OT: Off the shelf online order processing

["Graham Howe" <graham@xxxxxxx>]

I know this has nothing to do with HA, but does anyone have any experience
of off the shelf online order processing solutions. I have a potential
client for a web site that will be built using ASP and SQL Server, they say
they don't want to have any online shopping....yet. But they have asked me
to price up the possibility for a later addition to the site. It is really
only the actual secure processing of the order and payment that would ever
be required, the actual catalogue and order build would be handled through
the rest of the site. I have seen a few sites (for example comfort) that
have some form of third party add in or link out to handle this sort of
thing and just wondered if anyone know much about them. right now I just
need a ball park cost and indication of how solutions might work (for
example would it be a package installed on the client's server, or would it
be a link to a third party server). Please let me have any advice or
comments.

On a related point, the client is under the mistaken belief that they are
going to get loads of people finding them through search engines. I have
tried to explain how these tools are very difficult to 'tame' and that it
can be very much hit and miss getting on them at all, let alone anywhere
near the top. I have a feeling I know the answer to this, but is there any
approach other than applying for listing through the search site forms that
might speed up or enhance a listing. I know about meta data, keywords in
title, URL and text etc etc and also to avoid what might be seen as
cheating, but is there some trick that is at all useful (and free).

cheers

Graham


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