Ecommerce Site

[Kross]

I've noticed this has been touched on some in search, but I do have a few questions here on creating an E-commerce site for a client.

First off, this is far from my first rodeo and I am competent designer and coder. Generally I have not done ecommerce sites besides the standard paypal services. However, a new job has come up and I will be utilizing shopping carts (considering Zen Cart or OSCommerce), SSL Certificates, inventory managers, how the user can update products their self, merchant services, etc. etc.

I'm working on preparing a quote and while I am fairly confident on being able to successfully execute this project, I'm not quite sure on the length much of this takes, including the process of adapting a shopping cart and such to a design, as well as the process those are being updated.

Any ideas would be nice...mostly any kind of concept on hourage required for much of this.

[Erik]

Excellent conversation to have! I find the old saying about "the devil is in the details" to always ring true.

Shipping is my favourite example. On the surface it seems like no big deal. Then you find out the client wants to charge a certain rate if the item is being shipped within a 10 mile radius and then increase that charge for every additional 5 miles. On top of that they want a complex pricing matrix involving weight and the size of the containers. You end up spending five days making it all work when the client just assumed it was simple and would be part of the original quote.

This is just one real life example from my own experience dealing in the POS and ecommerce world.

Taxes, price levels and discounts and shopper groups are just a few more that can involve way more than what appears on the surface.

My advice when determining time lines is to ensure you have gone through extensive case studies with the client to ensure you have nailed as many of these little details as possible. Make sure they walk you through various scenarios of what the client can order, how it can be shipped, what price they will be charged, how they will be billed, how they will be taxed and how inventory level will be maintained.

Often the user will assume all this is covered and you find out too late.

There is my two cents on determining time lines in the ecommerce world.

Good luck!

-Erik

[pacer]

Hi...I really hope I don't overstep my bounds here (very new!) but you might take a look at the scripts at Optioncart. com ( wont' post a direct link until I have graduated to "not newbie" status ) Full disclosure: I do work for the company, doing PT support. OptionCarts scripts do have all the features that you mentioned, plus the added benefit of a really great support team - but I might be a little biased.

Cheers!

[Waaaaaao]

You can make money using more shopping cart hosts to build inexpensive ecommerce sites that are cost effective and LOW -COST. Many beautiful templates. Try volusion, fastcommerce, Mal's-e and Fatfreecart...