I'm looking into getting/making an online web store for my gf to sell the things she makes.

Whats the good word on how to do this? I need a host, domain, and a website. I've made websites before using Dreamweaver, but i don't know how to make shopping carts and deal with credit cards, etc. How is this handled?

3/13/2009 11:55:06 PM

Have you checked out http://www.etsy.com/? It'd be a lot less work for you

There is a thread in the lounge about it - they do take a cut but it's a lot less than eBay. Depending on what she makes, it could be perfect. That store would likely get more traffic than any you made, too.

If you want to make one, there are out of the box solutions, like Magento or joomla. Of course, Yahoo and Google too.

3/14/2009 12:31:22 AM

pretty certain dan has already mentioned that his gf sells her yarn on etsy - i assume this is to break free of that site

3/14/2009 12:32:47 AM

got it... well, I used Magento and it went pretty well. Six categories and 160 products, Intl. ordering with instant quotes from FedEX. Back end is pretty painless, there's a few things it can't do without extensive programming (partial returns, PO capabilities). Not sure what it would cost and how much time it would take if it was just you. I don't know much about Joomla but it seems decent. How much is she profiting per month?

[Edited on March 14, 2009 at 12:41 AM. Reason : c]

3/14/2009 12:38:29 AM

yeh she uses etsy now, but wants something a little more professional.

Magento looks pretty awesome/poweful. Can you use it for free w/o support or do you have to get a support package?

[Edited on March 14, 2009 at 11:22 AM. Reason : dff]

3/14/2009 11:14:09 AM

if you want to be successful, I would say ebay. no where else are you going to get the volume of views

3/14/2009 11:52:07 AM