my first commercial website

[johngute]

please critique my first efforts for a commercial website.
it's for my employer.
link removed, thanks for your feedback

thanks

[Buddha]

I would add a contact form instead of using an email address. Besides the obvious spam reasons the cleint will also be reminded that site is working for them with every email they recieve.

[johngute]

I would add a contact form instead of using an email address. Besides the obvious spam reasons the cleint will also be reminded that site is working for them with every email they recieve.

done.

http://applevalleyrental.com/contact.php

well almost, it doesn't work yet, nor is it linked from any other page yet.

one thing i'm trying to figure out is a better way to list all of the equipment.
most stores have big lists of equipment that are difficult to read, and no search feature.
samples:

http://www.crownrent.com/Crown%20Rental%20Catalogs.htm

http://bloomingtonrental.com/rateguide1.html

i'd like a php/mysql database that allows adding items through a form for the store, and full text search for the user.

not sure if my skills are up to the challenge, and i've yet to find anything ready made to modify.

[Buddha]

one thing i'm trying to figure out is a better way to list all of the equipment.
most stores have big lists of equipment that are difficult to read, and no search feature.
samples:

http://www.crownrent.com/Crown%20Rental%20Catalogs.htm

http://bloomingtonrental.com/rateguide1.html

i'd like a php/mysql database that allows adding items through a form for the store, and full text search for the user.

not sure if my skills are up to the challenge, and i've yet to find anything ready made to modify.

With something like that it's good if the client can update it themselves ... then they can't blame you for the .99 cent Tomcat rental.

[Eric]

oscommerce is free and good. It can be used for displaying images of catalog items, prices, shopping cart, tax computation, etc.

Eric

[johngute]

oscommerce is free and good. It can be used for displaying images of catalog items, prices, shopping cart, tax computation, etc.

Eric

it may do too much, can i disable the shopping cart feature.
also the big thing i need to do is to be able to display multiple prices.
eg. Widget rental: $20 for 4 hours, $30 for 24 hours, $120 a week.

[waltonics]

Sometimes a 'quick' solution is to have all of this info in an excel spreadsheet or something. When your client wants to update the info, he uploads a new spreadsheet file, and clicks some button to update the names, prices, etc on the site.

Excel users can export as 'comma delimited', its not too much work to begin to figure out how one might use php or something to pull the text apart.

Seriously the best way to learn stuff is to do it. If you have even used php before just bite the bullet and give it a try The searching bit might be a bit harder, but if you are stuck on where to start, howabout trying just the excel file saved as comma delimited, then pull it apart into an array using the php explode() function.

You can then whack this data into either mySQL or xml files or whatever... I spose it doesnt save that much using the excel, sometimes its easier for you and the client though...

that was a rant, sorry!