New to website design...

[WLT]

I am new to website design but learning quickly. I am starting an Internet based business and need to know what sort of HTML code is required in my web pages to send my Form information to a CGI-Bin program on my domain server such that my customers will receive an automated confirmation and order number, as well as e-mailing me with the ordering information. Or if this is not the "standard procedure", please steer me in the correct direction. Thank you in advance for any assistance.

Bill

[sheila]

If you're looking for automated order numbers and confirmation, you may need some sort of shopping cart software installed? (Not sure, since you don't provide many details of exactly what you need to do....)

I would suggest browsing this forum for previous discussions there about shopping cart software to get a better idea of what various shopping carts are able to do for you.

Perhaps a shopping cart is overkill for what you are trying to do, though. If you provide more details someone may be able to make additional suggestions.

[WLT]

Thanks Sheila,

I see that I need to add a little more information about what I intend on doing and need. I plan upon having a two step process, including ordering a service from me then later having the customer pay for that service through the use of PayPal or some other Shopping Cart service. But it is the "ordering of the service" part that I need help with. I intend to take all the information from the customer as to what services he needs from me, based upon what I post on my website, and send that information to me through the server via e-mail or whatever is the standard method to send ordering information to a business owner from their customer. I don't want to use PayPal for all of this as I believe that I have a pretty good form already made up that includes everything that I need. And I don't believe that PayPal is set up to do all of this. I just need a way to "send" this information to the server, process it with a CGI-Bin program (of some form), send the customer an automated confirmation and order number, and send me the ordering information. I just intend on using PayPal for the credit card transactions after I've performed my service and the customer now has to pay me for it. Thanks.

Bill

[Mandi]

Several of my clients use Mal's E-commerce (http://mals-e.com/). Shoppers add their items to the remote hosted cart, and when they are ready to check out, they have several options, including Paypal or printing the order and mailing in a check. The paid version (still cheap) is compatible with several merchant account and payment gateway services, so that customers can pay via credit card right there.

Edit: Here's one example (http://www.kerrysherbals.com/). Her site is non-FQ, but there's nothing special about the pages, just static stuff w/ forms for cart items. Add a few things, and start to check out to see how it works.

[WLT]

Mandi,

Thank you for the assistance.

Bill