How hard is setting up an e-commerce site?

Question

Hi
I'm starting an online store, and have heaps of time on my
hands, so thought I would have a crack at doing as much as possible
myself.
I have almost finished the design and css styling of the
site, and am wondering how hard it is to code the back-end?
The site will be selling stubby holders (drink coolers), and
allows users to upload images for an online contest which decides
the images that end up being printed on the products.
Here's what I need:
USER SYSTEM:
· user registration
· user login
· update user profiles
· users can vote for images that have been entered in a
contest – one vote per image per user (which means each file
must have a unique name, that can't be re-used)
· post comments on images – one comment per image
per user (comments will need to be stored and moderated before they
go live to filter out inappropriate content)
· opt in and out for newsletters
· apply for an affiliation link (by automatically
assigning a member ID number to new users when they register. When
the user goes to the page to get their affiliate link code and
images, the copyable link code already has their member ID in it)
· track affiliation activities eg click-throughs,
resulting purchases, and credit user’s account with points
that can be redeemed towards the purchase of products
UPLOAD SYSTEM
· A system for users to upload their images
PRODUCT LISTING AND SHOPPING SYSTEM
· list all available products price, stock availability
· when clicked, list the details for a design, including
large image, price, stock availability for each size
· shopping cart
· checkout function
· payment facility that caters for instant credit card
and Paypal payments, but also for delayed payment methods such as
direct deposit, money order and cheque
· payment facility must have discount code option where
affiliates can enter their affiliate code and have any affiliate
points they previously earned translate into a discount on their
purchase
ADMINISTRATIVE DATABASE SYSTEM
· manage users, view/update user details
· send newsletters to subscribed users
· view/update orders
· view/update uploaded designs from artists
· add/view/update the available for purchase
procucts/pricing/stock availability
· track and instantly update and display the vote tally
and voting time left (14 days from when selected images go live)
for each image submitted and selected to take part in the contest.
Also display a comments tally for each image (all of this is when
the user is browsing the images. This info is also displayed when
the user clicks on an image to take them to the voting screen,
where comments that have been left and the voting system is also
displayed).
I've not had experience with PHP and SQL, but if I take my
time and ask heaps of questions, is is doable, or should I just
hire a pro to code the backend?
Cheers!
Shaun

Answer 1

I agree wholeheartedly with Pete's excellent advice, your
storefront is your
businesses face to the world and will often be the only
contact your
customers have with you. Make sure it is a pleasant and easy
experience that
will bring then back time and again by hiring a pro to do
this for you.
Dave Buchholz
I-CRE8
www.i-cre8.co.uk
Skype ID: I-CRE8
"celebritymusic" <[email protected]> wrote
in message
news:[email protected]...
> Hi
>
> I'm starting an online store, and have heaps of time on
my hands, so
> thought I
> would have a crack at doing as much as possible myself.
>
> I have almost finished the design and css styling of the
site, and am
> wondering how hard it is to code the back-end?
>
> The site will be selling stubby holders (drink coolers),
and allows users
> to
> upload images for an online contest which decides the
images that end up
> being
> printed on the products.
>
> Here's what I need:
>
> USER SYSTEM:
>
> ? user registration
> ? user login
> ? update user profiles
> ? users can vote for images that have been entered in a
contest ? one vote
> per
> image per user (which means each file must have a unique
name, that can't
> be
> re-used)
> ? post comments on images ? one comment per image per
user (comments will
> need
> to be stored and moderated before they go live to filter
out inappropriate
> content)
> ? opt in and out for newsletters
> ? apply for an affiliation link (by automatically
assigning a member ID
> number
> to new users when they register. When the user goes to
the page to get
> their
> affiliate link code and images, the copyable link code
already has their
> member
> ID in it)
> ? track affiliation activities eg click-throughs,
resulting purchases, and
> credit user?s account with points that can be redeemed
towards the
> purchase of
> products
>
> UPLOAD SYSTEM
>
> ? A system for users to upload their images
>
> PRODUCT LISTING AND SHOPPING SYSTEM
>
> ? list all available products price, stock availability
> ? when clicked, list the details for a design, including
large image,
> price,
> stock availability for each size
> ? shopping cart
> ? checkout function
> ? payment facility that caters for instant credit card
and Paypal
> payments,
> but also for delayed payment methods such as direct
deposit, money order
> and
> cheque
> ? payment facility must have discount code option where
affiliates can
> enter
> their affiliate code and have any affiliate points they
previously earned
> translate into a discount on their purchase
>
> ADMINISTRATIVE DATABASE SYSTEM
>
> ? manage users, view/update user details
> ? send newsletters to subscribed users
> ? view/update orders
> ? view/update uploaded designs from artists
> ? add/view/update the available for purchase
procucts/pricing/stock
> availability
> ? track and instantly update and display the vote tally
and voting time
> left
> (14 days from when selected images go live) for each
image submitted and
> selected to take part in the contest. Also display a
comments tally for
> each
> image (all of this is when the user is browsing the
images. This info is
> also
> displayed when the user clicks on an image to take them
to the voting
> screen,
> where comments that have been left and the voting system
is also
> displayed).
>
> I've not had experience with PHP and SQL, but if I take
my time and ask
> heaps
> of questions, is is doable, or should I just hire a pro
to code the
> backend?
>
> Cheers!
>
> Shaun
>
>