Do you work on your own website?

[Dottonedan]

Can you create a virtual store with shopping carts and all using Wordpress?

[Denis Kolar]

Can you create a virtual store with shopping carts and all using Wordpress?

You should be able to incorporate a shopping cart module or a separate shopping cart with the Wordpress theme.

[royster13]

http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/wp-e-commerce/

[Artelf2xs]

I forgot about word press, I've got a half a dozen of those two.... it is much easier then Joomla and is becoming MUCH more then just blog software.....

you can build complete sites.

So, from those who do build and maintain your own sites, what would you recommend to someone who would like to learn? As in reading material (for dummies in my own case) or tutorials or whatever?

Steve

My personal opinion is to forget dreamweaver edu unless you want to be a web designer.... CMS ( Content Management Systems) LIke joomla, drupal,xoops,wordpress the list grows everyday are designed with the idea companies should be able to build and maintain there own sites,,,,, you can just buy or use a free template and paste you own graphics over it....
Blogs are important to capture google ranking and should be full of useful content like what are setups, why we do spot color etc.

I've used OS commerce as a shopping cart and have just found this $1,500 t-shirt design studio   based on it.... http://demo.craftshirt.com

[cattees]

We also created our own website through the hosting company we use.  We started it a couple of years ago, got the basic site up and running and have been adding bits & pieces from time to time.  It still needs some work, but this was our only option since we didn't have $2-3K to have someone else set up for us.  In any event, I checked out some of your websites and really liked them alot, but I have a stupid question.  I'm wondering why some of you don't offer the catalog link that's available through the wholesalers.  I received a call from someone wanting to set up my site and they told me that having the wholesaler link is not good because when people do a search, the results are going to the link, not us.  I don't understand exactly what that means, but maybe there's some truth to that.  Is that why some of you don't offer the link?

[Fresh Baked Printing]

I'm wondering why some of you don't offer the catalog link that's available through the wholesalers. 

For me, and no offense to others, I don't link to the wholesaler because:
1.) My website is part of my brands experience. Directing them to a totally different web site is horrible branding.
2.) I don't want them to know where I get my stuff.
3.) I don't print on everything that comes up on the wholesalers site. I don't want to explain why I'm not going to print on certain items.
4.) The product models look cheesy as hell. Not crazy about stock model photos.

[Denis Kolar]

We also created our own website through the hosting company we use.  We started it a couple of years ago, got the basic site up and running and have been adding bits & pieces from time to time.  It still needs some work, but this was our only option since we didn't have $2-3K to have someone else set up for us.  In any event, I checked out some of your websites and really liked them alot, but I have a stupid question.  I'm wondering why some of you don't offer the catalog link that's available through the wholesalers.  I received a call from someone wanting to set up my site and they told me that having the wholesaler link is not good because when people do a search, the results are going to the link, not us.  I don't understand exactly what that means, but maybe there's some truth to that.  Is that why some of you don't offer the link?

Cat.  It is better to link to your site that from your site. Your site will get better rankings.

Also, 2-3K for a basic site is too much (at least what I charge). For a more complicated site and sites with shopping carts, yes, but for a basic site that is too much.

[cattees]

One of the reasons we used the link was because we were constantly getting calls from people wanting us to mail them a catalog...so we thought it just easier to have something online to save on postage & time.  Especially if they didn't even order from us.  Also when talking to them on the phone, its such a time saver to refer them to the website to look at a particular style or color chart.  Aside from that you have valid reasons to not have the link.   For the items we don't print on, I always tell the customer we don't recommend this for screenprinting, we would sell as a blank, but this is what we would recommend, etc.  The only other concern I have is that it takes traffic away from your site or lowers your ranking...I don't fully understand why, but if this is true I may have to reconsider.

[Artelf2xs]

I don't link to the distributors... But we do get so many people wanting to see colors & Styles available on their computer.....
So I just put all the catalogs in an iframe window so they canot see the web address and it looks like part of my site.

[tpitman]

I don't link to the distributors... But we do get so many people wanting to see colors & Styles available on their computer.....
So I just put all the catalogs in an iframe window so they canot see the web address and it looks like part of my site.

Thanks for this info. My update was going to feature a link to Bodek's catalog since that's where I buy most of my stuff, but this'll be much better. Much appreciated.

[cattees]

I don't link to the distributors... But we do get so many people wanting to see colors & Styles available on their computer.....
So I just put all the catalogs in an iframe window so they canot see the web address and it looks like part of my site.

I hate to sound silly, but I'm not sure I know what an iframe window is, do you mean you just scan the pages in and then save & send them to someone?  Does it take alot of time?  Appreciate your guidance.

[Dottonedan]

I don't link to the distributors... But we do get so many people wanting to see colors & Styles available on their computer.....
So I just put all the catalogs in an iframe window so they canot see the web address and it looks like part of my site.

I hate to sound silly, but I'm not sure I know what an iframe window is, do you mean you just scan the pages in and then save & send them to someone?  Does it take alot of time?  Appreciate your guidance.

You're not alone. I didn't know what an Iframe is either. I have a hunch it's obviously something that Apple made. A gadget for mobileme or something.

[Denis Kolar]

I don't link to the distributors... But we do get so many people wanting to see colors & Styles available on their computer.....
So I just put all the catalogs in an iframe window so they canot see the web address and it looks like part of my site.

I hate to sound silly, but I'm not sure I know what an iframe window is, do you mean you just scan the pages in and then save & send them to someone?  Does it take alot of time?  Appreciate your guidance.

iFrame is a basically a separate web site that will open inside your site and it will not show its www address.
You can choose to open the link into the same page, new page or an iFrame.

[Dottonedan]

Well how about that folks. Ya do learn something new on here every day.  I had no idea.

[cattees]

I'm so glad I wasn't the only one who didn't know...whoa!  LOL, but seriously I too  learn alot from this site.  I'll have to try out this i-frame window - now is this only if you have an Apple computer?