"return to product" button

[TraceyHand]

I wonder if somebody could help me out, please?

I'm looking to make a "return to main product" type button for my extended info pages (toying with the idea of using them as a method of single product pages)

so far, everything has gone great..but I'd like to add a "return to product" button to enable shoppers to hop back from the "extended info" to the main product list quickly and easily, without using the main navigation which may not take them back the way they came, IYSWIM

What code do I use to get a button to direct back to the product relating to the extended info details currently being viewed?

I've had a quick play but I don't know how to specify the link itself... as it's obviously relative to the page currently being viewed

I hope that makes sense! :o

Thanks :)

[TraceyHand]

ok...getting somewhere...will report back :D

[pinbrook]

if you don't open the extended window full size , the simple close button will suffice

[TraceyHand]

weyhey!! result

ok.. this is what I did (no doubt someone will come along and tell me it was something very easy LOL...it's all easy when you know how!)

I made a copy of the "ExtInfoButtonLabel" variable and called it "ExtInfoButtonLabel(return)"
Set the main value to read "Return to product list"

Then, I made a copy of the "Button Image Opens in Same Window" layout and called it "Button Image Opens in Same Window (return)"

Inside this copy layout, I entered the following

<a href="http://www.budget-bumps.co.uk/cgi-bin/ss000005.pl?PRODREF=<actinic:variable name="ProductReference" />&NOLOGIN=1" TARGET="_self"<input type="button" value="<actinic:variable name="ExtInfoButtonLabel(Return)" />" border="0" /></a>

Then positioned where I wanted it.

I've been testing this in 2 different areas of my site. Initially, I'd set up some single product pages using the section lists as you can see HERE (http://www.budget-bumps.co.uk/acatalog/Nursing-tops.html)

so, when playing with this ext info method...I chose the section of duplicates that I have HERE (http://www.budget-bumps.co.uk/acatalog/nursing-tops-lingerie.html) so I can make a like-for-like comparison.

I know which I prefer..using the extended info page...which, for a "normal" browser through the store, is an optional additional click rather than the section lists where you *have* to click through to.

I just need to test it in a few other areas of the site to see if it suits the general clothing sections as well as it does this section.

Any glaringly obvious mistakes?
What do you think?

[TraceyHand]

if you don't open the extended window full size , the simple close button will suffice

the problem with that, Jo, is that if the customer has fallen onto the extended info page as a result of a link from googlebase or similar, the close button means they leave the site!
I want to lure them into the rest of it :D

[pinbrook]

ok i had this before

I just added a simple link to ext info layout which said something like if you have reached this page from a SE click here to enter our site, create a link using ss script or #prod ref

[TraceyHand]

oh dear...LOL...I broke it :o

all works fine in FF but IE isn't happy with my "larger image" button or my new "return to product list" button..

OK...when I changed my extended info layout from name and info text thingie to "includes add to cart" and "opens in same window"...it put in a different button for "more" on the product page...which I don't want

I want the grey button it uses already so I put it back in...or so I thought.
But what I did works in FF but not IE so clearly I got it wrong

Editted to add...onTHIS (http://www.budget-bumps.co.uk/acatalog/nursing-tops-lingerie.html) page, I have reverted back to the pop up extended info for all except one item (the Glamourmom top) so you can see the button it's replacing it with.
I understand the grey button is a javascript one? Can I use this to open the extended info in the SAME window?

OK...for the button image..

The standard for a pop up extended info is:
<input type="button"
name="INFO_<actinic:variable Name="ProductID"/>"
value="<actinic:variable name="ExtInfoButtonLabel"/>"
onclick="javascript:ShowPopUp('<actinic:variable name="ExtendedInfoPageEncoded"/>','<actinic:variable name="ExtInfoWindowWidth"/>','<actinic:variable name="ExtInfoWindowHeight"/>');"
/>



Now when I changed to the "opens in same page" link..it changed my button to <a href="<actinic:variable name="ExtendedInfoPageName" />"><img src="<actinic:variable name="ExtInfoButtonImageFileName" />" border="0" /></a>

Which I don't like.

I've been trying to combine the two with no success...well...not cross-browser success anyway (gotta love FF...obviously able to translate Tracey-isms :D )

Can anyone point me in the right direction here? My efforts aren't quite right, obviously :o
I came up with <a href="<actinic:variable name="ExtendedInfoPageName" />"><input type="button" value="<actinic:variable name="ExtInfoButtonLabel"/>"/></a>

Thanks :)

[TraceyHand]

ok...just an update on this.
Gave up on my javascript button...I wasn't so attached to it that I was gonna spend hours on it LOL

Now have a small "more" button...and a text "Return the product list" link on the extended info page for the benefit of people who have landed there

I'm quite pleased with how it looks and I'm hopeful that, with little effort really, GoogleBase will welcome me and my feed with open arms now :D

ok...slight exaggeration but fingers crossed anyway!

