Module to feature SS items in CMS, homepage, etc

[ebiznet]

In addition to having a text link to my SS store on my homepage and other pages on my websites, I would like to feature products, together with photos, on these pages.

If SS could help make available some code we could plug into CMS or blog platforms like Wordpress, Drupal, PHP-Nuke, Joomla, etc, to effect this, it would be so cool.

These blocks could feature the item, item name or title, that when clicked on, will take the visitor to the specific page in the SS store. Better yet, if these products could be rotated randomly or among the featured products categories, so that each time the home or blog page is refreshed, a new product or set of products is shown.

It would be similar to Amazon's iframed Omakase or Recommended Product Links widgets that you could display on your website. An example of this can be seen on one of my sites: http://sauna.top8-sites.com.

Does anyone know how to do this, or can Omar and his team do this for us?

[flashdiva]

I have had the same question and think I have a solution (the Workaround gurl :rolleyes: )... but have not had time to test-drive. I do think an answer would be what you've suggested, per others like Amazon, using an Iframe technology. I have not yet set up a Featured product on my SS store... but it seems to me that it would be possible to use an Iframe on your blog that would refer to a standalone page on your SS site, with the featured item coding. As I've just said, I've not played with this at all yet. You could do the same thing for images. And if you were to even use a regular Affiliate link/banner coding for eBay or Amazon, and then code below that, your own advert to your SS site... the entire standalone page could be inset in the SS page.

I've used Iframe tech for years now, on all my sites. Even back when the very technology caused IE to twitch and itch and crash. lol. But it's a pretty firm technology now... and the Iframes can be used on multiple domains/sites.... and so, the base standalone page can be changed, and all changes go across the board. My contact info on my sites are an Iframe, and WOW does this cut down on the crazies, when you move or change contact info.

I've not added this Iframe to my first SS store yet, but I think I will do that, and take out the coded contact footer of the store. Instant updates! Check out my sigfile links, to see what I am referring to.

Hope this helps. And I will post again, after I test out my theory on Featured item/Iframe/placed on blog or web site.

But if the H.A. crew might consider this... a great addition to our toolset would be like a Widget... for blogs or for sites. Kinda the same theory, but it would be an official SS Widget

[Omar]

Ok, so first thing first. You can now set featured products by navigate to a product while logged as admin, click Edit for that products and in the window that opens select "featured" box. That will make the products featured and listed on top of rest of those products, or in a special section, based on templates.

Now, abouty a module. I guess i know what you want, something like adsense box but with products.. or like amazon widgets, that you can put anywhere. Would you want to show in that box though? Only featured products or contextual products?
Can be done 2 ways i think.
One, you set some featured products and the box will display only those (random if you have more then limit number of products that you can have in one box).
Two, a script will do a contextual analyze of the page with the module and show as much as possible related products form your SS store, from all products not just featured ones.

[ebiznet]

Thank you for both replies

Omar, both options sound great!

The first solution sounds easier to implement, while the second suggestion, that shows contextual choices, would be awesome.

If possible, I would love to have both options, of course

However, in terms of development time, I would guess the first solution is faster to develop and implement than the second, and so I would say, please develop it first so we can use it as soon as possible on our sites. It would be good to have the option to choose how many products to display in the box.

If, however, both solutions require equal development time, then I would not mind either one being developed, especially if the contextual solution works well.

My only concern with the contextual solution is whether there might be enough product choices available to show up in the box. If not, then we should be able to set a default product or set of products to display, rather than to leave the box blank.

Omar, how soon can you implement both solutions?

[Omar]

Omar, how soon can you implement both solutions?

That is hard to say. We first need to see how can be done, how will be done and so on..

[ebiznet]

Thanks, Omar

I look forward to seeing this implemented, as soon as you and your team can get round to it.

In the meantime, I would love to hear from anyone else in this community that has an alternative solution or workaround

[royalmice]

Have you tried using your rss feed to display you SS content on your other site.
If your other site is a blog then i recomend a too, like rss2blog or something.

I remember Omar giving me the code to put rss into my site when i was experimenting with one of there other products

This will be a easy way of using your SS content