can you reference a product in another site?

[bookworm]

We manage two sites with Business Plus. We wondered if it is possible to put details of a product from one site into a page in the other one, without duplicating the product details? ie if someone clicks the checkout button they jump to the other site's checkout page.

The reason for this quirky requirement is that the products are priced in dollars on one site and sterling on the other and we can't be updating prices every hour as the exchange rate changes.

As an example, imagine site 1, priced in sterling. The product page would have details for product 1 with the price in pounds and a checkout button that proceeds as you would expect. Underneath, product 2, priced in dollars, with a checkout button that goes to the dollar site.

I think that the solution to this may be partially an illusion of a normal product page, with the dollar priced product simply some text and images with a hard link to the other site. As long as it looks and feels right to the user that is all that matters.

If anyone has any sort of solution to this I'll owe them a pint. I mistakenly gave the impression to the client that this was possible when answering a few other queries. They have now sent me a spec and a timescale!

Any suggestions greatfully received.

Bob

[leehack]

I'd be stunned and truly in awe if someone could manage that. You're most likely to need 2 sites, setup the same just different url. Then on the product pages of each you could have a link saying click here to buy in dollars or vice versa and use the alternate url in the link along with the page name of the current site you are on.

Each product would then directly link to its counterpart on the other site, effectively giving you a dollar or pound choice.

[bookworm]

Thanks.

I put that idea to them yesterday but it is no good. Trouble is there are different products on each site. On one site the products are priced in dollars and on the other they are in pounds. What they effectively want to do is to merge the two sites so that there is no jumping between them, with all the products on one page priced in either dollars or pounds as applicable.

I think that what we have to do is to have a static page on the non-actinic part of their site, with all the product details linking to the relevant site.

By the way, there are only four products, two on each site. This won't change so a static page is feasible.

Bob

[Duncan Rounding]

Do you need to bill in either currency or just show the price in either currency yet bill in just one of the two?

[Jan]

I have seen this actually but I don't know how it was done, the link wasn't from one Actinic site to another but from an HTML site to add Actinic site, if I recall correctly, clicking on an add to cart button on the HTML site put the item item into the cart on the actinic site and took you over to it, the site was written by ITQ Solutions so it might be worth giving them a shout.

If you requirement is to add items in dollars and pounds to the same cart you can't do it but if you just want to add them to the cart in the dollar site then you can.

Regards,

[leehack]

The underlying problem is that actinic works in one currency only, no exceptions. So having one that operates in 2 currencies, is in fact an impossibility as far as i know.

[Duncan Rounding]

You can use a static site with a button that will link and add to cart on an Actinic site see: 'Adding to cart from anywhere on the internet' in the AUG.

[bookworm]

The static site link is the solution I think.

In reply to drounding, we need to display each product in either dollars or pounds but not both and then to bill in the correct currency.

eg, product a is displayed in pounds only and billed in pounds. product b is displayed in dollars and billed in dollars. If someone wants to purchase both then they will have to make two payments.

Thanks for all the input on this, I may sleep better tonight!

Bob

[Duncan Rounding]

Just bear in mind that Actinic can only bill in one currency on one site.

[pinbrook]

eg, product a is displayed in pounds only and billed in pounds. product b is displayed in dollars and billed in dollars. If someone wants to purchase both then they will have to make two payments.

this is where your plan to have one site is flawed as you will be relying on the customer to know what to do.

What happens if you have a uk based customer who wants a $ product? you will end up converting currency.

2 sites is the easiest solution

I mistakenly gave the impression to the client that this was possible when answering a few other queries. They have now sent me a spec and a timescale!

somehow i suspect this client has asked other designers to do this and been told no. now you've said yes, they arent letting you go as they know deep down it cant be done.

[bookworm]

Thanks all, I'll consult the AUG.

Thay haven't been elsewhere, I've been working for them for a couple of years. I'm paying the price for replying too hastily to an email with 'yes you can do that' not noticing that they had asked two questions, not one.

Its unlikely a UK customer will want to buy the dollar priced item. The product is two formats of the same DVD. If anyone is interested, what we have now (ie the two site version) is at www.thetransporters.com.

Cheers,

Bob

[PatchworkRabbit]

As a 20+ years software developer, I can attest to the fact that sometimes it's better to just go back and say, "Sorry, I was wrong, but here's another solution...."

String them along too long and you risk losing their trust completely.

And sometimes, it's your job to tell them that what they want may not be the best thing. Personally, I'd find that set up very confusing. It really is best to have two sites, one in $ and one in £. At least people know where they stand...

Just my tuppence worth, mind you....