e-Commerce Software Reviews|e-Commerce Software Buying guide , Cheap e-Commerce Software, Discount Software e-Commerce.

I love Drumbeat!
I have been using Drumbeat 2000 eCommerce edition for approximately 6 months now and absolutely love it! The "Starting Points" (pre-written website applications used for examples of various aspects of the app) really hammer home the basics. Macromedia has a very handy online database of tips & tricks for using Drumbeat as well. One thing that many 'hardcore' ASP/HTML coders will miss is the ability to view the source code as you go; this is only accessible after publishing the various pages and viewing source in another editor or in something like notepad. The shopping cart is a cinch to setup, and the overall layout of Drumbeat is very comfortable. I have created an online record store as well as 3 other sites - using Drumbeat for everything but image manipulation. This is a good application and a dream for people who's strength lies more in the design than the coding. You can lay everything out exactly as you want, right click on the elements and add Java/VB-Script to them to assign various interactions. Piece of Cake!

I love Drumbeat!
I bought Drumbeat 2000 eCommerce edition back in November of 1999. I have since used this application to create approximately 10 data driven web applications and websites - in 1/4 of the time that it would have taken me to create them in Visual InterDev! The user interface is laid out very well - a very comfortable environment to work in. (One note on this - you need to have your screen resolution set at 1024x768 to have adequate room to view all of the elements) The "drag & drop" javascript "contracts" and "site elements" make creating dynamic pages a snap. After you run through a couple of the "Starting Points" (pre-constructed mini-web applications/sites with explanations on how to use them)you will get the hang of what elements do what and how they can interact with the other pages elements. Using Drumbeat 2000 eCommerce, I was able to create an online music retailer site - with full checkout / shopping cart functionality - in less than two months! I was amazed! One thing that some will find odd about Drumbeat is that there isn't any way to view the HTML/ASP within the application. You must first publish the pages to your web server (IIS or Personal) and then open the pages in another HTML application or in notepad. I found this mildly irrating at first, but since Drumbeat does almost all of the coding for you - you can just go with what it has propogated.

Great, but needs a rework
I bought the Drumbeat 2000 E-commerce package last August. To put it mildly, I was disappointed. The creation of non-"e-commerce" pages are fairly easy to do after you get an understanding of Drumbeat's inheritance. Don't be mislead by the "easy-to-use" statements on the package. If you've worked with a lot of Microsoft products - beware - this isn't like any of Microsoft's applications. (Not that that's bad.)Nothing will be familiar to you. You will have to learn a whole new vocabulary - Drumspeak. When I got this it was made by Elemental Software. When I was notified that Macromedia had purchased it, I was very hopeful that the problems would be ironed-out. Dreamweaver is an awesome program. Now, I'll be looking for Drumbeat to inherit the excellence of Macromedia's products. They have always had great documentation and support for their products. They are truly easy to learn. The present Drumbeat version by Macromedia is exactly the same as the Elemental Software version. All that was changed was the box. The next upgrade promises to be the best version of Drumbeat. I'll wait for that one.

Short on literature
Drumbeat e-commerce is a powerful e-commerce and asp design tool but unfortuantely comes with very little, not to say too little literature on how to put the aspects of the site together. The asp elements are well explained but the e-commerce tasks and instructions come in a brief guide that doesn't answer all questions relative to building an e-commerce application. If it wasn't for this lack of instructions in the user's guide, which Microsoft is well known for, I would have given the software five stars. Think about buying Drumbeat for Dummies to complete the product.

