Re : How do I set up my site to take orders for my book?
My Website (abfbook.telostic.com) was set up to take orders via PayPal... you may want to check it out to see how a simple site like this is structured (by all means PM me or message me using the e-mail links on the site if you want to ask me a more detailed question). (
Note : I
know that this site is not very sophisticated. It has been deliberately designed to be simple to update and maintain. I went for functionality over style!)
Here's one piece of "globally applicable advice" that you
must implement, no matter what else you decide upon : if you are going to incorporate payment buttons -- and, hence, HTML / XML (etc.) code (since this is what makes the buttons and other "widgets" actually work) -- from PayPal or other on-line payment processors, into your Website,
it is absolutely crucial that once you have everything working (actually, once you have it half-working...)
, you make a full and complete backup of your site. Ideally, you should have
two copies of this, on two different computers (over and above what's actually on your Web hosting provider's site).
And each and every time that you change something -- yes this
does mean something as trivial as changing the price of one book -- you must back up the code that reflects the design element change.
Trust me on this one. Unless you like re-designing Websites "from scratch", or unless you like 6-hour "WTF isn't this working any more debugging sessions", you'll pay heed to my advice! (
Supplementary Note To Self : If you add or change a graphic element in the off-line test mirror site, then upload the HTML enabling / referring to the graphic, then neglect to upload the bl**dy graphic itself, don't blame
me when it doesn't show up on the "real" on-line Website. Watch out for this one, it has caused me more than one, 3-hour "WTF isn't it showing up" debugging session!)
You Have Been Warned About The Fickleness Of Computer Storage Media,