Upgrade my site to multiple sites

[chris ashdown]

Now I have my site working OK, I am looking to expand the company to multiple small sites each dealing with a small area of the large site, as well as keeping the large site.

The reason is to target specific areas to a small site that can be clearly marketed by both its domain name and search engines.

Working with a small budget and continuing to work via WorldPay, what is the best Actinic software to use.

Can I link all the small sites (about 3 or 4) back to the main site transparantly is that a option.

Many thanks for your time

Chris Ashdown

[pinbrook]

You could use just the one copy of actinic thus sharing the checkout amongst all the stores.

To do this you will have to place each store in its own frame set. And then place each sub shops identity ie logo etc and navigation in the top frame.

remove all the navigation from catalog, and hand code your navigation for all stores and substores

[andyk]

the search engines arent going to like that very much though are they... what with the big old hissy fit they kick up over framesets n all...

Plus that could also cause security prompts to be displayed in ie, and there would be no padlock on secure pages.

I just hand code "microsites", and link the "buy" button through to the product page on the main site.

I've done this with www.neon-car-fx.co.uk and www.solexlocks.co.uk for the main site www.speeding.co.uk

its not transparent, but it does the job with minimum of problems (and your "microsites" will all be listed by the search engines!)

Andy.

[chris ashdown]

Thanks for the idea's, but they seem complicated.

If I openly tell them that I am transfering them to the main site to place orders, any problem with that or are they likely to drop out?

Regards

Chris

[andyk]

hmmm i'm not really sure, we only really did it to improve results in the search engines, how about making the pages on your main site *look* like the pages on your microsites... then the only real tell tale sign that the site has changed is the address bar.

the buy buttons do say "buy @ speeding.co.uk"

We did find that when we moved our site from shared ssl to our own secure certificate the number of sales increased dramatically, we think this was possibly because the site address stayed the same and looked more professional.

If your worried about that, then the best thing you can do is setup a completly new shop and do it seperatly.