Anyone made a single page Add New Listing template?

[bgordon]

I would like to have a single page format for adding a listing... not the stepped approach.

Anyone out there toyed with this or is it simply a rework of the existing code?

This would be really helpful for users and admin alike, especially when manually loading the database with listings...

Thoughts anyone?

[Chad]

This would ROCK.

[Maffo]

Can you be more specific on how you would want this to work.

On a couple of my sites I have bypassed the listing input entirely.

The user selects which category what they want. They then only have to enter a title of their listing.

The user is then sent to the payment page.

Once the user has paid, the user can set up their advert properly on the modifylisting page.

This stops people backing out when they have trouble with a certain field or uploading images.

[bgordon]

Originally Posted by Maffo

Can you be more specific on how you would want this to work.

On a couple of my sites I have bypassed the listing input entirely.

The user selects which category what they want. They then only have to enter a title of their listing.

The user is then sent to the payment page.

Once the user has paid, the user can set up their advert properly on the modifylisting page.

This stops people backing out when they have trouble with a certain field or uploading images.

Maffo... this is kind of what I want to do. I have the same issue with people goofing up or abandonning the ad partway through. I have the mod in place to alert them if they log back in that there is an unfinished ad, but I want to be more pro-active.

What I envision is a long page with all the details on the single page. Your complete the whole mess, and then submit it. Mandatory fields will keep the thing in check but this way, there is more consitency to the whole affair. Naturally, the same logic that applies to whether they get shunted to paypal or not would apply on this page. I just want less button pressing and more filling out.

I think people will get the posting done properly. I would add a large text box at the top that indicates any ad that is started (that is to say they have a category and title selected) would be committed with a button, can be returned to later to update or modify. The new mod would take care of the reminder the next time they logged in.

From a backloading standpoint, it is far easier to bulk load the database with a single page at a time.

What say you maffo? Can you make this happen?

[Maffo]

Ha, yep, I reckon I can but this is a massive, massive job that interferes with the entire 68 package.

The way to do this successfully is to have a shopping basket, and have the the payment and ad creation as two completly seperate entities.

For me an ideal situation is that a user has their checkout page, they can throw as many ads or memberships or even your own unique products in their.

The details are all stored in your database. The checkout page contains your address etc that you can change plus a full list of contents that you are about to purchase.

When the user has finished they can simply click on the purchase button which makes the transaction.

The information from your basket is then places either ads into to the product list or memberships added. A simple and clean process.

In the product table at present we have an 'active' field which admin can set to Y or N or a couple of other options. I would also add a field for the client to turn their advert on or off with the default being off.

So....

In essence, a user purchases three adverts. They are set to off. After the purchase they can fill them in , one at a time, add images, do a lovely description. Once they have finished they click their activate button which will make their advert viewable by the rest of the members.

Advantages:

A user can purchase multiple ads without having multiple paypal charges.
A user can generate a single invoice instead of having lots for several small purchases.
Once the user purchases, you have their money, its then upto them to make good their listings.
Chad claimed that he wanted to see a credit system, this is quite near in the fact that they can spend say $20 on either a membership(s) or multiple single ads and place them when they feel fit.

Like I say, this is a massive job. Not a quick mod that can be done in a day, we are talking weeks and thats working on it soley which I just can not do at the moment. Then theres the testing of it, ironing out bugs, support etc etc.

For the small fee we sometimes charge for mods, this just might not be worth it, but never say never I guess.

[bgordon]

Originally Posted by Maffo

Ha, yep, I reckon I can but this is a massive, massive job that interferes with the entire 68 package.

The way to do this successfully is to have a shopping basket, and have the the payment and ad creation as two completly seperate entities.

For me an ideal situation is that a user has their checkout page, they can throw as many ads or memberships or even your own unique products in their.

The details are all stored in your database. The checkout page contains your address etc that you can change plus a full list of contents that you are about to purchase.

When the user has finished they can simply click on the purchase button which makes the transaction.

The information from your basket is then places either ads into to the product list or memberships added. A simple and clean process.

In the product table at present we have an 'active' field which admin can set to Y or N or a couple of other options. I would also add a field for the client to turn their advert on or off with the default being off.

So....

In essence, a user purchases three adverts. They are set to off. After the purchase they can fill them in , one at a time, add images, do a lovely description. Once they have finished they click their activate button which will make their advert viewable by the rest of the members.

Advantages:

A user can purchase multiple ads without having multiple paypal charges.
A user can generate a single invoice instead of having lots for several small purchases.
Once the user purchases, you have their money, its then upto them to make good their listings.
Chad claimed that he wanted to see a credit system, this is quite near in the fact that they can spend say $20 on either a membership(s) or multiple single ads and place them when they feel fit.

Like I say, this is a massive job. Not a quick mod that can be done in a day, we are talking weeks and thats working on it soley which I just can not do at the moment. Then theres the testing of it, ironing out bugs, support etc etc.

For the small fee we sometimes charge for mods, this just might not be worth it, but never say never I guess.

PM me with a figure to do this and a timeline. If you want to make a mod out of it later, I am sure you will have no troubles selling this (I would only expect a refund once you go public with it).

This is a cool idea. I can see many advantages. Create and stack your ads and publish them in bulk when ready. I like it. It is more than I had hoped for. Maffo, you could sell banners and other stuff at the same time in the same way... it is all just product tallied at the end.

[whoazone]

Originally Posted by bgordon

PM me with a figure to do this and a timeline. If you want to make a mod out of it later, I am sure you will have no troubles selling this (I would only expect a refund once you go public with it).

This is a cool idea. I can see many advantages. Create and stack your ads and publish them in bulk when ready. I like it. It is more than I had hoped for. Maffo, you could sell banners and other stuff at the same time in the same way... it is all just product tallied at the end.

Did anyone ever develop this? It is an excellent idea, and if so, I need it ASAP!!! Please let me know if and where it is available. Thanks!

[seymourjames]

This would be great for real-estate sites. Estate agents can then upload multiple listings and then be charged just once after submitting all their listings. At the moment, the only way I can see of doing this is to sell them a 100% coupon with a limited number of listings. I then paypal them directly. Not very elegant and it all takes time and communication. I would pay for such a mod to make a checkout basket if it were reasonably priced. I think many agents will shy away from using my site french property/ when they have to proceed to paypal after each listing. If they have 20 or 30 houses they are going to go mad.

Someone please do it. I think it will pay them handsomely.

[Eric Barnes]

I believe maffo created a bulk upload module that may do this. I would recommend checking with him.

[Maffo]

Eric is correct. This is exactly what the bulk upload system is for.