Ask HN: Where to look for info on E-Commerce websites?

[kp212]

I hope this is alright to ask here...

I've been working on my own website recently, but I am having a tough time finding information on how to set up and design an E-Commerce website. I'm just looking for information on how to design my database, hosting options, and how to integrate with PayPal or other CC payment options. Anyone know of any popular tutorials/forums, or if there is a recommended book? Anyone build one themselves, and have any advice? Thanks.

[lanej0]

It's hard to gauge your level of expertise from your post, but if you're a fairly non-technical person (don't mean to offend), you may be better off looking at some sort of pre-built option. Amazon offers "stores" where people can go set up their own shop. eBay's another option (although they're kind of ghetto these days).

If you're determined to go it on your own, take a look at some of the really great open-source e-commerce packages out there (Google it). After a few clicks, you're usually in to adding products.

Especially with E-commerce, it's better to test the waters with something before you invest a ton of time in it. Don't build something from scratch at this stage.

[bigtoga → lanej0]

I'm with lanej0 on this. OP - how technical are you? I've written several ecommerce sites from scratch but I wouldn't know where to begin with you in terms of help w/o knowing more about you.

[kp212]

Thanks for the tip. I started Googling for open source e-commerce packages. I actually have some background in coding, I wrote a couple of smaller projects over the past 2 years, so I am comfortable with php/html, and I think my illustrator/shop skills are coming together now as well. I actually built a version 1 with the yahoo store editor. It's ok, not totally satisfied with the design, but it works, and is clean as I could make it. As I am starting work on version 2.0, I find this editor to be a little frustrating not letting me customize some of the modules, and I want to make some of this database driven instead of a page for each product. I don't like the idea of their custom tables. Does this help with gauging where I am technically?