New PC add-on: Quick Order Entry
Printed From: ProductCart E-Commerce Solutions
Category: ProductCart
Forum Name: Customizing ProductCart
Forum Description: Exchange messages with other users that are customizing ProductCart.
URL: https://forum.productcart.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=2408
Printed Date: 23-July-2025 at 5:02am
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 12.04 - http://www.webwizforums.com
Topic: New PC add-on: Quick Order Entry
Posted By: Greg Dinger
Subject: New PC add-on: Quick Order Entry
Date Posted: 28-January-2009 at 6:33pm
Replies:
Posted By: katharina
Date Posted: 29-January-2009 at 10:30am
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Cool. One bug. I did manually type in sku8 and it let me checkout without the option. It works great when you click on the left hand side. Otherwise I love it, we can certainly use it on our site. Keep me posted on your progress. Katharina |
Posted By: Greg Dinger
Date Posted: 29-January-2009 at 10:42am
Posted By: katharina
Date Posted: 29-January-2009 at 11:04am
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Good point. I actually like it the way you have it. The viewcart is a good choice, since it lets you review your additions before checking out. It also lets you continue to order the regular way. 15 lines is more then enough. I suppose you can click on the quick order page again, if you need more after finishing the first batch. On the cosmetic side you may like to add a line to tell users that they can tab from field to field. Most probably know. So not a big thing. I actually order from one supplier that way. I search the site for new stuff, add some, and then add with the quick order page. The only difference they have is the usage of the tab button. You enter the sku, tab over to the quantity, and then tab for the next line. At that point it validates your entry and spits out an error or lets you continue with the next line. It also displays the title of the product at that time. So it does more validating, since it does it with each line. Not that important, since yours does it with the add to cart button. Just a different logic. Something else that my be interesting is a feature I see on our packaging suppliers site. It keeps track of your ordering habit in a section called previous ordered products (or similar in name). It sorts all the products you have ever ordered from them by category on one page. This comes handy when you always order the same stuff. We sell some crafting supplies and many customers order the same over and over. This feature has a quantity block on the end of each line. You simply add the quantities you like to order and then click on submit. It shows you your cart after submitting, before you checkout. Katharina |
Posted By: Greg Dinger
Date Posted: 29-January-2009 at 11:16am
Posted By: katharina
Date Posted: 29-January-2009 at 11:32am
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Depends on the perspective. For the customer it may be beneficial to see pricing there, so they feel re ensured and the question of trying to trick them doesn't come up (the inexperience one may feel that way). It does not show a total on that page, so what is the point of having prices there? You will see it at the viewcart page anyway. You can always add the line that prices will be displayed at the viewcart page. So looking that way there is no need to have it. For "happy feeling" customers you should have it there. I've seen this feature on other sites and they all display the price, before going to the viewcart page. Lets also say it that way, if you give me the choice in the back office to choose between the two I would go for the one with the prices showing. It reduces confusion with the customer, and possible complaint phone calls. Katharina |
Posted By: Greg Dinger
Date Posted: 29-January-2009 at 11:45am
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Danke schön! ------------- GreyBeard Design Group Certified ProductCart Developer Web Design/Development/Hosting http://tinyurl.com/5c8t4t" rel="nofollow - Add-Ons & Custom Code | |
Posted By: Greg Dinger
Date Posted: 30-January-2009 at 12:57am
katharina wrote:Posted By: Hamish
Date Posted: 30-January-2009 at 5:32am
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Hi Greg, I think it would be better, after clicking Add to Cart on sku8, if the window closed rather than taking you to the cart - as this would then drop back to the Quick Order pages - one downside is that it would then not be obvious that the product was successfully added. ------------- Editing ProductCart Code? See http://wiki.earlyimpact.com/developers/editcode" rel="nofollow - WIKI Guidelines for Editing ProductCart's ASP Source Code |
Posted By: Greg Dinger
Date Posted: 30-January-2009 at 10:28am
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That's an interesting point, but wouldn't we then get the message warning "an application is trying to close your browser" or some thing to that affect? Would that be just as troubling to the user as having to remember that they need to close the window themselves? ------------- GreyBeard Design Group Certified ProductCart Developer Web Design/Development/Hosting http://tinyurl.com/5c8t4t" rel="nofollow - Add-Ons & Custom Code | |
Posted By: katharina
Date Posted: 30-January-2009 at 11:03am
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Man you were working late last night, looking at your posting time. This one must have bugged you. I know the feeling. I usually solve my stuff in sleep dreaming up solutions. An odd thing, but always worked for me. ;-) There is a two part to it. One is clicking on the products list to the left, the other is manually entering the sku. Both act differently. I like the way it acts when you manually enter the sku, by offering a link to click on. It is just not as apparent why to click there. The wording needs to get changed to click here for product options. It is nice that it takes you to the product page, but not so nice that it takes you to the viewcart page. Especially after you have added several items to the quick order page. There it depends on its location and how it acts from there. I've done different way and it kind of interferes and can be confusing to the shopper. My suggestion is the link with the popup page, but instead of going to the viewcart come back to the quick order page. Then the bahavior would be more in tune with the rest, like for quantity etc. This also allows the customer to finish its quick order before going to checkout. Katharina |
Posted By: Greg Dinger
Date Posted: 30-January-2009 at 11:31am
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Yep, working late is not something unfamilliar in this business.
