client managed ecommerce site

[mickyjune26]

Hello all,
A client of mine wants to sell dolls online and I'm setting her up. What are some good ecommerce site management tools that I provide her with so she can make the updates after the site is created?

-Thanks in advance

 

[DaRNCaT]

Are you programming the site yourself or using a pre configured script? And what language are you using?
The first thing to consider is what your client is going to need to change. If you are building the site with a database, then you need to allow the client to add and delete stock items. Which means you need to have the site set up to collect and disply new information as it is added.
This also needs to be a protected area of the site- access via a browser window and secured by a user password and name.

I suggest you go visit Zend and have a look at their pre built PHP scripts. They have a number of content management scripts, which you could get an idea of whats needed from. Sometimes, when my code just won't behave, I take it outside and make it listen to britney spears music, and when it comes back it's really well behaved. I wonder if it's suffering from post tramatic stress syndrome now..

 

[redstormaudio]

check out

http://www.oscommerce.com

"They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety."
- Benjamin Franklin, Historical Review of Pennsylvania, 1759.

 

[JillC]

Hi mickyjune26,

I presume your client has only basic computer skills - uses Word, MYOB and not much else? I think it is better to assume that the learning curve will be too great for hand-coded type of site.

My personal preference in this situation is to use ShopFactory. They buy the program, you set it all up and teach them how to use for a fee. You just have to be careful when you hand over the site, that if your client is using a different computer, that you copy all the graphics and any extra html pages into the exact same locations on the new computer so that the compiler can find them all again. The program uses a free SSL server so there are not extra costs involved for secure hosting. A similar program is EziMerchant but you've got hosting costs on top.