paypal for dummies

[andyhix]

I'm interested in taking online orders, and am looking at paypal to do it. However, we currently sell CD through a low tech geocities website, because 1. it's free, and 2. it doesn't require me to do anything involving html - it's all click and drag sorta design.

so my question is will I be able to use paypal stuff (the "add to cart" button, etc.) on this cheap ass website, and will I be smart enough to set it up, with no html experience?

Oh, and finally, is the 2.9% + $0.30/transaction REALLY the only fee? Sure puts CDBaby in perspective....

[leavings]

I use paypal for orders on my website (which I designed) and I had no trouble setting it up. I don't know html either, but paypal gives you line by line instructions. I imagine geocities will support paypal, but you may want to check their policies about using your site for business purposes. My university provided free web hosting, but wouldn't allow my old band to sell our cd through the site so we had to do it externally. Geocities might have similar rules...

The paypal fees you mentioned are the only ones I have ever been charged, so if there are others I know nothing about them. I charge $2 above the show price for shipping when I sell online, which also covers the paypal fees.

Peter

[andyhix]

Originally Posted by leavings

I imagine geocities will support paypal, but you may want to check their policies about using your site for business purposes.

Good point. Thanks!

[andyhix]

OK, looks liek those aholes want like $40/month to upgrade to a site where I can sell products online. Geezus. Anyone have any suggestions for an alterniative free or very cheap host that doesn't want to meddle in my bidness?

[distortedrumble]

instead of add to cart, can you do a link to a billing site? alot of bands have that "click here for music" and it goes to a site like cdbaby or something where they can buy it. that may be a loophole

[andyhix]

yeah, but cdbaby wants $4/cd sold. paypal would cost me $0.59/cd. maybe there are better sites out there than CDbaby...but they sure seem like a rip.

[SergeD]

Originally Posted by andyhix

yeah, but cdbaby wants $4/cd sold. paypal would cost me $0.59/cd. maybe there are better sites out there than CDbaby...but they sure seem like a rip.

One thing to evaluate is how many people will hit your site versus CdBaby hits...

SergeD

[gordone]

The only "cheap" way is to learn some HTML yourself, design a nice site, get your own hosting/domain (I use http://1and1.com, $10 a month) and then you can add the PayPal Cart, or whatever system you want. If you don't want to learn about HTML and webhosting and stuff, it will cost you (as you're finding out)
Good luck!

[leavings]

I agree with gordone. That's why I decided to create my own site, it was worth the time and effort learning how to do basic web design to have the control I wanted over my site. If you're getting to a point where you want to start selling your music, it's a good investment anyways.

You can find hosting services that will give you what you need for between five and ten dollars a month, and some of them will combine that with cheap rates for the purchase of a domain name.

By the way, there are boards just like this one that pertain to web design. Here's one that I think might be a little too advanced, but there are others:

http://www.webmaster-talk.com


Peter