i am trying these days to make a website for a new clothing line named Cockstar and till now i can't figure out from where do i start ??

Purchasing a domain would be a good place to start. Then you get a hosting account. Then you develop the site. Then you get a merchant account and credit card processor.

All of the information can be found on this site.

purchase hosting and domain. Getting a merchant account and payment processor / gateway. Then start with the basic html and css of the site, then make the payment part (i recommend php).

Originally Posted by Gilligan

purchase hosting and domain. Getting a merchant account and payment processor / gateway. Then start with the basic html and css of the site, then make the payment part (i recommend php).

I would hold off on the merchant account and gateway until the site is built and ready to go because of the fees involved. I made the mistake of getting "all my ducks in a row" like that before and the site ended up taking 2 months to complete. I was hit with fees and hadn't processed one single order. It's good to shop around for a merchant account and gateway so you can develop your site knowing what you have to integrate but I would hold off any sign ups or obligations until the day you know your site is going live.

The fees aren't high by any means but it's money going out and none coming in. I don't like that kind of money.

P.S. I'm not sure if a clothing line called "Cockstar" would really take off unless you're marketing to the adult niche'. If that's the case, then go for it!

Merchant accounts take a long time to finally become available though, so i'd say do that about a week or two in advance to finishing the design.

Originally Posted by Gilligan

Merchant accounts take a long time to finally become available though, so i'd say do that about a week or two in advance to finishing the design.

This is very true. You will also need files (if you select LinkPoint) to install onto your server.

Here's the general timeline I've encountered setting up websites for myself or clients:

• Filling out your application and being accepted for your merchant account; 3-4 business days.
• Your merchant setting up your account and you receiving the information to setup your gateway; 2-3 business days.
• Receiving all of your paperwork from Amex, etc.; As long as 20 business days (Visa and MC are almost instant but Amex and Discover take longer). You can start processing Visa and MC at this point but not Amex or Discover. There was one site I did for an online pet store that took almost 2 months but their credit was a tad bit on the bad side.

So all in all, you're looking at two solid weeks before you can start accepting credit cards.

Thanks for clearing that up, Gilligan. I wasn't descriptive as I should have been regarding that.

yeah sure, i have experience with it, frustrating lol