I understand that the two methods works a bit differently (ultimately having the same effect), and perhaps altering the code so that the click on the left causes the same visual result would make that more consistent (in appearance), but it will also add a click to the process. Do you see the additional click as an acceptable price for introducing that level of consistency?
Not sure if you noticed but if you hover over the link in the text at the top of the page ( http://pc3x.demos.greybearddesign.com/pc312standardqo/pc/quickorder.asp# - See here for additional instructions) you will note that a tooltip appears - and informs the user that the new window will appear. The prompt to read that text could be made more clear in one's site implementation.
BTW, we are already talking about Hamish's suggestion that instead of redirecting to viewcart.asp that we simply close the window. I have a couple concerns in that regard but we'll see what can be pulled off. ------------- GreyBeard Design Group Certified ProductCart Developer Web Design/Development/Hosting http://tinyurl.com/5c8t4t" rel="nofollow - Add-Ons & Custom Code | |
Posted By: katharina
Date Posted: 30-January-2009 at 11:47am
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I think I like the input from Hamish, its right along my alley. I know it always a good idea to avoid pop ups, but in this case it makes sense. I don't think that customers will look for the instruction page. I personally almost never do, unless there is a problem. BTW I like the way it handles incorrect sku input, what about out of stock items that do not allow back ordering? My partner also had an idea about the minimum order thing. He has seen on other sites where it automatically put in the minimum with a message behind it. Something to think about, plus it makes entering items faster because it cuts back on validation at the submitting point. As I've said before I've been on sites where it validates each line before you can continue adding line items. This will then eliminate checking at the submit button part. Katharina |
Posted By: Hamish
Date Posted: 30-January-2009 at 12:16pm
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Hi Greg, I've had another idea about configurable products - How about showing them after they have been added on your quick order page, as text fields (Not editable) - perhaps listed as "Additional items in the cart" - Or perhaps easier may be just a message to indicate the product has been added to the cart OK - perhaps a variation on your add to cart mod :-)
------------- Editing ProductCart Code? See http://wiki.earlyimpact.com/developers/editcode" rel="nofollow - WIKI Guidelines for Editing ProductCart's ASP Source Code |
Posted By: katharina
Date Posted: 30-January-2009 at 12:31pm
Hamish, do you think the customer knows the difference between the quick order form and the cart. I think most will, but I always worry about the few dummies out there. They can sometimes we a pain and you wonder if the world is full of them. I personally think PC is simple and easy to use, less confusing then amazon, until I get another one of those customers. I guess they just stick out.  At least they have money to spend.  (cute faces). Anyway good idea with the text. I think Greg will be done with the add-on by Monday, they way it is going right now. I still have to update to the newest version of PC, have to do taxes, and I'm on Jury Duty in February. So much work, not enough time. Katharina |
Posted By: katharina
Date Posted: 30-January-2009 at 12:33pm
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Going back to the pop up for product options. Is it possible to just have to pop up the options for selection and not the entire product page? Katharina |
Posted By: Greg Dinger
Date Posted: 30-January-2009 at 12:56pm
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I guess the answer comes in two parts. The first is that technically, sure, anything obviously is possible. The second is justifying such development, because there is potentially more than just "product options" to deal with.
There are custom input fields, BTO products, Apparel products and other data conditions that would result in an item being not selectable from this page or viewcategories.asp for that matter.
I largely based this feature on the category page format "M" multiple add to cart. In the same instances that one is required to leave that page and purchase the item from the detail page (see http://pc3x.demos.greybearddesign.com/pc312standardqo/pc/viewCategories.asp?idCategory=4 - http://pc3x.demos.greybearddesign.com/pc312standardqo/pc/viewCategories.asp?idCategory=4 for such an instance), I require the purchase to be made from the product detail page.
So if what you ask were to be performed, one is potentially re-implementing the product page - just in a 4th layout beyond O, L or C - "original", "image left" and "image center". Is there value in a page that appears in a popup with no description, no product image, but all the other functionality? Dunno... ------------- GreyBeard Design Group Certified ProductCart Developer Web Design/Development/Hosting http://tinyurl.com/5c8t4t" rel="nofollow - Add-Ons & Custom Code | |
Posted By: katharina
Date Posted: 30-January-2009 at 1:08pm
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Very good point. Katharina |
Posted By: Greg Dinger
Date Posted: 07-February-2009 at 4:53pm
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QuickOrder now features an admin setting that allows the merchant to select between a dynamic or a static (pre-generated, like the existing category navigation) category/product listing.
One issue that was raised above was that of how to handle SKUs that require product options, and were manually entered instead of being selected from the AJAX product listing. This has been addressed and the approach we took may be observed by entering "sku8" in http://pc3x.demos.greybearddesign.com/pc312standardqo/pc/quickorder.asp - this demo or "2503" in http://www.tastefulgarden.com/store/pc/quickorder.asp - http://www.tastefulgarden.com/store/pc/quickorder.asp
We continue to encourage feedback from interested merchants.
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