Member Avatar for Gazzaramma

Good Day,

My name is Gary and I have just singed up to Daniweb. I am currently looking into how to setup an ecommerce website for my mother in law who hands makes her own jewlery in South Africa.

What she is wanting is a website to showcase her pieces and have a world wide market.

I have been looking into using a Website template as there seems to be some excellent sites available, with the obvious changes required within either dreamweaver and photoshop, which I am comfortable with doing.

However, this will be an Ecommerce site, so I am unfamiliar with the following:

"Software Required: Hosting with PHP5x and MySQL5x; Apache only (on Unix/Freebsd/Linux/Windows); osCommerce runs on most server specific configurations ranging from dedicated servers to shared servers that utilize different PHP configurations such as register_globals (should be ON) and safe_mode restrictions"

What does this mean?

I am also researching how to setup the actual credit card transaction process once items have been placed into the basket, again any help out there?

Any suggestions on good host providers?

I am very new to this, I have never setup or managed a website before and would be very grateful for any advice or assistance that anyone reading this could offer.

We are based in Durban, South Africa.

Kind Regards
Gary Page

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The project described by (handmade jewelry, selling worldwide) can follow two practical routes that match different experience levels and timelines. A hosted SaaS shop (Shopify, BigCommerce, etc.) bundles hosting, security, and platform updates so there’s far less server work up front; a self‑hosted store (WordPress + WooCommerce or an open‑source cart) gives more control but needs a host that meets modern PHP/DB and HTTPS requirements and requires ongoing maintenance. Hosted SaaS usually gets a designer’s work online fastest; self‑hosting is better if custom features or tighter cost control are needed. (shopify.com)

Payments deserve separate attention. As noted, PayPal is a usable path, but sellers in South Africa should check PayPal’s regional rules and fee structure before relying on it. Local gateways such as PayFast are widely used in South Africa and provide integrations and sandbox/test modes (including plugins for common carts). DPO/PayGate and Peach Payments are other local options; Stripe’s availability in South Africa is nuanced—confirm current support on Stripe’s global page rather than assuming full local onboarding is possible. (paypal.com)

Security and launch workflow: enable HTTPS (Let’s Encrypt provides free, automatable TLS certificates), avoid handling raw card data by using hosted/redirect checkouts where possible (this reduces PCI scope), and read PCI DSS guidance so obligations are understood. Use a staging site and the gateway’s sandbox credentials to validate checkout, taxes, and shipping before going live. If choosing WooCommerce, pick a host that offers one‑click installs, staging, automated backups and clear PHP/MySQL version support. (letsencrypt.org)

Quick checklist to act on: pick platform (hosted vs self‑hosted), verify gateway availability/fees for South Africa, enable TLS and automated backups, run sandbox transactions, prepare product photos/descriptions, and confirm shipping/tax rules for international orders. Starting with a hosted plan will reduce early complexity and let work focus on product presentation and order processes. (shopify.com)

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Member Avatar for MakeMoneyOnline

Welcome , its nice having you around here.

Member Avatar for peter_budo

However, this will be an Ecommerce site, so I am unfamiliar with the following:

"Software Required: Hosting with PHP5x and MySQL5x; Apache only (on Unix/Freebsd/Linux/Windows); osCommerce runs on most server specific configurations ranging from dedicated servers to shared servers that utilize different PHP configurations such as register_globals (should be ON) and safe_mode restrictions"

What does this mean?

Above is set of recommended technologies to use, I think you picked up in some book or article
PHP - is scripting language (there are others too)
MySQL - is database
Apache - is server that supports/enables you to run the above technologies

I'm not sure how much time you wish to spend on learning and developing the site, but you would need to learn a lot about PHP & MySQL

Member Avatar for mychalberry

I suggest you use paypal.com. It's very easy to use, and you can have carts or buy it now buttons. Paypal accepts credit cards, among other things.

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