 | The Real Soft Cart
Version 1.1 Release!
Version 98c - Demo
Installation
Configuring the cart with MS Internet Explorer
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Step by Step
"How To" Guide for setting up your products...
- Getting Started
- First things First
- Editing the ITEMx.HTML Product Pages
- Editing the Cart page
- Editing your CheckOut Form
- Editing your Thank You Page
- Checklist before you upload
Let's get started
Welcome to the Real Soft Shopping Cart "Getting Started Guide" for Setting up your Products. Since WYSIWYG HTML editors (like FrontPage) are designed to be web
design tools, there is little need to use these type editors to edit these templates. If you can successfully change the <... bgcolor= ...>, < .. background= .. >, <font ...> and other attributes easily with notepad
Since these pages rely on variables YOU provide for proper operation they are loaded and
displayed in your browser differently than a page that has no "configurable" options.
(Other than physically changing the text, graphics and layout like you would on a standard
web page.)
In FrontPage you would have to click the HTML tab in the lower central section of FrontPage's program window. From there you would need to modify the items one by one, frequently saving and previewing as you change each item. By checking each change, as you make it, you would be able to tell when you run into a little problem before it becomes a BIG problem. These templates are FREE and provided "as is" for your convenience. They are intended to be a separate, but integrated, part of your website in that they comprise an on-line catalog with short descriptions of your products.
You no doubt already have a product page (if not several) that you have taken great care with and have worked hard to make sure it is what you want aesthetically as well as being informative and complete regarding the benefits of your product(s). THE PURPOSE OF THESE TEMPLATES IS NOT TO REPLACE YOUR EXISTING PAGES, but rather enhance your site with on-line ordering of your products and services. Allow these templates to be "catalog pages" and your existing product pages to be "the Showroom examples" of your virtual store.
If you don't know what that means I can best explain it like this:
Think of The Real Soft Shopping Cart system as a catalog. When most people think of a catalog, the old Sears catalog, JC Penney, Victoria's Secret or maybe some other catalog comes to mind.
Let's engage imagination mode for a moment.
You can look at the products Sears has, for example, by looking in the Sears catalog.
If you spotted a lawn tractor in the catalog and wanted to investigate it further, you might hop in the car and head to Sears and check out the tractor first hand in their store. After looking over all the options, examining the color, checking the seat for comfort, etc. etc. you might then decide that you need to go to the checkout counter and tell the clerk you want that tractor. As you stand there next to the tractor you see that Sears also has a bagger system that fits the tractor so you grab that box too and get your wallet out to pay the clerk.
Stay in imagination mode for a moment and think about how you can provide this same experience to your web site shoppers virtually. The Real Soft Shopping Cart provides the on-line equivalent of the "paper" catalog. Each of it's ITEMx.HTML pages make up the pages of this on-line catalog. Instead of your customer having to physically "go somewhere" to see your product up close, simply include your existing product page address (URL) in the ITEMx.HTML templates and all your shopper has to do is click the "(More...) Link" to Take a closer look at your products.
Your virtual cash register is reached by clicking the Check Out button (at left) on the cart applet window. This intuitive design (and the fact that the cart stays visible) makes it so easy for your customer to buy your product they almost can't resist!
Just like our example Sears customer who picked up an accessory when he bought the Lawn Tractor of his dreams, you too can expect greater instances of "additional items" being purchased by your customers because they don't have to fill out an additional form to buy two or more items from you. They all go into the cart! Your customer can quickly and easily buy as much of your products as he can afford.
This is the key question you need to ask yourself. "If your customer CAN'T impulse buy on your site, what is the chance that he WILL impulse buy?.
Answer: none. He can't impulse buy if it is not possible to do so on your site.
The difference is that this catalog allows your customer to actually buy your products on-line!
With the click of ONE BUTTON your customer can make a decision (perhaps an impulse decision) to buy your stuff! The ITEMx.HTML pages are simply a quick overview of each of your wares with links to more detailed info.
First things First
If you downloaded the UPGRADE FILE (RSSCxxxU.EXE), you will notice that the UPGRADE download package installed the cart files by default into a directory called "/cart". YOU WILL WANT TO MANUALLY MOVE THESE FILES INTO YOUR RSCARTDEMO DIRECTORY IF YOU ARE RUNNING THE DEMO VERSION.
