Add a comment March 30th, 2009 by tosd
This is just a quick one. I often get asked what software I recommend for preparing images for websites. The short answer is this:
- If you prefer the software to be installed on your PC try www.paint.net (and click on the ‘get paint’ link).
- If you prefer to use an online service try www.pixlr.com (and click the ‘Jump in’ button).
Both of these are terrific editors that are more than up to the task.
6 Comments March 16th, 2009 by tosd
One of the really nice things about the latest version of Prestashop is the included Content Management System (CMS) facilities that allow administrators to create information pages to display content relating to such things as Terms and Conditions or supporting product information.
To add an information page follow these steps:
Step 1: Creating the new information page
- In admin, select the [Tools] tab then click the CMS link.
- Click “Add new”
- Enter the Meta Title, Meta Description and Meta Keywords
- The ‘Meta Title’ should include keywords that relate to the main page content
- The ‘Meta Description’ should also contain the keywords, can be longer than the Title, but I suggest you keep it to about twenty words long.
- Don’t go overboard with the ‘Meta Keywords’. Keep them revelant and do not repeat them. Half a dozen well chosen keywords are usually sufficient.
- The ‘Friendly URL’ should also contain your main keywords separated by a a dash. e.g: ‘product-selection’
- Use the editor to enter and format the required page content. You can copy and paste text from an Office document if required.
- Click [Save] to record.
Step 2: Enabling your page content for display
- In admin, select the [Modules] tab
- Scroll down to the ‘Blocks – xx modules’ section and click the Info block / configure link.
- The new page you have just created will be displayed. Click the check box next to it and then click [Update} to save.
- Your new page should now be displayed in the Information module of your website.
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5 Comments March 16th, 2009 by tosd
Images for Prestashop eCommerce websites created by TOSD require one image to be prepared for each item that is (usually) 600px X 600px – 96dpi, and in JPEG or PNG format. Always check with TOSD before proceeding with your image preparation to confirm that these specifications apply to your website’s template.
The image size of 600px X 600px is used by Prestashop in the popup viewer that is triggered by the customer either clicking on the normal product image (displayed on the product details page) or the ‘View full size’ link under it. All other versions of the image that are displayed in various places around the site are generated by Prestashop automatically.
Image preparation tips:
- Always prepare the image such that its finished size is square, and exactly 600px X 600px / 96dpi. If the original image is rectangular, prepare a square blank image (usually all white) that is 600px X 600px then copy (and centre) the rectangular image onto the square blank one.
- Note – as a fall back, if your images are not large enough to prepare in the preferred 600px X 600px size, then adopt 300px X 300px as your standard.
- In most cases images look best on a white background. For the best presentation ensure that all backgrounds are white – not various shades of grey.
- If you do not currently have any image preparation software I recommend Paint.NET (http://www.paint.net/). Under the paint.net heading, click the ‘getpaint.net’ link to download. Installation is straight forward. Information and tutorials are available here: http://www.getpaint.net/doc/latest/en/index.html
- Don’t worry too much about the ‘megapixel’ count of your digital camera. Almost any modern digital camera is capable of producing quite acceptable images for display on the web.
- If I were to give one single tip on photographing products for display on your website, it would be to ensure that there is adequate lighting and no distracting backgrounds.
Image upload
- When you have finished entering the core product information (under the [Info] tab) select the [Images] tab.
- Click the [Browse] button to locate the prepared image on your PC.
- Enter a short, relevant description in the Caption field.
- Leave Thumbnail Resize Method set to the default: ‘Automatic’
- Click the [Save Image] button to upload. Prestashop will create all required thumbnails on the fly.
An finally the golden rule of Online Shops:
.
Images attract – Features describe – Benefits sell
Yes, you need them all !
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6 Comments March 13th, 2009 by tosd
Prestashop has a very flexible and comprehensive attribute structure. In this article I will show you how to create simple attributes and assign them to a product.
Overview
Attribute groups describe certain variations of a product. A simple example would be an attribute group called “Colour”, that may contain the attributes (or options) “red”, “green” and “blue”. Having created an attribute group with the appropriate range of options, the options can then be assigned to any product.
