Aug 20 2010
Like so many other web developers and designers, I'm continually frustrated by the lack of really, really good e-commerce software. Seems like even the best of the best out there fall short in some way.
Enter LemonStand.
Just officially released late last month, LemonStand is definitely a contender in the realm of solid e-commerce software.
I got the chance to try LemonStand a few months back while it was still in beta. I was unfortunately unable to give it a real solid testing, but what I did try was refreshing.
From a web designer's perspective, it was a real joy to see that the template structure wasn't complex. No need to mess with themes or "clean" templates. Just use your base HTML and CSS files, drop in a few PHP code snippets and you're off to the races! This really does give web designers that provide custom design for clients a lot more flexibility and ease of use that other shopping carts flat out don't.
Now, there are some limitations to the software, last time I checked, such as not having product reviews, reward points, or the ability to sell and redeem gift certificates. But, the developers have included an API and PHP framework that should be a breeze for any back-end developer. Then again, the ability to extend functionality should be expected by just about any web software.
And of course, there's the product management and ease of use for less tech-savvy clients. From my (very limited) experience, it was very straightforward and easy to grasp from the get-go. Clients will feel comfortable right away.
But perhaps the biggest feature LemonStand has is their support. Being a paid product the LemonStand developers can offer support. And the few times I've posted to their forums, I received responses very quickly. That's a big deal in my book, especially when supposed "best e-commerce software" can't provide support at all (I'm looking at you Magento).
So while I have yet to give it a more detailed test, LemonStand is definitely on its way to being a very robust e-commerce system and I wouldn't hesitate to use it for our clients.