Some Advice Please

[whbeng1]

Hello, this is my first post so be gentle with me.

I am putting together an ecommerce site and I am looking at using os software.
I have just signed up for a 30 days trial with Joomla. I will be selling about 50 product lines with lots of options with each product.

Would anyone say I have picked the wrong software based on the products I am selling.

BTW I am a complete novice when it comes to doing websites so please bear that in mind

Thanks in advance for your help

Will

 

[akirk]

Why a 30 days trial with Joomla - it is free, try it for as long as you want
Joomla itself doesn't have eCommerce as a part of it - it will be an extension and you can choose from several - virtuemart is one example of a plug in store for Joomla.

Joomla and plugin is a workable solution, but, though free doesn't mean it is always the best solution, you need to decide what you want from your site - Joomla is not the simplest software to use - even pros get confused in how to add articles etc.! intuitive it is not. however there is no doubt that it is pretty capable...

so, yes, you should be able to run an eCommerce site on Joomla with appropriate plugins, but it may ultimately not be the best solution.

you also don't mention whether you are getting someone else to install it for you - it might be free, but there is usually quite a bit of installation / customisation to do, from graphical look to integration of payment gateways etc. if you are a novice as you say, then my recommendation is don't do the payment side yourself.

regards

Alasdair

 

[whbeng1]

thanks for the reply.

is their any os software that has an all in one package that anyone could recommend?

 

[Vision2]

all require knowledge, regardless of how you look at it.

So, either spend a great deal of time sorting it or get someone to sort it for you.

If you want something more long term rather than a hobby shop, then take a look at magento, does require a investment however.

 

[whbeng1]

I have a little knowledge as I have had a website before. That was a bespoke one and it cost me a fortune and to be honest with you it was not worth a carrot as it was not search engine friendly. Since then I have learned alot about seo etc but not so much on web design
I do not want to shell out that kind of money again, I have seen several websites offering complete packages including hosting, templates and website management software etc etc. Is anyone used these kind of companies and can anyone recommend a couple to me.

Cheers

 

[simonr]

A couple of friends of mine run ecommerce sites based on the software provided as part of their hosting package. That might be a way to got in the first instance: then use the money from that to pay someone to set up something bigger...?

S

 

[akirk]

zencart could do it - not the best, development frozen for a while now - but OS and usable...

really though eCommerce needs investment - I fail to understand why you wouldn't invest in it - the site is designed to bring in money - bad software will put off clients and lose you money / opportunities, good software will help win clients / make the deal

Alasdair

 

[whbeng1]

I have just been looking into it a bit more and doing some research and everything is now pointing to Volusion as they can offer everything i need to get me up and running. Does anyone use them here and if so what are their experiances?

Cheers

 

[CraigieDD]

Joomla and Virtuemart is a solid combination for an e-commerce website. Don't dismiss it without having a look.

I could set you up a test site if you want.

 

[JK-TUNDU]

I have talked to lots of people about ecommerce and i keep getting the same answer "Megento" a free open source software. Some people say it is tricky to use then some say it's easy? it's worth taking a look at it. If you are a complete novice, you can get ready made site with admin panel and hosting for a monthly fee (£10 month somthing like that) on various sites, have a look on google and search for ecommerce websites ect that should help.

 

[whbeng1]

Will have a look now, thanks for that. But realistically can a novice use it without making a pigs ear of it

 

[CraigieDD]

Drop me a note or a PM if you want a hand.. We do loads of these e-commerce websites.

 

[whbeng1]

Thanks for that, i have already set up an account with joomla, just trying to get it up and running.
Joomla is a CMS. so what other componants do I require. Am I right in thinking I need the following to go with it

Hosting
Website URL
Joomla
Virtuesmart
Sagepay or Worldpay or similar

Anything else I have missed

 

[Vision2]

Will have a look now, thanks for that. But realistically can a novice use it without making a pigs ear of it

Magento is easy to use, it's like everything in life - if you don't do, you don't get.

Magento is 'hard' as it were to deploy properly, because it requires knowledge / skill to do. So you need to hire someone to build a decent site.

It is however, one of the best systems out there for ecommerce hands down. Will also do all your configurable / multi option etc stuff.

Magento is all i deal in these days, so yeah i would recommend it

Thing that people have issues with magento, is that not any tom dick and harry can do it properly, to set it up for the client, this is why people struggle. Althrough this seems to be changing, lot of idiots out there setting up magento sites without any idea of what they are doing, causes me major headaches in fixing all the crap they do.

Essentially, it boils down to whether or not you want a powerful long term system and not a hobby site basically.

Lot of big brands nowadays are using it as well.

 

[WebsiteDesigner]

zencart could be easy for you. You might find Megento difficult.

 

[Vision2]

zencart could be easy for you. You might find Megento difficult.

again, false information.

All the stuff these others systems can do is easy in magento , there is nothing 'difficult' in that respect.

Also, 'difficult' is the wrong word to use. You need to learn the system, whether its magento or any others.

If the system is so 'easy' to use that it has no need for anyone to acturally learn it, then what's the point in using it? the abilities that the system would have will be so restrictive in so many ways, growth being one of them.

Either use a cheapo system or a proper system like magento.

Wish people would stop misinforming people.

 

[WebsiteDesigner]

Hello whbeng1,

Do you have any website development/programming experience?

 

[akirk]

again, false information.

All the stuff these others systems can do is easy in magento , there is nothing 'difficult' in that respect.

Also, 'difficult' is the wrong word to use. You need to learn the system, whether its magento or any others.

If the system is so 'easy' to use that it has no need for anyone to acturally learn it, then what's the point in using it? the abilities that the system would have will be so restrictive in so many ways, growth being one of them.

Either use a cheapo system or a proper system like magento.

Wish people would stop misinforming people.

mmm - no

you are confusing simple to use due to few functions and simple to use because it has been designed well...

One issue with OS software is often that it has been developed by a wide range of people leading to perhaps a less cohesive usability direction - Joomla is a good example of this - powerful, free, but painfully difficult to use unless you are experienced in it - not intuitive.

systems can be powerful and intuitive - that is the sign of good coding / functionality / design / etc.

Alasdair