Should I upgrade from Business v7 to v8?

[wjcampbe]

Malcolm - the extended info pages is my one area of concern about the SEO

I can understand your reservations here. Like you, I feel that the naming of these pages is an area where v8 lets itself down, and do not personally use this feature except for enlarged images. I do my selling on the main page using one page per product. [Makes note to self - time to separate out the BC Ness helper apps]

[pinbrook]

Ok I'm going to take this on as a challenge, as I would prefer to use extended info for products rather than one page per product.

This has the added benefit of having two add to carts and the the ability to use the limit product description on product pages were those pages get to long.

I'll report back...

[Duncan Rounding]

I have done V7 sites with one product per page and am developing V8 sites in the same manner. I use duplicates in the parent section with it's own buy-now button. What benefits could I have by using the extended info page instead of this method?

[RuralWeb]

What benefits could I have by using the extended info page instead of this method?

IMO none - I would stick with the V7 method.

[pinbrook]

I have done V7 sites with one product per page and am developing V8 sites in the same manner. I use duplicates in the parent section with it's own buy-now button. What benefits could I have by using the extended info page instead of this method?

Can I see an example of this please, Duncan. Ican't quite pixcture this at the mo.

I've been looking at the extended info route, and it sucks... the extended info layout is a real donut - if you choose with addto cart and open in same window there's no navigation on it and no close button, whats that all about?

[RuralWeb]

I've been looking at the extended info route, and it sucks... the extended info layout is a real donut - if you choose with addto cart and open in same window there's no navigation on it and no close button, whats that all about?

With a bit of playing you can get it to match the main site - see AUG. My point is that you cannot easilly optimise the page title etc.

Duncan is using the old V7 method of one product per section with duplicates as the compact description and link to full product page. With this method you have IMO much more control.

[pinbrook]

With a bit of playing you can get it to match the main site - see AUG. My point is that you cannot easilly optimise the page title etc.

thats my point, you have to reinvent the wheel and write your own layout as IMHO navigation is fundamental to a page. You can add variable to optimise the page title so I don't think this is an issue. I did this in v6 I set all my extended info pages to have page title of the product name and used Normans href fix and got my extended info pages indexed quite easily.

Now I've upgraded to 8 I'm weighing up stick with the same method, or to use ext info with addtocart not as pop up or I've now added Duncan's idea into the mix

Duncan is using the old V7 method of one product per section with duplicates as the compact description and link to full product page. With this method you have IMO much more control.

still need to see this to understand it....

[RuralWeb]

still need to see this to understand it....

http://www.sportfox.co.uk/acatalog/Power.html Here is an example which is still being built.

As I said I done see any advantage to using the extended info - the use of a variable to populate the page title with a product tile is still not ideal and you would need to do the same for the other meta data, so what is the point of not using the V7 method.

[pinbrook]

As I said I done see any advantage to using the extended info - the use of a variable to populate the page title with a product tile is still not ideal and you would need to do the same for the other meta data, so what is the point of not using the V7 method.

I'm not disagreeing, I just can't get it straight in my mind how this v7 method works.

At the mo I have - for example
section all tennis rackets
subsection tennis racketA
product tennis racketA
subsection tennis racketB
product tennis racketB

but I would like addto cart at subsection lever which clearly I can't do.

so I was thinking extended info so ..... we have

section tennis rackets
product tennis racketA
extendedinfo tennis racketA
product tennis racketB
extendedinfo tennis racketB

How do these layouts equate with product duplicates? Thats where my head hurts?

[RuralWeb]

section tennis rackets
product tennis racketA
extendedinfo tennis racketA
product tennis racketB
extendedinfo tennis racketB

That would give you a popup with an add to cart which would not be good. The V8 theory behind ext info is to create the same layout that I am using in the example site. the extinfo page would open in the same window.

Where do you want to add another add to cart button -

[jont]

Back to the OP it sounds like you may be OK with v7 at the moment but depends on how big your site is (what your product range is) and where you are wanting to take it.

The also bought and best sellers lists are for many worth the upgrade alone (myself included) and the marketing module (available from Mole End for v7) can also generate additional revenue as Jo suggests. These features are available in v7 but do require manual creation for the most part - with a large site the auto creation of product upselling is worth its weight in gold.

Upgrading is a steep learning curve if you are used to the ways of v7 so you will need to factor time into the equation to get the site running as desired. Once the skills are learnt the whole system should be musch simpler to maintain.

A lot can be done in v7 to emulate v8 but it is a long and tortuous route at times - upgrading could save you time and effort as well as generating additional revenue

[pinbrook]

Where do you want to add another add to cart button

I am trying to work out the structure using duplicates. Assuming I can then have a list of products and one product per page using duplicates. ie "the v7 method

[Duncan Rounding]

I am trying to work out the structure using duplicates. Assuming I can then have a list of products and one product per page using duplicates. ie "the v7 method

This is an example of a (very much) work in progess example of a V8 site that is structured as per the V7 method of one product per page.

(Note that it is only implemented in the first section)

tinyurl.com/ykh83j

The attached image shows the content tree structure. I use the same product layout with a block test on a variable to change the product layout to suit either the short duplcate version or the full main product version.

[pinbrook]

Ah right....that what I thought...

but how do you hide the sections?

the structure seems to be

section
subsectionA
productA
subsectionB
productB
duplicateA
duplicateB

from what i can see the subsections are not visible?

[wjcampbe]

TopSectionList = No Layout
BottomSectionList = No Layout