Eenie, meenie, minnie... which do I choose?

[scruffy2]

I previously posted to introduction forum. Sorry!! I'm new, but have been reading these forums for a while.

I really need some help in making a decision. I plan on opening an online store, have done all my "homework" and know what I want my store to be like. However, I don't have the skills for programming or coding.

I talked with a web designer who suggested that for now, I open a "cookie cutter" store for now. Then, buy Dreamweaver and Photoshop later on and learn these programs to build a shop the way I want.

I need help in deciding on whether to use an ecommerce solution package, or just use a shopping cart. I have absolutely no skills (but am willing to learn), and very little money. I have a host and domain right now.

Ecommerce solution or shopping cart? Do you have any suggestions? Please, please, please help. Thank you in advance.

[Webnauts]

I recommend CubCart.

Duplicated post deleted. No problem. That can always happen. :)

[scruffy2]

Hi Webnauts -
Thank you for the reply. Thanks for deleting the other post. So you would recommend CubeCart versus an ecommerce solution? I've looked at CubeCart and the other opensource carts. Do you think it would be easy enough for even an illiterate "programmer" like me to eventually tweak a few things? I hope so. I've been at this problem for 2 months and my brain hurts - information overload. Thanks.

[Webnauts]

I can only advise you: Go for it. :)

[scruffy2]

Again, I thank you. Going to go for it! Nothing like a wild ride on the tail end of a rollercoaster.

Thanks again -
scruff

[orange655321]

I am a fan and very experienced with CRE Loaded. I thought i would add those 2 cents....but....what are your goals for the site?

Content, products, large volume, downloads or services, etc. Who are your customers? Are there any features that you need (u can skip the ones common on all platforms just wanting to see if there is something very specific that you need).

Also, besides CRE above if you want a good open source cart AND content management system then I recomend Virtuemart which is a packaged joomla/mambo with oscommerce cart plug-in.

[Webnauts]

Is oscommerce cart plug-in accessible?

[chelseaandco]

I've used CityMax.com for all 3 of my websites. I haven't had any problems and it's easy to use. However, one of my sites has really taken off with sales and "outgrown" CityMax.

Overall, it's good if you have a small to medium website.

Michele

[scruffy2]

Just checked in to this topic I posted. I decided to go with Cubecart after much research on the various topics of shopping carts, ecommerce and so on.
I chose CubeCart because: 1) The community and support. 2) ease of use 3)opensource 4) all the mods, tweaks and so on.
Being completely "new" (except for the time in college when I wrote a program in Fortran which produced an infinite loop that crashed the lab's computers. The computers were down for 2 days, I was banned from the lab, got a D and exited the engineering field).
My store was to be opened 4 months ago. Ha! I realized I can't get from point A-B sans directions. I'll take it slow, learn all that I can and refine, refine, refine. But, I'll get there.
Thanks,

[Webnauts]

You can be sure that you took the right decision scuffy2.