Extensions - some basic questions

Hey there!

Am a WooCommerce user, but am thinking of going OpenCart for our next project. Just wondering, how does purchasing an extension work?

1) Would we get updates for the newest version of OC?
2) Do we need to pay after awhile (like a year or so?)
3) Are there any recommended extensions, especially for
a) Abandoned Carts
b) Color/Size variations
c) One Page checkout
d) Blog Module
e) Caching Module
f) SEO

Thanks!

1) Would we get updates for the newest version of OC?
2) Do we need to pay after awhile (like a year or so?)

This depends on the Seller and on the kind of 'Deal' you made.
Sellers come and go, as well...

3) Are there any recommended extensions,.............

You'll need to click yourselfs trough the EXTENSIONS Section, it depend's on
your specific Requirements. Extension-Pages have a STAR Display as well as
informative COMMENT Sections.

A large Number of free Mod's exist as well, VqMod's work best as learning 'Tools'
also. A lot of free Mod's from v.1.5.5.1 up still work with latest OC v1.5.6x Releases.
about 1'300+ in total (free, including 100+ Template Sets) exist, either on this Site,
or then on others. Depending on your Knowledge, you can use them as 'ExampleSource'
for your personal Ideas and Creations, or implement their Content/Changes for good
into OC Source Code. Just to explain this all in very short...

There is no such thing as ONE BEST Solution. You will have to create your own.

Good Luck

Ernie

ipc.li/shop

My recommendations for the ones you asked about are:

1. Color/size Variations: wedoweb's Product Color Option

2. One-page Checkout: Qphoria's Uber Checkout

3. Blog Extenion: qahar's OpenCart Blog Manager

4. Caching Extension: Jay Gilford's Page Cache

They're all also available on opencart.com if you prefer purchasing them there. You might also want to take a look at my Extensions for Common OpenCart Issues page if you're just starting out, and there's MrTech's Essentials Starter Pack for OpenCart extension, as well.

IP_CAM wrote:1) Would we get updates for the newest version of OC?
2) Do we need to pay after awhile (like a year or so?)

This depends on the Seller and on the kind of 'Deal' you made.
Sellers come and go, as well...

3) Are there any recommended extensions,.............

You'll need to click yourselfs trough the EXTENSIONS Section, it depend's on
your specific Requirements. Extension-Pages have a STAR Display as well as
informative COMMENT Sections.

A large Number of free Mod's exist as well, VqMod's work best as learning 'Tools'
also. A lot of free Mod's from v.1.5.5.1 up still work with latest OC v1.5.6x Releases.
about 1'300+ in total (free, including 100+ Template Sets) exist, either on this Site,
or then on others. Depending on your Knowledge, you can use them as 'ExampleSource'
for your personal Ideas and Creations, or implement their Content/Changes for good
into OC Source Code. Just to explain this all in very short...

There is no such thing as ONE BEST Solution. You will have to create your own.

Good Luck

Ernie

ipc.li/shop

Thanks, my main concerns would be on upgrades, and the total fee spent Come and go, means not all will keep upgrading? If we purchase on Opencart.com, does it mean they default and we get back our investment?

Thanks Johnathan!

Johnathan wrote:My recommendations for the ones you asked about are:

1. Color/size Variations: wedoweb's Product Color Option

2. One-page Checkout: Qphoria's Uber Checkout

3. Blog Extenion: qahar's OpenCart Blog Manager

4. Caching Extension: Jay Gilford's Page Cache

They're all also available on opencart.com if you prefer purchasing them there. You might also want to take a look at my Extensions for Common OpenCart Issues page if you're just starting out, and there's MrTech's Essentials Starter Pack for OpenCart extension, as well.

hambone wrote:Come and go, means not all will keep upgrading? If we purchase on Opencart.com, does it mean they default and we get back our investment?

Nop, your 'investment', as you call it, would be gone. Opencart.com cannot be held responsible for others, possibly not longer 'active' in the OC-Scene, they just take their 'Share' by allowing Others to earn Money by advertizing 'MOD's' on the OC-Platform, but, that's it. Their own Software is free, and free means, it comes without 'any' warranty, as well.

