Attributes, features and categories

[Crowell]

Hi everyone,

 

I have a vision of managing products, and I'd like to ask you experts what is the best method to do it.

 

I have 100 products, all in 3 possible colors,  they also have some 'features' which I'd like to make visible (x,y,z) for customers and seo.

 

My idea of categories:

 

A and B categories; in each of them 3 subcategories with colors 1,2 and 3. When I click on any product, I'd like to always see also 2 other possible color options, and some special features. How to do it? I found description which explain the difference, but it doesn't really give me an answer.

 

http://www.prestashop.com/forums/topic/258172-attributes-and-values-vs-features/?p=1289832

[musicmaster]

Sounds very complicated.

 

I suggest that you start experimenting. If you want such a complicated thing no explanation in this forum will be clear enough if you don't have hand on experience.

[Crowell]

If I want my customer to be able to choose different color product while buying, the only method is Combination, right?

Features are only information about different option, so customer would have to send an email with his choice?

[musicmaster]

Nearly right.

 

You still have the adaptations. There you can define text fields that the customer can fill in. But that is free text. Another disadvantage is that they appear in the tabs in the standard layout - but of course you can change that.

 

In the case of colors - where you want the customer to choose between a limited number of choices - you would normally go for combinations.

[Crowell]

but than I make actually new products which I don't have photos for.

 

So basically there are only two options: combinations or new products with recommendations.

The difference will be in SEO (different tags), categories association which will allow me also to use filters.. and that's all?

 

Isn't than the best answer: make 3 different products and show on each product detail page other ones?

[musicmaster]

Isn't than the best answer: make 3 different products and show on each product detail page other ones?

I see basically two strategies that you could use. But both require adaptations in the template and maybe also in the code. And so neither is easy.

 

 - you can make different products. But in that case you need to link them to each other. There is no automatic way that "gadget red" links to "gadget blue". You will need to link the article numbers in some way. And for 100 products that can be quite a bit of work.

 

 - another strategy might be that you use combinations. It that case you would with software determine which one of them is shown on the page - depending whether you are on the "red" or the "blue" page