ProductCart Custom Scripts Add-On Website

What you're describing is exactly what I was looking for this forum to provide when I jumped on the Product Cart bandwagon about 3 months ago. I was mostly interested in simple, easy to understand processes and code snippets for modifying the PC files to perform simple changes (like changing the position of a "back" and "submit" button so that "back" was located on the left, or change the "close" button to be an image that matched the rest of the storefront). That's why most of my posts were in an effort to help others who may not be programmers nor even familiar with website creation but are able to use a program like Dreamweaver and poke around and insert code to make pages look and function the way they want them to. I have spoken to numerous people about how today, unlike 10 years ago, its possible to buy a template that has the style that you're looking for, augment and change the templage files in Photoshop, use Product Cart for the front and back end integration of e-commerce, and someone with a minor understanding of those programs could get 99% of the way to a fully functioning e-commerce site within a week or two. That last 1% is the killer. Using this technique (with the exception that I chose to find a template with the look I wanted, and choosing to create it myself in Photoshop mainly in an effort to learn) I had the basic site complete within two (2) weeks. I had even shown it to a group that I was in discussions with to resell their products and it completely freaked them out. They had spent tens of thousands of dollars and months of development creating a similar site using some other shopping cart software and none of the partners was willing to try and do some of the work themselves. As a result of my showing of the site they immediately stopped negotiations because now I'm a threat to their online sales. They thought it was going to take me months of development and cost thousands of dollars and by then they would have their distribution business up and running and wouldn't have to rely on online sales to keep their company running. All in all if you Form a DBA or Corporation, Open a Bank Account, Purchase Product Cart, Purchase a Template, Purchase a Web Address, Purchase a Website Hosting Package, Purchase Hackersafe and an SSL Certificate and sign up for a Merchant Account you're probably looking at spending around $3,000. That's if you do the modifications to the PC files yourself, take photographs of the products yourself and create all the information you intend on having on your site yourself. Obviously you can enlist the help of fellow PC'ers through the use of a site like you're describing, or friends to do some of the work. I had been looking at many different products to offer customers as well as keeping an eye on Product Cart and learning everything I could about e-commerce and what it takes to start a site for about a year and a half before giving myself the green light to get started, but that's just my personality. Others will be different. I'd be more than happy to create tutorials helping others do what I did to fine tune Product Cart. Keep us informed as to your progress and let us know when we can start adding content. I'm about a week away from going "live" with the site and will post it here for others to comment on then. Everyone here has been a great help and I really appreciate your willingness to help others like myself. Keep it up.

Edited by Jackalope - 17-September-2007 at 2:11pm

I would definitely be interested in being part of the community. However, I think it would be awesome to sell the scripts and add-ons in an easy to implement format too.

Idea for downloads: For those of us who don't know programming. I love the format in which PC upgrades are made because all we have to do is replace files and then click a few buttons. That would be the the style in which I would prefer scripts and add-ons to follow. You could also have an option for a programmer to install the custom script for us. Like $10-$15 or so if we need a programmer to do it for us.

I guess I prefer to pay for things to be done for me because I really don't want to screw anything up, especially when it comes to my website. :)

Thinking about it - I run a community using MWPX (a free ASP community portal solution).  I'm not suggesting you adopt this as you seem to have a vision for the site which is always excellent.  However it may be worth looking at the features available to see if any jump out as useful to our new one. 

Take a look at it:
http://www.harvest-home.org

One item specifically - RSS would be excellent at the site of course.

cheers
Mark

To clarify, we do not plan on "monitizing" the website.  This will be an open community of PC owners and developers.  

Here is what I am planning on rolling out. initially:

1) Ability to join community
2) Blogs for those who wish to actively participate in the community.
3) Download section (for NON Early Impact software)
4) Discussion forums
5) Training videos (with a you-tube-type interface)
6) How-to guides and articles
Plus whatever else the community feels we will need.

Suggestions are always welcome on features we should add (or remove).

Hi Mark -

Are there specific features you would find important for the community site?