I've spent the last several months building something I'm really excited to share with you. After 17+ years of enterprise software development and countless conversations with business owners frustrated by their e-commerce platforms, I created a solution to a problem I kept seeing over and over again.
Today, I'm launching MVC Cart - a professional ASP.NET Core e-commerce platform that you own, not rent.
The Problem I Kept Seeing
As a .NET developer helping Sterling businesses succeed online, I encountered the same frustrations repeatedly:
- Business owners paying $50-300+ per month just to keep their online store running
- WooCommerce sites bogged down by plugin conflicts and security vulnerabilities
- Shopify merchants feeling trapped by monthly fees that eat into already thin margins
- Entrepreneurs wanting to customize their store but hitting platform limitations
- Businesses concerned about not truly owning their digital storefront
Every time a client came to me saying "I want to sell online, but I'm tired of monthly fees and limitations," I wished there was a better solution to recommend.
So I built one.
What Is MVC Cart?
MVC Cart is a custom-built e-commerce platform powered by ASP.NET Core - the same enterprise-grade technology that handles millions of transactions for major corporations. But instead of the complexity and cost typically associated with enterprise solutions, MVC Cart delivers professional e-commerce capabilities designed specifically for small and medium-sized businesses.
The key difference? You own it. No monthly subscriptions. No transaction fees beyond what your payment processor charges. No limitations on growth or customization.
Stop Paying to Rent Your Store
Let's talk about the real cost of "affordable" e-commerce platforms:
Shopify
- Basic Plan: $39/month ($468/year)
- Shopify Plan: $105/month ($1,260/year)
- Advanced Plan: $399/month ($4,788/year)
- Plus transaction fees if not using Shopify Payments
- Additional costs for apps and premium themes
BigCommerce
- Standard: $39/month ($468/year)
- Plus: $105/month ($1,260/year)
- Pro: $399/month ($4,788/year)
- Transaction fees on some plans
- Sales thresholds that force plan upgrades
WooCommerce
- Core plugin: "Free"
- Premium hosting: $20-100/month
- Essential plugins: $200-500/year
- Security plugins: $100-300/year
- Theme: $60-200/year
- Developer time fixing conflicts: $500-2,000/year
- Real annual cost: $1,000-4,000+
MVC Cart
- One-time investment
- Hosting: Your choice (Azure, your own server, etc.)
- Zero monthly platform fees
- Zero transaction fees (beyond payment processor)
- Zero plugin subscriptions
- You own the source code forever
Over three years, a Shopify Basic plan costs $1,404. Over five years? $2,340. And that's just the platform fee - before apps, premium themes, or additional features.
MVC Cart is an investment that pays for itself while giving you something you actually own.
Built for Serious Business
MVC Cart isn't a hobby project or a stripped-down solution. It's built with the same professional standards I've applied throughout my career working with enterprise clients including Microsoft and major financial institutions.
What You Get with MVC Cart
Complete Product Management
- Unlimited products and categories
- Product variants (size, color, etc.)
- Image galleries with Azure Blob Storage
- Inventory tracking
- Featured products and bestsellers
- Product search and filtering
Professional Storefront
- Mobile-responsive design
- Fast page load times (under 2 seconds)
- SEO-optimized product pages
- Clean, professional interface
- Shopping cart with session management
- Product reviews and ratings
Secure Payment Processing
- PayPal integration (additional gateways available)
- Secure checkout process
- SSL/TLS encryption
- PCI compliance considerations built-in
Customer Accounts
- User registration and login
- Order history and tracking
- Saved shipping addresses
- Account management
Powerful Admin Dashboard
- Product catalog management
- Order processing and fulfillment
- Customer management
- Sales reporting
- Category and tag management
- Content management
Enterprise-Grade Technology
- Built on ASP.NET Core 10
- SQL Server database
- Azure cloud integration
- Scalable architecture
- Clean, maintainable code
- Regular security updates
Performance That Converts
Every second counts in e-commerce. Studies show that:
- A one-second delay reduces conversions by 7%
- 47% of consumers expect pages to load in 2 seconds or less
- 40% abandon a website that takes more than 3 seconds to load
MVC Cart is built for speed. With optimized database queries, efficient caching, and lean code, your store loads fast and stays fast - even as your product catalog grows.
Security You Can Trust
E-commerce security isn't optional. MVC Cart is built with security best practices from the ground up:
- Secure authentication and authorization
- Protection against SQL injection
- Cross-site scripting (XSS) prevention
- CSRF token validation
- Secure password hashing
- Regular security updates
You're not relying on third-party plugins with unknown security practices. Every line of code follows Microsoft's security guidelines and industry best practices.
