Looking for an Online Store

XinXang

Hi, I'm considering purchasing an online store template or getting an online store designed that sells e-products but I need some advice on points to pay attention to.

The most important is that I want the store to be easily expandable in the short and long run to add on additional services and modules - like forums, added features, a whole new section to the website, whatever but I still need it all to be able to operate under the same administrative system.

Ideally I'd like it to run on MySQL and PHP just because they're open source, but what points do I need to pay attention to when searching for the right web company or template download in terms of ensuring highly flexible expandability, possibly by another developer at a later date?

You may know what I mean that some companies offer a website solution along with a backend interface, but that backend interface is often so limited only to that form of the site...Help? Links?

dpearre

oscommerce is supposed to be a very good php/mysql-based shopping cart. it's pretty customizable, has a huge community and lots of pre-fab modules. one (of several) drawbacks is that it sucks with search engine placement and accessibility.

you should also look on freshmeat.net for other open source php cart options.

XinXang

thanks dpearre, oscommerce is really a fantastic option for the online store.

Is it safe to say that if something is developed in PHP/MySQL that is easy enough for a developer to customize it for me at a later date? Or is there a certain style of programming that makes one program messy and difficult to decipher, or uses variables that can't be easily used in customized add-on modules to my site.