Skip to Content

Great Deal for Students

Amazon is offering free Amazon Prime (free 2-day shipping) for 6 months.

Sign up here.

Required Textbooks

Section #33627
January 13 - May 12, 2014

Shopping Cart Sites - Online Class:

Every year, shopping online gets more and more popular. There is a great demand for shopping cart sites, either as stand alone sites or as additions to regular sites.

In this class, we will explore the wide variety of shopping cart options available for selling online and the factors that will help you determine which solution to choose for your particular store. We'll have hands-on practice in setting up some sample stores, examine ways to drive customers to your online store and discuss various payment options. Some of the topics discussed will be cart design, site usability, shopping cart location, payment options, shipping options, managing the store, and marketing the site. Get ready to have some fun with a lot of hands-on experience building ecommerce sites on the Web. See which options are best for you or your client.

Prerequisites

GCMW 102 or an HTML/Web publishing class or the equivalent knowledge/experience. At the end of the class, you will have to know how to create normal HTML Web pages, how to publish and manage a Web site and how to FTP your files to the server. Another good alternative is to take my eClasses, Intro to Dreamweaver class. Click the link on the left.

You also need to know how to prepare images such as photos and banners for use on the Web. This means that you will have to be able to use an image editing program such as Fireworks or Photoshop to change the resolution of the files, to crop them, etc. There are many other photo programs that can do this, however, so you can use any program that you are familiar with.

Note: During the first 2/3 rds of the class, you won't have to build your own html pages and upload them to the Web. However, in the last 1/3 rd of the class, you will. If you are taking GCMW 102 concurrently with this class, you should know how to build your own html pages in time to do the assignments at the end of this class.

Software Requirements:

No particular software program is required. However, you need to have software that allows you to create Web pages, to create images for a Web site and to FTP your files to the server. Adobe Dreamweaver and Adobe Fireworks or Photoshop are good Web development tools, but it is possible to use other programs. If you've had GCMW 102, you know how to use Dreamweaver, and you should know how to prepare images for the Web, so this should not be a problem. You can use the labs on campus if you don't have software at home to use.

Required Textbooks

Advanced Option - ZenCart

Students who have already taken the basic GCMW 217 class may register for the class again. They can do the advanced option, instead of repeating the curriculum for the basic option. In the advanced option, we will be creating a shopping cart using ZenCart software.

ZenCart is free software that consists of many files that can be installed on your own Web site. There are many extensions that can be added to give your store special features and options. You can also choose from a wide variety of templates to change the appearance of your store.

You can install the cart on your own site, or you can make use of a simple one-click option offered by many Web hosts that installs the cart automatically. Once it's installed, you will make use of the extensive backend to add your products, payment and shipping options.

ZenCart requires special hosting features. We will discuss those requirements in class, and each student will obtain their own hosting. Hosting for the duration of the class can be obtained very inexpensively.

No books will be required for the advanced option of 217.

Logging on to the class site:

Connections to our online Web site will be activated at http://blackboard.palomar.edu/webapps/login/ on Monday, January 13th, the first day of the semester.

Username: Students registered for this class will use their nine-digit student identification number for their UserID to login. Be sure to type in all 9 digits.

Passwords: For your password, use the same password that you use on eServices.

Once you are logged on to the system, click on the link to the class files. You don't have to login at any particular time of day. During the course you will be logging in frequently, but at times that are convenient to your schedule. You will have an assignment due at the end of the first week of classes, so it is important that you do login to the class site during the first few days of class and do your assignment by the end of the first week. If you have not done so, or let the teacher know why not, you might be considered a "No Show". "No Shows" might be dropped from the class so that someone on the waiting list may take the course. It's just as if you were taking a class on campus and did not show up for the first class.

eServices Email Address: Be sure to check your email address on eServices. Keep it updated so that if a teacher wants to send you some information, she will be able to. You can add a non-Palomar address, and then mark it as your "Preferred" email address. That way you can receive your Palomar email at the address that you use most often. Also, if you are unsure of your password for Blackboard, you can use the "Forgot Password" link, and the password will be sent to your preferred address.

Check Back Often:

This page will be updated to reflect any changes in information about the class. Please check back often. Once you have registered for the class, be sure to get your books and software so that you are ready to start the first week of class.

Applying to Palomar and Registering for the Class

You can now apply to Palomar College Online and register for the class. Please go to the Application Page.

Your application to Palomar College is free. When you apply, you will be given a student ID number. Once you have your student ID number, you will be able to register online for classes. Register at: https://eservices.palomar.edu/psp/pals9prd/?cmd=login&languageCd=ENG&

Tuition

Tuition is very low for students with a California address. At this writing, tuition for California students is $46 per unit.