Need help setting up an online gallery

[MamaMonica]

I want to set up an online gallery to sell my paintings. How do I start? I have a business license- that's about it. How can I get a professional looking web page? Any tips on how I find out how to price and pack artwork for shipping?

I do acrylic and paintings on canvas and watercolors.

TIA

[Knittin' in the Shade]

If you're looking for an easy, streamlined interface that looks good to the browser and won't drive you nuts to run, i'd suggest http://www.oscommerce.com. It's free, and pretty easy to set up, i think the toughest part is configuring your images. I'm on a mama-biz list and a lot of the members use it and love it. You can check it out in action here: http://www.patchworkprincess.com, although I know she's still getting it set up so there might not be pics yet. You do need to have a website with php and database capabilites to run it though, so your first stop should be to set up a site with a host.

[MamaMonica]

Thanks- I will look into that. I am not sure I'd need a shopping cart because I'd have a few larger, pricier items-- and I assumed I'd sell them by the buyer emailing me.

Is there an advantage of a shopping cart system over this way? It seems more personal to sell without a cart.

I'd also be doing commissions probably- I do those now when people see my work, so I thought I'd have pictures so people can see examples and contact me if they want a specific painting done.

[MamaMonica]

edited

[Erin Pavlina]

I would use a secure online order form instead of a shopping cart for the type of business you're talking about. Order forms are on one page, so you don't lose the customer mid-order, and they can fill out the form lickety split.

All you need is their credit card information and billing address and which painting they want.

It will save you time and money to use an order form instead of a shopping cart in my opinion.

[MamaMonica]

OK- next dumb question. How do I do a secure ordering page? Would doing credit cards thru paypal be best? I have a premier paypal acct.

[PatchyMama]

I would just use a paypal cart then if you are taking cards by paypal.. its been a while since i used it, but i think there is info in paypal... or check out mals (www.mals-e.com).

As for a gallery.... if you want an actual gallery there are phpgalleries that you just upload the photo and it creates thumbnails (edited out link) ... the one i use: http://gallery.sourceforge.net/

HTH!

[Erin Pavlina]

You would do a secure ordering page like any other html page, but it would go in a secure directory on your host.

You would receive their information by email and then run their card through your merchant account or through PayPal (I guess).

For a sample of the type of ordering page I'm thinking of for you, see this link.

[MamaMonica]

Thanks ladies for the info. The gallery and secure order page look like great ideas.

If anyone has any info on packing and shipping artwork please post! Or advertising- once a page is set up, how do you get folks to see it?