osCommerce Tips

A new version of Leapfrog has been released to solve an issue which results in a blank HTML page appearing when Leapfrog is launched.

You can download the latest version here.

This issue affects Leapfrog V1.0 and has been resolved in Leapfrog V1.1 and higher.

Continue reading ‘Leapfrog Bug Fix - Blank HTML Page’

The ability to watch what your store visitors are doing is very important.

So much so that I included a user tracking contribution in a recent article. But understanding the ebb and flow of visitors is difficult because the data is always presented in a very dry format. Plus you have to keep refreshing the page to see if anything has happened recently.

I decided that what osCommerce really needed was a dynamic, realtime, funky visitor tracking contribution.

So I built one. Its called Leapfrog and it’s quite addictive to watch!

Download it for your site, have a play and let me know what you think.

Continue reading ‘Leapfrog - A Realtime Visitor Tracking Contribution’

You know you’ve been using osCommerce too long when:

1. You have the osCommerce support forum as your home page
2. You’re thinking chmod 777 when trying to unlock your front door
3. You know how to say ‘Welcome Guest! Would you like to log yourself in?’ in English, German and Spanish
4. Any mention of SSL sends shivers down your spine
5. You have nightmares about padlock symbols
6. You never want to see ‘There’s Something About Mary’ or ‘A Bug’s Life’ every again
7. You can relate to all of the above!

And seven of my favourites from the osCommerce forums:

1. You begin signing your name prefixed with tep_ (by custodian)
2. You feel a sense of urgency when you have difficulty accessing forums.oscommerce.com (by custodian)
3. Your osCommerce store can do more things than eBay, even though you only have 10 things in your entire product listings (by custodian)
4. You download every contribution just in case you might need it one day (by Java Roasters)
5. You refer to your day planner as configure.php and your spouse as application_top (on a good day) (by GraphicsGuy)
6. Your children are “includes” (by GraphicsGuy)
7. You have a dog named footer.php (by GraphicsGuy)

Got some more? Submit your own in the comments section.

What’s the difference between online and offline shoppers?

You can’t see online shoppers. They’re invisible. And if you can’t see them, you can’t answer the following questions:

• Where are they from?
• What keywords are they using to find your site?
• Which products are they looking for?
• Was all that hard earned cash you spent on advertising really worth it?

Google Analytics will answer all these questions and more. It acts as a spotlight that illuminates your visitors by secretly gathering vital information about them. Vital information that you need to make your store a success.

Here’s how to install it on any osCommerce store in just 5 minutes.

Continue reading ‘How to Install Google Analytics in 5 Minutes’

What’s a sure-fire way to improve your osCommerce store and generate more sales?

There are over 3,800 contributions listed on the offical osCommerce site, every single one designed to enhanced your store’s functionality and features. Imagine how much more successful your business could be if you installed only a handful of these.

But you’re busy. You don’t have the time to trawl through and decided which ones are good, and which ones are just plain bad. What you need is a no-nonsense list of must have contributions. Contributions that no savvy store owner would be caught dead without.

So, here are 3 top contributions you really should install if you are serious about selling online and generating more sales.

Continue reading ‘3 Contributions Every osCommerce Store Owner Should Install’

The osCommerce Knowledge Base provides answers to commonly asked questions. If you’re just starting out then it can be a useful place to look for hints and tips, or just to find out a little more about the software.

You can browse documents by latest updated, highest rated and most popular.

The link to the Knowledge Base is not the easiest to find on the osCommerce site so I have provided a link to the page here.

Why are there over 125,000 members on the official osCommerce forum?

Chances are if you’re reading this you want to start selling online. But which software solution should you chose?

Over the years thousands of people have realised that osCommerce is the correct e-commerce solution for them, and successfully make money with their stores.

So here’s all the information you need to decide whether osCommerce is the software that will make your online business dreams a reality.

Continue reading ‘Everything You Ought to Know About osCommerce as an E-Commerce Solution’

Today osCommerce Tips is officially launched!

As more and more people turn to online shopping, the world of e-commerce software becomes more important. I have been using osCommerce as my shopping cart solution for many years and would like to share some of the experience I have had with it.

This site is for web developers and osCommerce store owners who want to increase their sales by building and managing the best possible store they can. osCommerce Tips will provide you with guide, tutorials, tips and techniques to do just that.

So, bookmark this site and come back often. The first articles will be posted shortly.