Template Options and Features

[wiseowlbookshop]

I am looking for some help with store templates.
It appears as though there are only two template options.
I settled on the one with the left-handed sidebar.
I have seen stores which include, at the bottom, a "Featured Categories" panel, for example wenzelthriftynickel.ecrater.com, but I cannot figure out how to add this feature.
I have also noticed, at the said store, that the "Categories" sidebar items also have subcategories, but, once again, I cannot find instructions on how to implement this feature.
I am very new, so I am wondering if a store must contain some minimum number of items before these features are installed.

[MoonwishesStore]

Nope! you can start having categories the moment you have two unique items to list. The featured items may need a certain amount of items but it is a very low number. You can find the links to these things on the left side of the page on your administrative page. Also be sure that you have read up on the forum posts and the board 'FAQs'. You are correct that there are only two possible templates.

[wiseowlbookshop]

MoonwishesStore
Thanks for responding.
In comparison to the listing process at ebay, there is a bit of a learning curve here.
I poked around this morning and discovered how to add subcategories, doing so under books.
It had not been clear to me that this was accomplished at the “Manage Categories” page under “Current category: root”, by selecting a specific category and then adding it to create a “Local Category” on the “Edit Product” page.
Now that this is sorted, I am wondering how the selection, on the Edit Product page, of “Global Sub Cat” might effect “Local Category”, particularly if the “Local Category” is in some way more specific.
And I am still uncertain about the "Featured Categories" panel which I have seen home-page bottom at some stores. If there is a menu selection to activate this via the Navigation sidebar on the Administrative Tool page, I cannot find it.
Any suggestions?
Thanks again

[cosmicray]

@wiseowlbookshop

You have no control over specifying either of the Global categories. You can pick from those available tho. Beyond that, there is no relationship between the categories that you define, and the global ones that you pick from. Don't try to integrate the two together. They each live independently in their own space.

In your store view (which shows only your listings), your defined categories are available for customers to browse.

In the marketplace view (which combines listings from all sellers) the global categories are used to organize the listings.

[MoonwishesStore]

Wiseowl, It has been close to 8 years since I did it, so I had to go figure it out. click on categories on your admin page, you will see your root categories. Click on the pencil looking object and you will have a place to set up your featured categories. I think you can have 6-7 of them. so you would probably want your biggest or most special categories represented by one of them. Click on the update button and see what happens.

Your head may be spinning now, but I think you will find pretty soon that listing here is child's play compared to all the pages you used to fill out at ebay! At least I sure did since until I had been here a year or so I was still on rural dial up. The rural because mice, squirrels and other critters seemed to think the telephone wires were yummy so it was not unusual to lose service and it was incredibly slow what we had. So only one page to list instead of multiples was so great. I could list something in minutes compared to close to 30+minutes on ebay.

Hope this helps. Don't be afreaid to click on buttons. Hard to goof here and have everything disappear as you usually get a screen that asked if you really wanted to do something.

[A-Better-Way]

I think it just makes it for the seller to organize what they list, more than being forced into a predetermined selection.

Since we still have to use what ecrater has, it's pretty easy to include the items under those, while keeping your wits as to where you stashed item types.

At ebay it's like ,can of worms, all because THEY say it's the wrong type of thing, as opposed to just organizing your own stuff.
Here there is still a lot of things in wrong categories, mostly because of that bulk ebay import function.

You should make a new category FIRST, THEN flip it in your item, BEFORE you start wanting to change some item in another category. Otherwise you will end up deleting all the stuff, by accident. if you delete some category.

[wiseowlbookshop]

MoonwishesStore and cosmicray
Thanks to both of you for the direction, suggestions, and experiences.
I have now sorted out the sub-categories issue as well as the "Featured Categories".
Listing at ecrater is indeed “child’s play” and much faster than at ebay.
The only other concern I have is with respect to shipping. I have chosen to “Enable USPS Calculated Shipping Instead” feature under “Set Store Options”, since, for the foreseeable future, I will be offering media items only. It is my impression that the Shipping Matrix is primarily applicable to items for which there are multiple availablility.
I have also discovered that the “Priority Mail (1–3 days)” option at “Enable USPS Calculated Shipping Instead” results in an increase charge, fairly significant, than that from the USPS Postage Price Calculator.
My hope is that an adjustment or refund may be issued via Paypal, and not incur costs to the seller.
Thanks again for the good ideas and wishes!

[SheilaDeesPostcards]

[SheilaDeesPostcards]

If you haven't found the tutorial for the Administrative Tools, you might find it helpful. Look on the home page of eCrater (www.ecrater.com ), click on the FAQ, click on Selling under the FAQ, scroll to the bottom of the page under Administrative Tool and there is a full tutorial for the Administrative Tool. There are two forms, one is a docx file and one is a doc file. This will give you the basics of setting up your store.