Drumbeat Overestimated
I purchased the e-commerce edition of Drumbeat and was slightly dissatisfied, although its features are amazing and unsurpassable. I didn't like how little information I was given about the e-commerce capabilities. It took me a while just to find the elements to add shopping cart capabilities! I went through the QuickStart tutorial and the QuickStore tutorial, and read the User's Manual and I was still stumped on how to put everything together. There are so many interactions, filters, elements, galore that it is often hard to figure out what to use to get a job done. Sometimes a simple interaction takes many complex steps. I think Drumbeat needed to go more in-depth with its e-commerce features. Many standard features like option dropdown lists were hard to figure out how to do. Drumbeat's claim of being easy-to-use is not necessarily true. I am a relatively advanced webmaster, and found it a lot of hard thinking, reading, and studying to get used to. It uses a lot of new terms you'll only find in Drumbeat, so you have to get used to its vocabulary, and knowing what things are and where you can access them. I would suggest purchasing this only if you are advanced and looking forward to long hours of hard work. I love its design capabilities, but it's too complex for e-commerce. Buy a simple merchant software from your web host or a company. Only buy Drumbeat if you're going to create a site that doesn't use e-commerce. It's great for creating searchable databases, user cookies, and more. Even for a simple company site, it's easy to design and update. Macromedia has a great reputation for software, and I have just about all the programs they make. Drumbeat is a wonderful program, it's just so hard not to be complex when there is so many possibilities to ASP. You should enjoy this product mostly if you're creating a non-ecommerce site.

Long time user
I have been using this software since it was first released. I upgraded from version 3 to 5 and then to 7. Even though it is out of date now, I am still using it and it has been great for my site. I have more than 150 pages at my site, with downloads on many pages, links to hundreds of photos and graphics, and even videos. It took me awhile to learn how to use it and I am sure there are features I have not yet explored, but I am glad I purchased it.

NetObjects Fusion 7.0
As a long time user of NetObjects 4.0 I found the 7.0 version much improved and more user friendly manual wise. You don't have to be a rocket scientist to understand the 7.0 version, merely a novice web designer. I've been designing websites since 1999 and wouldn't think of using anything but NetObjects for my projects.

WoW, Nothing Like Front Page!
I learned to build web pages with FrontPage 2000. This is nothing like FrontPage. This is going to take some time to learn and get use to. I am a little discouraged, but will give it more time. Nothing what I expected. I'm seriously thinking I should have upgraded to Frontpage 2003. Maybe I will write a better review once I get to know what in the hell I'm doing.

A great program to put up a website easily and effectively
I was planning to put up a website in a few months or so. The problems I have in doing this are: 1) I don't know a HTML from a hole in the wall, 2) I don't want to get Frontpage or Dreamweaver and totally lose my sanity and cash, and 3) It was very hard finding a web design program that was user friendly and powerful as well.

I looked at many of the "standards" out there such as EasyWeb and a truckload of others until I stumbled upon NetObjects Fusion 7. This version was selling at a great price and I thought the gamble was worth it. It turns out it wasn't a gamble at all. I hit the jackpot.

NetObjects Fusion 7 sounds like a planet that Capt.Kirk might visit in Star Trek, ( "Ahead warp factor 4, Sulu. Set a course for NetObjects Fusion 7...") but in fact, it is a feature filled program that will get you up and running with your first web design in less than half an hour. They say 10 minutes, but I like to take my time with these sort of things. The instruction manual guides you through each step of developing your own web page with many hints and tips. The program also delves into the deeper aspects of HTLM and what not, so it is a program that you can develop your skills with. I've played around with it for about a week now and am thoroughly impressed with the ease in which a website can be developed. The program has many templates that are ready made to use. You can also customize these templates or start from scratch and make your own designs. I also purchased the SiteStyles Vol. 1 add on. This is an excellent source of literaly hundreds of different website designs that you can use straight out of the box or munipulate and change to your hearts content. NOF 7 allows you to import graphics and backgrounds which makes customization a breeze. Netobjects Fusion 7 is a great program. Check often for updates and fixes as the company is constantly trying to make their product better.

I can understand the angst of some of the professional website builders. When a program comes along that is this easy and inexpensive to use, I would probably feel a little uneasy as well if I were in their shoes. NOF 7 will never replace them, but it sure has done a remarkable job of getting people like me up to speed quickly and painlessly in designing websites. Beam me up Scotty, I've seen enough.

