[RobertB]

I've just down loaded WEBPLUS X2 from Serif and have spent the evening reading the user guide and on line tutorials. As some of you may know I run a window blind company and I'm trying to get an on line presence.

I've been looking at the best way of displaying the price structure, I was thinking about using a simple table, however, the user guide talks about a data base. Would that allow me to prompt my customers for the width and then the drop of the blind with the data base obtaining the price?

I've been reading the section on DB a few times now but still find it er 'difficult'

Thanks guys


Robert

[tommy]

There are many different ways you can do this.

1. Database with a admin section would allow you to update your prices and new window sizes etc. But this is also your more expensive way in developer terms as they would need to structure the database and build the admin section.

2. You could use a Javascript array which is basic rows of data which can be selected and help fitler other sections of your form on your page till the last section which then calculate a price. This would require a developer (unless you are technically knowledgable) to change prices, add more selections to your lists in the future.

3. Just display in the table and when you need to change it then just update your code to the new prices.

Me personally, if you are not going to constantly be changing prices and adding new items week in and week out the table would be fine to use.

3.

[Alvin]

Agree a simple table with width and drop for every product would be best.

No wrong data to enter and fewer clicks, to the till.

Alvin

[RobertB]

Thanks Guys,

My plan is to design a simple website using Webplus and if it works reinvesting in a professional designed site.

Cheers,

Robert

[awebapart.com]

Originally Posted by RobertB

I've just down loaded WEBPLUS X2 from Serif... I've been looking at the best way of displaying the price structure, I was thinking about using a simple table, however, the user guide talks about a data base. Would that allow me to prompt my customers for the width and then the drop of the blind with the data base obtaining the price?

I've been reading the section on DB a few times now but still find it er 'difficult'

I think you will find it difficult going the serif database route, and I doubt you will be able to do it without resorting to software development.

The easiest way, using a basic system like webplus is to just treat the site as an information/brochure site and display your prices in a table within a page.

If you want something more, like ecommerce, then it wont be easy since your particular type of product is a complex product as far as ecommerce goes. Products like curtains with widths and drops are actually one of the more complex types of products to set up in an ecommerce system, and most off-the-shelf ecommerce systems don't cope very well with these types of products.

So what is so different about curtains from other products that every tom, dick and harry can set up themselves on their ecommerce site?

The reason is the product options drop and width are dependent upon each other when working out the final price, whereas other product options for most other products are not dependent on other options, they are self-contained. Most ecommerce systems allow product options which affect price, and the option has a number associated with it that adds to the base price. With curtain's width and drop options, there is either a lookup table or a multipy between drop and width to work out price (since we're dealing in amount/area of fabric in say square metres).

This means that most ecommerce systems that support product options which affect price need to be set up with just one option, a combined width/drop option rather than 2 options width and drop, and there can end up being a large number of variations in the combined width/drop option. For example:

www.awebapartshop.co.uk/shop/product_info.php/cPath/26/products_id/46

Another option is to avoid standard/advanced ecommerce systems and set up some custom coding (custom software development in Javascript, and/or other server-side coding for the content management system), e.g.:

www.awebapart.com/home/curtains_blinds/Made_to_Measure_Blue_Red_Velor_Curtains

but this is advanced stuff, something that custom developers need to be involved with, and sometimes the more you make the pricing dependent upon software rules, the less you make the pricing content manageable.

[RobertB]

Thanks to everyone for their help.

I've been thinking about the pricing structure and decided to make the problem of showing the price into a USP.
I will charge by width only regardless of drop (well up to 3 m).

E.g. 1800mm width blind any any drop £39 (or something like that)

Cheers,

Robert