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    Need Help Figuring Out How to Use Miva

    I have been with Miva for a while now, but have yet to get my site up and running because I simply cannot figure out this site despite going through video and PDF tutorials and even contacting support. I'm self-taught and have never had so much trouble trying to figure out something in my entire life.

    The tutorials I've gone through either do not match what I am seeing on my screen or do not tell me where I'm supposed to be looking for whatever it is that's being talked about. I certainly shouldn't have to read through a 500+ page document just to get a site up and running. Good Lord, I've never heard of such a thing at any other host I've used! Not only that, but apparently the one I was provided doesn't even apply to the version I'm using. Which means I was wasting my time only to be confused all that much more and I'm not about to go through another. Who's got that kind of time or patience for that matter? LOL

    So, basically, every avenue I've tried to learn Miva has been useless. It should NOT be this difficult. Seriously. Please forgive my rant, but my business has been on hold for far too long and I am beyond frustrated at this point. I simply want this done because my business is my only source of income, so am turning to the community in the hopes that I can actually get the RIGHT answers to my questions.

    I have the site design done for the home page, using Dreamweaver CS5.5, but need to be able to get it uploaded so I can start applying it to the other pages for products, checkout and such. However, I'm not seeing an option to upload or even use FTP to copy anything. Plus, how do I upload/apply the CSS I've already created?

    In the Pages section, I'm seeing the tab for Items, but they all refer to CSSUI items. Am I going to have to completely recreate my CSS and edit the home page accordingly? I'm used to having access to all root and image files where I can upload files to, but I'm not even seeing that. Am I just missing it somewhere?

    Other questions are:

    (1) Which modules do I need for an eCommerce site? I see there are pages for checkout, customer accounts, cart contents, etc., but are the necessary modules already applied? If not, what do I need to make them work? I do see the page listing different modules and the option to add more, but I have no idea what most of the ones currently listed are for. It looks like some of them aren't even needed. So, I can't tell what I'm missing other than what I need to process payments via PayPal.

    (2) How do I get USPS shipping linked? The instructions provided in the tutorials were of no help. I've already got an online account with them, but how and where do I get a user ID to enter?

    (3) I'm using Miva 5.5 PR8 and cannot seem to get it to update to 9. It says I'm eligible for updates, but when I click to update, it just runs and runs and makes no progress. I've let it run for over an hour once while I walked away to do something else and it got absolutely nowhere. Am I supposed to install something on my computer or what? If so, what and where do I get it? If not, then what is the problem?

    (4) Could you please tell me if the 502 page document at the following link is the correct reference for the version I'm using? http://www.mivamerchant.com/pdf/MivaPR8_07-30-13.pdf. The one I was reading before was last updated 05-31-13 and was related to PR7-PR8, but I was told it doesn't apply to me. If I do update to 9, is there an updated guide? If not, I think I'll pass on updating until they get a guide for it completed.

    (5) How do I get Miva to quit automatically logging me out so quickly? I can understand the need for security, but can I please have more than a few minutes to work between things without constantly having to log back in? It's a huge time waster when you're having to do it that often. I mean, the phone could ring by the time I get done logging in and finding my place again and I've gotten no further than I was before. Also, can I opt out of having to change my password every 90 days? I'll take care of my own password security, thank you.

    (6) Is there anything else that I need to know before I continue? The previous reference guide I was reading was talking about choosing between CSSUI/MMUI and databases when it apparently doesn't apply to me. Now I have to weed through another 500 pages to figure out what DOES apply to me, so getting answers to the above would help get me started sooner rather than much later. It's been long enough and I would greatly appreciate your help.

    #2
    Re: Need Help Figuring Out How to Use Miva

    Wow........


    Ok, back to basics and first question. You should be able to FTP directly to your site and upload your pages just like you would any other website. The problem is what type of setup do you want to create?

    Here are your choices:
    You can have static pages such as your home page, contact, help etc... Each of these pages can be uploaded via FTP onto the server and then you can link to the merchant end for products and checkout etc....
    I would highly suggest not going this route!!! My first Miva site was set up this way (ver. 4.2...ewwwww) and it was a nightmare to update and work on. Problem with this setup is that you will need to upload all your headers, footers, menu's, categories, etc on every page. Changing one thing like the header or adding one category or deleting one category will mean you will have to update every single page with the new info.

