How to add PayPal to your iWeb site

iWeb offers Mac users an easy way to build their own Web site from scratch and post it for all the world to enjoy. Though iWeb's built-in tools are formidable, you can greatly expand its scope by using HTML Snippets and a little coding from popular Web sites like PayPal.

It seems as though everyone has something to sell these days and adding PayPal to your iWeb site can help. Not discussed in this article is the process for setting up a PayPal account, but PayPal has a nice tutorial and walk-through that should get you started easily.

I used iWeb and PayPal to set up a Web site for a fashion company I design for--UGO.

Once you've got your account set up to sell (verified by PayPal), you can make your item buttons. Choose the type of button you wish to create. If you'd like people to be able to buy multiple items, doing a shopping cart style button is probably best. Set the item name to something you'll remember (and be able to keep books on if you're running a business). Enter your price point and you're all set.

You can also add a drop-down menu if needed (for sizes, colors, iterations, etc.) Other options like shipping and tax rates are available as well and should be filled out before publishing your site. You can edit your buttons later, so don't worry if you don't know all your information right off the bat.

Once you've entered in all the button information, click "Create Button." The code that appears on the next page will be used in your iWeb site.

Open iWeb and create your item page. Of course, adding pictures of what you are selling is helpful and a small description is always a good idea. You can use shape masking to create continuity on your page. Place an image of your item on your page, select the image, and click Format > Mask with Shape from the iWeb menu bar. Choose your shape and the image will be masked to it.

Next, click on Show Media (if it is not already available) and drag an HTML Snippet to your page. Copy the code from PayPal and paste it in the HTML Snippet code box. Click "Apply" and your button (and any drop-down menus) should appear. Align the button so it looks good and click "Publish."

Now, when people visit your site that can buy whatever it is you're selling--from T-shirts to trinkets. Have you used iWeb for your business? If so, how? Let me know in the comments (and include a link)!