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ShopSite Customizing FAQs

Here is a list of questions about customizing your ShopSite store.

How do I create pull-down menus?

The Ordering Options feature lets you create pull-down menus of product options so that customers can select size, color, or other information. Read the Ordering Options help for more information.

Can I use PDF (Adobe Acrobat) documents in my store?

Yes, you can place links in your store to documents in Adobe Acrobat format. PDF files can be a good way to let customers read detailed information or manuals about a product without having to create Web pages for that information.

You can upload PDF files to your store by using the Upload an Image button on the Images screen. ShopSite will place the PDF file in your store’s media directory, and you can then create a link to that file by typing something like this into the product description field or More Info Page Text field:

<p><a href="./media/filename.pdf">Click here</a> to learn more about this product.</p>

Can I customize error pages, such as what customers see if they forget to put in a credit card number?

Go to the Preferences > Store Text > Messages screen to change the text of the messages that are displayed to customers if there is something wrong or missing on the order form.

How do I create custom templates?

Creating custom templates requires a good working knowledge of HTML, but it is not difficult. Read the Custom Template help for more information, instructions, and examples.

How do I change the look of [Add to Cart] and [View Cart] buttons? Can I use rollover buttons?

The buttons that will be used for new products in your store are defined on the Preferences > Store Text > Store Pages screen. Any changes that you make there will be applied to any products that you add after you make the changes.

The buttons for existing products are defined at the bottom of the Edit Product Layout screen for each product. You can change them individually, or use PowerEdit to change the buttons for all existing products at one time.

You can use rollover buttons in ShopSite, but they do require some JavaScript programming, which is beyond the scope of the ShopSite Help.

How do I change the graphics on the Thank You page?

On the Commerce Setup > Ordering System screen, you can set the text that appears at the top and bottom of the Thank You page. You can use HTML in those fields, so you can include your own images and logos.

How do I customize the look of the shopping cart pages?

You can control many aspects of the look of the shopping cart by going to Commerce Setup > Order System.

To completely customize the e-mail receipt and any other shopping cart pages, create a custom shopping cart template.

Can I have only one [View Cart] button per page, instead of one by each product?

Several of the page layout themes only display one [View Cart] button per page, such as the Rounded and Sidebar themes. If you are using a theme that usually displays a [View Cart] button next to every product, you can change that, but it requires being a little tricky!

  1. Go to Preferences > Store Text > Store Pages and replace the text for the View Cart button with spaces or an HTML comment.
  2. Go to OrderAnywhere, select any one product and click the Show Selected HTML. Use your mouse to select and copy the second line of italic text -- that’s the HTML for a View Cart button for your store (all View Cart buttons in a store have the same HTML).
  3. Paste that HTML (modified with your own graphic or text) into the store page header or footer or wherever you would like customers to see a View Cart button.

How do I change the currency used in my store?

You can change both the primary and alternate currency for your store in the Preferences > Locale screen.

How do I display prices in two currencies?

If you make a selection in the Alternate Currency field on the Preferences > Locale screen, and then set an exchange rate, ShopSite will display all prices in both the primary and alternate currencies. The price that you enter for a product is used for the primary currency, and ShopSite calculates the alternate currency price by multiplying the product price by the exchange rate.

How do I add currencies that aren’t available in the drop-down list?

Talk to your hosting provider about adding locales and currencies.

Can I use JavaScript in my store?

Yes, you can add JavaScript code to your store pages, but not to the shopping cart. This feature is only available in ShopSite Pro and ShopSite Manager. You can put any JavaScript code into the <head> section of a page by following the instructions here. You can then add further JavaScript in any of the page text fields or in product descriptions, and even in button definitions.

Can I add my own fields to the order form/checkout screen?

ShopSite Pro merchants can add custom fields to the checkout page to gather additional information from shoppers. From the Commerce Setup > Order System screen, you can define any number of additional fields and place them in any of five locations on the checkout page. The information collected is included with the regular order information when viewing and downloading orders. See Creating Custom Checkout Fields for more information.

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ShopSite Help and Resource Center
February 13, 2004
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