Okay, the following is exactly what you'll need to get your store up and running. While I am more than happy to offer you expert-level consultancy and guidance on the first four points, number five is what I will really be bringing to the project...
- JShop Server ecommerce system licence
This software is your shop. You would buy this as you would buy any other piece of software, then get me to customise it until it becomes your own unique store.
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- Domain name and hosting
Of course, you'll need a domain name (a unique website address) to suit your company, and some web space to actually host your store on.
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- SSL security certificate
To make the collection of customer data secure, you will need an SSL digital security certificate (basically, this is the thing that will make the padlock icon appear in your browser!).
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- Payment Gateway
In order to take online credit and debit card payment with maximum security and minimum fuss, you will need to get a third-party payment gateway set up.
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- Design and Development
You will now need a highly creative, technically adept and very experienced
website designer in order to turn your out-of-the-box store into a unique and amazing online shopping experience, tailored to your own desired company image.
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1. JShop Server ecommerce system licence
As you're well aware, ecommerce websites are vastly more complex than regular, brochure-style websites; there are many complex calculations going on in order to let people actually select items from your stock and buy them over the internet. You can pay a programmer to develop your own unique software (warning: could get rather costly!), or you can buy an out-of-the-box solution.
Essentially the engine underneath your storefront, JShop Server powers the whole thing. You will need to buy a copy of this then, virtually, hand it over to me (or of course any web designer you choose) so I can begin setting up your own individual shop, harnessing the power of JShop to develop your own thoroughly unique store.
At the time of writing, a copy of JShop will cost you £300 (approx. $560 USD). That's it. I will get you to buy this software yourself, answering any questions you may have about it along the way. The reason I do this is to save you money. I do not claim this software to be my own bespoke "content management system", and I will not charge you hundreds of pounds over the asking price just to save you the hassle of going to a website and filling in a form. You buy the software, then I'll build your store. That way, you're paying cost-price, and not lining the pockets of some sneaky middle-man.
2. Domain name and hosting
Again, this is something I will ask you to do yourself, then hand over to me. I will answer absolutely any questions you may have along the way. Domain names are ridiculously cheap, everybody knows that - yet there are a vast amount of companies out there who like to rip off those not in the know.
(A client of mine came to me in a bit of a panic recently, saying he had just received an important phone call from a domain name registration company. They told him they would sell a domain name to one of his competitors unless he bought it off them for £500 ($940 USD) by close of business that day. Five minutes later, I had the exact same domain name registered for him, for the total of £2.69 ($5 USD). Web designers, sadly, are fast developing the same reputation as unscrupulous mechanics or builders who prey on those not knowledgeable in their own fields. This is exactly the sort of underhand behaviour you will never get from me.)
With regards to the hosting of your online store - you'll need a package that meets the following list of technical requirements. Most will do as default, but you'll need to be sure before you go ahead. If in doubt, please get in touch with me and I'll be happy to look into it for you. As a recommendation, may I suggest a company called Flump.net. Silly name, I know. Very serious company, however. I have been using them consistently for many years now - not only do they offer a first-rate service and excellent technical support, but you will also get a discount with them if you happen to have a copy of JShop! http://www.flump.net/
- PHP 4.1.x and above required (PHP should not be running in Safe Mode)
- MySQL 3.23.x or 4.x.x required
- HTML knowledge required to edit the templates, but JShop Server runs a fully-functional store out of the box!
- Web-based installation
- Store is search engine friendly
- Sessions and cookies used (not PHP internal sessions). Unlike JShop Professional only a session reference is stored in a cookie and this is only as a backup to the sessions.
- SSL support. Although not required if you have a secure server it should either operate from the same web root as your normal web space or you should be able to create a symbolic link from the secure space to your normal web space
- cURL support in PHP is required for some payment gateways (currently PayPal and USA ePay)
- Administration system requires Internet Explorer 5 and above or Firefox 0.9 and above
3. SSL Digital Security Certificate
There are many companies out there offering SSL digital security certificates at varying prices - simply Google 'ssl security certificate' and you will see an overwhelming amount. However, when it comes to customer confidence I would simply not make any compromises, and strongly recommend that you use a Thawte SSL-123 certificate. This will cost you around £80 ($150 USD) annually. Take a look at the security page for more information on this.
4. Payment Gateway
View the online payment options page and you will see a host of third-party payment gateways that can be integrated with JShop. Looking at the websites for each of these will let you know the fees involved. Some offer higher monthly subscription fees with small individual payments per item sold, while others will offer little or no monthly subscription fees, but will charge more for each item that is sold. It's swings and roundabouts, and it's entirely up to you which you decide to go for - but remember, if you have any questions at all then I will be happy to offer you any help I can.
5. Design and Development
This is where I come in! My fee really does vary on a job-by-job basis, so you'll need to get in touch for a more accurate quote. I will estimate how long the job will take, then charge that on an hourly basis. My hourly rate is £24 (approx. $45 USD). If I say a job will take ten days, and it ends up taking twelve due to my meticulous nature and fine-tuning, then you will only get charged for ten days. No hidden costs. You know exactly how much you'll be paying, before any work is carried out.
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