    Second and my preferred method would be to create all your pages inside of Miva and let Miva handle them all. To get started, you will probably want to create your index page or...as it is referred to in MIVA the 'Storefront' page. This can be created/edited by logging into your Miva store, then clicking on your store name link (left hand side to open up the store areas) and finding a link that says "pages". This will open up all the different pages that are used in MIVA. You will want to scroll down to the one that says SFNT (storefront) and click on the EDIT button on the far right side. This will open up the storefront page so you can edit it. The code you see is what is being displayed on the page. Look on top and see if you have a "content" tab. If so, this is where you would want to put the main content of your page. Just cut and paste your HTML code into here. You will need to upload your CSS page via FTP to make it look right, but you should be able to get going from there. One note, if you have a main header or footer for all of your pages, don't include that in the "content" section but instead, place that code into the "Global Header & Footer" section. This will automatically place your header and footers onto each page. Updating that section once will update your entire site and every page.

    Once you have your code uploaded, view your site and work on it until it looks like you want it to. Now to get to the other pages like your product pages, you will need to add in the category tree or menubar, or you can simply insert links into your code to go to the different categories. So if you want to go to the widgets category, just put in a link to that category...it will look something like <ahref="category/widgets.html"> This link to the widgets category - and that will be displayed the way the CTGY page has been coded. If you want to go directly to a product, you can link to <ahref="product/widget1.html"> and that will be formatted according to the PROD page. Both of which can be edited in the "Pages" section where you found the SFNT page.

    Once you get your SFNT page setup, then you can start adding in products via the products link on the left side of your store. It is all menu driven and super simple to do. Just add the product name, model, price, etc... upload the images, assign the product to the category you want it in and you now have a product in your store.

    Here's the reason this is the best setup. MIVA will automatically install the menubar, header, footer, categories and products on each page with one line of simple code. Any changes to any of these and all pages are automatically updated with the new information. Categories can be edited on the fly with one simple click and every page will now reflect the new category changes - without the need to go into every single page and manually do it. You can create as many custom pages as you want or need. If you want the category to be on that page, a few simple lines of code and its done, links and all!!!

    Ok, question #1 - Miva is pretty awesome out of the box. You may not need any extra modules at all. I would however suggest purchasing the toolkit module. It has so many features that you will probably want it sooner or later so may as well get it now. Other than that, you won't need any other modules at all to get running, but if you find that you want a special feature later on, you can add that module to your store. Like coupons or buyers points etc...

    Question #2 - USPS is a pain, because USPS is government ran and we all know how they work. What you need to do is to go into your "Shipping Settings" and select the checkbox for USPS ONline Rate Calculation module. Hit update. Now click on the USPS tab on top and go through the settings, add your account number, etc.... NOrmally when I set up USPS, it never works on the test servers and you need to contact them to set you to the live servers for the rates to show up. Really though, that's about all you need to do. The same goes for UPS and FedEx, just select the modules, then go to the tabs and set up your accounts for each and your done. Your shipping rates you select will now show up in your checkout process.

    Question #3 - Open up a ticket with MIVA through their support section on their website. They will get you taken care of.

    Question #4 - Updates come as quickly as MIVA sees necessary. The docs stay pretty much the same for all versions but when new features are added, it usually takes a while before the online docs are updated to show you those features. If something doesn't look right, ask on here and you will get the answers you need.

    Question #5 - Changing your timeout settings will make your store no longer PA-DSS compliant. Google or search this forum for that nightmare.... lol.... however, seeing as you are newly setting up your store, you don't need to be compliant until you start accepting credit cards. So, go to "Global Settings" on the top of your Miva Page, then click on "Domain Settings" then click on the "Timeouts" tab. There you can change the timout to an hour or so so you can work on your store before getting logged out.

    Question #6 - As the MMUI will eventually be phased out, I would highly suggest having your site installed from scratch using the CSSUI interface. Once you are operational, it is very difficult to switch from MMUI to CSSUI. As you have already stated that you have a CSS site, be sure your Miva install is set up as a CSSUI store. Once the install is done you won't have to worry about this anymore. It is a one time setup.

