what is the difference b/w shopping cart website and e-commerce website

[shwetapandit]

i tried to search but can't get satisfy.what is the exact difference b/w shopping cart and e-commerce website.Thanks in advance.....

[ignace]

A shopping cart is an item used on an e-commerce. The shopping cart holds the user's orders just like you have in the mall, you know, this thing:

 

[nisroc]

I think he means the difference between a Cart and a CMS. if so a cart can be just a script which can be added to a website but the CMS (e-com) could have cart built into it. the CMS system will be easier to deal with in the long run but if you already have a website it might be easier go with just a cart script.

[.josh]

From a top-level PoV, there is no difference, those terms are interchangeable in the sense that both at some point in time offer a way for a visitor to purchase something, vs. a website where you do not purchase something. Note that "purchase" does not necessarily mean purchasing a physical item, nor does it necessarily mean purchasing with real money.

 

Now, beyond that, differentiating the 2 terms is highly subjective/opinionated, big gray line and all that, but it is fairly common to accept nisroc's definition - that a "shopping cart" site is usually a site that has all kinds of stuff on it, and "purchasing" something is just one part of that site. Versus an "e-commerce" site being a site that focuses almost exclusively on trying to sell you something.

 

For example, phpfreaks.com focuses on providing coding help and tutorials etc.. but as a side thing, you can purchase a "supporter" subscription that will among other things, remove ads from your visiting experience here (without having to use something like adblock, that is). But since we don't focus on trying to sell people stuff, it would be inaccurate to put us in the same bucket as say, bestbuy.com, which focuses almost exclusively on selling you something.

 

So a site like bestbuy.com, walmart.com, etc. would be a good examples of an "e-commerce" site, because they focus almost exclusively on trying to sell you something, and pretty much anything else on their site is secondary.

 

So the main takeaway here is that both offer a way for someone to buy something, but the major difference between the two is how much focus is put on getting someone to buy something.