Completely lost

Hello everyone, I am really hoping someone can help me. I have read lots of reviews about zen cart, and it seems to be very highly thought of, however my computer skills are limited.
I built my own website, but it is a template one which I have upgraded.
It is automatically setup for Paypal, but I really want to use a different cart and payment system and would ideally love for my cart to be integrated into my site.
I have downloaded the most recent version of zen cart but no idea what to do next.
I can add html to my site as that is what I did with the paypal system.
Is it possible to do this with a template website?
I did read through the FAQ's but just got very confused.
Any help at all would be most appreciated.
Many thanks,
Jen

It's hard to answer such a general question, but the first thing to note is Zencart isn't meant to be a cart add-on for an existing HTML site. It's designed to be your whole site. You can style it to look like your existing store if you like, or take the opportunity to restyle your store.

First thing, I guess, would be to install Zencart on your remote server and take a look at what's available in the store section and in the admin section. The FAQ/Tutorials don't make a lot of sense if you don't have a working Zencart installation to refer to.

May this will help you:

Most people have their sites set up on their host as a

Public_Html Folder

All the folders/files for your site are in this folder

Create you ZenCart - there are two ways you can do it manual/fantastico. I'll let others cover the manual if needed btu this one has always worked for me:

Go to Cpanel > Fantastico > Ecommerce>Zencart>Instal

You will usually be asked what directory @ your website name?

You will enter in the name you want to call your store i.e. mystore

You will enter in an admin name / pass word / email

Click finish - your store will now look like

http: // www. yourwebsitename / mystore < this is how people find your store.
(the above has been spaced out so the forum doesn't think it's an active link)

Check your file structure inside your public_html folder - you should now see something like this:

Public_html

Your Website foders

mystore < This is where your zencart file are so that you can modify them.

The very first thing you do now is:

http://www.zen-cart.com/wiki/index.php/Important_Site_Security_Recommendations

Once you do that you then go back to your website where your using the templates.

Inside those templates, whereever you need it you make a hyperlink to your zencart store - your zencart store will operate independantly from your main site as it's own site.

Hope this helps.

jen549 - If you follow janissaire's instructions, you will also have to copy or move all product information into Zen Cart's category/product structure so it can be purchased.

Seeing your current site live will let us advise on the best way to integrate or replace your HTML pages with Zen Cart.

thanks everyone, I really am a complete novice at this.
So far I have a site built (a template one) the link is www.beautyrevolution.co.uk (no sure if I am allowed to put the link on here - sorry) it is a weeblt site.
At the moment I have the store built using paypal buttons - am not happy using this system as it is quite messy - it is also password protected at the moment as I don't yet have the stock.
But you can see what the website looks like so far.

So would the best way be for me to have a link from my website to the zencart shopping page, which I can customise to look similar to my existing site?
And build it from there?

I'm not really sure how to access the public html folders either or remote servers.

Is there an idiots guide to this sort of thing?

Your existing HTML pages are in the /public_html/ folder, or whatever is the name of your host's equivalent. You obviously have gotten to that; was it done automatically by your sitebuilding program? Ask your host for the server control panel login name and password if you don't already know it. If you can't get that, your current host is not suitable for hosting a real e-commerce site like Zen Cart, and you will have to find someone else. You also must have FTP access to your server account; ask your host for the username, password and port for FTP.

Your Home, Training and Celebrities pages are the only ones with real current content, and they would all easily be transferred into define pages or ez-pages. Your template is nice and simple, and would also be easy to translate into Zen Cart's template system.

Start by turning off side columns in admin > Configuration > Layout Settings, then copy/paste your homepage HTML into admin > Tools > Define Pages Editor > define_main_page.php. Read the tutorials for basic customization issues like logo, tagline, etc.

1. Start with setting one up on you local desktop first so you can become familialr with it.

2. Buy the book - it's an valuable tool and how I first learned to do ZenCart:

http://www.zen-cart.com/index.php?main_page=page&id=16

The book also helps explain to set up the database on your local.

3. Once database set up - download 1.3.9h (or the lastest) via the home page:

http://www.zen-cart.com/index.php

4. Install your cart via the book guidelines or if still confused - follow this post:

http://www.zen-cart.com/forum/showthread.php?t=161795

5. Read the security recommendations - definitely needed for you LIVE shop:

http://www.zen-cart.com/wiki/index.php/Important_Site_Security_Recommendations

6. Make a backup of your store on you local - make a new folder - call it "ZenCart-Base Backup" copy all zencart files into it. You now have the original files stores away so if you screw up making your changes you can reload an original file over he file you screwed up.

7. Customise your site using templates - more info here but you don't need to worry about understanding it right away - just keep it in mind:

http://www.zen-cart.com/forum/showthread.php?t=132818

http://www.zen-cart.com/forum/showthread.php?t=132818


8. For setting up the look of your shop - read this but don't worry about the fire bug thing at least not right away - it helps explian the css - this control colors, fonts, background etc.:

http://www.zen-cart.com/forum/showthread.php?t=135954

7. For header image size issues:

http://www.zen-cart.com/forum/showthread.php?t=130792

8. How to get rid "Congratulations! You have successfully installed Zen Cart E-commerce Solution"

http://www.zen-cart.com/forum/showthread.php?t=176481&highlight=Congratulations%21+successfully+installed

9. How do I change the "Sales Message Goes Here" or "Tagline Here" text?

https://www.zen-cart.com/tutorials/index.php?article=127

10. Now once you get going - and by now you'll feel a little better about doing this on your own - start playing with the catelogue and by this I mean - making products, categories, setting up the prices, deleting items etc.

11. If you only have a small number of items do it manually - category / products etc but before you do - since it appears that you're in the UK - think about your shipping options: FedX, UPS, Royal mail

12. If you have a lot of items use Easy Populate - you can find info and download info here:

http://www.zen-cart.com/wiki/index.php/Easy_Populate

then install it onto your Zencart.

13. I had some duplication issues with Easy - my user error - this post has a really good tip in using it:

http://www.zen-cart.com/forum/showthread.php?t=175392

14. Once you have done all of the above you and are comfortable - you are ready to go live - repeat all of the above to your live server - see my other post in this thread to help you out.

Don't worry it's easier than it sounds :thumbsup:

Thanks for your replys and help.
For the HTML in the public folders the only HTML I know of that I can access is the design HTML. Is this what you mean?

For the turning off side columns in admin< etc is that on the zen-cart?

When you say set one up on the local desktop, do you mean set up a zen-cart to try things out on it? If not what do you mean?

Sorry you are speaking to a total novice, but I do appreciate your patience.
:bigups:

Yep since you're a total novice like I was at one point - set up everything on your desk top PC and have fun!!

Easier to fix total screw ups there first before going live :laugh:

ha ha, well I am definitely a novice.

ok i am reading the installation file, it says i need to download an FTP file and a text editor, do i need to do all this before setting it up on my desktop, or do I only need this if attaching to my website?

You will need an FTP client and a good text editor no matter what, if you intend to have a live website. The FTP is not needed until you want to transfer files from your computer to a host's server or vice versa.