New Ray Smith site - feedback please

[mobiletoys]

I'd appreciate all feedback (good and bad) on my re-launched site:

 

http://www.raysmith.co.uk

 

Note - this is a live site.

 

Thanks.

[Ady]

I really like that site.

 

I have been having a browse around, and it just has a fluid feel to it. All the colours go together aswell.

 

You may want to correct the text on the login screen for the create new account...

 

'By creating an account at Ray Smith - Mobiletoys you will be able to shop faster keep track of the your orders.'

 

Doesnt read right.

 

Other than that thought, its a cool site..well done

 

Ady

www.avmdvds.com

[wondernet]

Nice.

 

What contrib. did you use for the info-box look/feel ... if indeed you did not mod this yourself??

[agiftcodotcom]

Yes, how did you put your categories in the boxes?

[MobileSteve]

I did the development work for the raysmith.co.uk site, and Ray has asked me to reply.

 

First, thanks Ady for spotting the stupid text. I've fixed it. Glad you liked the colour scheme - we did many, many versions before we were happy - but with most of the stock osCommerce changed to CSS, rapid style changes are easy enough.

 

From memory, I used the following mods:

 

Featured Products v1.5.1

Configuration Cache v1.31

Regions Shipping

Admin Account v1.2

BTSv1.3

Category Box using CSS

 

Plus much hacking and slashing about on my own - mostly in an attempt to get rid of as many HTML tables as I could and just use CSS where possible. Still a bit to go!

 

I also removed a lot of unwanted osCommerce features - one of my pet hates with the stock design is that there is a temptation for people to use everything on the one site - not always a good idea. Best to keep it simple and add features only when they can be justified.

 

I modified the Category Box using CSS to do display the categories in the boxes. If you look at the source, it is all done by CSS (just <li> tags). There are no images, or javascript rollovers.

 

If anyone wants the source for my modified categories.php - let me know and I'll post it up.

 

 

Steve

[agiftcodotcom]

I did the development work for the raysmith.co.uk site, and Ray has asked me to reply.

 

First, thanks Ady for spotting the stupid text. I've fixed it. Glad you liked the colour scheme - we did many, many versions before we were happy - but with most of the stock osCommerce changed to CSS, rapid style changes are easy enough.

 

From memory, I used the following mods:

 

Featured Products v1.5.1

Configuration Cache v1.31

Regions Shipping

Admin Account v1.2

BTSv1.3

Category Box using CSS

 

Plus much hacking and slashing about on my own - mostly in an attempt to get rid of as many HTML tables as I could and just use CSS where possible. Still a bit to go!

 

I also removed a lot of unwanted osCommerce features - one of my pet hates with the stock design is that there is a temptation for people to use everything on the one site - not always a good idea. Best to keep it simple and add features only when they can be justified.

 

I modified the Category Box using CSS to do display the categories in the boxes. If you look at the source, it is all done by CSS (just <li> tags). There are no images, or javascript rollovers.

 

If anyone wants the source for my modified categories.php - let me know and I'll post it up.

 

 

Steve

If anyone wants the source for my modified categories.php - let me know and I'll post it up.

 

ME ME ME!!! OOO OOO OOO!!! I DO!!! :D

[MobileSteve]

Not sure if this is the best way to post this to the forum, but I've pasted the code below.

 

You'll need the CSS file definitions to make it work, but this can be had from the live web site:

 

http://www.raysmith.co.uk/templates/mobile.../stylesheet.css

 

Code from replacement file : ../catalog/includes/boxes/categories.php

 

<?php

 $boxHeading = BOX_HEADING_CATEGORIES;
 $corner_left = 'rounded';
 $corner_right = 'square';
 $box_base_name = 'categories'; // for easy unique box template setup (added BTSv1.2)
 $box_id = $box_base_name . 'Box';  // for CSS styling paulm (editted BTSv1.2)

function tep_show_category($counter) {
 
   global $foo, $boxContent, $id;

   if ( ($id) && (in_array($counter, $id)) ) {   	 
  	 $boxContent .= '<li class="selected">';   	 
   } else {
  	 $boxContent .= "<li>";
   }

   for ($a=0; $a<$foo[$counter]['level']; $a++) {
     $boxContent .= "";
   }

   $boxContent .= '<a href="';

   if ($foo[$counter]['parent'] == 0) {
     $cPath_new = 'cPath=' . $counter;
   } else {
     $cPath_new = 'cPath=' . $foo[$counter]['path'];
   }

   $boxContent .= tep_href_link(FILENAME_DEFAULT, $cPath_new);
   $boxContent .= '">';
 
   for ($a=0; $a<$foo[$counter]['level']; $a++) {
     $boxContent .= "   ";
   }

   $boxContent .= $foo[$counter]['name'];

   $boxContent .= '</a>';

   $boxContent .= '</li>';

   if ($foo[$counter]['next_id']) {
    	 tep_show_category($foo[$counter]['next_id']);
   }
 }

 $info_box_contents = array();
 $info_box_contents[] = array('align' => 'left',
                              'text'  => BOX_HEADING_CATEGORIES);
 
 $boxContent = '';

