Building Online Stores with osCommerce: Professional Edition

In Detail

The book can be read from front to back, but each chapter is self contained so the reader can skip chapters to read those that they are interested in. Each chapter will move from basic to advanced where applicable and also relate what the administrator (reader) is doing to how this affects what the client sees on the site.

So, for example, the customization chapter will start off with a discussion on the concept of design and how to relate this to your business. Once the reader has a clear idea of what they need to do, we look at some really simple changes such as modifying the site's language, before moving to some advanced modifications which may involve some PHP programming. At the same time the discussion will demonstrate how the changes made affect the site.

Throughout the book, much consideration is given to the "right" way to doing things. Readers will have the great advantage that they begin, from the very start, doing things properly. This will save them a lot of time and effort in the years to come as they build on and modify their site. Utilizing best practices and sound methodologies is a great asset for beginners and experienced users alike.

At all times, the coverage given in this book pays homage to the fact that, ultimately, the reader has a business goal in mind. To this end, the material never gets bogged down in technical issues or long discourses, but rather focuses on what is practically important for the online business and then moves on. To complement this, there are plenty of suggestions and hints as to how and where to look for further information.

As featured on Slashdot : "... David Mercer's book is the book you have been looking for and is available in either a beginner's or professional edition. It is written in a straightforward, easy to understand manner, yet does not compromise on technical knowledge and provides all the essentials of getting your website up and running with OsCommerce"

Building Online Stores with osCommerce: Professional Edition will teach you how to use, build and maintain a complex, powerful e-commerce website using osCommerce. As well as everything you need to get started with osCommerce, this book goes onto cover how to:

• Increase your sales through cross-selling and up-selling
• Offer custom discounts and support the use of gift certificates
• Incorporate your own RSS feed to enhance the content of the site
• Use and control banners to market popular or profitable products within your store
• Customize the osCommerce code to make your site more robust, eliminate bugs, and increase flexibility and customer appeal
• Understand the security technologies involved in e-commerce and develop your own security and backup strategies
• Build your business by utilizing various advertising techniques, search engine optimization, affiliate and drop-shipping schemes
• Learn the principles and methods used by professional programmers to empower you to continue creating and building your online business

These techniques will enable you to build a unique and powerful site, giving you an ideal platform to enter the competitive world of e-commerce.

Through this complete, comprehensive education in osCommerce you will develop the confidence to experiment with your own enhancements and modifications, leaving you with a truly unique online store. Practical demonstrations and well considered advice will ensure that your store will always be developed to the highest standards.

As you become serious with osCommerce, this book will show you how to make the most of osCommerce's open source development process and community. You will see how to use the community as an excellent resource for developing your business strategies and practices, as well as making it easy to continuously enhance your customers' shopping experience.

Read Chapter 4: Sample Chapter: "Basic Configuration" (PDF - 365KB)

Who this book is for

This book is written for anyone who:

• Already uses OSCommerce
• Would like to use OSCommerce
• Would like to make a website for their business
• Is charged with administering, running and maintaining an OSCommerce site
• Is interested in learning how an eCommerce application is created and maintained