Opencart just makes sure, that noone pay's money (by placing an OC-Site based Order), not getting the 'Value', as advertized, in return. If you expect more, you need to look for a PAID kind of Shop Software, and pray, that the Fellows will stay alive and well as long as you use their Scripts.

Therefore, just depend on someone, possibly doing 'such' already for some time. You can find out by checking, when latest Updates have been made on Extensions, in order to keep them up to date. More, just check the COMMENT-Sections, there you see, if Problems have existed and if there where some, if they have been solved.

No offense, just information

Ernie

Just to comment, currently most developers do free updates for the life of the extension. For now, you should be able to upgrade whenever OpenCart releases a new version, as long as the developer supports their extension. (Most of the good ones do, like all the ones I accept on OpenCartX.)

OpenCart has mentioned moving to a one-year license with each purchase, but no specific date has been mentioned. Even if that does happen, you should be able to upgrade the extension within that year, and then decide whether you want to keep it if you upgrade OpenCart again after the year is up.

ah, guess i better buy some extensions before they go to the 1 year licensing? I bought 98% of my WooCommerce licenses while they were on lifetime, but Woocommerce extensions weren't cheap. Some were going for $99.

However, it was still more affordable than Prestashop and Magento, which had long since shifted to yearly renewals. Some Magento extensions are on quarterly renewals for basic functions, and the prices can go up to $199, 299 and 399. Crazy amounts indeed.

But yes, thanks for the heads up. Will definitely get some extensions. Do you have any top 5 recommendations for a plain vanilla OpenCart installation? I currently have about 200 odd products on my WooCommerce store, but I am considering shifting over.

You can check out my camera & smartphone accessories store at http://www.techgarage.my

Just to be clear, once OpenCart switches to a 1-year license, all purchases at that time would be given a 1-year license from that date. So you would still have to purchase another license after that 1-year period was up. (At least, that was my understanding when Daniel announced it.)

The most common extension requests can be found in that Extensions for Common OpenCart Issues page. I would say the answers under Customers, Categories & Products, and Website are the most common extensions people seem to want.

ah, do you have the link to that announcement? Hmm, if the prices are low, and the renewal rate isn't 100%, but somewhere like 50%, why not? But otherwise, wouldn't grandfathering older customers be good?

Thanks rph!

Johnathan wrote:Just to be clear, once OpenCart switches to a 1-year license, all purchases at that time would be given a 1-year license from that date. So you would still have to purchase another license after that 1-year period was up. (At least, that was my understanding when Daniel announced it.)

The most common extension requests can be found in that Extensions for Common OpenCart Issues page. I would say the answers under Customers, Categories & Products, and Website are the most common extensions people seem to want.

Hey Johnathan,

Seems the licensing hasn't changed to yearly yet. Thus, if I purchased some extensions now, would the extensions still be on lifetime when the new ruling comes in effect? Or would I be grandfathered into lifetime?

I can only speak for my own licenses, but for now, all updates for my extensions are free for the foreseeable future. If I do switching licensing (which is unlikely any time soon) I'd certainly grant a period of time for updates and support for previous purchases.

thanks John. Was thinking of getting some OC extensions for now, but not sure on the license changes. Won't be using any for now as I'm focusing on my WooCommerce powered store (http://www.techgarage.my)

Here's some questions I'm unsure of
1) Hearing our circumstance, should we get some extensions now? Already bought 2 today on your store and 1 on OC's official store. Won't be using them for the near future, but might just use them when I setup our next online store
2) On OpenCartX, we're told to put in the domain name that we would like to use the extension with. What happen if we don't know or don't have any domain names to put it with for now?

1. It likely won't matter whether you purchase extensions now or in the future, since you'll still have access to the extension in the future if the licensing time changes. That being said, if you're not going to be starting the store for 6 months, I'd hold off until you're closer to actually being ready to launch.

2. For OpenCartX.com, just enter the final live domain where the extension will be installed. If you don't know what that will be, you can enter the possibilities you are considering, or a test domain where you'll be using it. Just let me know once you decide on a final live domain. It's just for my reference at this point.

Feel free to contact me if you want to discuss this further.