[wahahey]

I'd really like to know what code you found worked for the link back to the product list from the extended info page...(i want to use a simple text link)

I'm sure I saw it working on your site a couple of weeks ago...but now i can't find it :confused: - and i want to use it!

any help really appreciated :D

[TraceyHand]

I am using it on my extended info pages. eg HERE (http://www.budget-bumps.co.uk/acatalog/Emma-Jane-Nursing-Top.html)

It's used as the "go to product listings" link

My link is made up like <a href="http://www.mysite.co.uk/cgi-bin/ss0000**.pl?PRODREF=<actinic:variable name="ProductID" />&NOLOGIN=1" TARGET="_self">Go to product listings..(loads in this window)</a>

I'm sure you can get the idea from that anyway

[NormanRouxel]

Have you tried

<a href="<actinic:variable name="SectionPageName" />#<actinic:variable name="EncodedProductAnchor" />">Click</a>

It works fine on Catalog Sites. Not sure about Business logged-in pages as I've not tested it on that.

[wahahey]

Fantastic - that works perfectly (just substituted my cgi-bin number for the xx of course). I'm sure i tried something like that before, but gave up without success in the end.

Thanks for sorting me out!

[NormanRouxel]

If using the cgi-bin type link, instead of hard coding

http://www.mysite.co.uk/cgi-bin/ss0000**.pl

use

<actinic:variable name="SearchCGIURL" />

As this is site independent.

[TraceyHand]

thanks Norman :)

only reason I never used that in the first instance was because it didn't work for me in preview mode (should it? I may have done it wrong!) and I wanted to make sure all my duplicates' extended info links linked to the correct duplicate products before uploading it all live.

[wfl]

I didn't bother with a separate button I just copied the breadcrumb from INNERLAYOUT to the top of the page with the product ref/description on the line above.

That way it works exactly the same as the rest of the catalog.

It works OK except for products that are in best sellers or have duplicates and it sometimes has the breadcrumb to these. I keep meaning to have a look at fixing that.

[TraceyHand]

I didn't bother with a separate button I just copied the breadcrumb from INNERLAYOUT to the top of the page with the product ref/description on the line above

yes...that's something I've done too...I just wasn't sure that, in my case, it was consipicuous/intuitive enough for a visitor who had just arrived at the website via the extended info page.

[fergusw]

Tracey,
I'm sure some clever javascript bunny could write a little javascript method that checks to see if the page has been opened by a parent window or not and display the "close this window" OR "click here for product listing" accordingly?

just a thought. :)

[TraceyHand]

Tracey,
I'm sure some clever javascript bunny could write a little javascript method that checks to see if the page has been opened by a parent window or not and display the "close this window" OR "click here for product listing" accordingly?

just a thought. :)

actually, the link underneath my "return to product listing" does a similar thing... closing the pop up, if it is one...or, alternatively, if it's been "landed on" as a main page, acting as a browser "back" link

So yes, I'm sure it would be possible...then it could either close the window OR link to the listings page and I could lose one of the links!

actually...I'm sure I can do that myself...

let's see, shall we?
:D

[wfl]

consipicuous/intuitive enough for a visitor
Wow! That's asking a lot of your actual real life surfer :rolleyes:

[TraceyHand]

Wow! That's asking a lot of your actual real life surfer :rolleyes:

you've obviously not dealt with many of "my kind" of customers :D

[wfl]

you've obviously not dealt with many of "my kind" of customers :D
Nope. We believe the future is going to be an interactive screen that we can leap out of, grab 'em by the scruff of the neck and personally lead them to the page they want :D

[TraceyHand]

actually, the link underneath my "return to product listing" does a similar thing... closing the pop up, if it is one...or, alternatively, if it's been "landed on" as a main page, acting as a browser "back" link

So yes, I'm sure it would be possible...then it could either close the window OR link to the listings page and I could lose one of the links!

actually...I'm sure I can do that myself...

let's see, shall we?
:D

right...so close...but so far :(

I got it to work in IE...but it doesn't work in FF (and I'm used to stuff happening the other way around!)

I'll leave it "as is" for now (other things to do)..no doubt I'll confront it again soon

[wfl]

Looking at my bread crumb problem it looks as if the trail always uses the path to a duplicate item if one exists. Perhaps this is something to do with the way the data is ordered or indexed.

Can anyone shed any light on this?

[TraceyHand]

Looking at my bread crumb problem it looks as if the trail always uses the path to a duplicate item if one exists. Perhaps this is something to do with the way the data is ordered or indexed.

Can anyone shed any light on this?

Mine don't do this.
THIS is an original (http://www.budget-bumps.co.uk/acatalog/info_EJ_864_Nurse_PJtop.html)

THIS is a duplicate (http://www.budget-bumps.co.uk/acatalog/info_3_EJ_864_Nurse_PJtop.html)

as is THIS (http://www.budget-bumps.co.uk/acatalog/info_2_EJ_864_Nurse_PJtop.html)

Are you extended info pages unique for each duplicate?
That's the only reason I can think that a genuine duplicate extended info wouldn't show the right breadcrumb trial

[Donna Kempster]

Just a little note to say thanks to all on this thread - top tips and gave me some instant answers and ideas. Customers can now navigate our site from extended info pages that they find by seo! Well worth the mornings forum search and playing. Cheers D

[Sean Williams]

Have you tried

<a href="<actinic:variable name="SectionPageName" />#<actinic:variable name="EncodedProductAnchor" />">Click</a>

It works fine on Catalog Sites. Not sure about Business logged-in pages as I've not tested it on that.


Well done Norman!
Succinct and accurate, as always.

Precisely what I was looking for.

As usual, telephone support had no idea .....:(

Many thanks :)