By CraigB100 on

Hello Folks, here is a quick description of the question I have / help I need.

I am advising a small industry association on a new website. They make their money by running a series of events. They hold a database of members, and prospects (non-members), the database size in total is 1000.

They want a more live website, which doesnt require any coding etc to update. This is great as I have advised them to go down the Open Source CMS Route.

However they require a couple of functionalities which I am not familiar, specifically:-

1) The website needs to be able to either send html email marketing, or be very to extract the data for another online emailing service.
2) The website needs to be able to take credit card payments (this is a UK organisation).
3) The website should hold the member / prospect database
4) They should have the ability to selectively extract lists of members who have e.g. Attended Event A, or say Not Attended Event B, and then email them.

My starting thought was to use drupal for the site, with some kind of eCommerce module, where people would effectively "add to cart" a ticket to attend an event. So in that way it would not need to be anything bespoke.

My concern is number (4) above, which i guess is a kind of rudimentary CRM. Im not convinced a standard eCommerce module would have this functionality, though I may be wrong as Im not very experience in this area (I am helping out this organisation for free, but since starting have realised its more complex than i thought!). So I guess my questions are as follows:-

1) Is drupal + modules going to be able to meet the overall project need
2) What modules would be best to use, & why
3) Is there a recommended hosting firm (typically Ive used siteground in the past, but just for simple non-transactional sites based on Mambo).

Im prepared to pay for people who are able to answer these questions in full and essentially lend me some basic consultancy on how I could put the project together. It is also likely I would then need help with implementation which I would also pay for.

Please let me know if you can help!

Thanks,

CB

Note: all creative / theme / content work is already complete.

Comments

bestknight’s picture

bestknight commented

Have you researched the Civi-CRM integration & related modules?

MacRonin’s picture

MacRonin commented

Yes, Check out CiviCRM ( http://civicrm.org/ ) Depending on additional details, it should be able to help with points 1-4

It is a very powerful open-source CRM that works nicely with Drupal and is written in PHP. The current version requires php5+ and the upcoming new version may require php5.2+

Sorry, but I can't recommend a hosting company of the top of my head since I have a dedicated box. But a heads-up, CiviCRM can be a bit greedy RAM wise.

BTW CiviCRM will work with Joomla, but at this time does have better integration with Drupal

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http://www.PrivacyDigest.com/ News from the Privacy Front (Drupal)
http://www.SunflowerChildren.org/ Helping children around the world ( Drupal)

drupalexpert_amit’s picture

drupalexpert_amit commented

Hi CB,

Here are some inputs based on my experience:

Step 1. Put together the site using Drupal + ubercart + Civicrm + TineMce/Fckeditor
This should allow you to have a website which can be used to create and manage events by the owners from a simple intuitive frontend with no coding required. + Ability to sell and manage transactions for the events + ability to hold prospects in a database and email them custom HTML emails

Step 2: This pertains to your item #4 >> create a custom drupal module that allows your client to selectively extract member info based on "Events attanded" and other custom criteria >> This exported list can then be imported in Civicrm in a jiffy and emails can be sent

Feel free to ask questions on specific implementation aspects of the project.

Regards,
Amit
Email: drupalexpertamit@gmail.com

klapper’s picture

klapper commented

Drupal is a good choice. Ubercart ist a good choice. CiviCRM may not.

Yes, CiviCRM is a full featured CRM, especially if you are a non-profit organisation, you will benefit from a huge set of functions. But it's not well integrated into Drupal. You may need to combine tickets sold in your ubercart shop with recipients in CiviCRM. That's not easy. You may need some programming and you won't find anyone doing it well and cheap.

You don't need a CRM. You need an email-marketing-tool with a some data exchange with ubercart. That may need some programming, too. But the good and cheap way, because it's all Drupal.

Best regards
Edmund
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I do Drupal Modules, Theme Development and Migrations. Send a private message or visit http://katp.de (a german site) and let's see, if i can help you.

CraigB100’s picture

CraigB100 commented

Thanks everyone for getting back to me, the project has now started with one of the developers who replied to me. Thanks again, CB.

MacRonin’s picture

MacRonin commented

Good luck. I hope it goes well.

-------------------
http://www.PrivacyDigest.com/ News from the Privacy Front (Drupal)
http://www.SunflowerChildren.org/ Helping children around the world ( Drupal)

bhabanid_2000’s picture

bhabanid_2000 commented

Hi,
this is not a place to disclose all this question, so please give your emailID to send you details mail.
Regards
San
for Enfinet
bhabaniat enfinetdot com