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Thread: Build a shoping cart or use an existing one?

  1. #1
    Senior Member agua's Avatar
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    Build a shoping cart or use an existing one?

    So I thought I'd through this one out to WSP.

    I'm putting together a new proposal for a client who want a CMS, blog and shopping cart on their new site.

    I was planning on building the site with pre-made solutions (x-cart, wordpress etc) and charging for the customization and setup of these programs.

    My friend says that this is wrong and that I would be duping the client and should get them a custom built solution (he is of course a php developer)

    What do you reckon?

    ps - I think what I'm planning to do is ok
    I Do Website Design - but I am here to learn all about publishing

  2. #2
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    A custom CMS, shopping cart and blog I hope you are getting 20k+ if not then use existing software and customize it so it's 100% unique to the client.

    Why spend months reinventing the wheel when there are great solutions currently out there.

  3. #3
    Senior Member agua's Avatar
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    Thanks ToddW - when I was writing my post, the phrase "reinventing the wheel" was the phrase I was looking for
    I Do Website Design - but I am here to learn all about publishing

  4. #4
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    I agree on not reinventing the wheel for everything....but that doesn't mean it's not better to write your own CMS or Shopping Cart. If we live by the "not reinventing the wheel" thing, we'll never need any custom solution at all, and that's not the case.
    It depends on the client needs. Pre-made solutions are great, but they are not for everyone and they are not the best choice for every project.

    Maybe you can code your own CMS & Shopping Cart and use a premade Blog. Or use a premade CMS and code the rest, etc. It all depends on the client needs, budget, and of course, your experience.

    I have done this kind of projects several times before, and i always use an hybrid solution. I code my own CMS & Shop and use premade Forum, etc. A CMS can be pretty simple to do, depending on what the client wants, so i prefer to make a custom one. But i wouldnt even dream to start coding a Forum, unless im paid a LOT, because a typical forum is way harder than a CMS.

    Just my 2 cents.

  5. #5
    Quote Originally Posted by agua View Post
    So I thought I'd through this one out to WSP.

    I'm putting together a new proposal for a client who want a CMS, blog and shopping cart on their new site.

    I was planning on building the site with pre-made solutions (x-cart, wordpress etc) and charging for the customization and setup of these programs.

    My friend says that this is wrong and that I would be duping the client and should get them a custom built solution (he is of course a php developer)

    What do you reckon?

    ps - I think what I'm planning to do is ok
    I don't see anything wrong with setting up already made solutions. Work smarter, not harder. Why try to reinvent the wheel?

    Have a look at Expression Engine...it does everything you need. It's a CMS with blogging features and has a shopping cart module add-on. I've never used the shopping cart module though, so I can't speak for or against it, but everything else with EE is top notch, so I assume the shopping cart is as well.

  6. #6
    Senior Member chromate's Avatar
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    Absolutely. There's no point in coding something from scratch if it's already out there. It just wastes everyone's time and money. If you can use existing code to do the job (well) then that's definitely the way to go.

  7. #7
    Registered Xander's Avatar
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    I'm all for not re-inventing the wheel but its always good to at least understand the concept. There is pro and cons for both but the development time/cost is the biggest factor. If you developed a custom CMS you would want to re-use it anyway. Most clients would appreciate the extra time you can spend getting the site done than coding and testing a unique system.

  8. #8
    Administrator Chris's Avatar
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    The important thing is that you be honest with the client about your work. Don't bill him for a custom solution when you're just hacking up wordpress. Make sure he understand what you're doing and how much that costs compared to a custom solution.
    Chris Beasley - My Guide to Building a Successful Website[size=1]
    Content Sites: ABCDFGHIJKLMNOP|Forums: ABCD EF|Ecommerce: Swords Knives

  9. #9
    Senior Member agua's Avatar
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    Thanks for the great input.

    Chris - I always tell my clients how their site is going to be billed, once in the proposal, and once in the invoice, outlining software costs and configuration time.

    I'll take a look at expression engine deron - hows it go compared to TXP?
    I Do Website Design - but I am here to learn all about publishing

  10. #10
    Quote Originally Posted by agua View Post
    Thanks for the great input.

    Chris - I always tell my clients how their site is going to be billed, once in the proposal, and once in the invoice, outlining software costs and configuration time.

    I'll take a look at expression engine deron - hows it go compared to TXP?

    I used TXP for about a year, and without a doubt, I'll not be using TXP again as long as EE is is still going. I like TXP, but for me, EE is very intuative and I found it a lot easier to do the things I was having hard time doing in TXP. Everyone learns things differently and I guess for me EE just fits how I think. A lot of people will talk on forums about how difficult and non user friendly EE is, but IMO it's the easiest I've used out of the 6 or so CMS's I've tried. On top of that the EE Forums are unreal. I thought TXP had pretty good support, but with EE, they actually have paid tech support staff on the forums and if you have a question they are usually on top of it in no time with an answer.

    They have a free core version which has a lot of features to get a site up and rolling. You wont get the forum software, shopping cart, etc... but at least you could see if you liked it. If you have any questions let me know.

  11. #11
    Senior Member agua's Avatar
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    Thanks Deron

    I'll take a look at EE, I have been meaning to, but I've found txp can do almost everything I want (apart from a shopping cart)

    Does anyone know of a shopping cart and cms system which work together seamlessly (is that a word?)?

    There doesn't seem to be a whole lot around in this field... if I were a programmer - I think I'd jump all over this one
    I Do Website Design - but I am here to learn all about publishing

  12. #12
    Registered Giles's Avatar
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    tl;dr

    but i would just like to say that i would be careful building a cart for someone unless you are very good at security otherwise you could be held responsible if the site gets hacked or ripped off or whatever.

  13. #13
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    Safety tips!

    This site is great. When you plan to build a house there is a health and safety advice. Because security is one of the most important.
    Last edited by RynneGomez; 10-24-2013 at 07:47 PM.

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