Multi-Site Module...

[swguy]

Google removes the asymetrical information advantage of vendors and drives pricing transparency. I'm not convinced.

[Gerome]

sorry, swguy, what's your point with google ?

The idea behind this module is to make more relevant shops. you will see that in the test shops, there is some specific shops but also shops that sells all the products. It also allow to make clone shops that have a specific template and that you can provide for a specific cummunity website...

As for SEO, yea, I probably has to change something in it, make sure you have the write .htaccess in the first place...

Sorry for the delay with the releaseof thie module but as I work for a company, I try to do the work for which I'm payed for before doing the work for the zen-cart community...

As soon as our multishop will be running for our server, I'll work on the module release.


Thank you for your support,

Regards

Gerome.

[a_berezin]

The idea behind this module is to make more relevant shops

I completely agree with it.

[swguy]

sorry, swguy, what's your point with google ?

I was responding to Merlin's assertion that specialty shops could charge higher prices.

Relevance is an interesting argument. And clearly it can be done as a price/demographic
segmentation strategy (a la Banana Republic/Gap/Old Navy). It just seems like an
odd strategy for a small net-only business.

Scott

[ofenza]

I'm looking for a cart that allows me to manage multiple individual (with different look and products) storefronts from a central admin. Also, I'd like to know if is it possible with only one zen-cart instalation, so these individual storefronts would be as categories/clients.

[reza]

hi, I am thinking to use language templates as the head firstline categories. by this I mean to use different languages templates in which can be use completely with different layout in within one zen cart, and by using header category in stead of sidebox category ( this last shows the number of the products in the other categories in the sidebox) so for every language(category) I will get different template and only subcategories of this one will be displayed. this means that customer belongs always to ONE zen cart database.

problems:
1- marketing aspect: the shops are not external links but with the same domain name.
2- marketing imago: the products of the month and new products of the category A will be mixed and displayed in the products of the month or new of category B template which is a mixing of the products even if we masked them by using header category name tabs or header flyout css category.

advantage: one zen cart, no complication of modules or overrrides, one customer registration for the all shops(categories)

question: what do you think? any suggestions? or commentar is welcome.

[Gerome]

I never try to use the multilanguage aspect of zencart but that sounds a good idea.

I think you can still use sidebox categoreis as long as you override it correctly.

[Gerome]

First Beta Release:

http://www.zen-cart.com/forum/showthread.php?t=62908

[Beez]

Just a day ago a client asked for this! And now it's here!! I definitely shall try it out!

[reza]

hi gerom, Thanks for your contribution, I installed it on my local pc, and on real host by using subdomain names as extra domain names.
although there is a Brief explanation, but exactly where one should pay attention in confugurations, there miss more detail in explanations, or some of them doesn't go further in instalation procedure.
exp.
1- when you explain about:
-------------------------
If you don't know what is the name of the constant of a configuration setting, you can execute this query:

/* This query will add the constent names to the description of the configur######## settings in the admin section */
UPDATE configuration
SET configuration_description = CONCAT(configuration_description,"<br /> ",configuration_key)
WHERE configuration_description NOT LIKE CONCAT("&#37;<br /> ",configuration_key)
/* end of query */

You can now see the constant name of each setting parameters from the description of these ones in the admin section.
--------------------------------
where do I have to change or put this querry, when I did in sql of mysql in table configuration, I got error? also, where in admin do I have to expect to see something that you mentioned above?

2- are these site 1, site 2 etc. redirect sites to the global www.site.com, or do they have each a zen installed in?

3 if the answer above is redirection, so are they redirect to www.site.com?

4-do the above sites hosted on one server or may be on separated hosts?

5- I installed it on a fresh zen 137, and I replaced MODIFY_FILES completely without putting in different templates, can it be a reason?

6- this querry in mysql gave me error: /* add an html comment to all the categories descriptions */
UPDATE categories_description
SET categories_description = CONCAT("<!--your_site_name1-your_site_name2-->",categories_description)
WHERE categories_description NOT LIKE "%-your_site_name1-your_site_name2-%"
/* end update */

6- I didn't go further for crosslinks as the first steps didn't go further. for example my config_sites directory has: www.gold.domain.com_config.php :
<?php
define('DIR_WS_CATALOG', '/home/domain/public_html/a/');
define('DIR_WS_HTTPS_CATALOG', '/a');
$template_dir = "gold_passion";
define('SITE_NAME','gold');
?>
and in my domain : www.domain.com , I added a subdomain: gold.domain.com, and redirected to www.domain.com? is it a mistake?

finally when I go to my website www.domain.com/a , I don't see categories more? but only the links to specials, and all products?????!!!!!
thanks