Since the last time I posted, I have decided to use Prestashop, another Open Source e-commerce platform, instead of Zen Cart.

My only concern is that payment modules (except for Paypal) and Australian Post shipping modules are not part of the core code.
They are plug-in modules that you have to scan through the forums to find, download, then test them to see if it works the way you want it to.

Anyhow the look and feel of the front office in Prestashop is modern and fresh, compared to the blockiness of Zen Cart.

So right now I’m busy trying to set things up in the shop, and trying my hand at simple web design using quality open source software such as Inkscape (SVGs), GIMP (raster graphics), Text Wrangler (text editor for Mac), XAMPP for Mac (local environment APACHE server) and FileZilla (FTP client).

The learning curve is steep, but with the help of the Internet, it has been a very enriching learning experience. There are lots of helpful websites, too many to list or link. I might try to do that next time I post.

One site I must mention is the CSS Color Editor: Replace CSS Colors website.
For this current WordPress theme, I uploaded a local copy of the css file for the frugal Theme
The editor generated all the colours from the css file first, then I replaced the colours using my preferred colour palette and pressed ‘Convert’.
Voila! It spits out the new css file with all the colour changes.

I still need to tweak a few areas colour-wise and page layout/side bar sizing, but overall it has done the find/replace colours job very well.

i just hope I haven’t neglected anything or anybody during this time!

My to do list:

- Finish customising WordPress theme + add button graphics + add banners
- Start customising Prestashop theme using WordPress theme as reference

Have you got any tips for setting up e-commerce websites?