Here is part 3 of 3 of a list of mods or capabilities that will make this the most desired and sought after cart of them all. If this cart has these incorporated into it, then you would have the top dog cart of all and I know for a fact you could pull people from al over, including specialty modders.
If you need more information, I can provide it, just let me know. I would like to also see your thoughts on these items as these have been topics of conversations of late between me and multiple people.
I had to break the list up into three parts due to the size constraints. I hope this is a help. Any questions, just shout at me, I have a lot of details.
MarkWhoo
Hidden Static Pages: I noticed the ability to create static or embedded pages. Can these be hidden? For instance I want to create a static page that contains all of the attributes of the rest of the store with all of the columns etc. I also want the people to find this page via a special link, bt I do not want this lionk to be posted under help for example where All of the static created pages would be posted in xcart by default.
Now if I can create a page, and hide the basic link that always appears under help per say. I can then link to it via a banner pic, or another page link etc, and it be totally hidden form everyone unless I choose to show it. I use this function for tons of pages and this allows me to manipulate the store into many forms that most would simply overlook.
For example, I could build an entire site out of my cart and it appear that I have a site AND an integrated cart into my site, when it is totally opposite.
Hidden categories and Products:
This would be the same issue with the pages, but instead be categories and products you could sell to specific members only or for specific sales promotions etc.
Skin Swap Mod: Ability to modify the appearance of my site to look as if it is an affiliate’s site, or add holiday appearances etc on the fly at the touch of a button or the presence of an affiliate link in a specific url an end user is surfing in on. I personally love this mod.
Contest Mod: this is a self explaining mod, but if it also had the ability to add a photo for a photo contest per say it would also be nice. This would allow for a quick and easy sign up for a contest and or upload of image if required.
Check Out Specials: Ability to offer specials on specific products according to other items already in their cart. They could be upgrades, or complimentary products. Could be cross sales to another product. Or these could be accessories for items being purchased. These items would be shown during the check out process as a last ditch effort to sell them ore goods just prior to their payment selection and processing
Product Recommendations: These could be offered at the time of the selection of a primary product into their cart. Most customers like some sort of verification a product has been added to their cart, this feature would allow you to confirm a product was added to their cart. It would also allow you to ask of they wish to check out, or continue shopping and AT THE SAME TIEM, you can offer other products based on the product just added to the cart.
Quick Checkout: A sort of fast lane checkout to enable people a very seamless checkout at your store. This would remove all other aspects of the store so there are no distractions and the customer is funneled to their wallet to check out all along the entire process is streamlined to appear as though there are three steps and a final confirmation screen.
This could be a tabbed process with a progression meter. I have a checkout mod like this in one of my stores and it is an awesome mod. I actually increased my sales from the three mods by more than 50%.
If you need an example, I have a cart it is currently in.
Cart Analyzer: This mod analyzes abandoned carts and show you a view or products, how many time they have been viewed, how many times they have been paced into the cart, and if they were purchased.
Shows a breakdown of all data of the customer, any order history, log ins to the store, etc. Ability to send a coupon for a percent off or specific value and also set an expiration date all included into an email to the end user. Also displays the IP so that if you also track end users in your store, you can watch their progression through the store AND see what is in their cart. Can also do a WHIS if you wish.
Easy Navigation: allow drop down window of total number of pages available and a row of 20 to select from. This stops a lot of cumbersome navigation for the end user. Really helps out on the admin side also.
Advanced Search: This mod displays a small thumbnail and name of products as the end user types a specific search term into the search box. Really cool mod that allows quick shortcuts to specific items being searched for. Also has a more items link if you wish to see more products with the same name. Super handy mod this one. Makes searching fun and easy providing there is a decent search script.
Reviews Viewer: Allows admin to view all reviews and change them if there is bad language or a slam from someone that does not like you, like competition. Tracks the IP address of poster and also, if you wish, it will hold the review into a queue until it is approved or denied by the admin.
Testimonials Mod: Allows customers to post testimonials. Also allows the holding of pending testimonials and the ability to accept and approve or deny the testimonial. Also allows the modification if needed. Especially if it is too long and you wish to shorten it. Also tracks posters IP address.
Points Bundle Mod: this can allow points to be awarded per purchase for a specific amount per dollar spent. Allows the addition of points by admin in back end. Allows points be used as a payment method. You can also set the number of points to equal a dollar.
Allows admin to offer points for testimonials. Also another function would offer pints to members if they refer friends. If friend makes a purchase, then the referrer gets a certain amount of points if the friend makes a purchase. Also allows a percentage or flat rate of points accrual. While the friend that makes the first time purchase, they obtain points themselves as a reward. An incentive could be a discount coupon for example. This is a huge hit with my customers.
