How can I sell a PDF file from a non-Zen Cart web page, but use Zen Cart to download?

Hi

I am very sorry about the confusing question. I am also very sorry if this has been answered before, but I cannot seem to find anything.

My wife wants to sell quilting patterns via the www. Her first quilt will be sold via a unique web address linked to that specific quilt.

What we want to happen on her web is to create our own html based web page (not using any of Zen Cart's templates, that is) for the sale. This web page will show the detail and price of the quilt. We then simply want buyers to click on some "Buy Now" button and to be directed to some payment system like PayPal or MonsterPay (which we opted for as a start).

Once payment is made and confirmed, we want the buyer to be systematically (automatically) sent a link to download the file via email or for the buyer to be automatically redirected to a web page (Download by Redirect set to True) or for the product to be automatically downloaded to the buyer's computer immediately (I think you call it streaming). Please excuse my stupid way of explaining this section! I don't know the real terms to be used.

This is where everything starts getting hazy...

I understand from Monsterpay that we need a shopping cart for the immediate download. This is why we decided on Zen Cart.

Logic seems to tell me that MonsterPay will be providing the "Buy Now" button, not Zen Cart.

If this is true, how does that button link to the PDF file to which I have added the Download Attributes to as per the tutorial found here: https://www.zen-cart.com/tutorials/index.php?article=71?

How does MonsterPay, after having processed the payment, get back to ZenCart to download the file? Is this a question for them to answer or can someone please help me?

Does Zen Cart actually create HTML code that I have to use for the "Buy Now" button? I am completely at a loss as to the next step.

The URL for the download page on my wife's web is the following: http://www.cowquiltpattern.com/patterns.htm The rectangle with the words "Yes, I'd like to buy this" is what needs to start the process of going to MonsterPay for payment processing and then on to Zen Cart for imemdiate file download via redirect (let's use this as default download method).

Can anybody please help a completely discombobulated (my biggest English word, I think :D) Harry in a rather cold Bethlehem, South Africa?:lookaroun

Kindest possible regards

Harry

ZenCart is not designed to be used in pieces as in the method you have described...as a backend to some html/buy now page
It is designed to list products and sell from within the cart structure to maintain security

Hi Kobra!

That's darn sad news...:(

Any advice / pointers on how one can do something like that without something like Zen Cart?

I understand that my last question falls outside of the ambit of what helpers are supposed to assist us with on the forum (it's like asking you what kind of off-season training I should do for cycling...:smile:), but I will greatly appreciate any pointers!

Kindest regards

Harry

A relevant question would be why you think you need to use a page outside of Zen Cart to present your product. Is it just that you have already built it? You can translate the design and content of your current site into Zen Cart with some work; this would be easier than trying to tear apart Zen Cart to use it as a download mechanism. We will be happy to give advice on doing this.

Well it can be done. But the product still needs to exist in Zen Cart. If so you can construct a link that will add the product straight to the Zen Cart shopping cart, and put that link on your existing page's "buy now button".

However, this is messy and although I've had clients start like this, all those that survived ended up migrating the products into Zen Cart.

This usually comes about because somebody wants to market test a product without thinking the process right the way through, gotten somebody to build a static site (or in one of our cases a flash site) and suddenly realised that they need fulfilment too, so try to bolt it on in a hurry. Better to get it right from the outset.

And if you are trying to avoid having to style Zen Cart like your HTML site, you are going to have shopping cart/checkout pages that don't match your site - not a reassuring thing for your customers. So you really need to do the basic page styling anyway.

Hi gjh42 and kuroi!

Thanks for the input. Kuroi, I really am a total nincompoop as far as HTML coding is concerend. The site I made for my wife was done in Xara. You probably know it as a very user friendly web site designer / creater. It does almost everything itself and I need absolutely no knowledge of HTML coding. So, constructing a link and the stuff you mention is beyond me! :dontgetit

The same basically applies to your valued input, gjh42. :smile:

I have absolutely NO IDEA how to even start getting Zen Cart look like my wife's site - or any other way than the current standard green admin section. In fact, I do not even know how to show the product that I'd listed in the admin section as part of a working web site! I must admit that I did not read up on it, but actually thought that Zen Cart was a shopping cart gateway and that it was an add-on to a current web site.

I really appreciate your response that the community will assist me in getting my Zen Cart shopping cart actually look like (or resemble it, at least) my wife's current web site.

But that will probably involve HTML coding, not true?

How can I start? Now that I know it can be done (with some work (mildly stated!:blink:)), I am quite keen to give it a go!

Is there something I should read up on about how to create my own template?

