Improving the proceedure of placing ads and auctions?
 

Id like to make a suggestion on the steps that Photo Post Classifieds walks you through in order to place an ad or auction.

Currently the way I see it, it has you select what "type" of ad you want to post, then you have to select a "root" level category, then you have to select additional subcategorys from there depending on much you want to narrow it down to a specific item.

Why not offer something much simplier method (selectable by the admin) for the board members/users by having it setup something maybe like this...

Click "place an Ad". Then select the type of ad you want to place it in such as an Auction or an Advertisement only.

Then allow the user to be able to place their ad or auction within a "root level" category only without having to narrow it down even further.

Just Examples...

Auctions -> All Auctions here. (No further categories neccessary)
Classifieds -> All Classifieds here. (No further categories neccessary)

From what I have seen and tested, currently it does not allow us to throw everything into the root level cat, and Id really like to see this ability.

How bout it? It would be much easier on everyone vs having to go through multiple categories just to find what they are looking for especially on the viewing side not just the placing an ad side, everything is in one place, very simple.... auctions or ads.

Also I noticed that because the "ad type" is auction and then I create a root level category or auction, I end up getting a "repeat" in the selections which looks silly, uneccessary and sometimes confusing.

How about select the type of auction, then one category and throw it in there, very simple and straight forward.

Can we change the way this all works? Theres gotta be an easier way...

Doug

If thats what you want to do just create two categories Auctions and Classifieds.

But it still doesnt resolve the rest of the issues Chuck.

What about the rest of the stuff I brought up?

Doug

The procedure for placing the ads is the way it is because of the templates. We code things to be as efficient as possible and therefore the procedure is this.

1. You select which template type

2. The script pulls the categories for that template type

3. You place the ad.

I have read your suggestion over and over and I dont really know what you mean by root or subcat levels as the 2nd stage shows ALL CATS OF THE TEMPLATE TYPE but what you want to do is easily solved by making just two categories and not having any other template active except the forsale template which means you skip step 1 and go straight to the cat selection step.

Now for the majority of classifieds users whom have many many categories and many different types of templates the system we have in place I think is the most efficient and fastest way to handle things. I am always open to suggestions but we need to support all our customers so any changes we make will be made to support everyone.

If you have a better idea please post it.

Chuck,

Im for supporting the majority of the users, however Im just trying to make using this program for my board users as EASY as possible.

I will try your suggestion and see how that works out.

Thank you Chuck

Doug

I think you find if you set yours up like that it will do what you want it to do.

Chuck,

Sorry about that, When I said Root Level, I meant Top Level, and I got the Subcat level from where it shows "subcat level" in the admin cp under categories.

Currently how i have things setup is like this below, this is the simpliest that I have been able to get it, but between step 1 and 2 the duplication is kind of confusing...

Auctions -> Auctions -> All auctions here.
Classifieds -> Classifieds -> All ads here.

See where you get the "duplicate" selection, for steps 1 and 2?

Cant we get rid of that duplication? and just have it where you select the type only once, and then place all the auctions or the ads into one location for everything instead of having to have categories?

Am I making sense now on my explanation?

Doug