What is the best way?

[gpzzone]

Hi

I'm trying to improve my catalogue (v10) by adding additional (variable) information to each individual product.

The products are motorcycle spares, and whilst most products are unique to a specific motorbike, many products will fit a number of different machines.

I'm trying to get a system in place which will insert a line at the end of each product description which is a list of all of the motorcycles that that product is suitable for.

I've spent a short while considering "categories", and started to play with variables, but have succeeded in achieving nothing and have totally confused myself.....If only it involved a spanner!

I am a firm believer in giving my customers a 100% assurance at the point of ordering that the product that they are ordering will be suitable for their machine.

So, what is the best way to achieve this?

As ever thank you in advance.

Craig Davies
Devizes
www.gpzzone.co.uk

[Steve G Griggs]

Best way- a suggestion for you

We have an online shop selling spares for microwave ovens & other kitchen appliances. After a lot of fiddling around trying to find a good way to do a similar thing with our catalogue (and after getting some advice) we decided on a different track. Instead of listing parts, and then all the different makes and models they fitted we opted for this approach:

1. Have a master list of all manufacturers in a section
2. Have a list of parts from a manuafaturer in a hidden sub-section
3. Have sub-sections for each model from that manufacturer, with the appropriate parts for each model as duplicates, with the appropriate text for that make and model.

Looking like:

Microwave spares
Panasonic
Panasonic master list
Model-1
Model-2
etc
Sharp
Sharp master list
Model-1
etc

And if a Panasonic Part fits one of the Sharp ovens you just add it as a duplicate and edit accordingly in the description.

This made the product descriptions vastly easier to read for the customer.
Keeping track of prices easier as the duplicates follow the original price.
Made searching the cataolgue easier.
And made the parts for each model show up better in Google: ie a search for a part along the lines of "Glass tray for Panasonic NNA750 would find just that, and not something that didn't look right to a potential customer.

This may not suit your needs but it thought it worth mentioning.
PS it did mean a LOT of work initially but our catalogue is now vastly easier to maintain and edit.