 $categories_query = tep_db_query("select c.categories_id, cd.categories_name, c.parent_id from " . TABLE_CATEGORIES . " c, " . TABLE_CATEGORIES_DESCRIPTION . " cd where c.parent_id = '0' and c.categories_id = cd.categories_id and cd.language_id='" . $languages_id ."' order by sort_order, cd.categories_name");
 
 while ($categories = tep_db_fetch_array($categories_query))  {
   
   $foo[$categories['categories_id']] = array(
                                       'name' => $categories['categories_name'],
                                       'parent' => $categories['parent_id'],
                                       'level' => 0,
                                       'path' => $categories['categories_id'],
                                       'next_id' => false
                                      );

  	 if (isset($prev_id)) {
       $foo[$prev_id]['next_id'] = $categories['categories_id'];
  	 }

  	 $prev_id = $categories['categories_id'];

  	 if (!isset($first_element)) {
       $first_element = $categories['categories_id'];
  	 }
 }

 if ($cPath) {
   $id = split('_', $cPath);
   reset($id);
   while (list($key, $value) = each($id)) {
     $new_path .= $value;
     unset($prev_id);
     unset($first_id);
     $categories_query = tep_db_query("select c.categories_id, cd.categories_name, c.parent_id from " . TABLE_CATEGORIES . " c, " . TABLE_CATEGORIES_DESCRIPTION . " cd where c.parent_id = '" . $value . "' and c.categories_id = cd.categories_id and cd.language_id='" . $languages_id ."' order by sort_order, cd.categories_name");
     $category_check = tep_db_num_rows($categories_query);
     while ($row = tep_db_fetch_array($categories_query)) {
       $foo[$row['categories_id']] = array(
                                           'name' => $row['categories_name'],
                                           'parent' => $row['parent_id'],
                                           'level' => $key+1,
                                           'path' => $new_path . '_' . $row['categories_id'],
                                           'next_id' => false
                                          );

       if (isset($prev_id)) {
         $foo[$prev_id]['next_id'] = $row['categories_id'];
       }

       $prev_id = $row['categories_id'];

       if (!isset($first_id)) {
         $first_id = $row['categories_id'];
       }

       $last_id = $row['categories_id'];
     }
     if ($category_check != 0) {
       $foo[$last_id]['next_id'] = $foo[$value]['next_id'];
       $foo[$value]['next_id'] = $first_id;
     }

     $new_path .= '_';
   }
 }
 
 $boxContent .= "<div id=\"button\">\n";
 $boxContent .= "<ul>";

 tep_show_category($first_element); 

 $boxContent .= "</ul>";
 $boxContent .= "</div>";

 $info_box_contents = array();
 $info_box_contents[] = array('align' => 'left',
                              'text'  => $boxContent
                             );
 
 if(file_exists(DIR_WS_BOX_TEMPLATES . $box_base_name . '.tpl.php')) {
     require(DIR_WS_BOX_TEMPLATES . $box_base_name . '.tpl.php');
 }
 else {
     require(DIR_WS_BOX_TEMPLATES . TEMPLATENAME_BOX);
 }
 
?>

[agiftcodotcom]

I think your CSS sheet is quiet different than mine, so it appears not to work so well. Also, it was asking for...

 

require(DIR_WS_BOX_TEMPLATES . TEMPLATENAME_BOX);

[MobileSteve]

I'm using the excellent Basic Template System (BTS v1.3). Plenty of help on here already.

 

If you don't need to use the BTS, then it should not be too hard to adapt the categories.php for the standard osCommerce files.

 

The relevant bits from my CSS file are:

 

.infoboxlt

.infoBoxHeadingLT

.boxtextltcat

#button

#categoriesboxlt

 

If you have no prior CSS experience, then I recommend looking at the many online examples and tutorials. Especially:

 

http://www.alistapart.com/

 

Steve

[phooey04]

Terrific looking site Steve. A great example for those just starting development of the potential OSC has.

 

Good luck with the business.

[unixfox]

Nice site !! If I wasn't in the U.S. I'd probably buy something from ya. But being from Texas it might take a while fer shipping.

 

Good Luck Dude !!

[MobileSteve]

Thanks for all the feedback guys.

 

Site is running smoothly. A big improvement over the previous design and shopping cart implementation - even if I do say so myself.

 

Steve

[bobthelucky]

nice site, do you plan on selling much in the usa? if so how does one do the dollar pound thing? im new so im not to sure i would love to know how to sell in your neck of the woods, have a Native American site and the germans and japanese amoungst many others love that stuff well ill learn but your site is really good loooking

[MobileSteve]

We don't plan on selling outside the United Kingdom.

 

It's a sad fact of life that most of the orders we receive from outside the UK (mostly from Eastern Europe, the Far East and Africa) are cases of attempted credit card fraud. It's just not worth the hassle.

 

On the new site, we've taken the step of removing all but the UK from the country dropdown in the member's address book. So it is now impossible for anyone from outside the UK to place an order with us - but the fraudsters still try it by email, etc!

 

I suppose if we were selling a more specialist product, then it would make a lot of sense not to limit our market place in this way.

 

I'd be interested to hear what other traders are doing with foreign orders. I can't believe anyone is making money selling high-value consumer items to known fraud hot-spots.

 

Steve

[Chance]

I called the bank our merchant account is with and asked them what countries they will allow processing from.

 

Most merchant accounts will not accept transactions that have a ship-to address to Indonesia for example, and this country and a list of others are on their "watch list" because of a long history of fraud.

 

Just call and ask them what countries they deem safe to ship goods to, they should tell you.