Big g
07 Feb 2006, 04:57 PM
Hi
A quick introduction. Many moons ago I asked on another forum for someone to recommend a web design magazine. I was directed here. Thank you for the recommendation Rincewind. How’s the Pic?
Anyhow, I have a business idea that I need to set up an e-commerce site for. I was going to get a ‘professional’ to do this for me but, on trawling through the Yellow Pages, found that their own web-sites were often static, slow and just generally dire. I remembered this recommendation and decided to pay a visit.
I can’t give full details of my business idea just now but need to sell items with a low cost price and a low selling price. Let’s call the item a widget.
You can buy the widgets on the high street for around £1.50 upwards. Usually they are bought in quantities of one but there’s no reason why, if you’re organised, you wouldn’t buy five or ten.
On to my questions. The software OS Commerce is mentioned frequently on here as a good shopping cart program. This program is ‘free’ on the web. I haven’t spent a fantastic amount of time studying their web-site but - what’s in it for the OS Commerce people? Do they get a ‘cut’ of each sale? If this is the way it works then I hope it’s percentage based rather than a fixed amount.
Which payment gateway is best? OK, so that’s too broad a question but bearing in mind that customers may only be spending £5 - £10 per transaction, I don’t want to be have to pass on a large charge to the customer (I will still offer Pay-Pal though).
I notice that OS Commerce has a Linux and an MS flavour. Which is best? My likely hosting company charges more for MS than Linux. I know that ASP will only run on MS but are there other benefits?
And finally, I think, can I run OS Commerce on an XP Home operating system? XP Professional has a built in server to test web-pages but I believe XP Home doesn’t.
Thank you in anticipation. I’m sure I’ll have many more questions soon.
G
A quick introduction. Many moons ago I asked on another forum for someone to recommend a web design magazine. I was directed here. Thank you for the recommendation Rincewind. How’s the Pic?
Anyhow, I have a business idea that I need to set up an e-commerce site for. I was going to get a ‘professional’ to do this for me but, on trawling through the Yellow Pages, found that their own web-sites were often static, slow and just generally dire. I remembered this recommendation and decided to pay a visit.
I can’t give full details of my business idea just now but need to sell items with a low cost price and a low selling price. Let’s call the item a widget.
You can buy the widgets on the high street for around £1.50 upwards. Usually they are bought in quantities of one but there’s no reason why, if you’re organised, you wouldn’t buy five or ten.
On to my questions. The software OS Commerce is mentioned frequently on here as a good shopping cart program. This program is ‘free’ on the web. I haven’t spent a fantastic amount of time studying their web-site but - what’s in it for the OS Commerce people? Do they get a ‘cut’ of each sale? If this is the way it works then I hope it’s percentage based rather than a fixed amount.
Which payment gateway is best? OK, so that’s too broad a question but bearing in mind that customers may only be spending £5 - £10 per transaction, I don’t want to be have to pass on a large charge to the customer (I will still offer Pay-Pal though).
I notice that OS Commerce has a Linux and an MS flavour. Which is best? My likely hosting company charges more for MS than Linux. I know that ASP will only run on MS but are there other benefits?
And finally, I think, can I run OS Commerce on an XP Home operating system? XP Professional has a built in server to test web-pages but I believe XP Home doesn’t.
Thank you in anticipation. I’m sure I’ll have many more questions soon.
G