@Paintbrush

Hello I have the full suite of CC Products, I am in a quandary due to the fact I have to design a site that is similar to three sites. Basically I am building a template for a 3 store client. They use Authorise net and I am trying to get them in PCI compliance. I have a SSL on my server, no problem there. The Templates on the PRO do not offer from scratch which from a designers end, is very disappointing....

So I am trying to marry up a webplusX6 with a shopping cart pro/designer pro. I need a clue how to write the CSS your current site was written in VSD which is very dynamic, your style sheet also very dynamic
can you direct me on how to do the css? I am using the latest builds of the SCC Pro and SCD Pro and have VSD, not sure which build. please and Thank you

Elisa
elisa@digitaldesignsbyelisa.com

Hiya Elisa,

I'm sure Paintbrush will be around at some point to answer you on most of your questions, but I thought I would address the PCI compliance comment you made in your post. The shopping cart software that CC uses does not need any type of PCI compliance setups at all. This is due to the fact that the software does not gather any monetary personal information at all, only the basic name, address, phone etc. info.

All of the payment info is handled via payment processors such as Authorize.net that you mentioned, and PayPal and a handful of others. Those sites are the ones that need the PCI compliance. This means that SSL is not really "required" for the server that is using the CC shops either. You can rest assured that any of your client's shops will meet any standards necessary using standard server setups without needing excess settings for compliance or security for the CC Shop software systems.

Elisa,
I find the best way to get a consistent look/design is to start with the shopping cart first. It's much easier to design a site to match the shopping cart than vice-versa.
But if the sites are already done, I'd get all of the graphic elements from them – logos, backgrounds, icons, buttons – then get going in Shopping Cart Designer Pro with a blank template. SCDP has all the styling options built in so you don't need a separate CSS file. Just start adding in the graphics and matching colors/fonts to get a custom look.
So, copy the designs of the original sites as much as possible into your shopping cart design.

Here's an example of a shop that links to a VSD site: http://flippleshop.com/
You can see how using the same backgrounds, buttons, etc. ties everything together. The Home button on the shop goes to the VSD site, the VSD site has a 'shop now' link and view cart buttons.

Jo Ann and Viv have a lot of experience with the shopping cart programs, so make a start and you'll find plenty of help in here if you need it.
Eric has a bunch of scripts and how-to stuff for VSD: http://progrower.coffeecup.com/
He might have some shopping cart tips somewhere as well; adding html and scripts into your cart, for example).

Paintbrush an i differ here a little, i tend to design a vsd page which is pleasing, with my sccp open in another window with a blank template just to guide me to button positioning.

once designed you can crop the page into three parts, header footer & middle

Saved for web to optimise, and then put them into scdp as logo footer main body

Then set up the categories buttons in scdp and they are then easily replicated in VSD to match

each to their own, but basically its quite simple if a little time consuming.

my delorean site may help you see haw this works.

good luck

Viv me old mate, You design like I paint. First I stuff it up then I fix it up. I am following your system. VSD is ideal to give a top page for using exactly like you do. I now have the pigeon pair as far as SCDP & SCCP is concerned. No shop yet. Got a heap of stuff to sell. Even a Clive Sinclair ZX80. I even have an old Foxtel dish converted into a outside fire tray for brickettes. If I have problems I will be asking you to give me the drum on it.

I used to sell them, when they first came out, in our jewellers shop, next to calculators