using oscommerce as a "shell" for web pages

[purplemartinart]

I want to know how difficult it would be to use the oscommerce 'shell' to format all my web pages of my front end-so that it looks the same as my store. I currently use a template for my front end (Web Site Creator Lite) but I wanted that site to look more like my oscommerce site.

 

Here is a link to a page on my front end: http://purplemartins-r-us.com/501.html

 

Here is a link to the oscommerce site: http://purplemartins-r-us.com/catalog/

 

 

any suggestions?

thanks all!

[lindsayanng]

you can actually use STS contribution to create a full HTML website (like your main website) and then apply the oscommerce functions to it.. its much easier that deconstructing oscommerce..

[purplemartinart]

you can actually use STS contribution to create a full HTML website (like your main website) and then apply the oscommerce functions to it.. its much easier that deconstructing oscommerce..

 

 

I am not sure I understand. Your saying that the STS could be used to create a new main website AND a new e commerce site with oscommerce funtionality?

That sounds a but duanting as I am very pleased with how my oscommerce site has finally turned out. Do I understand right?

So if that is the case-you are saying that using oscommerce as a shell for my front end would be more trouble than its worth?

thanks

[lindsayanng]

no.. I'm saying you can create an HTML layout for your site and apply that LOOK to your existing website.. Go to addons.oscommerce.com and search STS and you will see what i am talking about

[lindsayanng]

Ok.. wait.. The way i was speaking was a way to make your osc look like your MAIN page.. not your MAIN page to looklike osc.

 

What you CAN do is turn the MAIN pages into .php instead of .html and put in things like require(header.php) and include(column_left.php) which will place those exact areas from your osc store into your MAIN part of the site..

 

I just think getting rid of the main page competely and adding those pages to your oscommerce store would be your best route.

[purplemartinart]

I enter STS in the search box and get 19 pages of results. Is there another name for it?

sorry :blush:

[purplemartinart]

woops missed that last post of yours.

 

I would love to add the main site to the oscommerce site but that is my question. I am sorry I do not know how to phrase myself that well.

Now I am confused. Whichever way is easier to have it all look like my oscommerce store but not lose the informational content from the front end is what I want to do.

[lindsayanng]

ok.. well that is easy.. Well, kinda.

 

You can use this (taken from the knowlege base) to teach yourself how to add your own page:

Add a Box Page - this will show you how to create a new page in oscommerce and then add a link to it in one of your existing info boxes.

 

If you want to create a NEW infobox to hold these pages, you can read here:

HOW TO ADD A NEW BOX

 

 

OR you can install a contribution called ARTICLE MANAGER which i think is AWESOME.. you can set up your "about purple martins" page as an article, complete with pictures and everything.. then you can use their cross sell to add some products at the bottom of teh article that you would like to refer the readers too.. so if you have a starter pack, and write an article on Beginners Bird Watching, you can combine the two.. ect. This can also get rid of your blog and put it on your new articles page.

 

 

Then you just delete the old pages that you are not going to use anymore and move the catalog to the root and your done

[purplemartinart]

OHHHHH the article manager sounds sweeeeet!!!!

thanks so much!!!!

[lindsayanng]

i like it.. I have it on my pet supplies site that iw as working on.. VERY happy with it