Hi, I do a lot of help guides at work (tech stuff) and maybe I can help out everyone here or at least other new Zenners to give them a brief overview of the process that they are about to do.

As I’ve started working with Zen Cart I’ve made some gaffs and some real progress too.

I’ll try to put some of this down into some posts to help everyone else out. If anyone wants to add in or correct – feel free.

Let’s get started – advice for noobies like me:

1. Zen Cart is probably one of the easiest software programs you can use IF you’re patient. What I mean is, that it’s easy to use but that it may take some time to fully understand what you’re doing. Because you ARE NEW, don’t expect to know absolutely everything about it thirty seconds after you’ve installed it. Everything in the program works one way or another for a reason – once you know the program a little more it’s easier to understand why some things are done the way they are. Just be patient and keep plugging away at it. If you get frustrated - go have a coffee and come back to it - brains will come up with answers away from the issue sometimes - or maybe to much coffee is the issue

2. My best advice, if you don’t have any web experience, is to buy the book offered on the site – it’s a fantastic reference guide - both new and after you’ve had the cart in operation for a while. I do have web design skills (as I went to school for it) but never did the e-commerce thing until now. The way I’m doing it is - I’m following the book and THEN if I run into issues, I turn to the forums for advice – I get really good advice on here.

3. Installing Zen Cart Part 1 – the machines.

MAC – it will work but from what I’ve seen this is for development only – I might be wrong on the development only part - I have both PC and Mac going.

PC (local – you computer) – covered very well in the book mentioned above – do this first – that way you can play around as much as you like and if you screw up no big deal – erase the store and start again.

PC Server (or on your own or on your host’s Server) – this is where you make your money , so it’s not a toy don’t play around here – any changes you make to it are also an instant reputation of you to the outside world.

4. Installing Zen Cart Part 2 –

Regardless of the machine type – above it’s in 2 parts – A] database and B] store.

You will have to do one of the following two methods as far as I’ve seen:

On your local or host server you will set up the database yourself and then install the store yourself – easy instructions are in the book/forum.

Or

On your host’s server via the CPanel. – For example, my host is Cpanel – I go into it and click on Fantastico, click e-commerce and then Zen Cart. Fantastico then prompts you for a folder name (be careful here if you choose an existing folder with stuff in it – whatever’s there will be replaced) you name it click install and both the database and store are done for you at the same time.

5. After the install – your first priority is security! In fact, above all else - running an e-com store is security!

Refer to book and forums for all the latest news.

Do it in these steps (refer to other places in this forum for info):

a. Delete the ZC_intall folder if you set up your store manually.

b. Change admin folder name to whatever you like. – don’t worry – there’s tutorials here to show you which to pages to change.

c. Make sure the path in the coding reflects these changes – don’t worry – there’s tutorials here to show you which to pages to change.

d. Lock down the configure files to read only access – don’t worry – there’s tutorials here to show you which to pages to change.
In the odd case, you may have to have your web host do this for you – you will know it’s bee done by them when the read line at the top of your store disappears.

e. Make sure you get all of the latest security patches (which can also be found here) and install them immediately.

f. Make sure you get all of the latest security patches (which can also be found here) and install them immediately.

g. Make sure you get all of the latest security patches (which can also be found here) and install them immediately.

Ok you get the idea – go through ALL of the security posts and make sure you’ve got it all down right. – Double and triple check it.

7. Sign up for the security alerts newsletter – so if any major news comes done the pipe – you hear about it instantly.

8. Once you are sure that you have all of Zen Cart – up and running – at this point make a complete and total back up of your store and database – this will be your BASE configuration – a starting point – a single point in time where you know absolutely everything is set up and working right. Sadly, if your store ever did get a bad hack it also gives you the base to start out from zero again with out having to re-do all of the above. Make sure you save it and encrypt it somewhere.

9. Now set up your store however you like. – perhaps when done, make another base setup so you will have they layout saved too. Note: if you come to the time when you need to upgrade to a different version – make sure you read the articles here before doing the upgrade so you don’t loose info/templates you may have made.

9. Maintain it – consistently make up back ups, save and encrypt them.

10. For added security – also get into the habit of doing a file comparison from time to time – it will enable you to see if any files that you don’t usually look at are changing without you doing it.

Additional sources for you

First Steps to Setting Up Your Online Shop – by Dr. Byte

http://www.zen-cart.com/forum/showthread.php?t=36131

Things every New Zenner needs to know – by Sermonzone

http://www.zen-cart.com/forum/showthread.php?t=37835

I hope this helps all of you out and Happy Zenning!