Web-Design Help.

[erikdrzazinski19]

http://www.foxscream.com/

That's my current website; no it's not anywhere near completion (aesthetically speaking). I'm reaching out to you industrious and wise members of this community because I know there are a few of you who know web design far better than I do.

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What I am trying to achieve is incorporating an online shop; blog; event updater; and photo gallery ALL WITHIN the confines of my current web layout. I've tried a few CMS'; e-commerce scripts; blah-blah-blah.

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But all of those come with "pre-built" interfaces so to speak. I want the functionality of the scripts laid into the design of my website. Now is this something that:

A.) I can simply hack away at someones pre-existing script and mutilate it until it fits the designs of my web-page? (Sounds stupidly time consuming and would result in almost a reverse engineering of the script itself.)

B.) Is in over my head?

C.) I have just found scripts too-complicated and user friendly; lack of customization.

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I haven't dealt with php scripts in quite a while now. But if I recalled before I was able to "insert" scripts directly into the page.

For Example:

A while back I was creating a Megaman RPG; complete with login and whatnot.

http://postfall.sepwich.com/Megaman/RPG/index.php

The DESIGN of the page was done in basic HTML / CSS. And when I finished the layout I threw the final php "script" into the center content division. Presto' gold. Maybe it's the nature of the script. That the flatfile database news-script I was using on the Megaman Website was far less complicated than a whole online-store script.

I guess what I'm asking here is. What is the most PRACTICAL way to incorporate the online store; photo gallery; blog; etc. Into my website. Hell; they don't even need to all use the same log-in system.

[farscapeone]

I am not familiar with anything nearly similar to what you are asking for, especially if you want to setup an online store. I am currently working as a Magento front-end developer and believe me online stores are much core complicated they you think.

In any case you will have to use some e-commerce or CMS (or all in one) solution and make a template for it.

Your best bet is to to use WordPress + Shopp. WordPress is a blog platform, Shopp plugin covers the online store part and there are tons of plugins for image gallery in WordPress. The only thing you would have to do is make a WordPress template form your design and that shouldn't be a problem. As far as I know this is the easiest way of doing what you want to do.

[erikdrzazinski19]

I am not familiar with anything nearly similar to what you are asking for, especially if you want to setup an online store. I am currently working as a Magento front-end developer and believe me online stores are much core complicated they you think.

In any case you will have to use some e-commerce or CMS (or all in one) solution and make a template for it.

Your best bet is to to use WordPress + Shopp. WordPress is a blog platform, Shopp plugin covers the online store part and there are tons of plugins for image gallery in WordPress. The only thing you would have to do is make a WordPress template form your design and that shouldn't be a problem. As far as I know this is the easiest way of doing what you want to do.

I guess that was my main question. So I can use WordPress then tweak it to look like my current web-page?

[nekorin0411]

Or you could find some widgets or already made scripts that will do the work for you and all you need to do is make a few pages. Check out my anime club web site >>> http://www.rintaki.org/

I've incorporated:
a blog >>> click on announcements

a shout box >>>> in the upper right hand corner (used a second iframe for this one)

a forum >>>> click on the forum link

a guest book >>> click on the guest book link

and a music video page (which also allows you to leave a comment on the video) >>> click on member login then anime music videos >>> then the link (Falling Dreams)

The first 3 were done by using some free add-on's through webs.com and the last was done by uploading videos to a video server that allows you to upload them for free. It works for me because I only need to log in to those accounts when I need to add videos or post on the blog. Easy as pie.

[farscapeone]

I guess that was my main question. So I can use WordPress then tweak it to look like my current web-page?

You will just need to make a WordPress theme out of your current design.

Or you could find some widgets or already made scripts that will do the work for you and all you need to do is make a few pages. Check out my anime club web site >>> http://www.rintaki.org/

I've incorporated:
a blog >>> click on announcements

a shout box >>>> in the upper right hand corner (used a second iframe for this one)

a forum >>>> click on the forum link

a guest book >>> click on the guest book link

and a music video page (which also allows you to leave a comment on the video) >>> click on member login then anime music videos >>> then the link (Falling Dreams)

The first 3 were done by using some free add-on's through webs.com and the last was done by uploading videos to a video server that allows you to upload them for free. It works for me because I only need to log in to those accounts when I need to add videos or post on the blog. Easy as pie.

Yes but you don't have an online shop.

[nekorin0411]

The shop can also be incorporated as well, it just depends on the quantity of products. I also had an online retail business and I used a company called Shopify to host my store because it had more than 1,000 items, but it also allowed blogging and other widgets to be added along with domain forwarding and masking. It was costly, but before I got an account with them I used paypal and other shopping carts to list items on a web server which was very time-consuming because of the amount of products I had to list. If he doesn't plan on having more than 100 items, then I would go the route that he's going. However, I would use a different method altogether if he has more than 100 products to sell. Anything is possible if you brainstorm and try to work on the kinks.