Adding an online store to a website...

[Grace from God]

I'm going to be working on a couple small websites for a couple people, and they request that I add an online store to their website. Being the noob developer that I am, I have never done that before. Can anyone give me some direction on this?

[GrimFusion]

Grace from God

I'm going to be working on a couple small websites for a couple people, and they request that I add an online store to their website. Being the noob developer that I am, I have never done that before. Can anyone give me some direction on this?

Are you using a CMS, a website design app, or hand-scripting?

[Project Light]

Grace from God

I'm going to be working on a couple small websites for a couple people, and they request that I add an online store to their website. Being the noob developer that I am, I have never done that before. Can anyone give me some direction on this?

If you don't know how, I recommend you don't. The issues you will run into by setting it up wrong and potentially storing data insecurely of either your client or your client's clients are far worse than any gain you may get from doing so. You really shouldn't gamble with people's finances until you are utterly sure you can do so safely, and you aren't utterly sure until you know how to do so yourself. Politely tell them that doing so is out of your jurisdiction. When I started web programming, I absolutely refused to do any form of monetary transaction systems. It really didn't hurt me at all to remove it from my repertoire, and it very likely saved me much legal trouble.

[GrimFusion]

Project Light

Grace from God

I'm going to be working on a couple small websites for a couple people, and they request that I add an online store to their website. Being the noob developer that I am, I have never done that before. Can anyone give me some direction on this?

If you don't know how, I recommend you don't. The issues you will run into by setting it up wrong and potentially storing data insecurely of either your client or your client's clients are far worse than any gain you may get from doing so. You really shouldn't gamble with people's finances until you are utterly sure you can do so safely, and you aren't utterly sure until you know how to do so yourself. Politely tell them that doing so is out of your jurisdiction. When I started web programming, I absolutely refused to do any form of monetary transaction systems. It really didn't hurt me at all to remove it from my repertoire, and it very likely saved me much legal trouble.

Just because you don't understand how to set up an online store doesn't mean you should be trying to dissuade other people. It's not a complicated process. Usually transactions are handled through third parties like PayPal, so security isn't really an issue.

[Grace from God]

GrimFusion

Grace from God

I'm going to be working on a couple small websites for a couple people, and they request that I add an online store to their website. Being the noob developer that I am, I have never done that before. Can anyone give me some direction on this?

Are you using a CMS, a website design app, or hand-scripting?

No, they are just using basic HTML and CSS.

[Grace from God]

Project Light

Grace from God

I'm going to be working on a couple small websites for a couple people, and they request that I add an online store to their website. Being the noob developer that I am, I have never done that before. Can anyone give me some direction on this?

If you don't know how, I recommend you don't. The issues you will run into by setting it up wrong and potentially storing data insecurely of either your client or your client's clients are far worse than any gain you may get from doing so. You really shouldn't gamble with people's finances until you are utterly sure you can do so safely, and you aren't utterly sure until you know how to do so yourself. Politely tell them that doing so is out of your jurisdiction. When I started web programming, I absolutely refused to do any form of monetary transaction systems. It really didn't hurt me at all to remove it from my repertoire, and it very likely saved me much legal trouble.

These clients are not in a rush and I would like to learn anyway. Of course I'll let them know that I am not experienced in it.

[Project Light]

GrimFusion

Project Light

Grace from God

I'm going to be working on a couple small websites for a couple people, and they request that I add an online store to their website. Being the noob developer that I am, I have never done that before. Can anyone give me some direction on this?

If you don't know how, I recommend you don't. The issues you will run into by setting it up wrong and potentially storing data insecurely of either your client or your client's clients are far worse than any gain you may get from doing so. You really shouldn't gamble with people's finances until you are utterly sure you can do so safely, and you aren't utterly sure until you know how to do so yourself. Politely tell them that doing so is out of your jurisdiction. When I started web programming, I absolutely refused to do any form of monetary transaction systems. It really didn't hurt me at all to remove it from my repertoire, and it very likely saved me much legal trouble.

Just because you don't understand how to set up an online store doesn't mean you should be trying to dissuade other people. It's not a complicated process. Usually transactions are handled through third parties like PayPal, so security isn't really an issue.

