hidden pages within the store

[davidfarndon]

is it possible to have product pages hidden from general view, but allow someone to be dropped into that page (or section) specifically with a referred URL?

I have a client using v7 who wants to send out an email campaign to their existing customers which contains a link to the website to allow purchases at a special price which is ONLY available to invited respondants.

I think I simply need a method of avoiding a link appearing to this section from normal view, and then create a referring link which accesses the site page/section directly .. so no navigation to it from the 'normal' generally accessible area and not visible on the site map.

any ideas welcome.

[simonwar]

If Actinic can do this ignore all of the following, if it can't add it to the Actinic Wishlist Forum found here http://community.actinic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=15

I can think of 2 potential ways...

#1
On a similar vain, I created dummy sections that had a URL but you could not get to that page using any links found on the website.

I did this by modifying the Section template used to display a dummy section, changed the section image to blank, i.e. same colour as background and removed the link NQV from it.

So it wasn't visible and no rollover links are seen, and Actinic still created a URL which is accessible by a direct http://yourURL// access, because, in essence, the section still exists.

The main downfall is that the Site Map still see's it and therefore can be clicked from there. Also on checking the site HTML, Actinic recognises that the link has been removed and prompts it as an error, however ignoring the error still works fine.

If you can get around the Site Map bit it will work, and assuming you will give special customers the URL directly... tickedy boo.

#2 Not really sure on this one, but this thread may lubricate some ideas ????
Set the Product up as normal, publish the page, copy the page using Save Webpage in IE, then Hide on website, re-publish and add the Saved Page as a new URL and add it to Additional Files.

That way you will create the page, COPY it and change its URL to a new secret one, and then Hide on Website will remove the original on re-publish. Everytime you want an update, you will have to unhide, republish etc etc.

Why I am not sure if this will work is because adding the product to your basket after all of the above may not work... not sure why but feels iffy ??? maybe someone else can comment.
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Not exact solutions I know, but maybe this will joggle a few thoughts in the community.

I am sure somewhere in Accounts this will be possible.

Good luck, S.

[davidfarndon]

thanks ...

Cheers Simon .. I would imagine this is not the first time someone wanted to do this .. I can imagine several instances where this might be a highly desirable bit of functionality.

I suppose Actinic normally gets around some of this by inviting people in as 'registered' customers from which one can differentiate display of prices etc., based on their customer groups (which is unarguably a clever and worthwhile function) .. this is just one of those (frequent probably) ocassions where the client doesn't want to base it on that .. simply wishing to offer a 'secret' part of the site to anyone they choose to invite to access it.

Still up for any suggestions though (and I will have a play with Simon's in the first instance anyway)

thanks all...

David

[Duncan Rounding]

The simplest way of course is to create a stand-alone page outside of Actinic with add to cart (anywhere on the internet) links and use a coupon code. You can place the discounted products into their own product group and then limit the coupon code to that product group.

I've done this in the past and used the stand-alone page as the html version of the promotional email. This means that those who view the email in html can directly add the product to the cart and then enter the given coupon code at the checkout. Those who only view the email in text can link to the stand-alone page to view etc.

[davidfarndon]

thanks Duncan, That sounds a perfect method of creating exactly what i am after. The client can then (if i read your suggestion correctly) have either an email which creates a 'buy one of those right now' button, or a link to a page or set of pages hiding outside the catalog which drop the customer into the catalog with a coupon code to buy at the promotional price.

it would be good if this was available within Actinic, rather than having to faff about like this, but at least there is a way. I have never used coupon codes, so there is perhaps a bit of a quick (hopefully) learning curve ahead.. thanks very much for this, I'll try this too ..

david

[NormanRouxel]

A sort of within Actinic way (tested on V8 - fails on V7).

Create a normal Section for such products. Upload.

Manually FTP to your server and rename the uploaded page to a new file name.

Now in Actinic mark that Section as Hide on Web Site. Re Upload.

Section should be nowhere in site but products can be bought if you go to the renamed page by it's name.

It only took me 2 minutes to test this out on V8. Have a go on V7 and see what happens.

UPDATE. It doesn't work on V7. You get A General Script Error Occurred" when you add to cart. Oh well.

[NormanRouxel]

Here's another way to try. Tested on V7.

Create a Product template that has everything commented out. E.g. HiddenProductLine.html as below

<!-- HiddenProductLine HTML begin -->
<!-- NETQUOTEVAR:INCLUDE Act_ProductSeparator.html -->
NETQUOTEVAR:ENDSEPARATOR
<!-- NETQUOTEVAR:PRODUCTFORMBEGIN
NETQUOTEVAR:TEMPLATEBEGINXML 
NETQUOTEVAR:PRODUCTIMAGE
NETQUOTEVAR:PRODUCTANCHOR
NETQUOTEVAR:PRODUCTNAME
NETQUOTEVAR:PRODUCTREF
NETQUOTEVAR:PRODUCTDESCRIPTION
NETQUOTEVAR:EXTINFOLINK
NETQUOTEVAR:EXTINFOBUTTON
NETQUOTEVAR:PRODUCTBEGINLINK
NETQUOTEVAR:PRODUCTLINKTEXT
NETQUOTEVAR:PRODUCTENDLINK
NETQUOTEVAR:PRICEEXPLANATION
NETQUOTEVAR:DISCOUNTINFO
NETQUOTEVAR:OTHERINFOPROMPT
NETQUOTEVAR:DATEPROMPT
NETQUOTEVAR:CARTERRORXML
NETQUOTEVAR:PRODUCTQUANTITY
NETQUOTEVAR:ADDTOCARTBUTTON
NETQUOTEVAR:TEMPLATEENDXML
NETQUOTEVAR:PRODUCTFORMEND -->
NETQUOTEVAR:NEXT
<!-- HiddenProductLine HTML end -->

Create a normal Section for such products. Upload.

Manually FTP to your server and rename the uploaded page to a new file name.

Change all products to use that HiddenProductLine.html as the Product Template (do them all in one go by setting this in Section Details / Product / Default layout). Re Upload.

Section should be on site but empty of products (you could always put an informative fragment in there). However products can be bought if you go to the renamed page by it's name.

[davidfarndon]

thanks very much Norman.

lots of help, as always.

David