The long awaited release of OpenCart 3 created the necessity of updates for extensions and themes once again.

Now some time has passed and we’ve seen a lot of modules being updated for the latest version.

That’s why we think it’s time for a showcase of some of the most highly rated free extensions that are now available for OpenCart 3.

There are tens of thousands of modules in the marketplace, but you shouldn’t be forced to try them all out, so we picked a few for you.

Let’s take a look at a few tools that we think are essential for E-Commerce sites in 2017.

#1 AJAX Filter (Free Version)

The AJAX Filter is an extension that gives your customers a better filtering experience while they are browsing your products.

This filter gives users instant results and allows them to narrow down the products they want faster.

You have a lot of ways to adjust the filter behavior and how customers will interact with.

For instance, you can select the type of action needed to trigger the filter - any change, button click, or a time interval.

A search by keyword is available within the filter, letting you specify the product first before continuing with the rest of the details.

What makes it essential?

Have you ever seen a good E-Commerce site without a proper filtering system? Yep, neither did we.

The filters are one of the first usability elements that customers are going for when they enter your online shop to find the products they need.

If you fail to meet the minimum there, you’ve lost them forever.

The AJAX Filter is a reliable choice for a proper filtering system in OpenCart that will let you offer customers a pleasant shopping experience.

#2 Instagram Feed

Your Instagram feed can now be part of your OpenCart store. All of the images you post in your profile can be showcased in your site in a beautiful customizable gallery.

You have complete control over what and how your gallery displays in your storefront. This means you can fully adapt the extension to your design.

While customers are browsing your Instagram feed, they can select individual images, which popup together with their descriptions and comments.

One of the greatest possibilities that this extension gives you is multiple sources for the images in your gallery - usernames, hashtags, locations and post URLs.

What makes it essential?

Instagram and your other social media profiles are what defines your image, brand and values. In 2017, these factors play a huge role in building lasting customer relations.

This is what makes tools like that so essential, they show your human side within your E-Commerce site and let users take a deeper look at what you’re all about.
 

#3 Ajax Quick Checkout (Free Version)

If you’re already on OpenCart, it means you want to have full control over your store. Since the checkout process is the final and most important make-or-break moment of your customer’s shopping experience, you need to have control over it as well.

With the free version of Ajax Quick Checkout, you can offer users a faster solution for finishing their carts, all in a single page.

No different steps, no reloading, no confusion. All the information fields in a single place, fill them up and Confirm. That’s it.

What makes it essential?

Making a break in E-Commerce is quite accessible today, but becoming tougher and tougher. There are many things that can cause customers to not buy from your store, but the checkout is the final part of the user’s shopping experience.

If you’ve been able to bring them to the finish line, it’s a shame to ruin that with a confusing, long and tedious checkout.

With Ajax Quick Checkout, you minimize the possible obstacles for customers that can cause a fatal confusion and make them leave your site without purchasing the products they wanted.
 

#4 YouTube Video Gallery

Video has become an integral part of today’s E-Commerce site.

Whether it’s about product presentation, branding or tutorials, video content gives you a great edge in terms of customer experience and engagement.

A well developed YouTube channel can bring your store a lot of traffic and quality users. Which is why there’s a pretty good reason to show it in your OpenCart site as well.

With this YouTube Gallery, you can have your channel embedded anywhere you want in your store.

Specify the layout, colors, header layouts, and video display modes you want to customize the gallery so it matches your store design.

It’s completely optimized for any type of device from computer to smartphone, so responsiveness is nothing you should worry about.

What makes it essential?

YouTube has become much more than just an entertainment platform or a place to share funny cat videos.

Online merchants who realize its potential and have utilized its power know how important it can be for business.

A fast way for exposing your store, products, values and ideas to a wider audience, generating more interest and traffic, and most of all - sales.
 

#5 ErrorLog Manager

OpenCart is an open-source system and sometimes the extensions or themes you use might cause clashes and produce errors.

It’s important to know how these errors occur, what caused them and how to proceed with resolving them.

This is where the free ErrorLog Manager performs flawlessly.

The module shows you data such as the exact time and date when the error occurred, the exact modified files, and a preview of the code at the error line.

What makes it essential?

Users without any coding experience can get very frustrated when they see an error in OpenCart. This way you will have a better way of understanding what exactly happened to your store so you can get a better idea of the steps to take for fixing it.
 

#6 Google Maps

Selling online means that you don’t need to open up a physical store anywhere, which is one of the biggest advantages. However, the E-Commerce sites that do have a brick-and-mortar location need to make it as easy as possible to find.

With the Google Maps Builder, you can have your location integrated in your OpenCart store in no time.

The extension allows for a lot of customization of how the map will look with 4 different color schemes, plus a custom one.

What makes it essential?

OpenCart stores with physical locations absolutely must let their customers find them easily. If customers nearby have the option to come to your location and see or try the products you’re selling, that’s one of the biggest advantages you have over competitors.

Sharing an address is one thing, but to let users enter your site and use the Google Map inside to get directions directly via your store is a much better and faster experience.

Conclusion

We hope you like the modules in this list. If you want to keep track of the latest extension features and compatibility updates for OpenCart 3, you can follow them in our iSenseLabs Weekly series here.