Although still a Web shop and online catalogue builder, Erol is very different to the other products reviewed here. Erol takes a page-based approach to developing your site. This means you can put any type of page anywhere, and anything on those pages, including text, images, products or whatever you fancy.

Layout is completely free form, and you have HTML editors and template editors to help you create the final result. You have absolute control of display items. You can link items or products at HTML level, and easily insert e-commerce elements such as buy buttons, quantity fields, options and prices by simply clicking the appropriate button. Templates can then be saved with your own description, and used again anywhere in the shop design.

E-commerce features are not skimped either. Along with the usual descriptions and images for products, you can also define primary options to cater for variations on the product price, while secondary options take care of things like 'colour' or 'size'.

Erol supports WorldPay, DataCash, Netbanx and Secure Trading as standards for online processing. For offline payments, orders arrive into the built-in order-processing module, with credit card details encrypted using PGP e-mail. The tax and shipping options are exemplary, and neatly cater for EU regulations by organising both tax and shipping under country locations. The site visitor picks their country at the checkout, and everything else is automatically calculated.

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Contact: 01206 322575

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Tags: value added tax business business and economy parcelforce heritage foundation vat united states financial services