Need recommendation for online store software/template
 

Just registered vintageracingtees.com and want to get a basic site and online store up in the next 30 days.

Anyone have recommendations for online store template software?

bunch of different ways to approach this mostly dependent on how you will be handling the cart.

want me to call you?

hey Scott, thanks, absolutely! I have the Joey & Rex call at 3 with Leslie so maybe after 4 my time?

for the cart, we already have CC set-up for the company, so want to tie that together. paypal too of course.

I'll call you later.

You're CC will need to be set up for MOTO, card not present transactions, and you'll need a processing gateway.

Cool. That's all done. We bill Little Traveler customers with card not present (hate the rate) at Authorize.net (CyberSource), Elavon is the processor. So I think we're all set in terms of cc.

Good, I was going to recommend auth.net, yeah the rate sucks but they are one of the top 3 and you really don't want to mess with anything but the best when you do this.

They've got a really good backend and lots of tools/documentation on their API.

:cool:

I've setup SquirrelCart in the past for clients.
PHP Shopping Cart Software - Squirrelcart - Complete PHP / MySQL e-commerce shopping carts

It's pretty good. Of course, any that have payment integration are going to cost - not to mention the processor fees.

SHaun,

Depending on what you want to accomplish, and how much customization you want, there are a number of good ones out there.

Personally I favor Joomla with Virtuemart for the best looking websites and you can also use the content management system. Very well integrated.

For standalone ecommerce, zen-cart is also good, though gets a bit cumbersome with large stores. (By large, I mean 50,000 SKU's and up).

There are others out there, oscommerce, etc.. that are also good, but the top two will serve you well. If you don't want to dig in to the techie stuff, I strongly suggest going with a Software as a Service model where someone else hosts and maintains, you just enter data.



If you email or PM me, I can show you examples of both from our customers...

Chris

Thank you Brandon and Chris. Chris, sending a PM.

Ideally, I want a basic store in which each product is a design like the Brumos RSR below. Shoppers can select shirt make (Beefy T vs. Anvil fashion fit), sleeve (long or short), color of t-shirt and size. I've always been a big fan of SQL-driven drop-down boxes (colors, sleeves against make selected), which will probably be phase 2.

Right now if the RSR on a grey Anvil short sleeve is a different product pane than a Beefy T, that's fine. Total number of sku's will most likely not be above 200, and if they are, we can afford to have a major store developed.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1338494366.jpg

Best path is Godaddy; 5 minutes and you're up and running.

Tell Danica Bob says Hi ;)

I am using 3DCart with very good success. However, it does not do a good job with flat rate shipping.

I built a site with Drupal, and it has a shopping module called Ubercart that is very flexible. Building a site from scratch might be a steep learning curve, but you could probably find a Drupal based template on TemplateMonster that would get you on your way.

Thank you Gentlemen, I'll add these to the list to investigate.

I need some updates to this thread. I built a spec site on 3D Card yesterday. I thought it was a bit of a nightmare. I can give specifics, but let's just say I couldn't really get it to do what I wanted, like only 2 shipping options.

Since then I have seen some shared open source templates that I can use with a hosting service like IX. I've stayed away from GoDaddy for now anyway. I need a store, not just a web site. I'd like the host to be able to integrate eBay, FB and allow direct sales for cash (like a MO would be).

So, it seems that motion's suggestion is a one-stop site builder, host and payment gateway. I don't think a lot of these builder sites like Ubercart (but not limited to them) do a very good job of explaining what they can do until they see some of your money. I checked Zen-cart and I wasn't overly swayed in that direction.

What else is out there? TIA.

Get a linode.com account ($20/mo) and set up a debian server on it, get your lamp stack going, and install something like OpenCart. Keep using GoDaddy for your domain registration and DNS.

Whoa, as the other guy (Thom) said about an OJU post, "Can we get a translator in here?"

So, does Open Cart provide the payment gateway? I'd hate to be paying 4 companies for what one or two can do for me. OTOH, I don't want to get raped either. Looks like 3D Card does the full Monty including auto response for when the reseller is off line. That and a full bank of follow up emails for several purposes all at my control.

I'm just trying to validate my choice. Can you take a look at 3D Card for me?

Milt, its 3D Cart, not Card.

Right?

I use Authorize.net for my payment gateway, and First Data as my payment processor. I have for the past 8 years.

I use 3D Cart for their software and hosting. Its a turn-key solution that I pay something like $350 for every 6 months.

I thought it was pretty simple to use, and I built it all on my own, and I'm not that bright. If you get stuck, just google around for 3D Cart developers. They're out there.

And, if you don't want that complexity, just accept Paypal payments only. That cuts out one company.

It's all a 3 part solution.

Store/shopping cart

Merchant bank

Payment gateway

For carts Zencart, gold cart, x cart are all derivatives of OSCommerce which is an opensorce, free solution. The derivatives charge for the support and documentation.

Merchant account, check your bank.

Payment gateway, like Motion, I'll only use authorize.net. Their rate is
No more than their competition and they are one of the top three global players.

Your alternatives are
Hosted solutions like Volusion. I've implemented them for
People in the past and
while they have their place they are not
My first choice

PM me or call me tomorrow if
You want, I think
You have
My number

What cons does volusion have? I know there is a company called big commerce also.

Let me try OS Commerce and see what it has to offer. I guess that's a download rather than play on their site. I do have Front Page around here somewhere, if that's almost the same thing. However, I'm more interested in a shopping cart and customer management than I am having a pretty web site. In fact, I expect eBay to figure in for a lot of sales and directing traffic back to my home page for additional information and features, like a blog and possibly some entertainment.

I can always copy and paste posts from PPOT!

On the serious side, I'd like to do a couple of short videos, post them on Youtube and have those links plus embedding on my site. I even have some vague and distant plans for a cartoon series. You might have read on the FB thread that my domain is TigMcStick.com(not up yet) and I'm working on a caricature of ol' Tig hisself. I think he be a bit of Irish. So a bushy lad he will be.

And, he will be my logo. I'd kind of like to do somethings in the 3rd person. "Tig says...."

Otherwise, I'd just do an eBay store, put up with their crap and be done with it. But I won't because if I can't have some fun, I'm not doing this.

Ive used rhem all guys....

My picks: getiing started, basic selling without a lot of content oscommerce and zen cart
Fair bit of content, small to mid size site, some money to out in, joomla and virtuemart
Market Leader or on you way, want lots of optio s and spending money on high style/marketing, Magento.


Apologies for the errors, on my tablet...

Man, I'm sure I'm going to regret post no. 22 in the not too distant future because I have no idea what I'm talking about. I may have to call Chris and Monkey. Oh, Brando too. Maybe Richard will have me down for lunch if he's in the OC. I think the idiot is back East, but I might have to ping or pong him.

Thanks to all.



So far.

Zeke, feel free. I'm out this week but next week I'm around.

A general opinion from the collective
 

I'm using Yahoo Merchant Starter. It's a template based site with customizable programing for the more talented. It cost $39.00 a month and includes cc processing, a boatload of email address along with a fair selection of features.
General opinions?
TIA