Article by Total Merchants.
Here are some important features that should be a part of any shopping cart services you select for your e-commerce operation:
Payment options
Consumers are no longer hesitant to use their credit cards online, and every shopping cart system supports cards. However, what you need to look for a is a system that supports other online payment methods. PayPal and Google Checkout are just two examples of services that consumers like to use as a security precaution against credit card fraud. Some providers can give you a merchant account in as little as 24 hours.
Search
When you use a shopping cart system, the user moves off-site and is within the store. Any search operations are now part of the store and not the main website. The quality of the search engine is important since there should be as little friction as possible for customers to find what they want.
Reviews
Studies show that sites with user-generated reviews generate more sales than sites do not. The increase in sales does come at a price. When users can enter their reviews, the system is then open to abuse. Preventing comment spam and abuse requires comment and review moderation teams. If you have the time and resources, then user moderation is a killer feature.
Real-time inventory
The worst thing that can happen from the perspective of a customer is to find a product, go through the long process of placing the order, only to be told that the product is no longer available. The chances are that customer will never return and encourage people to avoid the site for that same reason. Real-time inventory management is critical, especially for larger stores.