New Noob - Ecommerce help with everything needed

[Naruto]

Hi
How are you all? New here, total noob. New to Php,mysql,css,e-commere etc so hope you can go easy on me :)
anways ive been building a site for quite some time now. not finished because always run into problems etc. but my question is how do i set up a stock database & customer database & order database? im using cpanel 10 (or 1.0) dont know if u need that to help me.
so if anyone can please help me it will be greatly appreciated.


Thanks in advance. if you need more information or missed anything out let me know.

Thanks..i hope someone can help me.


:)

[Electro]

if you know some php & mysql and have been into installing scripts then there are various quick shopping carts.. otherwise outsourcing it will be the best solution for you.

[Red Eye Media]

Are you thinking of creating a shopping cart and customer management system from scratch?
If you are, you have a long road to travel if you are a noob in programming and databases.
You should consider an off the shelf product that takes care of this for you.
From scratch, this is too big a job for a noob.

Good luck

[Naruto]

thanks for the tips. yes this cpanel has already got a shopping cart script. so ive used it to install it but nothing happended. yeah you are right i dont want to start from scratch. but i am going to start learning php online course and stuff.
so i mean how can i set these 3 database so i can change the stock level, customer details and orders i get.

Thanks.

p.s- ive tried 4 different help forums, but i have never got a reply so fast. so a big thank you to both of you.

[Electro]

p.s- ive tried 4 different help forums, but i have never got a reply so fast. so a big thank you to both of you.

thats probably because you yourself are unsure what exactly you want to do. Learning online php course won't teach you how to install scripts and all that. anyways.. this might help you get started for any script installation..

1) copy script files to the your hosting..

2) create database using mysql icon in your cpanel. assign user and password to it..

3) follow whats said in your scripts readme file.

[Naruto]

well true, ok i meant was to teach myself php and css and other stuff. but its my 1st time asking for this database help. ok il do what you said but i was looking at this earlier on a site called : tizag
on there it has a mysql database guide..so just following that. but i will definatly do what you said.

thanks once again.

[Electro]

I would recommend that you hire somebody cheap online. working with him for a couple of days will enable you solve all the mysteries you are facing.

[Naruto]

well thats true. but i need to learn all this so i dont have to keep hiring ppl. but thanks for your suggestion.
il let u know soon, how i progress.

[awebapart.com]

how do i set up a stock database & customer database & order database? this cpanel has already got a shopping cart script
There is a big difference between a shopping cart system and an advanced ecommerce system. This article on shopping carts (http://www.awebapart.com/home/faq/Best_shopping_cart) will describe the difference in more detail, but put simply, a shopping cart, and the scripts and systems out there that describe themselves as shopping carts, don't have to have a stock, customer or order database, whereas an advanced ecommerce system should have most or all of these features. A shopping cart in its simplest form is there to manage placing products in a basket and providing totals for orders, perhaps with a final payment link, and that is about it.

What is your ultimate goal? Is it:

A. to run an online shop, or
B. to become a php/mysql/web/ecommerce programmer?

If your goal is A, then you should be devoting your time to this pursuit, not spending time on goal B. You don't need the skills in goal B, you don't even need to pay others with those skills, to achieve goal A. Just look at all the people/companies who have set up shop on ebay without goal B skills, and there are other ecommerce solutions out there which also allow you to set up shop without technical skills.

[Naruto]

well thanks for clearing it up. finish work now, so will read it later. well the answers are both. im making a site for my uncle we got a guy in who does all this stuff. but he is too lazy to help anyone. but ive done most of the work by researching online. i do want to be a web programer/designer. so like i mentioned before might as well learn it instead of hiring others because in the end, i dont learn anything, waste of money. lol.
but you guys on here are really the best. thanks all.

[awebapart.com]

well the answers are both... i do want to be a web programer/designer.
Fair enough. In that case have a look at advanced ecommerce systems like zencart.

[First in Retail]

scrap the idea and leave it to the professionals, even if you get a site that works (and I doubt it) your only 20% of the way there, the business, marketing, general running of it is the other 80% that you havent even dreamt about yet.

Seriously would you build a house

[thedesigntailor]

Hi - Building a real site is a great way to learn but if your ecommerce is part of an already formed business or is planning to make money I would look at getting a professional (there are plenty that will do a good job as it sounds like you current guy isn't joing his/her job.

You run the risk of spoiling what is done already - Maybe try building a working site but not with the intention of actually going fully live as a training ground. There are also good part time courses at your local college.

I'm just aware that even using open source systems these things aren't simple or quick to learn.

[OLPS]

I totally agree with the last couple of posts.
If you are going to take this on board yourself then say good night to your life for a while.

Christian

[nickpp]

Best way is to go for an off the shelf system like X-cart, Zen Cart or Magento and pick an existing template to bits and learn what makes it tick.

But yes, as already mentioned you have a long road to go and you can not do this in a production ready environment.

You should have at least Cpanel 11, if not 11.24 running, even so forget the cpanel shopping cart :)

[boho]

From a perspective of customer security - ultimately the concern of the end user - I would look at getting it done by a professional, or for speed and ease of use I would go with a hosted solution there a few good solution providers on here quikshop (http://www.internetretailer.biz) (my own host) and awebapart (http://www.awebapart.com) being two of them. With online fraud on the increase ever since chip and pin having a good secure shopping cart is absolutely paramount.