Newer than new-zenner

I am looking for a freecart to upgrade my site:
http://stitchnframe.home.att.net
Currently I have a cart on the att domain and they do not support any other cart than their own( I think).

I am currently using Front page and our customers love our site as it is and we dont want to change the format just add a better cart with the ability to have more pricepoints and collect the cvv code.

I have been reading and I am terrified about coding without the support of frontpage and the ease of wizziwig. I also dont know anything about php. Just a little about html.

Is there a way of downloading with what I have- the zencart and 'play' with it to see if I can even handle it without investing in a domain name and different space? TIA.

Also it has been said that Front page is not rec - why? TIA

I did help out one of my client to convert a frontpage site into zen cart. There will be a great deal of concerns which will pop up for you.

The first thing that you will need to know about in related to the template editing is the CSS editing. You can start by downloading the zencart installtion files from this site for the tryout. You will have to understand we will need database support for the data storage as well.

If you have any more questions, please feel free to ask.

On of our biggest concerns is that the lay out - I have been looking at other zensites in the showcase and they all look the same - where our site is different.

and encoding is very difficult.

Can I be frank with you... :mellow:

Your current site is clunky and archaic and not a very friendly place to be. The search feature (or what resembles a search feature) is both annoying and very confusing.

Finding my way around took ages (more than 30 seconds per category/link - which in internet time is far too long).

Also, you probably spend a lifetime updating your site. Each HTML page needs to be built, edited and loaded, separately from every other page.

Whether you decide to go with zencart or other dynamic content site, you will need to "learn the ropes", because all dynamic content site software operates on the same principle...

... Pages are "built on the fly"... where programming code calls up a whole lot of page elements (depending on what the visitor wants to see) and then the code "cobbles together" all these elements and presents it in HTML form to the visitor's browser.

The beauty of dynamic content is that you need only have single copies of everything (There is ONE template for displaying product data, not hundreds like it is with HTML). Managing your site this takes a fraction of the time, leaving you to focus on what counts... getting more sales! :smile:

I built the following zencart site (for a friend), in just under 3 hours... and as she's in a similar industry, perhaps you'd care to take a look... www. embroiderella . co . uk (no spaces in the url of course.)

Ditch MS FrontPage. It too is archaic and useless in the modern world of dynamic content sites.

If you want a full demo zencart site to play around with (particularly the Admin Area) send me a PM and I can set one up for you.

PS... if you view your site in Firefox Browser, many things (including your main logo and address) don't display!:shocking:

stitchnkitty:

I have been reading and I am terrified about coding without the support of frontpage and the ease of wizziwig. I also dont know anything about php. Just a little about html.

Is there a way of downloading with what I have- the zencart and 'play' with it to see if I can even handle it without investing in a domain name and different space? TIA.

Also it has been said that Front page is not rec - why? TIA

That's the wrong attitude, I think. Remember that everyone on this forum, including the Zencart developers, knew nothing about all this stuff at one time. A better way of thinking would be "I'm excited about learning some new web design skills I can use without being dependent on some obsolete 20-year-old software."

You can install a test installation of Zencart if ATT allows you to use subdomains. You would then install Zencart in something like http://stitchnframe.home.att.net/zentest. I'd guess they won't, so you'll need to buy hosting from another company for a few bucks a month for your test site, or install it on your local computer.

BTW, I've been using Zencart for years and know nothing about programming PHP. For the most part, the PHP stuff is already done. HTML and CSS are your part.

Yeah... Steve's right. I'm not a php programmer either, and when I started with ZC in 2004, I was also addicted to FrontPage. (I still use it to compile some of the HTML for my zencart info pages!).

But yes... my offer still stands. I'll set up a demo on one of my servers for you (no charge) so that you can play around with it.

The first thing that you will need to know about in related to the template editing is the CSS editing. You can start by downloading the zencart installtion files from this site for the tryout. You will have to understand we will need database support for the data storage as well.

css editing?

database support?

keep in mind that even tho I have built and mantanded my own site alot of the terms are greek Thank you so much

schoolboy - o heavens that would be great - any help I can get wil be cherished -

Addicted to Front page - you got that one right - ATT had to pry me into frilezilla because frankly my time is so limited - But it was great and I am a filezilla fan now.

OK... I'll send you a PM with details in a while ... (just busy preparing dinner for the kids... :mellow: )

What you may consider doing (at some point) is buying a copy of the BOOK (see banner at the top of this page). For new zenners it is indispensable.

In the meantime, GO HERE

dont worry my days get pack too - alot of times I just have in the morning before we open to read and mess - we can not get DSL or broadband where we are and DU is it and my customers cant get thru. TIA

Welcome to the Zen Car community!

Just wanted to add that you can install Zen Cart on your own computer locally to test it out and play around with the layout/look etc.

This tutorial for installing WAMP ( a local server) was helpful to me...

http://www.zen-cart.com/index.php?main_page=product_contrib_info&products_id=586&zenid=11164a32fa9497e440a7f26e0568be6b

and I also find the Firebug addon for Firefox very handy for tracking down CSS stuff when working on the look of the site...

https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/1843

HTH!

Rebekah

Oops! I just noticed I said, "Zen Car". Silly me!

... As promised...

Your demoshop is now live.

I have to agree with schoolboy. Your site does look outdated, and is difficult to navigate. The demo site he's put up for you is a great improvement. I think you'll see that your customers will love the new site even better, and will appreciate your upgrading it.

As many others have stated, Zen Cart is new to everyone when they first start. And it's natural to want to stick to the things you know better like Frontpage. But to move forward and improve your site, you should embrace new technology and leave outdated software behind.

I also recommend purchasing a professional domain name like https://www.stitchnframe.net or something like that. You can register a domain name and get hosting for only $8 a month, well worth it.

And go with that demo site, you'll be glad you did.