# Design site, select shopping cart, select how payments are accepted??



## d3structo (Aug 19, 2008)

Im having a little trouble understanding how the process of setting up a website goes so I wanted to get some feedback from you guys. 

First I need to have a website designed correct? Then I'll need to select the shopping cart that I'll use.

Now the part that Im having trouble understanding is accepting payments. Are shopping carts set up with the ability to accept payments or will I need to pick between paypal or setting up a merchant account?

Do I have this right?


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## pgconversion (Apr 24, 2009)

On the establishment of an E-commerce Web site, 

1. You need to fix your product information at first: what is your selling point and who is your target population 
2. To find more than a few site-building company,exchange with them, and display your product information as much as possible so that they can understand what you are thinking about. 
3. You will hear his views, and choose you think the better company from them. One thing you need to consider is their design capability, program development capabilities, as well as the capacity of net marketing 
4. After the contract is signed,you may ask them to give you a design (including how the client looks at your product information in details,how to place the order,how to track and view information after they place orders, how to manage your product information, and how to check and handle an order), which needs to be consistent with your product features and the preferences of your target population.The design draft contains what your customer will see, how you will update your product information and how to deal with your order. 
5. Through the design draft,there is no problem with you after you exchange ideas with each other.Then they can start the production and development, and they will be in accordance with the requirements to do the program reseach on product management and shopping cart.You need not concern about how they will acheive your requirment but whehter your idea will be acheived or not.
6. We use paypal and 2CO as our payment, and the two companies is different in chargeing fees.You can go to find out their difference and know more informations. You need to apply for opening an account and ask the company to help you do website link program
7. After web site is established, there is a long-term task, that is, the promotion of the site.You need to know more about some ways of marketing and promote in target groups.It may be good to understand some of the seo. When a newly site is developed,it requires companies to do more website seo optimization, which will help you to promote in the future


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## d3structo (Aug 19, 2008)

Thanks. My questions was basically if the site design, the shopping cart and the way to accept payments are three different things?


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## BWD (Mar 8, 2009)

They aren t really different things as they should all integrate into what you want your website and company to portray. Most popular carts can be made to look like a well designed site with the full functionality of a stand alone shopping cart. Depending on how you want to receive payments, you can have either paypal or the merchant account. Most businesses starting out seem to be using some form of a paypal type concept. Merchant accounts can be a bit pricey when first starting out.


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## d3structo (Aug 19, 2008)

Can you take a look at stussy . com and tell me the sett up they use? 

I really like the way its set up. It looks like they have a website set up and then a link that directs you to their "webstore"/shopping cart. 

If I wanted a set up like that I would need a web designer to set up the site and then link it that directs a potential customer to the shopping cart, correct?


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## bieb (Feb 20, 2009)

Looks like Stussydirect uses Paypalexpress and Google Checkout. 

The 3 things you are looking for are separate, BUT integrated. For me the idea would be... 
1. Setup merchant account with PayPal, you can accept credit card payments even from people without PP accounts
2. this is the part that takes planning. 
a. If you have a webdesigner talk to them about shopping cart packages and how to integrate them into a site. If your designer is a .net or .asp programmer, you don't want to select a cart that is all .php, especially if php is not his strong suit. No need to pay him to learn a programming language on your web design time/dime. 
b. If you do NOT have a designer, look around at the shopping cart packages and see if there is one that does pretty much what you want right out of the box. Then you can look for a programmer that has the skills for the package you select. 
c. Check with your web hosting company, see if they have packages they offer. I use Dreamhost (dot) com and I can have Zencart installed in about 15 minutes. 

What is your level of webdesign/programming? Sometimes you can grab a website template, throw some HTML coding in it to put a picture with a PayPal add to cart button and get off the ground that way.

Hope this helps.. I know there is alot more to this than just the few lines I have typed. But hope this spawns some more specific questions or gives you some ideas.

Best of Luck!!
Harold


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## etomp10291 (Apr 12, 2009)

d3structo said:


> Thanks. My questions was basically if the site design, the shopping cart and the way to accept payments are three different things?


if you look around there are plenty of all in one storefront website packages that come integrated with paypal processing and that can be easily added to other merchants.

they setup easily with little web design knowledge. 

Paypal Shop Maker is a very easy way to get started...you can google to find it.

good luck!


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