Most people do not consider using an online shopping cart for a service business. However, using an online shopping cart for your service business can make processing payments easier and more secure. It can also simplify your service orders or proposals. Although an online shopping cart would not be appropriate for all service businesses, there are several service businesses that would benefit from using an online shopping cart.

One example of a service business that could use an online shopping cart is a resume writing service. Let’s say you charge one price for the first page, and another price for each additional page. The user has the option of also purchasing a cover letter. You can set up these items as “products” in an online shopping cart. On the web page that follows, such as an order confirmation page, allow the user to upload or enter into a form the information that is needed to complete the service. Payment is made and processed, you receive all of the information, and complete the resume service.

Another example of a service business that could use an online shopping cart is a virtual assistant business. Virtual assistants typically set consistent hourly rates as well as project rates. Hourly rates could be set up as a product in an online shopping cart, and clients could “order” the number of hours that they would like to use the virtual assistant service. Additionally, per project rates could be entered as products and utilized in the same way as the resume service, with project details included in a form or uploaded onto your server.

Finally, copywriting services or advertising services could greatly benefit from using an online shopping cart for their service business. Copywriters and advertising agencies typically charge a per word or per page rate. This makes setting up an online shopping cart for payment and ordering very simple. The only difference between these types of shopping carts and product shopping carts would be the fact that some type of form or upload feature would be necessary for details of the copywriting or advertising project.

Other hourly service businesses might find that using an online shopping cart for payment and order processing saves a lot of time, money, and frustration for both the service provider and the client. Other service businesses that might use an online shopping cart may include accountants, financial advisors, and real estate agents.