Is hosting company like "Host Gator" all I need to start my own website?

[keepaskingqq]

okay, I'm a total newb when coming to start my own website. I see stuff like host gator that charges a few bucks a month to Yahoo Store that chargers $40 a month. What do you recommend I go with?

[jeffweico]

Given the fact that you are new, I would go with something that is already programmed and running. Yahoo Stores are one option. There are also some other good ones to consider:

ChrisLands.com
BigCommerce.com
Volusion.com
Magento.com

Volusion is probably the most robust of all of these, and it has the nicest user interfaces, but it does take some time to learn. Yahoo is OK, but if you have a lot of listings, it will get VERY expensive!

Most of them have a free trial, so you can test it out and see if it is for you before you make a commitment.

BTW: Register your own domain at godaddy or another registrar. Never let a hosting company control your domain name.

[keepaskingqq]

why not CS cart? any opinion on that jeff?

[SUVE]

Originally Posted by keepaskingqq

why not CS cart? any opinion on that jeff?

You could 'why not' a lot of things if you took that approach.

CS Cart is good for what it does but it boils down to what your plans are in the grand scheme of things & your level of expertise/time/need/requirement for it.