Thanks for the additional input!

h

Is there something I should read up on about how to create my own template?
The tutorials are a resource
I searched for template
https://www.zen-cart.com/tutorials/index.php?article=346
https://www.zen-cart.com/tutorials/index.php?article=232
https://www.zen-cart.com/tutorials/index.php?article=142
https://www.zen-cart.com/tutorials/index.php?article=133

Many of Zen Cart's features can be controlled from switches in the admin, but it's not possible to implement a design in Zen Cart without some knowledge of how web design works.

So although it's possible that you may not need to write any html at all (depending upon the design), you will need some understanding of it, and be able to style it using CSS.

A good place to start is w3schools.

WOW! Thanks for the super-quick responses and links provided!

From what I read in the tutorials, kobra, I cannot at all figure out how simply copying a css file to a new blank folder will end up in me creating some new template looking like my wife's current web pages. How is that done?

I'll have a look at the link you provided, kuroi, and get back to you on that.

Let the play begin!

Two years ago, I was just like you lost and trying to figure out how to use zencart to sell PDF downloadable files.

It was a big learning curve but eventually I learned it! :) There is a very good beginners book that you can try to get. It maybe outdated now since we are on v 1.3.9d but the basic concepts on it will help you a lot while you are figuring out how the software functions. Its the zencart book that is advertised on the banner above. There is an ebook version so you can download right away and start learning.

I would recommend that you try to first create your shopping cart on your local computer (localhost) get it running there and learn all the features before you try and deploy it live.

You can sell downloadable PDF files on zencart. Once the customer pays, you can set it to either have the customer download the file instantly or you can control it on the backend Admin, where you can switch the downloading on and let the customer come back to download the file. (personally I prefer the first).

I have a test site set up online right now which is password protected. If you want, I can send you the details and you can see from there, test it and see how it performs. PM me if you are interested. (It is set up to do downloadable PDF products).

Hi Sunflowertami!

What makes you think I am as intelligent as you are and able figure the stuff out? :D Thanks for the invitation to see how the download site works. I think the best advice is to get "the book" at this stage. Before I do that, however, I will be looking at the following thread, post no 3: http://www.zen-cart.com/forum/showthread.php?t=65042

I may well be able to figure something out, although HTML and PHP are somewhat different kettles of horses - or whatever.

And I'll get back to you about your test site, thanks! :smile:

Hello Harryf,

When I started out, all I had is some knowledge of HTML and it was hard to understand CSS (I still do not understand it that well) :no:.
However, you would really benefit from getting the book. It helped me a lot when I first started out.

I still have problems redesigning my site using CSS even after 3 years! but I get by, the people here in the forum are very helpful.

My offer stands if someday down the road, you want to test try how a site works for downloadable items.

Good Luck and if you have any further questions just post!

I cannot at all figure out how simply copying a css file to a new blank folder will end up in me creating some new template looking like my wife's current web pages. How is that done?
Search the tutorials for each item....as in
logo
header
footer
etc
This is a default base install MY DEMO
And this is just a slightly modified TEMPLATE

The tutorials can assist and the community is here if you get stuck

Hi Sunflowertami and Kobra!

The help in this forum is absolutely astounding! :bigups:

Just the positive attitude every helper has is enough to make me believe that I can do "it". I've run out of spare time for now but may on an on-off basis work on everything until (read before) the weekend, when I am sure I'll have time to tackle "it".

Thanks for all the positive feedback and tips in getting ahead so far.

I'll keep you posted!

Harry

Zen Cart has two features that set it apart from all other carts: the sheer number of features and the quality of its support forum (which unusually includes active participation by all the developers).

The first can make it a bewildering place to be, the second ensure that bewilderment need not last long.

One note of caution though, you are moving from a tool intended for building simple sites with no knowledge of web design to a proper web application and you won't be able to do that without acquiring some knowledge of web design.

But if you work through the materials to which we've directed you, you'll find that that's really not so difficult to acquire and there are plenty of people here willing to help you.

Hi Harry,

Having just finished my first Zen Cart site myself, I know how daunting this can be, my advice would be to stick with it, it's well worth the effort that you have to put in and as long as you are willing to do a bit of reading, it's not as difficult as you may think.

I found that I didn't even need to ask questions to find the help I needed, almost every single problem I faced had been brought up and answered before and for those problems that hadn't been asked, I had learned enough from the other problems to be able to fix it myself.

If you like, I can make a template for you to help get you started, just post or send me a pm with a screen grab of the design you made in Xara, along with any logos etc.

Alternatively, if you have a specific idea in mind for a look you want, just give me the details and I will try to create something based on your description.

Even if you didn't want to use the exact template, it could give you a better base to start from, based on personal experience, adding content and editing a site that at least resembles what the end product will be, can give some encouragement to keep with it.

Just so you are clear, I am not trying to sell you anything here, I would be doing this free of charge, I managed to learn so much from these forums without even asking a question so it's only fair I give a little back :)

Martin