Shop system
Since 1995, a wide range of shop systems has developed. There is low-price software for the mass market, as well as producers who have specialized in developing individual software according to the respective requirements. However, the basic definition of a shop system is always the same: A shop system is a software basis for the creation of online shops. A shop system can be database-based or dynamically installed on an Internet server via a web application, or it can use static HTML pages (text-based markup language for structuring content such as text, images and hyperlinks in documents). The range of functions of shop systems has increased continuously over the years and has changed considerably due to varying demands on the operators.
Shop architecture:
Almost all eshop systems have the same basic components: A store database with the respective product information, an administration database, various presentation systems, a “recommendation engine”, a “payment gateway” for handling payment transactions, additional functionalities such as certain tools, and a “web tracking system”. Differences between individual software providers arise not least from the preferred target group of individual operators and from the use of different technology. A distinction is made between web server-based applications and those that generate static pages locally. Another presentation option for online shops is the option of transferring operation to an Internet provider for the time being. This procedure is similar to large shopping malls, where individual lots are rented from different operators, who then take over the already prevailing infrastructure in their favor. This is why this type of shop system has the name “shopping mall concept”.
Criteria for evaluating shop systems:
Customer benefit, profitability, customer analysis, administration capability, integration capability, future-proofing – All of these can be criteria for evaluating shop systems. Studies on online purchasing behavior have shown that the perceived security of e-commerce is related to the frequency of use: The more often one uses the range of goods in online shops, the more secure one considers it to be. Consequently, every time online shops and thus shop systems are used, attention should be paid to the above criteria. Other helpful criteria for evaluating shop systems are, for example, the provider’s complete company address with contact options, the presence of a seal of approval (e.g., EHI, Trusted Shops, TÜV Saarland), and encrypted connections for account data transmission (recognizable by the https:// in the address line and a lock symbol in the browser).