Before you dive in and edit your product pages there are some questions you need to ask yourself.
- How many products will you sell?
- Will you be adding more products later?
- Can you think of accessory items?
How many products will you be selling?
This is important to know before you begin editing your product pages because the navigation system built into the ITEMx.HTML templates is designed to lessen the amount of JavaScript editing necessary to complete your on-line catalog.
The ITEMx.HTML pages have a variable called totlItmPgs (which stands for Total Item Pages). Setting this variable incorrectly will disable the [<< Prev] and [Next >>] buttons. Therefore, to avoid having to redo a bunch of your templates, decide early how many products you will display in your on-line catalog system.
Will you be adding more products later?
If you do plan on adding more products later you can do so quickly and easily with any text editor, however, for ease of changing multiple files at once we recommend using EditPad. It's as easy to use as NOTEPAD.EXE except you can do a search and replace with multiple files simultaneously. Let's say you initially had 7 items when you first install your cart. After a few months you decide to add 2 more to your catalog. You simply start EditPad, open the /cart folder on your hard drive and select all of your ITEMx.HTML files. (files: item1.html, item2.html, item3.html, item4.html, item5.html, item6.html and item7.html) Then drag all 7 icons directly into the EditPad window. All seven files open simultaneously. Locate the second variable item in any of the ITEMx.HTML pages, highlight and copy the variable statement: "var totlItmPgs = 7;" and press Control F (which displays the "find dialog") paste the variable statement into the "Text to Find:" field, hit Tab, then paste the variable statement again into the "Replace with:" field adjusting the "7" to a "9". Next click the "Replace All" button. Control S Saves All of the files. Exit EditPad and you have successfully changes all of the files at once! Add your two new pages and you are done!
Can you think of accessory items?
If you have some products that are really add ons for other major items include them in your catalog! The more items you have listed in your on-line catalog, the more items your shopper can buy! Try to be complete! Get your entire product line listed in your catalog and you will have higher incidents of multi product sales! Once you have completed the First steps to take you are ready to edit the product templates.
Editing your ITEMx.HTML product template pages
Don't let the thought of using a text editor scare you. Even with FrontPage's "HTML tab" you are modifying the contents of the JavaScript variables by simply replacing their values with your own. If you use notepad to do this you will be saving a significant amount of time just in the difference between how long it takes to load FrontPage versus how long it takes to load NOTEPAD.EXE. If you screw up the page, you can always extract item1.html out of your RSSCxxxx.ZIP download file and try again. When you are ready to try editing your first product page, click the [ EDIT FILE NOW ] button on the product page (while in Edit Mode only.)
Editing your CART.HTML checkout form
There are only 3 things to change in this file.
- Your PAY.HTML URL
- The <TITLE> tag contents
- The Applet background colors (optional)
Editing your PAY.HTML checkout form
There are only 3 things to change in this file.
- Your email address
- Your SMTP mail server
- The subject line of the message
Put something in the cart first,
Then View your Checkout Form.
NOTE: To edit PAY.HTML, click the link
above, then right click the frame above
and View Source. (with MSIE)
Editing your THANKS.HTML "Thank You" page.
There are only 3 things to change in this file.
- Your email address
- Your Company Name
- Your Home Page URL
View Thank You Page
NOTE: To edit THANKS.HTML, click the link
above, then right click the frame above
and View Source. (with MSIE)
Check List time!
By now you should have edited each of the following HTML files:
- One ITEMx.HTML for each product you will sell on your site.
- Your CART.HTML page.
- Your PAY.HTML page.
- Your THANKS.HTML page.
After editing all of them. Make sure you have turned "Edit Mode"
OFF. Next you are ready to upload the files in your /cart directory,
/cgi-bin directory and /img directory to your server to test the cart.
If you run into any problems, READ
OUR FAQ PAGES!. If you are still stuck, VISIT OUR FEEDBACK AREA to ask any questions you may have. Thank
you for your interest in the Real Soft Shopping Cart and may it serve you well.
When you are ready to see your cart the way it will look to your web site shopper, CLICK HERE.
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Copyright © 1998, The Real Soft Shopping Cart
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