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osCommerce

The e-commerce.

Creating a Buy link from a standard HTML page


SoundToys

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Posted

Hi Everyone.

 

I'm taking over a website that is using a hodgepodge of different technologies, and I was curious if I could make a standard HTML page with product information have a "Buy" button that would add the product to the shopping cart. IE having an HREF tag that included enough information so that the shopping cart was updated with the correct purchase count.

 

The user would then use the osCommerce engine to checkout, etc.

 

I have looked through the archives and FAQ and haven't found this information. Any and all help that you could provide would be extremely useful, and I would be very grateful.

 

Thanks,

 

Noah

Posted
I would think the following would work although I haven't tried it.

 

http://correctpath/default.php?cPath=1_6_8...w&products_id=4

 

Obviously change correctpath

to whatever you need and the products_id to whatever you want. The behaviour will depend on whether you have options for that product.

 

Hope this helps

 

But, won't this take the customer *out of* the existing website for ever? I mean, the transaction will start from that URL and end in the default page of osCommerce home page only, right? Is there any way where we just add products to the shopping cart, but stay on the existing html site all the time. Then, the checkout should also be approachable from the main html site.

 

Considering that session-ids are vital to the progress of a transaction using osC, I myself deem the above proposition impractical, yet my proposition remains vital to adding osCommerce to an existing html site.

 

Looking forward,

 

Sunny

Posted

I guess it would take the customer *out of* the existing website unless it was located in the same place as the osCommerce scripts. I assumed that was the idea. I am not sure if there would be a way of doing it without leaving a separate html site. After all the php scripts have to run for any cart functions.

 

If the Oscommerce site is modified just to provide cart and checkout then it could be full of the appropriate links to return people to the main site after cart or checkout activity.

 

The only problem I see is that users would perhaps have to log in each time they added stuff to their cart. I'm not sure - it would need playing with. Would probably depend on cookies.

 

I guess the best solution would be to relocate the existing site to the server which hosts OsCOmmerce. If its an asp or cfm site that's unlikely to be feasible.

 

In the end a rewrite of the existing site might be the easiest thing.

Posted

To use the osC cart you need to add the products to the database anyway, so in the process of building the cart, you are building a new catalog. Then you can work on making it look like your existing pages, or linking back and forth between the two. I am pretty much going to be doing this with an existing site. There are already pages that are linked in the search engines, but I will have buttons for purchase that will take people to the osC site, that will not only have those items they clicked on, but many more items available. It will have the same "look and feel" but once they are at the osC site, they will not need to go back to the html based site.

 

Debbie

[no external urls in signatures please, kthanks]

Posted

Another idea, Cafe Press does this. What if the cart opens in a pop up window? They aren't an osC store but it would be the same concept. Go to http://www.4fundraising.org/modules.php?op...load&name=Store and click on a product, click on buy now, then close the pop up and click on another product. (not an ad, a demonstration :) )

 

You have your site in the background and the shopping cart is separate. The session stays enabled. This is probably a little more complex, but if you really need to be able to keep the existing site as is, it is a way to do it.

 

Addionally, to make the links I am planning to use the newest version of the Affiliate Program that has a built in text link builder for individual products :wink: See the oscAffiliate thread in Contributions for info on that.

[no external urls in signatures please, kthanks]

Posted
Another idea, Cafe Press does this.  What if the cart opens in a pop up window?  They aren't an osC store but it would be the same concept.  Go to http://www.4fundraising.org/modules.php?op...load&name=Store and click on a product, click on buy now, then close the pop up and click on another product. (not an ad, a demonstration :) )

 

You have your site in the background and the shopping cart is separate.  The session stays enabled.  This is probably a little more complex, but if you really need to be able to keep the existing site as is, it is a way to do it.

 

Addionally, to make the links I am planning to use the newest version of the Affiliate Program that has a built in text link builder for individual products  :wink:   See the oscAffiliate thread in Contributions for info on that.

 

I'd stay away from opening the cart in a new window.

 

I just use HTML pages with links to add products to the cart...

 

All you have to do is create a form with a few attirbutes...works just like the stock OSC "add to cart" but you have full control over the product display page...don't have to use their viewer...on the other hand the disadvantage of this is that your products will NOT be dynamically updated when new products are added through the admin tool.

I need to read the rules more often...

Posted

[quote="westkoast

I'd stay away from opening the cart in a new window.

 

 

Any particular reason why?

[no external urls in signatures please, kthanks]

Posted
Any particular reason why?

 

1. Consistency

 

2. Customer confusion/attention span. There are a lot of links on that cart page and they may follow them instead, and never checkout.

 

3. Looks cheap. I feel like a good e-commerce site should make the checkout process as simple (and quick) as possible, with the ability to lead customers through checkout with minimal disturbances/distractions.

 

That will lead to a more "professional" vibe, and in turn hopefully more orders.

 

Just my .02

I need to read the rules more often...

Posted

That particular cart page was an example. Your own cart page would match the site you are working with and have only links back to your own site.

 

I don't think it would look any more unprofessional than having them jumped to a different site when they click Buy Now.

 

I was just offering it as an option, personally, I would move the products to osC.

[no external urls in signatures please, kthanks]

Posted

:roll: am just thinking aloud here, have not done it myself.

 

A workaround seems to be using frames:

 

1. Add a new frame to the existing site that shows just the shopping cart summary/

 

2. Display *Add to Cart* button on each product page of the existing html site.

 

3. Let the products be added to the shopping cart, get displayed in the additional frame and the current navigation co-exists.

 

4. The checkout link in this new frame finally opens the new pages that contain the whole checkout sequence.

 

I look forward to someone implementing this and sharing the experience.

 

Sunny

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