Website Help?

[Joe]

I have recently contacted a domain provider and bought a package to set up my website.

I don't know a widgit from a whatsit so you can imagine the stupid self help set up thing where you randomly click options and then get sent a hundred different emails that each needs to be followed up individually didn't work out so well.
I bought a bunch of options because I knew I needed help from a real human.
I did not realize that each option would make me deal with a separate department of folks that do not share the same first language.

Just today after over a week of email tags, appointment dates, and repeatedly asking the person on the other line to repeat themselves I finally got someone to sit me down and we were ready to set up my website.
I gave her a run down of the basics I need...storefront, forum, search, blog, and links to social networks...you know the basics.
Well after all the phone tag and list of emails come to find out once I finally speak to someone I can understand I find out I bought weebly and needed wordpress.

Did I mention I don't know my weebly from a widgit and thats why I hired them?

That's why I paid extra so someone...ANYONE could help me!
Instead she bumped me back to sales so I can start ALL OVER AGAIN!

Can someone please give me the run down of the basics that I need so I can make sure I'm buying the right thing?

I don't want anything fancy.
A place to sell product, a forum for folks to complain, comment, and praise the product, information on the products, and links to the social networks.

Anyone...someone...have any insight?

I just want to publish some books. Not sure why I need to spend so much time on empty image when I could be spending time on quality content but that's what folks seem to demand.

Judging a book by the website. hmmm...

[mbeacom]

I might be able to help. How many SKUs do you plan to have in the next year (this is one of the main basis of cost for hosted ecommerce)? Do you plan to take credit cards? Paypal? Google Checkout? Do you need someone to provide merchant services?
How do you plan on getting the word out? Do you want/need ebay integration now or in the future? Or Amazon integration? There are lots of "gotchas" in this industry so its not surprising that you're where you're at.

[Joe]

PM sent

[bloodymage]

I'm about in the same position as Joe, but I got an expert I'm paying a monthly stipend to to get me through the mess. It ain't quick, but it's working. Now, if I could just type more than one letter at a time, I'd be golden!

[mbeacom]

Joe,
If you PM'd me, I didn't get it. If you want to contact me, go to http://www.routermall.com and click the CONTACT US link at the top, then send a message to the top email on that page.