True Scalability
Starting small? MVC Cart works great on modest hosting. Growing fast? Scale up seamlessly with Azure cloud services. The platform is built on the same technology that powers enterprise applications handling millions of users.
Unlike platform-based solutions that force you into higher-priced tiers as you grow, MVC Cart scales with your actual hosting needs, not arbitrary platform limitations.
Complete Customization Freedom
Want to add a custom feature? Integrate with your inventory system? Connect to your accounting software? No problem.
Because you own the source code, you're not limited by what a platform allows or what plugins exist. Need something specific for your business? We can build it. Want to hire another developer to add features? They have complete access to clean, well-documented code.
This is your platform. Customize it however your business needs.
The Ownership Advantage
Here's what ownership really means:
No Platform Risk
What happens if Shopify raises prices? If BigCommerce changes their terms? If a plugin you depend on gets abandoned? With MVC Cart, you're not at the mercy of platform decisions.
No Data Hostage Situations
Your products, your customers, your orders - they're in a database you control. No export limitations, no worrying about how to migrate if you want to leave a platform.
No Feature Limitations
If your business needs a specific feature, you can build it. No hoping a platform adds it to their roadmap or that someone creates a plugin for it.
No Monthly Anxiety
Every month, subscription platforms take their cut whether you had sales or not. With MVC Cart, your only recurring cost is hosting - which you can scale up or down based on your actual needs.
Who Is MVC Cart For?
MVC Cart is perfect for:
- New businesses who want to start with a professional platform they won't outgrow
- Growing businesses tired of monthly fees eating into margins
- Entrepreneurs who value ownership and control
- Established businesses ready to migrate from subscription platforms
- Businesses with unique needs that generic platforms can't accommodate
- Companies planning for long-term growth who want a scalable foundation
Sterling, Colorado and Beyond
While The Internet Sensei is based in Sterling, Colorado, and we love helping local businesses succeed, MVC Cart is available to businesses anywhere. The platform is deployed on Azure cloud services, making it accessible worldwide with excellent performance.
For Sterling-area businesses, I offer the added advantage of local support, in-person consultations, and a deep understanding of our community's business landscape.
Built on Experience
MVC Cart represents 17+ years of enterprise software development experience, condensed into a platform specifically designed for small and medium-sized businesses. I've architected cloud migrations, managed complex databases, and created solutions handling sensitive financial data.
All of that experience goes into MVC Cart - but with a focus on what small businesses actually need, not enterprise complexity for complexity's sake.
Getting Started with MVC Cart
Interested in owning your e-commerce platform instead of renting it? Here's how to get started:
- Free Consultation - We'll discuss your business needs, current pain points, and whether MVC Cart is the right fit
- Customization Planning - We'll plan any specific features or integrations your business requires
- Implementation - I'll set up MVC Cart with your branding, products, and configurations
- Training - You'll get complete training on managing your store through the admin dashboard
- Launch - Your store goes live, and you start selling - with no monthly fees
- Ongoing Support - Optional support and maintenance packages available
See MVC Cart in Action
The best way to understand what MVC Cart can do is to see it yourself. Visit mvccart.com to explore the platform, browse the demo store, and learn more about features and pricing.
Investment vs. Expense
There's a fundamental difference between an investment and an expense. Monthly subscription fees are expenses - money that goes out every month with nothing to show for it when you stop paying.
MVC Cart is an investment. You're building equity in a digital asset you own. You're creating a platform that can grow with your business for years to come. You're establishing a foundation that increases in value rather than bleeding value month after month.
For businesses serious about e-commerce success, that difference matters.
Why I Built This
I could have built another WordPress plugin or another Shopify clone. But I wanted to create something that genuinely solves the problems I kept hearing about from business owners:
- Tired of monthly fees
- Want to own their platform
- Need professional features
- Value performance and security
- Plan for long-term growth
MVC Cart addresses all of these. It's the platform I wish existed when clients asked me for e-commerce solutions.
Ready to Own Your E-commerce Platform?
If you're currently paying monthly fees for Shopify, dealing with WooCommerce plugin headaches, or planning to launch an online store and want to do it right from the start, let's talk.
MVC Cart combines enterprise-grade technology with small business practicality. It's professional e-commerce without the subscription trap.
Visit mvccart.com to learn more, or contact The Internet Sensei directly for a free consultation about whether MVC Cart is right for your business.
Stop renting your store. Start owning it.
