Are They? - - I have not used any of the ecommerce group of templates: osCommerce, PHP, Zen Cart, CRE Loaded, etc. I get plenty of notices and blurbs about them but haven’t heard much from the buyers/users of these kinds of webpage templates.

So, it’s product evaluation time. Anyone who has bought one of these ecommerce types of templates should send me a comment. I’ve read a bit on them but I have no bottom line on any particular type or seller.

Whether a particular ecommerce template enhances online shopping and online buying is my big question here. Looks aren’t so hard to see, nor is pricing of the the templates on any of the numerous websites beginning to offer more and more of these ecommerce themes. So it’s effectiveness, ease of use, and the ecommerce-friendly built-in mechanisms that I am curious about. Designers have been working in this area for awhile now, are the improvements a breakthrough or just a little extra icing on the cake.

I have seen offerings lately by Red Fox Templates, Big Webmaster, Template Monster, Perfectory and some resources with Zen Cart themes and CRE Loaded templates. Beautiful skins, nice prices – do they make a difference for ecommerce? If you’ve patronized these or any ecommerce template seller, I’d like to know.

On a more personal note – I like any website that shows multiple views of the merchandise, a spec sheet, guarantees, testimonials or customer ratings, easily answers questions about the merchandise, quotes good prices on stock retailed products, offers wholesale or large ticket discounts, has a streamlined and cost effective shipping service(s), doesn’t stone me with spam after the purchase, doesn’t make me answer customer satisfaction questionnaires over 6 questions long (hopefully multiple choice options), or give my info to the sadistic thrill-sellers from the fourth dimension. So, ecommerce sellers be kind.

Arthur Browning