It is not surprising why Volusion is constantly being ranked in the top 5 when comparing shopping carts. Why? It is because Volusion delivers the features we need, all at a low monthly price. The simplicity of the software along with the quality features make the solution very valuable and affordable. Sure, Volusion is not perfect, no solution is.

The templates are too plain and can sure need some updating. However, there are plenty of premium templates that you can purchase or simply create your own, as you have access to all aspects of the design process.

Continue reading our Volusion review to learn more about the shopping cart and to see if it is the right shopping cart for your online store.

Primary Features Overview

Say what you want about Volusion, but it has useful features that your business needs. I’ve seen other shopping carts give you pages and pages of features that are simply useless, Volusion keeps the list size decent and useful for ecommerce. Here are some key features:

• Design and Product Merchandising – Over 120 free templates to choose from, although most are very plain and basic, but some people like that. Help customers make the right decision with unlimited photos and product options like size, color, etc. Customers can zoom product images for a closer product look. Simple and easy to use product comparison tool, allows customers to compare products during their purchase process. The integrated one-page checkout will boost your sales and avoids customers leaving the checkout process.
• Marketing – You have the ability to sell directly on Facebook and eBay, and gain maximum exposure. The daily deal tool allows you to create daily promotions and attract more customers. Creating coupons and discounts has never been easier. Customer product reviews give potential buyers purchasing power, and are more likely to buy the product if they see good product reviews. Customers love the extra benefit of adding products to their wish lists and this makes them come back to your store. You will be able to reach more customers by sending custom newsletters and enticing emails.
• SEO Tools – Built-in SEO tools for better search engine ranking. Your products are easily found on Google, Bing, and Yahoo, by using their SEO tools.
• Social and Mobile – Sell directly on your own custom-made Facebook store. Post new products, sales, and promotions, directly on Facebook and Twitter. Social sharing buttons are under every product, customers can easily share your products with their friends and family.
• Store Management – Management of your store is done straight from your dashboard. Process orders, manage customers, update inventory, and manage your conversion rates directly from one place – the account dashboard. Having everything in one place will help you manage all aspects of your business, while saving you valuable time.
• Payment Gateways – Over 35 payment gateways including PayPal, Google Wallet, and Authorize.Net.
• Hosting and Security – Powered by Akamai for faster store loading times and PCI certified, so your customers know you are legit. They also guarantee an uptime of 99.9%.

You view a full list of features by visiting Volusion.

Plans and Pricing

Volusion has flexible plans that fit businesses of all size. There are 5 plans, ranging between $15 to $195 a month, and all start with a no risk 15-day free trail. The Mini plan ($15/mo) allows you to list up to 25 products and 1 GB of data transfer. What grabs my attention is that there are hidden bandwidth fees that are extremely hard to find on their website. At the beginning, I was usually charged additional $10 to $15 a month, due to going over my bandwidth limit. If you feel that your store will be receiving a lot of traffic, you might want to think about going with a more expensive plan, as it has more bandwidth. However, you do not pay any transaction fees. Each plan includes a mobile and Facebook store.

Theme Selection – As I stated earlier, there are over 120 free templates to choose from. However, most of them are very plain and dull. Obviously, we cannot expect to have top of the line templates, but more professional templates would not hurt. Here is a look at what type of themes you can expect:

Ease of Use

The software is easier than most other shopping carts. Starting the 14-day free trail is straight forward and they ask minimal information, your email, name, and phone number. The account dashboard is where you will do everything, process orders, configure settings and anything else. Everything is clearly labeled and you will never be confused.

Help and Support

Customer service is available 24/7 via phone, email, and live chat. They also have a huge resource library that includes guides and videos. If you decide to purchase the Gold plan and above, you will receive a personal coach that pretty much can help you with anything you may need. However, their technical support is horrible at times. Overall, the customer support team is very friendly and can solve mostly any type of Volusion related problems.

Pros and Cons

✓Low plan pricing
✓Awesome features
✓No transaction fees
✗Plain templates
✗Hidden bandwidth fees

The Verdict

If you are serious about starting a ecommerce store, then Volusion is something that you should definitely take a look at. Regardless of the plan you decide to go with, it will end up being worth it for your business. Yes, Volusion has been receiving many bad reviews and most of them are unfair and not true. Many of these negative reviews are due to their online stores failing and they end up blaming the shopping cart.

No shopping cart is perfect and there will always be some bad reviews. No service is perfect, but the Volusion shopping cart comes awfully close.