Help in website design (shopping cart setup)

[WVUFAN]

My wife is setting up her website for her native american crafts (beading, clothing), and she's having some issues with a shopping cart. Right now she's hosting the site via Vistaprint, but we're looking at other sites.

Do any of you run sites that have shopping cart-ish aspects. If so, any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Her site (in progress) is happyeyescrafts.com

[DaddyTorgo]

Originally Posted by WVUFAN

My wife is setting up her website for her native american crafts (beading, clothing), and she's having some issues with a shopping cart. Right now she's hosting the site via Vistaprint, but we're looking at other sites.

Do any of you run sites that have shopping cart-ish aspects. If so, any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Her site (in progress) is happyeyescrafts.com

Native American crafts? cool *runs to check it out*

I have native blood and used to be more in touch with that side of my ancestry (in college) than I am now. That's some pretty awesome stuff - does your wife actually make it all?? I see some stuff that might make great gifts (or things for myself frankly).

No help on the shopping cart though - but I know there's people here that can be a huge help with that.

[stevew]

I'd ping Macro or Mustang as I think both do online sales.

[WVUFAN]

Originally Posted by DaddyTorgo

Native American crafts? cool *runs to check it out*

I have native blood and used to be more in touch with that side of my ancestry (in college) than I am now. That's some pretty awesome stuff - does your wife actually make it all?? I see some stuff that might make great gifts (or things for myself frankly).

No help on the shopping cart though - but I know there's people here that can be a huge help with that.

Yes, she makes it all. She got the patterns from some other places, but makes the stuff herself.

Just let me know if you want clothing in advance ... she tans the leather herself using a technique called "brain tanning" much like the native americans did. I just don't like to watch it.

[DaddyTorgo]

Originally Posted by WVUFAN

Yes, she makes it all. She got the patterns from some other places, but makes the stuff herself.

Just let me know if you want clothing in advance ... she tans the leather herself using a technique called "brain tanning" much like the native americans did. I just don't like to watch it.

Cool!

[GoldenEagle]

I have heard good things about Stripe.

[RainMaker]

BigCommerce is nice if you're willing to spend some time to learn their system. Heard great things about Shopify too which is a little easier to run.

[WVUFAN]

A little late, but I appreciate all the help. She FINALLY got the site working, and she's populating the site now.

Now .... trying to figure out how to transfer a domain name. My head hurts. Something about "unlocking" the domain-something and a key of some sort.

In any case, here's the site -- please check it out and let us know what you think so far (it's not fully populated): Happy Eyes Crafts & Clothing

Coming on the site also lets me check out this Google Analytics I signed up for.

[RainMaker]

You shouldn't be transferring a domain name to anyone. They probably want you to do it so they can skim a few bucks off the top. If you own it, you'll just be pointing the domain toward their DNS. If you have something like GoDaddy, you have to go to the Domain Management System (or whatever they call it) and choose to unlock it. Then there should be an option to "Change Nameservers" and you just enter in their nameservers.

Who did you purchase the domain name through?

[WVUFAN]

Originally Posted by RainMaker

You shouldn't be transferring a domain name to anyone. They probably want you to do it so they can skim a few bucks off the top. If you own it, you'll just be pointing the domain toward their DNS. If you have something like GoDaddy, you have to go to the Domain Management System (or whatever they call it) and choose to unlock it. Then there should be an option to "Change Nameservers" and you just enter in their nameservers.

Who did you purchase the domain name through?

She bought the initial site and domain from Vistaprint. According to them, we have to pay a "domain transfer fee" of 19.99 to "unlock the domain", then I can transfer it to Big Commerce. Big Commerce isn't charging to switch.

I called Vistaprint to ask why there's a charge, and they said that because we got the domain there, the transfer fee is to transfer the rights to us. I though they were already in my wife's name, but I guess I was wrong.

She got the website because it was lower when she bought business cards, but they want to charge an outrageous amount for shopping cart functionality. I came on here, and you suggested Big Commerce and Shopify, and she liked Big Commerce better, so we're going with them. Now we want our original domain back, and that's when they told us of the fee to transfer.

[cody8200]

Just saw this thread. BigCommerce is good stuff. Your wife's clothing looks amazing! One thing that is weird and probably just a setting is that the clothing is shown weighed in grams instead of pounds and oz.
Brain Tan Elk Plain Dress - Happy Eyes Crafts & Clothing

Anyway, as for domain transfer fees, you occasionally see these in the 1-5 dollar range but $20 is outrageous.