

Ask HN: Set up own eCommerce Site vs Hosted one - Down_n_Out

I'm more of an infrastructure kind of guy that dabbles in websites, some basic programming and such for learning and (fun).
I was asked this question by someone looking to set up a small Internet store (eCommerce) selling some things for decorating the house.<p>Now, there are plenty of choices, Magento being the most known to me, but the question is first:<p>- Do I choose to set up a server and install everything or do I choose to go the hosted (pre-installed/configured route) benefits etc??<p>Second:<p>- There is Magento, but what would be a better solution if any?<p>Thanks for any helpful answers/remarks!!
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davismwfl
My 2 cents, start hosted and get sales moving and work within the confines of
a hosted solution. If/when sales are moving at a good clip and they can
justify the expense then you can talk about using either a e-commerce
framework or a custom solution.

As for frameworks/systems: there are lots of options other than Magento, it
depends on the stack you want to sit on and they all have pros/cons.

I almost always recommend small clients (or new ecomm shops) start off with a
hosted solution, then graduate to a framework solution and only when all else
fails going to a fully custom ecommerce solution. The costs of developing,
managing and scaling a custom solution is just a high barrier to entry so that
is why it is the last idea to me. There are always exceptions but I have seen
this recipe work well for people.

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Down_n_Out
I see there's a 30 day Trial at Magento, will look around for similar and
present this to the guy ... Thanks guys.

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lukevdp
Both are fine and if you're unsure, go for hosted because it will be easier

