Always show Subcategories, or different categories in sidebox and top menu?

Hi all. I'm experimenting with how I display my categories, I think it's somewhat confusing for customers, but it's also unique, I kinda like it (I'm open to opinions! My store is in my sig). Basically, I have broad genres, such as Gothic, Tattoo, Rockabilly, etc, and then the subcategories are clothing and different jewelry in the different genres. I like the genres along the top as clickable categories, the way I have it now, but the only way to have it like this (as far as I know), is to set these as my top level categories. This is fine, but then customers may miss all of the products I have available if they don't click on each of the Genres/Categories to open up the subcategories.

Two fixes are to either have the Subcategories always show, even on the home page, but when I've googled how to do this, I only find really old plugins, nothing recent. The other option is to be able to set up completely different categories in the side box. For the top I'd keep the top level categories as is, but then have another different set of top level categories for the side box (instead of Genres such as Gothic, Rockabilly, etc., my categories would be something like Women's Clothing, Men's Clothing, Jewelry, Footwear, etc., categories that are more well known to shoppers).

If I can simply explode the categories in the side, this would be the most simple solution. Any suggestions for either of these ideas? Thanks!!

I'd guess that the mod that 'explodes' the sidebox categories might work, but I think you have too many subcategories for that to be your answer. You might consider this:

http://www.zen-cart.com/downloads.php?do=file&id=1

BTW, 'somewhat confusing for customers, but unique' is, in my opinion, exactly backwards from what you should be shooting for. No one who comes to your site is looking to be amazed by your Web design skills. They want to buy your products, and anything you do design-wise (and especially navigation-wise) should be to help them do so.

Yes, very true, I want for my store to be easy for customers to navigate! By "unique" I didn't mean design-wise, I meant a unique way of categorizing products, in my mind a useful way, but it is just my opinion. I honestly don't know how it is for customers to navigate my store (this is why I said I'm open to opinions, I'm curious how the navigation seems to others), but I also think that most of my customers come to my site by searching for a certain product and then landing directly on that page.

I did see that CSS flyout menu, that would probably improve the navigation. Just not sure it works with v150+. Do you know?

Thanks!!

Many things are not going to "work" correctly until you straighten out your code. Most errors I think I've ever seen.:(
http://validator.w3.org/check?uri=blackorchidcouture.com&charset=%28detect+automatically%29&doctype=Inline&group=0#result
It also seems to have some zenid data imbedded in a few links.:no:

dbltoe:

It also seems to have some zenid data imbedded in a few links.:no:

Ah yes, much to clean up, I shall do so! But what do you mean by the above quote, and why is it bad? Thanks!!

BlackOrchidCouture:

I did see that CSS flyout menu, that would probably improve the navigation. Just not sure it works with v150+. Do you know?

Yes, I've used it with 1.5.3.

You can see it out-of-the-box here: http://stevesh.com/demo2

and a version we made for a site here: http://stevesh.com/demo3

All differences between the two were made in the stylesheet.

stevesh:

Yes, I've used it with 1.5.3.

You can see it out-of-the-box here: http://stevesh.com/demo2

and a version we made for a site here: http://stevesh.com/demo3

All differences between the two were made in the stylesheet.

Awesome, thanks! I like the one that flies out to the left, that's different! Though my site is probably too wide to do that. Anyway, I will use this, thanks!

Ok, I fixed all my validation errors, the majority of them were because I have that list called Popular Searches with a list of internal links. I didn't realize that anytime there is an & in a URL you have to use & as you do anywhere else. Plus I had a handful of missing alts in some images.

I just have one error left: there is no attribute "data-thumb". This is generated from one of the files for Frontpage Slideshow. I'm exploring how to fix it, but if anyone knows offhand how to rid of this error, I'd love to hear it! Thanks!

Ok, I implemented the CSS flyout menu, and I love it! The only thing is that at the bottom of the categories list the New Products link has disappeared. Any ideas?

Those links work on my test site, so it isn't likely the mod. Do you have any new products? Did you maybe accidentally turn the link off in admin?

Nice job on the implementation. Fits right in to your site design.

Thanks, I like it! Nope I definitely didn't mess with any other settings, and I just turned on the other categories I was using to test it, and it's still showing the other links, I've attached a pic (the old categories is under the new one).