I most certainly know how. I stated that when I did not know, I did not attempt. It's not about dissuading people not to learn how, it's about having them not attempt it without first learning it. You are dealing with your client's money, and your client's clients' money. It is not something with which to experiment. If you want to learn how to set up a shop, do so. But as great as it is to have hands-on learning, you do not do so when it comes to the finances of your clients. A monetary-transaction system is something you do not establish for other people until after you are sure of your ability to do so. If you have to post on Gaia to ask someone how to do it, you are not experienced enough to be experimenting with your client's finances.

[Project Light]

Grace from God

Project Light

Grace from God

I'm going to be working on a couple small websites for a couple people, and they request that I add an online store to their website. Being the noob developer that I am, I have never done that before. Can anyone give me some direction on this?

If you don't know how, I recommend you don't. The issues you will run into by setting it up wrong and potentially storing data insecurely of either your client or your client's clients are far worse than any gain you may get from doing so. You really shouldn't gamble with people's finances until you are utterly sure you can do so safely, and you aren't utterly sure until you know how to do so yourself. Politely tell them that doing so is out of your jurisdiction. When I started web programming, I absolutely refused to do any form of monetary transaction systems. It really didn't hurt me at all to remove it from my repertoire, and it very likely saved me much legal trouble.

These clients are not in a rush and I would like to learn anyway. Of course I'll let them know that I am not experienced in it.

Learn outside of your clients. Toy with it for your own business for months before implementing it for them.

I would recommend the PayPal API. They provide examples for server-side/backend transactions that should be useful. The examples aren't extensive, but I managed to pull up a pretty simple function in PHP that would recognize and execute programs in response to purchases. I don't know what else you would need for a store system, and it's much safer and quicker than performing things like credit card transactions yourself.

[GrimFusion]

Grace from God

These clients are not in a rush and I would like to learn anyway. Of course I'll let them know that I am not experienced in it.

There's no need unless you plan on scripting an online store system in PHP from scratch. There are plenty of free scripts that interact with PayPal so the transaction and your customer's money becomes PayPal's responsibility; not yours. They're easy to install and configure, CSS compliant, and secure.

[psychic stalker]

I'm going to be a rebel and recommend Google Checkout or Amazon Payments instead of Paypal's API simply because Paypal are mean and they locked my account once so I couldn't buy anything. sad

[Grace from God]

psychic stalker

I'm going to be a rebel and recommend Google Checkout or Amazon Payments instead of Paypal's API simply because Paypal are mean and they locked my account once so I couldn't buy anything. sad

Oh dear... o.o; That's annoying.

[psychic stalker]

Grace from God

psychic stalker

I'm going to be a rebel and recommend Google Checkout or Amazon Payments instead of Paypal's API simply because Paypal are mean and they locked my account once so I couldn't buy anything. sad

Oh dear... o.o; That's annoying.

Quite. I had to get a new phone and plan just to get it re-enabled. sad

[Project Light]

psychic stalker

I'm going to be a rebel and recommend Google Checkout or Amazon Payments instead of Paypal's API simply because Paypal are mean and they locked my account once so I couldn't buy anything. sad

Yes, PayPal are absolutely horrible, but more customers use it, so what are you gonna do. sad

[psychic stalker]

Project Light

psychic stalker

I'm going to be a rebel and recommend Google Checkout or Amazon Payments instead of Paypal's API simply because Paypal are mean and they locked my account once so I couldn't buy anything. sad

Yes, PayPal are absolutely horrible, but more customers use it, so what are you gonna do. sad

Give us poor disadvantaged shoppers a choice? sad

[Aven Donn]

psychic stalker

Project Light

psychic stalker

I'm going to be a rebel and recommend Google Checkout or Amazon Payments instead of Paypal's API simply because Paypal are mean and they locked my account once so I couldn't buy anything. sad

Yes, PayPal are absolutely horrible, but more customers use it, so what are you gonna do. sad

Give us poor disadvantaged shoppers a choice? sad

Are these PayPal horror stories really as common as you make them out to be? Because I've had zero issues with PayPal. Then again I only use it to buy stuff on Steam and things like the Humble Indie Bundle once and a while.