[Funky Monk]

I have recently been asked to design an Ebay store template for an existing customer of mine. This is a new area to me and don't know where to start. I can design a site using Dreamweaver as usual but then don't know what code or any special requirements there are for displaying on ebay. How to do test a template?

[Gareth Daine]

You're going to need to know how to hand code in XHTML and CSS, without the use of WYSIWYG tools and editors like Dreamweaver if you're going to get anywhere mate.

[Funky Monk]

Gareth Daine, on 29 March 2010 - 01:14 PM, said:

You're going to need to know how to hand code in XHTML and CSS, without the use of WYSIWYG tools and editors like Dreamweaver if you're going to get anywhere mate.

Ok, Gareth. Tell me more. What exactly is different then? Surely you can design your site as usual and then add the code to the ebay page? Maybe not, but I'm just totally new to designing for eBay.

[GWDesign]

I agree fully with Gareth

[notbanksy]

There's a lot more that can get in the way when you're designing for eBay. For example, do you know what tier of shop your client has on ebay? I recently customised a layout for one of my clients who only has the basic shop. Ebay limits what you can do with it, so you have to know what parameters you're working within before you can begin to come up with something.

I think designing it in dreamweaver and then trying to export it to ebay is asking for trouble personally, but I do like to be proven wrong! My advice would be hand coding.

[Funky Monk]

Thanks for the info so far. I didn't realise it was so hard. Can't even find a simple guide to eBay design anywhere.

[notbanksy]

Funky Monk, on 30 March 2010 - 05:21 PM, said:

Thanks for the info so far. I didn't realise it was so hard. Can't even find a simple guide to eBay design anywhere.

Take a look at http://pages.ebay.co...rial/index.html

[joralyd]

it's not hard it's just you have to do a bit of research. Have a look around for free ebay templates and see if you can customise them in DW. I don't think you need to learn to hand code to make it, alot of designers use WYSIWYG editers, DW doesn't write the code for you it only lets you see what you have written hence the WYSIWYG accronym. Give it a go you have to start somewhere right?

[Funky Monk]

joralyd, on 03 April 2010 - 09:21 PM, said:

it's not hard it's just you have to do a bit of research. Have a look around for free ebay templates and see if you can customise them in DW. I don't think you need to learn to hand code to make it, alot of designers use WYSIWYG editers, DW doesn't write the code for you it only lets you see what you have written hence the WYSIWYG accronym. Give it a go you have to start somewhere right?

Thanks. I know I can create a web site, whether by WYISWYG or hand coding, but I guess the issue is that I have no idea what it would look like on an eBay store unless I go down the line of starting my own eBay store so that I can log in and test it out. $15.95 per month just so that I can use it as a test site for each template I develop seems quite a lot when you consider all my other costs as a freelancer. Is there something equivalent to the PayPal Sandbox where you can test out designs and see how they look as if they were a live eBay store???

[joralyd]

Ebay has a forum did you have a quick search through there? there will be something written somewhere on the web alot of the shops aren't designed by designers I know that much LOL I did start an Ebay shop myself and customised it about 7 years ago when it was FREE LOL and I remember it was pretty easy, is there any chance you could ask your client for their log in details and ask them to change their password when you've finished? otherwise they may only want you to design the actual graphics (buttons, logo) and they install the actual shop since ebay has it's own "builder". Honeslty there are heaps of ebay shop templates around that you can take a look at so you know what to do.

[Funky Monk]

joralyd, on 03 April 2010 - 09:58 PM, said:

Ebay has a forum did you have a quick search through there? there will be something written somewhere on the web alot of the shops aren't designed by designers I know that much LOL I did start an Ebay shop myself and customised it about 7 years ago when it was FREE LOL and I remember it was pretty easy, is there any chance you could ask your client for their log in details and ask them to change their password when you've finished? otherwise they may only want you to design the actual graphics (buttons, logo) and they install the actual shop since ebay has it's own "builder". Honeslty there are heaps of ebay shop templates around that you can take a look at so you know what to do.

I've signed up on their forum now so hopefully that will be useful. I got confused by all the different 'bits' of an eBay store. Another web developer I saw on the Internet talks about A Custom Store Front Page, A Custom "Me" Page and a A Custom Store Listing Template.

*********************************************************************************

Quick update - I have just found out that my customer has a 'Basic' store. As far I can see all there is under Store Design in their store is options to upload a customised logo, which I can do, plus change colours and fonts. I can't see any place to upload custom HTML code. Does this mean that they would have to upgrade to a higher, more expensive store in order to get a customised design???

This post has been edited by Funky Monk: 05 April 2010 - 12:22 PM

[markupmypage]

Here is ebay template and here is video how the guy make it
http://www.1stoptuto...y_Template.html

I think he did not use javascripts and he put the css...everything in 1page.

[notbanksy]

Funky Monk, on 05 April 2010 - 10:54 AM, said:

Quick update - I have just found out that my customer has a 'Basic' store. As far I can see all there is under Store Design in their store is options to upload a customised logo, which I can do, plus change colours and fonts. I can't see any place to upload custom HTML code. Does this mean that they would have to upgrade to a higher, more expensive store in order to get a customised design???

Yes it does. The basic store only lets you customise logo and colours etc. Although there is one header field which accepts html - I used it to add some custom CSS for the store I did, but the basic shop is very limited.

Good luck with it.

[bocaj]

You can include an external stylesheet in that header are too, giving you alot of options. Just be warned, ebay code is horrific, and it changes from time to time.

I did one a while ago, and my stylesheet ended up with a lot of areas looking like this

 /* <================== CATEGORY & PAGE LINKS ==================> */ 
 /* kill unwanted text from categories */ 
 body table table table table td { 
 font-size: 0px; 
 line-height: 0px; 
 visibility: hidden; 
 } 
 /* cancel text kill */ 
 body table table table table td a, body table table table table td b, body table table table table td font, body table table table table td strong, body table table table table table table td, body table table table form table td, body table table table div table td, table#PromoListView td, div#custompage table td, div#custompage { 
 font-size: 11px; 
 line-height: 13px; 
 text-align: left; 
 visibility: visible; 
 } 

:'(

[Funky Monk]

Thanks for all your help. I now at least understand eBay better and can advise my customer on the options available to them and I can be more confident.

[markupmypage]

Funky Monk, on 06 April 2010 - 04:29 AM, said:

Thanks for all your help. I now at least understand eBay better and can advise my customer on the options available to them and I can be more confident.

you are welcome always