Multiple sites sharing the same MySQL database but different information

[Cucaracha]

Hi please excuse me if this information is somewhere else i tried a thorough search and i'm very new to this.

First: My scenario is i have one domain and multiple sub-domains, each domain is running a separate shop for each of my agents, each agent with a separate paypal account for their own shop.

Secondly: I have one MySQL database to host all the separate shops with each shop acting as completely separate entities with no information being shared between them.

Is this set up possible? if not what are the limiting issues?

Can i assign table prefixes during installation to each instance of Zen Cart fopr the SQL?

And finally are there issues with SSL if i set up different shops on the same domain, with different merchant accounts like paypal?

Many thanks in advance...

[Merlinpa1969]

Yes during setup you can set each up to have its OWN prefix

[Cucaracha]

excellent thanks for the fast reply. but beware i will have more questions... :)

[Cucaracha]

OK i had a quick read of some other threads.

They got me wondering this...

I'm running an affilate program with the above constrictions. But is it possible to feed all of the sites in separate sub-domains from one central main site. Each of the sites is owned by an affaliate and run on separate paypal accounts for each agent/affaliate receiving separate payments and processed separately?

Is is possible to charge the affilates a wholesale price + shipping for a product while they charge a full RRP + shipping? i am handling the shipping etc. I remember seeing a module that allowed the masking of wholesale prices?

My predicament is how to stock centrally, manage transactions from my affilates and ship directly to their customers? is there a work around for something like this?

thanks

[JSWeb]

Hi Cucaracha

It looks like a great project - allowing resellers to run their own websites, selling Wholesalers products (at their own prices) online.

There are a number of options available and we really need to know more about your business aims.

For example:

To help a reseller get started will probably be thinking of giving each reseller a website with a selection of templates to select. - This is very possible. However, you would need to decide just how much customisation they are allowed to do (e.g. can they add their own logo?) ... the more they are allowed to do, the more education they will need.

It then gets a little more difficult with regards to how many products will be populated i.e. A new site populated with X number of products that they can sell at any price.

Some factors to think about
- Can a reseller sell ALL of your products or just products they have pre-ordered from you?
- Can a reseller sell your products at any price?
- Can a reseller sell other products from their website or just yours?


Another factor to consider is how each of these Resellers sites is kept up to date when your list of products changes.

Examples:
- ProductA - The description of that product changes and this appears on 100 reseller sites.
- ProductA - The product is OUT OF STOCK or no longer sold by the Wholesaler

If for example you have 100 reseller sites that would be 100 updates you may need to make!

Additionally, a reseller may want to add other products to their website or even different description/images to help them sell more. You will therefore need to make a decision to whether this is allowed or not.

If it's not allowed for products to be updated, then a script could be created that regularly allows each reseller’s website to update with your product details -- easy.

If they are allowed to update their website with products / descriptions then get ready to send 100 emails to remind your customers of changes they need to make ;-) . In addition, they will need to be taught how to make these changes.

MONEY TALKS!

The next thing to think about is how payments will be made. A customer can purchase from a reseller account via Paypal no problem. But how is that item then purchased from your site and sent to the customer? (I assume you, the WHOLESALER, will be shipping all items direct to all customers).

Here's an idea:

1) Customer purchases from reseller website. (Reseller takes payment)
Reseller goes to Wholesale site, logs in and purchases the item entering the customers shipping address. The item is then purchased by the reseller but sent to the customer. (Just remember to avoid branding)

or

2) Customer purchased from reseller website. An email is sent to the reseller + CC'd to the Wholesaler. The wholesaler then sends an invoice to the reseller and handles that offline - once paid, the item is shipped to the customer.


Summary:

The easiest way to implement this using ZenCart would be to have all affiliate websites with the same branding and look (although some leeway could be allowed with the appearance by a choice of templates), offering ALL the products you have on the wholesale site at prices fixed by you. This would mean the least education required and the easiest way of keeping everyone up to date. End user purchases from affiliate using paypal (you could allow other options but they would need to be standard); affiliate purchases from you by any of your chosen payment methods giving the end-user's address as the delivery address.

There is always a way with the delights of Zen Cart - just try and keep your business simple. We have a script that instantly installs Zen Cart within a matter of minutes of receiving the relevant information - you may need this k this if new affiliates sign up.

Good luck with your online ventures.

Kind regards

JSWeb

[JSWeb]

Maybe a good idea to move this away from the "Installation on a Windows server".... (Not that its obvious that I hate Windows - but more becuase of the thread type :)