses can also organize their products by creating categories and subcategories and adding attributes like size and colour.
- Order Management
Zen Cart incorporates a wide range of advanced tools. It assists businesses in managing their orders, such as tracking orders, managing returns and refunds, and generating sales and customer data reports.
In conclusion, Zen Cart is an open-source e-commerce platform that offers a variety of features and tools to assist businesses in creating and managing their online store. It includes themes and modules that companies can customize, integrated payment gateways and shipping methods, as well as tools for managing products and orders.. As a result, businesses can easily create an online presence and sell their products and services to a global audience using Zen Cart.
