Multiple Domains Name and Optimizing OS Commerce

[PetersonJa]

Hi there,

I did try and find an answer to these questions in the forum, but the only reference I found was this, so I'm making a new post.

 

I've been working as an Online Marketing consultant for the past 12 years, and I am now up against the optimization of an OScommerce website which is not straightforward. I would really appreciate any feedback some of the more advanced members of the community can provide, because I need to also understand whether the problems I am facing are System Architecture based or due to a lack of understanding on the part of the Developer.

 

My client has an OScommerce site that has been developed in two languages which is causing me a pretty industrial level of pain. At the moment the language is set using a language ID called with the page.

 

I am hoping that someone here can offer some help to work through the issues as I see them.

 

1) Domain Names:

Can someone tell me if it is possible to configure Oscommerce so that each separate language version resolves to its own domain. For example, I would like that when users click on English they goto www.domain.com and when they click on French they goto domain.fr. If so, can someone tell me how can this be done, or point me to a resource that will allow an OScommerce developer to work through this? [see footnote for extended description]

 

2) Language Session IDs:

This point is a little connected to whether the domain name issues can or cannot be resolved.

 

Here's a page from the website at the moment:

 

http://www.domain.fr/index.php (default language)

http://www.domain.fr/index.php?language=en (english)

 

This is a complete nightmare from an SEO point of view because I am forced to drive optimization to exactly the same pages with only a language variable as a distinguisher (many sites won't take links with ? in the URL). What I really need to have is the following type of mod_rewrite performed on the URL so that each language version has it's own section, as follows.

 

http://www.domain.fr/index.php (default language)

http://www.domain.fr/en/index.php

 

Again point 2 (above) is really dependent upon whether I can implement a domain based solution (point 1) to fix the problem I am having with optimization of this OScommerce site.

 

Because if it IS possible to configure OS commerce so English content will only be served under a specified domain name, and French content under another, then the problem goes away.

 

Footnote

Just in case their are some Admins watching this thread, and just to be absolutely clear, this type of configuration will only work in the case that it is not possible to force foreign language content to appear under the incorrect domain name.

 

In other words:

 

www.domain.com/products.html (this is a page in English)

 

www.domain.fr/produits.html (this is a page in French)

 

www.domain.com/produits.html (this is the domain in English with the content in French. THIS WOULD BE BAD)

 

What would need to happen in the above case:

If www.domain.com/produits.html is loaded, then redirect 301 www.domain.fr/produits.html

 

Sorry for the long-winded approach here, but I really needed to be, what I hope is descriptive, of the problems I am facing.

 

 

Thank you for your support and help.

[chooch]

You can use the Multi-Shops contribution if you like, make some modifications to get it to do what you want.

 

Or if you not too familiar with oscommerce you could always have two oscommerce stores running off the same database... basically just like on the lines of multi-shop. This would work two fold. You could have exactly the same image folders so your product images and so on are shared between two websites or you could have individual paths for everything except the database.

 

If I were you I would do the following:

 

1) copy the whole catalog folder (ie your shop) at www.yourEnglishsite.com

2) create an identical catalog folder (ie your shop) at www.yourFrenchsite.fr

3) do not remove the languages from the admin area. If the two shops are running off the same database you must make sure both English and French are installed.

4) in the columns or header area or wherever you wish to place your language links, you should hardcode a hyperlink on the French flag on the .COM site and obviously hardocde a hyperlink on the English flag on the .FR site. If you do not want to use flags go for text links

5) SEO: You made no mention of what SEO files you have added, however, it is more than possible to add SEO functions with great impact on multi-language stores. You can for example use dynamic language links and they shows up in search engines in the appropriate language.

 

There are some other things to do too. You must use configure your files and set them to show the correct domain and cookie path for the .FR site. By default you will be on the same database.

 

Have a go and see what happens. There are other things that can be done to achieve what you need but they may be far too complex so just stick with the simple options as sometimes they are the best as well as the easiest.

 

I wish you success

[PetersonJa]

You can use the Multi-Shops contribution if you like, make some modifications to get it to do what you want.

 

Or if you not too familiar with oscommerce you could always have two oscommerce stores running off the same database... basically just like on the lines of multi-shop. This would work two fold. You could have exactly the same image folders so your product images and so on are shared between two websites or you could have individual paths for everything except the database.

 

If I were you I would do the following:

 

1) copy the whole catalog folder (ie your shop) at www.yourEnglishsite.com

2) create an identical catalog folder (ie your shop) at www.yourFrenchsite.fr

3) do not remove the languages from the admin area. If the two shops are running off the same database you must make sure both English and French are installed.

4) in the columns or header area or wherever you wish to place your language links, you should hardcode a hyperlink on the French flag on the .COM site and obviously hardocde a hyperlink on the English flag on the .FR site. If you do not want to use flags go for text links

5) SEO: You made no mention of what SEO files you have added, however, it is more than possible to add SEO functions with great impact on multi-language stores. You can for example use dynamic language links and they shows up in search engines in the appropriate language.

 

There are some other things to do too. You must use configure your files and set them to show the correct domain and cookie path for the .FR site. By default you will be on the same database.

 

Have a go and see what happens. There are other things that can be done to achieve what you need but they may be far too complex so just stick with the simple options as sometimes they are the best as well as the easiest.

 

I wish you success

 

 

Thanks very much for your considered feedback. I am going to share this with the Developer, please PM me.

[chooch]

Thanks very much for your considered feedback. I am going to share this with the Developer, please PM me.

 

I do not see the need to PM you but I do think there is a problem if you feel the need to share information with the developer instead of vice-versa.

 

If you yourself are not a programmer or do not know much about oscommerce then your developer should and if he/she does not then you may need to hire someone who knows a little bit about oscommerce.

 

I have my hands full with projects so cannot take on any paid work but if you need more advice it is better for you to get your developer to post here with updates and requests, I am sure there are plenty of members who can post here with help when they have time.

[PetersonJa]

I do not see the need to PM you but I do think there is a problem if you feel the need to share information with the developer instead of vice-versa.

 

If you yourself are not a programmer or do not know much about oscommerce then your developer should and if he/she does not then you may need to hire someone who knows a little bit about oscommerce.

 

I have my hands full with projects so cannot take on any paid work but if you need more advice it is better for you to get your developer to post here with updates and requests, I am sure there are plenty of members who can post here with help when they have time.

 

Thanks for your help again, I will do just that.