Perfect for small business/personal use
Fast, easy and efficient, this is a sure winner for most people who do not make web sites for a living. If you just want a pretty, well laid out and functional site and do not want to spend lot's of time learning a complex web authoring tool NOF cannot be beat by anything out there.I can do it all from html directly in notepad to Macromedia Studio, but I just love the speed with which I can develop, set up and publish a site with NOF. Three years ago I did a small but quite nice site in only 24 hours - and it's still up(!).NOF has it's limitations. You can make a site look like millions - but do not expect to be able to publish advanced and interactive content with ease. Here NOF quickly runs into trouble and you may as well grit your teeth for another more advanced package. But than again - if you want to splash Flash all over your site - then why even think of anything else than the original Macromedia package?So, if you believe content is everything (and that's pretty much the case everywhere) NOF will allow you present your message very efficiently - so you can concentrate on your real work and expertise.And by the way - don't forget that Fusion 7 is just out now.

Perfect for Business Professional Needing to Build Web Site
After playing around with Microsoft's Front Page and looking at many other options, I tried NetObjects Fusion MX and have been blown away by how easy it was to create a professional, highly functional Web site without having HTML knowledge/experience nor being a programmer nor a Web designer.When I bought this program a month ago, I'd not had any HTML training or experience. I'm not a designer or graphic artist. And I'm not a programmer/techie. I'm a former corporate exec who recently started my own business and am working with a limited budget for the first time, so I decided to pull together my company's initial Web site on my own.In just a couple of days of working with NetObjects Fusion, I produced what could be arguably called a decent Web site, with virtually no problems or challenges. It really was as easy as the promotional literature claims.I used one of the styles that comes packaged with the software, inserted text, pictures and pages with simple dragging and dropping and ended up with a great site. I could customize the look/feel extensively using commands similar to Microsoft Word, not having to insert HTML tags. I even doubted that it would be easy to actually get the stuff I created "pushed" to the Web, but was pleasantly surprised when it worked beautifully on my first try, in only a minute and with only two clicks of the mouse. One of the coolest features is the tightly integrated "components" available from third-party vendors. I've now used several of them to add a response form that sends an immediate response back to the submitter, a customer registration form that not only sends a response but also stores the data in an Excel file for me to download and import into my customer database, a form that enables a user to browse their computer and choose a file to send to me, pop-up windows, a scrolling window within the page for a user agreement and more.As I've played around and bought an HTML reference book, I also found it easy to add more tricky things like HTML code inserted in my page for a newsletter sign up form and a "refer a friend" feature. A buddy who is a hard-core programmer tells me that the code generated by the program adds stuff that isn't necessary, but for me that hasn't caused any challenges or problems since I'm not a programmer and the resulting site is great. I haven't found anything not to like about this package and have been amazingly productive with it.Because I had the benefit of playing with Front Page first, I can honestly say that if you're like me--a non-programmer, non-designer needing to build a professional, highly functional Web site quickly--THIS is the much better choice of program. And I have a powerful site, with real customers visiting and interacting everyday...

NetObjects is the ideal Web authoring tool
I start to learn HTML since HTML 2.0, and it makes me to be very familiar with HTML coding. Till now, I've experienced many tools including Notepad, Vi (Unix's editor, like window's Notepad), CMed, HotDog, Homesite, Netscape's composer, Frontpage, Dream weaver.
My first experience with NetObject starting from NetObject 4.0, then, I was impressive how productivity it is, although it's still not perfect at that time. I feel satisfied & comfortable with this kind of WYSIWYG tools since the NetObjects MX was born.
For NetObjects MX, I would like to share my opinions here,1. NetObjects MX is not only the best tool for beginners, also inlcuding sophisticated guys. If you assume it is designed for beginners only, you are wrong. NetObjects MX provide many flexible ways to access your HTML coding. If you do know what is HTML, and you are willing to spend time to learn NetObjects MX, you'll find there is no "limitation".2. Yes, NetObjects produces large HTML files, however it won't sacrifice website download speed too much. The real problem to slow down your website download speed mostly come from the large graphics & multimedia files.3. Compared with Frontpage & Dreamweaver, NetObjects provides a effective way to increase your productivity with much lower cost.So, I have to say "thank you" to NetObjects, which is a ideal tool. and it's so happy to hear NetObjects Phoenix is coming soon.

