Product attributes on Category Page

[mirandauf]

I am trying to add product attributes on the Category Page because most of our users shopping is done from the category pages. However I cannot get this to work. Is there something I have to import or does anyone have any suggestions.

This is my page..
http://www.etabletop.com/Merchant2/m...artel_atlantis

It is a test page so do not mind the broken links ;-)

I need the user to be able to select colors if necessary. I have an attribute template set up for color, I have added it to the products, I see it on the product pages, but I am not able to get it to the category pages. Also if I try to add the product on the page now it does not add to the basket.

Also, once I get this working, I have another problem. Most of my products come in clear and then 10 different colors. I have over 1000 products. So my thought was my base price would be clear and then I would add a cost to the color. However, the cost is different on each product, not color. Is there a tool to import the cost? I only see the ability to import assigning the attribute.

Miranda

[Siamese-Dream.Com]

Re: Product attributes on Category Page

Hi there, Miranda:

I am pretty sure that you will need a template module, such as the Viking Coders Category Template module, to allow you to display attributes on the category pages.

Second, if you are going to have a thousand different products and the pricing for the attributes will vary from product to product, you again are going to need a different module. emporiumplus.com has an attributes and options import module that is inexpensive (especially compare to all the time you will save). However, it isn't the most user friendly module, in my humble opinion (sorry, Bill).

Hope this helps.

[mirandauf]

Re: Product attributes on Category Page

We have the Viking Coders Category Template module and I am using it for the product page template. I just do not know where to put the code. I am a little new at all of this. Do you have any ideas how to make it work with that? All the documentation I can find is on the product page side?

Miranda

[William Davis]

Re: Product attributes on Category Page

Hi there, Miranda:

I am pretty sure that you will need a template module, such as the Viking Coders Category Template module, to allow you to display attributes on the category pages.

Second, if you are going to have a thousand different products and the pricing for the attributes will vary from product to product, you again are going to need a different module. emporiumplus.com has an attributes and options import module that is inexpensive (especially compare to all the time you will save). However, it isn't the most user friendly module, in my humble opinion (sorry, Bill).

Hope this helps.

Miranda, I concur with Mark's advise. Though after looking at your website, it "appears" to me, that little or no customization has been done on the site.

Consequently, you may want to seriously consider upgrading to MIVA Merchant 5.5, before you continue to invest additional resources on MM4 platform. Talk it over with your hosting company. But before you do, you may want to checkout your current hosting company on this forum, just do a search for hosting company.

As to Bills modules, Mark is right about that too. Bill's admin user interface tend not to be user friendly intuitively speaking, but he more than makes up for it by making these modules; inexpensive, loaded with more features, and his support is second to none -not to mention his modules are ROCK SOLID.

[Siamese-Dream.Com]

Re: Product attributes on Category Page

Consequently, you may want to seriously consider upgrading to MIVA Merchant 5.5, before you continue to invest additional resources on MM4 platform...

Bill speaks the truth here. You might want to wait a few more weeks until the"wombat" update of Merchant 5.5 is up and running, and consider upgrading to the new version.

There are MANY things you will be able to do in the new 5.5 version of Merchant WITHOUT modules that would have required modules in Version 4.

Hope this helps.

[Rick Wilson]

Re: Product attributes on Category Page

I just looked, Hostasaurus is your host, and a very good one at that. They can help you with the upgrade.

[William Davis]

Re: Product attributes on Category Page

I just looked, Hostasaurus is your host, and a very good one at that. They can help you with the upgrade.

We have been using them for years -EXCELLENT!!!

[mirandauf]

Re: Product attributes on Category Page

We would love to upgrade but we have one HUGE issue. We have a Bridal Registry that was coded years ago by another programmer and well if we upgrade it will break. Unfortunately there is no way around it but to program it the right way. That will be very expensive at this time.

So there is not a way to put product attributes on the category page without a module outside of Viking Coders Category Page Templates?

I am so grateful for everyone's help. I hate that I have to do workarounds until we upgrade but my hands are tied for the time being.

Miranda

[mirandauf]

Re: Product attributes on Category Page

So I used some of your advice and found something that would help while I was researching. It was as simple as using %attributes% to get them to display. However, it does not show any data just the attribute name and an empty drop down box. On the product page it displayed just fine. Ideas??

[William Davis]

Re: Product attributes on Category Page

We would love to upgrade but we have one HUGE issue. We have a Bridal Registry that was coded years ago by another programmer and well if we upgrade it will break. Unfortunately there is no way around it but to program it the right way. That will be very expensive at this time.

So there is not a way to put product attributes on the category page without a module outside of Viking Coders Category Page Templates?

I am so grateful for everyone's help. I hate that I have to do workarounds until we upgrade but my hands are tied for the time being.

Miranda

By "coded", do you mean a custom solution? You might want to check out the gift registry modules currently available for MM5.5, it just might be possible that these off-the-shelf solution may address all your concerns and then some.

[lesliekirk]

Re: Product attributes on Category Page

So I used some of your advice and found something that would help while I was researching. It was as simple as using %attributes% to get them to display. However, it does not show any data just the attribute name and an empty drop down box. On the product page it displayed just fine. Ideas??

In theory you are using the correct token. Is your module up to date - do you have the latest version?

Do you have the PDF for the module?

[mirandauf]

Re: Product attributes on Category Page

I was finally able to get it to work. I was missing some information on the attribute template portion. Now I am just trying to work out the kinks of loading all the attributes in and looking into the gift/bridal modules if I upgrade.

Thank you everyone.

Miranda

[lesliekirk]

Re: Product attributes on Category Page

Good to hear! I was wondering if that might have been the issue. It came to mind when I was hunting through the online knowledge base at Viking Coders.

FYI - I love the VC template modules, but I think MM5.5 rocks!

[mirandauf]

Re: Product attributes on Category Page

I would love to get your opinion on Miva 5.5. We have been wanting to upgrade for a long time but having to break our bridal registry was not a good thing. I have to do more research on the registry that Miva 5.5 has to offer or if it is a module that I would have to purchase but I am coming up short on the documentation of it.

Thank you again for your help on my issue. I feel I actually am learning how to put all this together.

Miranda

[Siamese-Dream.Com]

Re: Product attributes on Category Page

Merchant 5.5 doesn't have a built in bridal registry / wish list.

there are off the shelf modules available for a reasonable price though. I think that most of the module developers will have some kind so you would want to check the different developers and see if there is one right for you.

One of the problems you might have is getting the account information moved over from the Merchant 4 store to the merchant 5.5 store though. You would want to check with the developers first to make sure that your system will allow you to export the PASSWORDS to the bridal registry accounts and then import them into the new 5.5 version of the bridal registry.

I hope this helps.