New trial user really struggling!!!!!

[FrazerPart]

I have been advised by a fellow QuickBooks user that this Actinic Business product is the thing for me to be using to introduce an e-commerce website to my business.

I have installed a trial version of this software and am now really fumbling around in the dark with it. I tried technical support but gave up after waiting 45 minutes just to get through.
I have used the wizard to set up the site. Now, before I start trying to enter products into it, I'd like to get the layout into a format that I am happy with. This is what I'd like to achieve:-

1. At present, down the left hand column, I have Product Sections and then Main Sections in boxes, but, how do I swap the two positions around?

2. Down the right hand column, I have Search, Cart, Best Sellers & New Products. Once again, how do I change the order in which these appear?

3. In the main section, I would like to present some technical and historical information on the line of business that I am involved with. The content at present is in Word format and does also contain images and tables. How do I get this content into a suitable Actinic page.

This is just the start of my problems! I'm sure that these are very basic and have been asked before! I have tried to find these answers myself in the Actinic Starter Guide and also the Advanced Guide but I haven't had much luck ........ there also seems to be a hell of lot of Actinic specific "jargon" being used that I'm sure I'll eventually understand but only after three days of use, I am really struggling with it.

I sincerely hope that somebody can point me in the right direction. I really want to get stuck into this over the next thirty days so that I can go live with an e-commerce site ASAP.

thanks
Max

[Duncan Rounding]

Welcome Brian - it can seem a bit daunting at first, but you should get the hang of it in a short while.

Firstly I would recommend that you take some more time to read the help in Actinic followed by the Advanced User Guide that you can download from the Actinic support pages. The Knowledgebase (linked at the top of the forum) is a very good resource too. If you wish to start to change things around then you will need to get your hands dirty and start playing - it will be the quickest way to learn. Actinic also offer a good course for some hands on training.

Make snapshots regularly in case you make a mistake and want to revert back to what you had before.

1. At present, down the left hand column, I have Product Sections and then Main Sections in boxes, but, how do I swap the two positions around?

Click on the Design tab and you can then click on a part of the design in the preview window. The code for that p[art is then displayed below in the Code pane.

2. Down the right hand column, I have Search, Cart, Best Sellers & New Products. Once again, how do I change the order in which these appear?

Same as above.

3. In the main section, I would like to present some technical and historical information on the line of business that I am involved with. The content at present is in Word format and does also contain images and tables. How do I get this content into a suitable Actinic page.

The easiest way to do this is to create brochure pages and then add fragments to these pages containing your content. You will be able to cut and paste text and formatg it the fragment.

Hope that helps a little.

[FrazerPart]

but what is it that is going to need changing in the code?

[leehack]

Many parts Brian, most of which after 3 days will be well outside of your comfort zone and knowledge. While you get to grips with things, try and choose a theme that is close to what you like and have a play with the example site, especially the products and sections. You are trying to sprint, before you even know how to wipe your nose. Its a great package once you get some experience, noone in the world could do what you want after 3 days playing though. There is a design wizard if it is V9 you have, that is also worth a play. You need to be playing and breaking a store for a week or so to gain some experience.

[jont]

My advice is to get the closest you can either via a theme or the design wizard and then start populating the products... getting something up to the server is more important initially than cosmetic tweaks... which from the looks of it are all easily achievable with a basic knowledge of HTML and more likely common sense in understanding what is happening. In the design tab you will see layouts ... these are the pink text ... and these hold additional code. To change the order is simply a case of moving one layout above the other.

[RuralWeb]

IMO you should be concentrating on getting the sitelive now and forget the cosmetic changes to the site. Get some hosting sorted out and get the default store loaded and working which is where many people have problems. Then add your products and and Psp so you can start selling which is the whole aim of a website. Then when the store is loaded and selling you can tidy things up over time because what you think is a good idea now will almost certainly change when you are live.

And learn how to do snapshots as they will save you many hours and your sanity.

[FrazerPart]

I appreciate all of your comments and recommendations. In terms of site design, I would class layout design as a fundamental basic. I really ought to be able to change the layout relatively easily to give a layout that I am happy with.
I can find the "pink" layout text but still don't really know what I'm meant to be changing.

....I walked away from Open Source products because I wasn't prepared to have to learn how to code and tweak applications...but it looks like Actinic is just the same....only it's £900 more expensive!

[jont]

I wasn't prepared to have to learn how to code and tweak applications

Beyond the themes provided and what you can do with the design wizard you are going to have to learn to code, buy a theme or pay someone to do this for you... this is regardless of whether open source, Actinic or other paid for e-commerce packages. Inbuilt designs can only take you so far.. if you need something changing then you need to get you hands dirty or wallet out.

You will be amazed at how simple moving layouts in Actinic is though .. even users with no HTML skills have quickly been able to move, chop and change the layouts to suit their own needs.

[guccij]

....I walked away from Open Source products because I wasn't prepared to have to learn how to code and tweak applications...but it looks like Actinic is just the same

Perhaps you might be better employing a designer to do the work for you. Even then, though, I'd suggest you learn some basics so you understand what they are doing for you. You wouldn't be able to maintain the site without this knowledge.

Actinic really isn't that complicated - all the above suggestions are very valid. I'm learning new things every day and am slowly getting my site to where I want it to be.

[Duncan Rounding]

Per your second original point for example. (Theme dependant) Look in the Code pane for the highlighted parts in the attached image and swop them around. Play around and you will see it's very easy.