    Hope that gets you started. I am sure you will have more questions so please post as you get them and many on here, including the head programmers and owners of MIVA will be happy to answer you.

    MIVA is a very powerful and customizable program, you won't be sorry with your decision to use them. It just takes a little to get use to it.

    Hope that helps.
    Last edited by Gamelord; 09-03-13, 09:12 PM.
    Kent
    www.awindofchange.com

    ~~Once you take flight your eyes will forever be turned skyward~~

    Comment


      #3
      Re: Need Help Figuring Out How to Use Miva

      Hi, I originally used dreamweaver too. It was a huge step moving away from it, but I transitioned to using it as my source for code, just copying and pasting into the proper spots in Miva. It gets too confusing to try and continue to use it to maintain the static pages. Have your host set up a dev site for you so you can test your changes before copying them into your live site area.

      Comment


        #4
        Re: Need Help Figuring Out How to Use Miva

        Wow is right! LOL Thank you so much for the help. I'm so glad I asked because after posting I saw the different tabs for the different areas of code (header, footer, etc.) and thought this was going to be a real pain. However, I agree that set up will make things much easier to edit in the future.

        I also did not know there were more pages beyond the first ten, so you mentioning the storefront page caused me to increase the number listed per page to 50 and I saw everything I was missing before. I had been looking for a total number of pages or items, but didn't see one, so thought those 10 were all there were and, therefore, didn't think clicking the Next button would show anything.

        I'm also glad I asked because I have been trying to figure out how to get my site uploaded using Dreamweaver, but now see and completely agree that using Miva to create it is the better and easier route. I have no problem using Dreamweaver simply for creating, testing and copying code. So, thank you very much for that information because I think I can finally get started using Miva.

        I just have two more questions for now:

        (1) How do I upload the CSS via FTP? I basically need to know the URL where the files will be copied to so I can link to that via FTP. I'm just not seeing a root file list anywhere since everything seems to be separated.

        (2) I see the upload option for the product images, but does it allow folders and subfolders to be used on upload? I've already got my images sorted on my computer by category and subcategories, so can I just upload my main image folder and have it upload all subfolders and their images? I sure hope so because it would make assigning them to product categories and pages so much easier. Especially since I've literally got thousands of images. LOL

        Just to explain my frustration a bit better, I've been through three webhosts this year because the first two didn't provide everything they said they did and I asked very detailed questions before signing up with all three -- Miva being the third. So my business has pretty much been in transition mode for most of 2013.

        After the first two hosts, I had done even more extensive research before choosing Miva. Having these forums really helped because I was able to hear from actual users and not just a salesperson. At that time, I was told by more than a few users that first learning the site would be difficult, but that I wouldn't regret it once I got used to it.

        My problem is that it's just set up so differently than any other system that I've used over the years and I just couldn't seem to figure out how to do things the way I usually do. However, I can now see the benefits of that after your explanation and, I must say, I feel way better about my decision to choose Miva. I can actually look at Miva's set up more clearly now that I better understand how it's set up.

        So, again, thank you both so much for the help. I know I will have more questions along the way, but I'm sure I will be a LOT less frustrated when I ask. LOL I just need to be able to move forward rather than spinning my wheels for nothing in order to get over the frustration and I finally feel like I can actually start moving forward again. So, off I go to do just that. =)
        Last edited by Purple Iris Plaza; 09-04-13, 11:28 AM.

        Comment


          #5
          Re: Need Help Figuring Out How to Use Miva

          Normally the path is something like:
          ftp://yourdomain.com/httpdocs/mm5/cs...0001/cssui.css

          Or clik the 'HEAD Tag Content/CSS' tab in your miva admin and use the upload button.

