Can I Run Two Stores from One Database

[adnimas5]

Dear Zenners,

Currently I have this one major site which is doing very well. However, I want to hit certain keywords that I am not hitting by opening a new domain. SO I am wondering:

If my main store is
www.abc.com

Can I open
www.def.com and point to the same data base www.abc.com is using?

This way It would be two physical sites (so search engines will pick it up better). But it would be one central database which would be easy to update and most importantly one customer can sign up once and use both sites....

Thank you

[JollyJim]

I do this for a number of my clients. Both domains have their own hosting and installation of Zencart. Essentially one is a clone of the other and both use the same database.

The cart is clever enough to work out which store the user came from and returns them to the correct url. So far there have been no problems with sessions or the fact the database is shared.

Each installation of Zencart needs to have the config files set for each domain. Also, the meta-tags.php can be different for each. The sessions should be stored in the database as opposed to the file directories - just to keep things straightforward.

As long as you maintain the same file structure, add-ons etc and keep both systems identical, there should be no problems. Beware however differences between server set-ups - where one domain is hosted by one firm, and a second domain hosted by another. This can cause all sorts of unspecified problems.

Each store can even use a different template. Simply call the template the same in both stores but upload different design and css files. Since the template selection is stored in the database, unfortunately you are restricted to using the same template name in both stores which can lead to a bit of confusion, but it does work using alternative image and desgin files (header, footer and css etc)

[LisaVB]

OK, so I have 2 stores, they are hosted with the same host...how do I go about doing this?

I can download the whole shopping cart file from my server, and upload it to my 2nd site, but I don't understand what to do after that. How can I get it so that the inventory is the same for both sites? So, if someone buys from site A, it reflects that on site B as well?

I understand changing the css files, etc. so that the stores "look" different but how do I get them to share the inventory?

[Website Rob]

Make sure the mySQL db information for both sites is the same. This is done in both 'config' files for both sites. By having the two sites use the same db, the Inventory will be identical.

Note, for best results you need to make sure each site has the same Modules installed and settings in the Admin area for the db, are also the same.

[re_active]

Dear Zenners,

Currently I have this one major site which is doing very well. ...
This way It would be two physical sites (so search engines will pick it up better). But it would be one central database which would be easy to update and most importantly one customer can sign up once and use both sites....

Thank you

I'm looking into ways of achieving the same thing right now. Is there a better way to get search engines to hit than completely duplicating the site? (Not a problem here as I run on a VPS)
Will duplicating the home page and serving that work? How will google sitemaps interact?

[crazycucumber]

I do this for a number of my clients. Both domains have their own hosting and installation of Zencart. Essentially one is a clone of the other and both use the same database.

The cart is clever enough to work out which store the user came from and returns them to the correct url. So far there have been no problems with sessions or the fact the database is shared.

WHile trying not to thread hihjack , can I ask if you have it working so that they all shops use the same DB , but show differnet stock depending on URL customer is looking at , if so .. lets talk !

[dreamstudio]

I also am trying to do something similar, client has 2 seperate areas, finished products and components. He wants 2 sites so someone looking to finished products cant see the components. So by having two sites with each site dealing with the seperate area should solve it

Now why dont I just setup two different sites? Well we are using sagelink to link zencart to sage. This only works with one zencart DB so ideally want to have one db and two shops

Is this possible?

[re_active]

I found a more indepth thread on (more or less) the same topic here:

http://www.zen-cart.com/forum/showthread.php?t=36709

[Cucaracha]

I found a more indepth thread on (more or less) the same topic here:

http://www.zen-cart.com/forum/showthread.php?t=36709

I think that thread refers to running the same stores from one merchant account,

can this also be done using different merchant accounts with one inventory?