I thought this was MY little secret!
NetObject Fusion (NOF) is a hugely productive tool in my arsenal. While the focus of a review might be all the great features in the software--and there are so many, I would focus on what it has done for me.I've used NOF since version 3.0 after trying everything else out there, including DreamWeaver. NOF was simply the tool I needed to get the job done fast and make it look great. In fact, you can buy the program, and have a professional site in only minutes--if you type fast--using their templates.As I've progressed through my career, I've relied on tools to give my work a really professional touch: NetObjects, PhotoShop, Quark XPress, and a few really good font and graphics packages. People are stunned at both my creativity and productivity. I wish it was all my doing, but in fact, it is the productivity and control these tools give me.One of the questions I'm often asked by newer staffers is how to progress their career. One of the things I always mention is to buy the tools you need to make YOU look good. This goes for employees as well as consultants and small business folks. I've designed dozens of websites with NOF, including LeadEater.com, MikeGrigsby.com, LindaChandler.com, SeminarLove.com, HeavenlySounds.com, just to name a few. Along the way I've converted a lot of people to NOF and the business owners have often bought the program so they can maintain the site for themselves. I don't mind because I enjoy the creative aspect that the program gives me, and I don't enjoy the maintenance as much. This is a must-have tool in your professional arsenal!

Nice Webcreator,.. but uploader??
I think that NetObject did a great job in making a program that's easy handling, and very very good to make a nice website and to learn more and more from the program untill your a skilled webmaker. But there is one major problem i have with Netobject Fusion 4.0; i finally made a very nice site; and i desperatly want to get in on the net (for example a project for school)and i have a free webspaceprovider like geocities; fill in the user ID and my password (in the Publish Area) as remote host i fill in ftp.geocities.com; so everything must be correctly filled in; so i expect it to work but of cours it doesn't and that is why i'm disapointed in NetobjectsFusion Greetings from a also disapointed Dutch Boy !!!!

Create e-commerce Web sites with no HTML experience
BizBlast's StoreFront Wizard allows small-business owners to quickly and easily build a store on the Web. The Wizard creates a catalog with an unlimited number of products, sorted by categories, as well as Welcome, Contact, and FAQ pages. Secure transmission of information ensures customer privacy and protects against fraud. Merchants can process credit card payments online or offline. Stores can be integrated into a merchant's existing Web site to provide a consistent look and feel.

totally brilliant
I contacted a few web developers to set up an e-commerce web site with my current company and received quotes ranging in the thousands! I was then recommended ecBuilder, and it has been excellent for me! for under $ I was prompted through 12 screens from company information to catalog items to what design template and colour scheme I would like to pick. In a short afternoon I had my 100 catalog items set up with shopping cart etc. to start selling. I loved the fact that the SSL security was provided with the product and hosted by the manufacturer. I have finally been using my scanner at home, and updating my catalog items and pictures regularly. In one click I can simply change the price of one item to a sale item! very dynamic and I totally recommend this product to anyone who wants to get on the e-commerce train!I hear that their new version ecBuilder Pro 4.5 supports real time transactions and up to 5000 catalog items and I will be upgrading very soon.I am also able to export my ecOrderdesk into my contact manager Maximizer 5.0 in turn keeping up good customer relations! Brilliant Multiactive Software, keep up the good work!