          Your pages such as the SFNT page should contain; <mvt:item name="head" param="css_list" /> in the html head section. This single item will include everything listed in the Content/CSS tab into your page.
          Gary

          [email protected]
          www.icCommerce.com

          Comment


            #6
            Re: Need Help Figuring Out How to Use Miva

            If you use the upload button to add your product images it will normally place them in;
            ftp://yourdomain.com/httpdocs/mm5/gr...000001/100.jpg

            But you can manually ftp your images anywhere you want. Just know the correct path when you're calling them from the product page or a css file. For example on the product page I might type in graphics/tools/hammer.jpg because I created a folder named tools and then manually uploaded my hammer.jpg image there.
            Gary

            [email protected]
            www.icCommerce.com

            Comment


              #7
              Re: Need Help Figuring Out How to Use Miva

              Thanks, Gary. I didn't notice the CSS tab until now. I'm still not sure about the product images, but will cross that bridge when I get to it since I may find (or understand) the answer as I go through the process. As for the CSS, while I prefer having it all in one place, I can see the benefit of having it separated by page element. I just may end up finding myself having to copy the same code in multiple places, but won't know for sure until I get deeper into that. My pages will basically have the same header and footer, so I just have to worry about the differences in the content part.

              Thanks again! Y'all are making me wish I had come here much sooner. I just have difficulty asking others for help. I guess that's because I've spent my whole life teaching myself things and am usually the one doing the helping. LOL

              Comment


                #8
                Re: Need Help Figuring Out How to Use Miva

                You may also want to ask miva when they are running their store owners class again. that was very helpful for me too.

                Comment


                  #9
                  Re: Need Help Figuring Out How to Use Miva

                  nope, one css file such as;
                  css/00000001/cssui.css
                  is all you need.

                  The item tag <mvt:item name="head" param="css_list" /> found in the header of every page will load the same cssui.css file for every page.
                  Gary

                  [email protected]
                  www.icCommerce.com

                  Comment


                    #10
                    Re: Need Help Figuring Out How to Use Miva

                    Way cool...regarding both the sellers' class and the CSS thing. I didn't know they had classes, so will definitely ask. That certainly would have come in handy months ago. LOL Thanks everyone! =)

                    Comment


                      #11
                      Re: Need Help Figuring Out How to Use Miva

                      hey purple,

                      Just so you don't get too frustrated by slow answers in the forums sometimes. it's all people just like you, no one is paid to give each other help. Sometimes Miva monitors the forums and will jump in. But this is strictly volunteer. IF people don't know your answer, they won't answer. or if they are busy running their stores, they may not login for days at a time. But the help here is fabulous. And 99% of the questions new store owners comeup with have already been answered, so use the search. I've been doing Miva for over 10 years and I still use the search daily when I need some pointer or help or reference to some storemorph code or variable name.

                      I've got several different shopping carts and have tried lots over the years. However, I keep coming back to Miva to setup new sites since it's really fast and contains everything out of the box to make sales. If you want to fancy stuff up, you will need toolkit (all the for hire developers buy it as a matter of fact when they do a new store), and if you want to add stuff like coupons and other stuff, the cost is pretty minimal compared to hiring a php/asp coder to implement it for you. The add on modules pretty much just install, require you to input some settings and a liscense code and your good to go (for 99% of them). I recommend it to do-it-yourselfer types like you. Once you get the layout of the templates... you'll be good to go.

                      Have fun! And welcome to our slice of the ecommerce world.

                      Comment


                        #12
                        Re: Need Help Figuring Out How to Use Miva

                        Originally posted by The Purple Iris View Post
                        Thanks, Gary. I didn't notice the CSS tab until now. I'm still not sure about the product images, but will cross that bridge when I get to it since I may find (or understand) the answer as I go through the process. As for the CSS, while I prefer having it all in one place, I can see the benefit of having it separated by page element.
                        Hope I am not miss-understanding your comment, but using the <mvt:item name="head" param="css_list" /> IS the way to keep all your styles in one place and reference them when needed on the page. This SMT item create the style sheet include link on every page (assuming, of course that all your pages have a <head></head> area and the Head Tag/CSS item assigned.
                        Bruce Golub
                        Phosphor Media - "Your Success is our Business"

                        Improve Your Customer Service | Get MORE Customers | Edit CSS/Javascript/HTML Easily | Make Your Site Faster | Get Indexed by Google | Free Modules | Follow Us on Facebook
                        phosphormedia.com

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