Creating an attribute group
- In admin select [catalog] / [attributes and group]
- Click the link “Add attributes group”
- Assign a Name, Public Name and indicate whether it is a colour typ group or not
- [Save]
Creating an attribute (option)
- In admin select [catalog] / [attributes and group]
- Click the link “Add attribute”
- Insert a name and select from the drop down box the group that the attribute will belong to
- [Save]
Assigning attributes to a product (simple method)
- Navigate to the product you wish to assign attributes to
- Select the 3rd tab: [Combinations]
- Select the group, and the required attribute within that group
- Click [Add], and further down the screen click the [Add this attribute] button.
- Note: if the attribute causes a price variation to the product it is assigned to you may like to insert this in the “Impact on price” fields before clicking the [Add this attribute] button.
- Repeat the above sequence to add additional attributes. As each one is added it is displayed in the table below the [Add this attribute] button.
- When you have finished adding attributes to the product click the “back to list” link at the bottom of the screen.
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6 Comments March 13th, 2009 by tosd
Prestashop is a very comprehensive, yet simple to use, ecommerce platform that forms the basis of some of TOSD’s most recent online shop solutions.
Access
Your access details will be supplied by TOSD. The administration area is password protected. Contact TOSD if you are unsure how to access the admin area of your online shop
Settings
All initial settings will be set up by TOSD. One preference you may wish to alter is Gift wrapping (admin/preferences … scroll down). Here you can indicate whether you wish to offer gift wrapping or not. If you do, you can also set the fee.
Categories
- Adding a category
- admin/catalog and click the “Add a new subcategory” link to add a category at the highese level . . . or, navigate to the existing category you wish to place a subcategory under and then click the “Add a new subcategory” link.
- insert a name and description (if required) for your category and then add the meta data. Meta data is very important for search engine optimisation. Goggle it if you need to know more.
- The friendly URL is added to the end of your domain name. It should be a relevany keyword associated closely with the category e.g. if the category was “Pots and Pans”, the friendly URL could be ‘pots-pans’ (note the use of a hyphen and no spaces. If after you click [Save] you navigate to the page you will see that the URL would be along the lines of: http://www.yourdomain.com.au/pots-pans/
- Adding a product
- Navigate to the required category and click the “Add a new product” link
- [Information] tab – as a minimum, enter the following information:
- Name
- Pre-tax retail price
- Tax (within Australia select GST from the drop down box)
- Quantity – can be set to ‘1′ if you are not using Prestashop to track inventory (most businesses don’t)
- Category selection – check the box next to those categories you want the new product to be displayed in.
- Special Notee: If you select the ‘Home’ category, the product will also appear as a featured product on the home page.
- Click the ‘Click here to improve product’s rank in search engines (SEO)’ link to add Meta data. As with the categories, if you are unsure about this Google it. But it is important, so don’t leave these entries blank.
- Always fill out the short description. This will appear in the product listing (the page that appears after a customer clicks on a category)
- The “Description” entry appears as a tab (labelled “More Info”)toward the bottom of the detailed product page and provides you with great scope for adding additional supporting information.
- “Tags” are optional but a great idea. They provide the customer with an alternative way to search your site. For example consider an online fruit shop. The fruit would normally be categorised by type (vegetables, stone fruit, citrus etc) but could be tagged according to their vitamin content. In this case tomatoes and oranges could both be tagged “vitamin C”, even though they exist in different categories.
- “Accessories” – this is a very powerful facility that allows you to select any other product as an accessory to the one you are created. As with the “Description” information, accessories appear in a tab toward the bottom of the product page.
- Choose a save option to record the core information you have just added.
- [Images] tab - for best presentation it is very important that you images be correctly prepared. If you are unsure, ask TOSD before proceeding. It may well save a lot of wasted preparation time.
- Click [Browse] to navigate to the required image on your PC
- Add a relevant caption
- Leave the thumbnail resize method to the default, “automatic”.
- Click [Save Image] to complete.
And that’s it! You have now created a new product.
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