Duplicate Account Search: admin has ability to search for duplicate account names, email addresses, addresses, etc. Sometimes the customer forgets their account and when they return, they make a new account. This allows admin to find them and if needed, delete the extra unused data.
Automatic MaxMind Fraud Detection: This if automated system allows auto checking of data in product orders. If there is a problem with bad uses, then there could also be an automatic setting upon detection of IP to block those people. If it is an automatic setting or an attempt at multiple purchases with in a specific time frame, the store can protect itself.
IP Block: This mod was already spoken of somewhat above. This ability alone aids all of us. Instead of going onto htaccess file and adding IP’s, this could be done in the back end.
Multiple Membership Support for Categories:
A simple example of the need for multiple membership support is wholesale-only items. We might put these in a hidden category so that not all site visitors see them. But we have various “memberships” which specify the discount - some get 10%, others 20% based on their volume. In X-cart, I would need to let two different memberships have access to that hidden category so they could view the products. I thought the User Discount feature might help out but it appears to still be tied to membership. I would need the ability to assign a discount level separate from the membership which could be used to allow/disallow access to areas.
Additional Admin Features:
• Database Optimization Script.
• Cron tool for database backup and emailing to specific email address or stash in the server file structure safe and secure.
• HTML catalog white space removal script. This totally optimizes html catalog pages to speed up end user surfing and SEO optimization.
• Real account access retrieval for customers.
• Cron Tool for HTML catalog generation. This could also be based upon product change, product creation or product deletion.
• Cron for Froogle Feed.
• Cron for BizRate Feed.
• Custom newsletter creation tool to allow for general emails to members, and a personalized email creation based upon items bought, amount spent, categories purchased from, email specials etc.
• Double opt in email system. This is a general rule now and required by some. Also allows for end user email addresses to be verified prior to any account creation. Also double opt out would be nice to keep from loosing people accidentally.
I like lots of your ideas, particularly;
- Hidden Static Pages
- Check Out Specials
- Quick Checkout
- Points Bundle Mod
- Additional Admin Features
Hope to see lots of these ideas in the future!
Simon
Well, if you notice, most of this list is actually the mods and capabilities that need to be in a store in order to make money and have the tools available to do it properly.
These are not just fluff that would be nice to have that would apply to just a few stores. these are going to apply to the majority of the stores that exist period. Providing of coure they like to make money, lol.
Now I do want to make something straight here to those of you that have seen some of these mods in other platforms and created ny other modders. I HAVE asked those modders if they would support this platform. I asked due to my needs for these mods. I now see for example Jon is now here and I have word that Carrie will be converting some of her mods to this platform. I WILL support those people due to their work in tha past and the fact that these mods (dependin on which ones we speak of) in my mind were their creation for other platforms. I will suppor them. however, for those that have said NO, I will stay where I am, I think that makes those mods and capabilities up for grabs for whomever decides to make them. I need the capabilities and at that point will not care who can priovide them to me. I need them in order to make the total jump to cscart for ALL of my stores.
This jump to this platofrm was no secret to anyone and I made them ALL aware that I wanted their mods in this platform and wanted them to support it to allow me to keep doing business as I have in the past.
So, I hope you all understand, this is NO attempt to steal an idea or mod. It is strictly a need and everyone HAS been informed of my desire ofr them to support this platform 
A Cart Analyzer mod would be great and should be a must have feature I would like to see implemented by CS. If their were a Duplicate Account Search would that have the ability to merge the 2 accounts together into one? Through the admin panel you could choose which account would remain the primary account and merge the second account into the the primary. Did we miss HTML catalog for Manufacturers and Pages?
Thanks for the ideas. Will try to implement in next releases 
P.S. “Contest Mod” - what is it? Also, any examples will be appreciated.
The contest mod is a mod that allows the cart owner to hold competitions like drawings for prizes or submissions of photos or articles to be judged.
Now how we use it is as follows:
End user submits his personal email, name address, phne number etc. they upload an image or photo (admin has control on sizing constraints).
We then judge these photos for the best one, and award a prize.
This allows us to harvest information and send email specials and newsletters and promos on our products. It also builds a community activity for your customers to participate in and if they are not a customer, allows you to pull their data and try to convert them.
admin has control over what data to request and required per submision. has control pver that extensions are allowed (example, jpg, bmp, gif, pdf, txt, doc, etc)
There is an area that will display all entires (on admin side) and a winners page(s) to show final winners of past and current comeptitions.
There is a page that will allow you to display rules and regulations and that has link to sign in page. Both of the pages are linkd via text and pic link offf of the main pages in one of the colums much like the categories area or news area.
PM me if you need more info or screen shots.
Oh and Zeke,
If there is a need for more info than what is shown in any of the three postings, just let me know as i have much more detailed info, just was forced to cut a lot out due to sizing constraints in the posting capabilities of the forum.
