What’s Your Preference?

Jim Poor · #1 (**permalink**) 12-10-2011, 03:39 PM

Anyone know how to direct visitors to my site to the home page, regardless of what URL they type for another part of the site?

For the holiday period, I want folks to go to my main page rather directly into the shopping cart system so that they'll see my holiday closing schedule.

Rentham · #2 (**permalink**) 12-10-2011, 04:01 PM

Jim, hijacking the url is possible but it essentially breaks your site for users. If you're set on doing it that way you can google ".htaccess 301 redirect". It might be worth investigating a minimally intrusive CSS or ********** solution that gives a small pop up notification ala B&H during their closing schedules.

Edit: Wow, okay... the initials to the banned word are JS.

Jim Poor · #3 (**permalink**) 12-10-2011, 04:19 PM

Thanks. I had a holiday pop-up last year with a cookie so folks only saw it once every three days if they visited frequently.

Can't find the code for it now

I'd like this to be what folks see when they first hit the site, with an option to continue on.

Jim Poor · #4 (**permalink**) 12-10-2011, 05:05 PM

I managed to get the script running with text and a cookie.

Not having much luck getting an image in it though.

This is what it looks like so far Jim Poor Photography

SwissJon · #5 (**permalink**) 12-10-2011, 06:04 PM

I'm not a big programmer, but you should be able to do a Jscript redirect or create a popup using jQuery. Stick a cookie on the users machine. If the cookie doesn't exist, they get the redirect or pop-up, if it does, they don't.

KristineMN · #6 (**permalink**) 12-10-2011, 07:19 PM

Instead of the close button could you edit the script to link to the homepage instead? It could say "Continue" or something to that effect and when clicked it would take them to the home page where you want your holiday splash page to be displayed. Alternatively you could make your splash page an image and simply embed that in your popup script which they could just close out.

While I get what you are trying to do, just be warned that users generally dislike being re-directed and pop-ups are often blocked anyways.

On another note, does your cart allow for CSS styling? While its not a big deal, it would look more professional if your cart matched your main site as far as layout goes and this could easily be remedied if it allows for some editing or even wrapping some HTML into the header and footer of the template used.

Jim Poor · #7 (**permalink**) 12-10-2011, 07:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KristineMN

Instead of the close button could you edit the script to link to the homepage instead? It could say "Continue" or something to that effect and when clicked it would take them to the home page where you want your holiday splash page to be displayed. Alternatively you could make your splash page an image and simply embed that in your popup script which they could just close out.

It is an image, but I can't get it to work with the pop up alert script.

Quote:

While I get what you are trying to do, just be warned that users generally dislike being re-directed and pop-ups are often blocked anyways.

Yes, but the dislike even more when they pay for express, 5-day shipping on the 21st of December when I'm closed until the 9th of January. Gotta get the message out somehow.

Quote:

On another note, does your cart allow for CSS styling? While its not a big deal, it would look more professional if your cart matched your main site as far as layout goes and this could easily be remedied if it allows for some editing or even wrapping some HTML into the header and footer of the template used.

Yes, it does. And it currently does match the dog sport side of things. Not so much the CIA side. Something for next year.

Bruce A · #8 (**permalink**) 12-10-2011, 07:34 PM

KristineMN · #9 (**permalink**) 12-10-2011, 07:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jim Poor

It is an image, but I can't get it to work with the pop up alert script.

Yes, but the dislike even more when they pay for express, 5-day shipping on the 21st of December when I'm closed until the 9th of January. Gotta get the message out somehow.

Yes, it does. And it currently does match the dog sport side of things. Not so much the CIA side. Something for next year.

I understand. I think your workaround that you have currently in place is a reasonable solution. I was a web designer for years (yes, even went to school for web and graphic design) so its hard for me to refrain from web site critique sometimes, lol.