New Website Help and Advice needed

Right - this is my question in a nutshell.
The time has come when I would like to get a new website that allows people
to add items to a shopping basket. I believe this is called an E-Commerce

pmj...

Yep & a Site that allows that (Online Purchasing) is a whole lot
different (with lots of other things involved in its design &
maintenance) than many other sorts of Websites.

site. I am already a cardnet merchant and can take card payments over the

pmj...

Which means you're prolly halfway there - many small Retail/Service
type Sites rely on using 3rd Party Payment Processors - check with
CardNet, to see if your Agreement will allow you to collect OnLine
(as opposed to just Telephone) Payments directly from Customers.
That will involve making sure your Web Host has Secure Servers for
their Hosting.

telephone but to allow people to shop online without having to make a
telephone call seems to be the way foreward in this ever increasing "busy"
environment.
Can anybody reccomend a good website site builder and a hosting service
that would manage this type of website ?

pmj...

Actinic Catalog is the eCommerce Software that is used by a lot
of WebSites, have a look here...

They provide the Software & they can also provide Hosting (& it also
works on Indepoendently Hosted Servers as well).

There are also various "Open Source" eCommerce type Software Packages
available.

Have a look here...

jamps...

I can recommend:
I use this small but efficient, design and hosting company.
Have a look!

John in Cornwall...

Jamps
Thanks for your help.
I shall contact this company - they look very professional !!
I will let you know how I get on.

pmj...

Make sure to look at any prospective Host/Web Designer's existing
Sites that they have designed for their Customers.

& Contact *those* Customers to see if they are happy with the Service
they are being provided with.

Any decent Web Host &/or Designer will have References & Testimonials
& Portfolios, but do make sure to look at the Sites they have designed
& contact the people who they say they do Design &/or Hosting for.

John

John the R-T...

I like this part

Continuity is my main concern - I realise there are some cheap outfits that
offer an attractive price - but then after 6 months may decide to close.
Are there - or is there, a regulatory body that covers the internet website
builders ? We have got Corgi (Gas) and Offwat (water) is there a safeguard
to be found like these that applies to the Internet ?
Is there anyone in this n/g that can offer this service - or reccomend a
reliable designer and hosting company ?
Bit of a tall order I know, but I thought I would ask anyway .....

John in cornwall
Current Website is:

Michaelangelo...

We have our very own professional web designer here in the shape of:

Faolan...

I do web design as well, in amongst other media projects. :o)

Though I have a different skill set to Ray!

*Ray*

His web-site is here:

Michaelangelo...

Oops, sorry, that's his e-mail link. The site is:

Michaelangelo...

Having a really bad day! Try this

Rabbit...

Third time lucky :-)

Saxman...

Have a look at these. They have all the online tools including a
shopping basket.