I think it is set to like 10K charachters per posting.
[quote name=‘snorocket’]A Cart Analyzer mod would be great and should be a must have feature I would like to see implemented by CS. If their were a Duplicate Account Search would that have the ability to merge the 2 accounts together into one? Through the admin panel you could choose which account would remain the primary account and merge the second account into the the primary. Did we miss HTML catalog for Manufacturers and Pages?[/QUOTE]
your dead on when speaking abuot the cart analyzer. I have made so many sales from sending coupons to customers that have not completed their purchases it is pathetic. I do not know how I would act if I did not have this capability in the cscart platform. It is a must have and if purchased from a modder, like I did originally, it paid for itself almost twice thew first day in use.
The duplicate account search is a huge issue. I have customers that must be drunk whre they come back cause I have dulpicate and sometimes triplicate accounts from some of them, lol. it would be nice to be able to combine them into a single account in order, in my case, to kieep points and sales all togetheriin a single account. histories included.
As far as the HTML catalog, I have a lot of mixed felelings about this.
innitially, I thought this was the best thing since sliced bread. what I found was it was a nighmare. not only is is impossible for great SEO, but it will cause you great damage in the serps as far a your store listing.
Now if you are walmart or sears, then you have no issues. Who cares about SEO. If you are little old me, I DO and depend in a high listing in serps.
So, I deleted all use of catalog and made great use of the great rewrite mod. It makes all links appear to be html. Noew the serps eat ALL of the links, you simply disallow php pages to be crawled and walah, you shoot to the top, especially if you do a study of the same content for two stores, one uses catalog and other the rewrite mod. The rewrite mod kicks the catalog in the pants every time.
So, I woud rather use GOOD SEO tactics withthe rewrite mod and just leave the catalog for those that like it.
Now a printable catalog is another story, lol. that IS useful for the end user. Printable pages, prontable categories and entire printable catalog of store. And don’t foreget to add an oder sheet and fax cover sheet,lol.
[quote name=‘zeke’]P.S. “Contest Mod” - what is it?[/QUOTE]
Hi Zeke, we’ve always needed a good contest mod ourselves. An ideal contest mod would let someone register and through logging in they could click a enter contest link which would let them upload a picture, after admin approval the picture would automatically be posted in the submitted entries area of CS-Cart in which any web visitor could view and select a checkbox to vote (only once) for the best submission (picture), the most votes being who wins the contest. In the admin panel of the contest mod we would need to be able to create multiple contests and specify the starting and ending dates for submissions. If you like I could post some images of a possible admin and customer interface and feedback from Mark and others would be appreciated.
Yeah, I have screen shots and more info too, but I personally would like to be able to keep the current contest hidden to be seen by admin only.
This way, if you find theft of images or other items, you can nip it in the bud and not worry of anyone contancting you screaming. So it would be nice to have a radio button available to show or not show current contest submissions to the public.
Now as far as winners images, documentaion, etc, yes, I would like a winners area that is not limited to the number of winners and their submissions to be shown to public.
But I do think overall, this is something that generates customers, promotes interaction among members of a store and shows that the store owner gives back. All at the same time you are harvesting info of new end users to promote your wares to them
It is a tool for me for data gatheirng. For them it is fun.
Thought I would stop in and say hello to those that know me from way back.
Been waiting for this lil cart to add some capabilities, thought I would look at the three lists to see what had been added so far and it looks like not too much at all.
I have seen other things added, but not that much in the grand scheme of things and length of time I have been away,
Was waiting for things to be added to allow me to drop in and finally use my license I purchased so long ago, but… as I said, still no close to me wanting to use it yet according to what I see.
Anthing going on around here that is not easily seen?
I see a new version was released, but I was not notified, but as I said, not anything that was on the list other than affiliates mod.
So what is CSCart Up to? Where are all of the mods and modders?
It does not look like too much has been going on, or am I missing something?
Personally, I have been really busy… Added five new sites. Manufacturing four new product lines, and trying to find time to rest, lol.
Anyhow, hello to those that know me, and let me know what is goiong on around here, so I know whether to stick around or wait for another 6 to 12 months.
My vote goes to:
Multiple Membership Support for Categories:
my vote goes to all mentioned above because i think all have value to it and can help in one way or another to be more successful.
one thing maybe would be interesting is to have a different approach of installing modules. i have noticed that a lot of people have modules but increases the risk of issues during upgrades. to have to reinstall modules ect…
why not find a way or method to have the modues to be a seperate section and added where needed… (just a taught)
and the other thing i would like is an easier mode or method to allow to really change entirely a basic cs-cart to something unimaginable.(i think that a step by step tutorial for beginners would be more than enough unless a simpler method exist)
a lot of my wishlists are already included in the ists above
chahine