Looking for some goodies for my web sites.

[InvisibleTouch]

I posted this to the computer help group too, but the Lounge always has more activity, and I've gotten some great advice on this kind of thing here ... so ....

I seriously need to find a good low-cost (preferably free) shopping cart program for my web sites. I've slogged around a bit with PayPal's "Buy Now" buttons, but they're just not versatile enough in terms of providing different postage costs for different items, shipping discounts for multiple purchases, etc. I also would need something that's relatively simple, as my coding skills don't go much beyond html and a touch of javascript. Any suggestions?

I also would like to find a decent free forum (that may be an oxymoron, I realise) that lets people register with a username and ID, that lets guests read but not post, lets me set up several subtopic forums, and lets me delete inappropriate posts and posters. Much like what we have here at DU! Again, any suggestions?

Thanks in advance.

[Call Me Wesley]

1. Look through here:

http://www.hotscripts.com

For the free forum you might want to consider: http://phpbb.com

[billyskank]

2. Lots of people use PHPForum

http://phpforum.sourceforge.net/

[Omphaloskepsis]

3. What I would use...

Shopping cart... http://www.zencart.com/ (free)

or http://www.shopify.com/ (they take a small cut, but it is super simple)

Shopify is best if you don't know PHP.


And I usually use http://bbpress.org/ (free) for forums.

[InvisibleTouch]

4. Thanks all!

Those links and suggestions give me a good place to start. Now to find the time.... :)

[Ghost in the Machine]

5. Check with your hosting service also

I use GoDaddy, and they have a shopping cart script available. Some of your CMS programs have shopping cart capabilities too. I've just started using Drupal, and and am teaching myself how to use it as I go, but it has tons of free plugins where you can add inventory, set up an online store and integrate paypal very easily. Some people have had some bad experiences with paypal, but in my 4+ years of using them, I've never had a problem with anything.

Check out Drupal here: http://drupal.org/ ... if you have any coding skills at all, it should be easy for you.. most of it is just a matter of clicking a few buttons to set up...

You could always just add a link to paypal's shipping calculator, or figure in a flat rate shipping fee into the price of your products, then offer them as "Free Shipping In The US" or "Price Includes Shipping & Handling"...

Here's a good program for making paypal buttons on the fly, without having to be logged in to paypal:

http://www.offrampbums.com/paylocker/index.html

You can make buttons for subscriptions, shopping cart items and single item sales. You can use the buttons that come with the program, or you can link to a button or graphic you have made yourself and have hosted on your site.

PEACE!

Ghost

[InvisibleTouch]

7. Yeah, I've been doing the PayPal buttons with shipping included...

...but it's really awkward if someone wants to buy more than one of the same item, and it then shows up as double shipping! Then I would have to go in and adjust it and send them a new invoice and blah blah blah and ... by then the customer has decided "forget it," and sought the product elsewhere. Linking to the shipping calculator has its problems too, because a lot of my stuff is drop-shipped at a flat rate with UPS.

I think my host (1&1) may have a shopping cart script, but the last time I looked at it, I didn't even know where to begin. So I will definitely look into the programs that you and others have been suggesting.

Thanks!

[gmoney]

6. I've read some good things about Mal's

http://www.mals-e.com/

I think it's free for the base version, which is pretty complete I hear. He makes money by selling upgrades, I guess. Worth a look...