Back when we used Storefront.net we liked a feature that when we viewed orders it would show us the referrer or link from where the customer came to us from. So we had a custom script written for us to see the same information in CS-Cart. While it really does nothing for reports, etc. it does simply allow you to visually see where a customer came from. We really liked seeing this so we paid to have it recreated in CS-Cart.
Here are the basics of what the Order Information Referral mod does:
Each new order will show the domain where the customer came from, what search term they used (query) and what IP address they came from. It only works for orders that come in after you install the mod.
It is designed as an “add-on” mod that allows users to easily be able install on their site.
This project correctly works in Internet Explorer 6+, FireFox 3+ (for Linux and Windows OS), Safari 2+ (for Mac OS) and Opera 9.5+ (for Linux OS) browsers.
The Order Information Referral mod works for the following versions of CS. 2.1.2, 2.1.3, 2.1.4, and from what we have tested so far, it works fine on 2.2.1. So far we have only tested it on the Community Edition of 2.2.1.
Here is instruction how install it to your store:
Extract content of the “referrer_no_deleting.zip” package to CS-Cart root dir.
Install the “Referrer info” addon.
Go from external source to your store and place order.
Go to order detailed page of admin panel.
Check the “Referrer information” section in right part of your page.
Many thanks to The Alt-Team for creating this mod for us.
Hopefully someone else will be able to use it too! I figured there wasn't really any sense in keeping it to myself as someone else might like the functionality too.
I had to delete this addon due to cpu resources, but the “referrer” section in each order in my admin is still showing up; however it does not show any information (since I deleted the addon).
Does anyone know how to remove this section of the order detail page in the admin?
I'll see if I can find out something for you. I've never had to take it off one of my sites before and have never had any issues.
Out of curiosity, exactly what cpu resources is this mod in particular using up? We've got it loaded on multiple pro and community versions and it pulls very little resources.
I had to delete this addon due to cpu resources, but the “referrer” section in each order in my admin is still showing up; however it does not show any information (since I deleted the addon).
Does anyone know how to remove this section of the order detail page in the admin?
Thanks for your help!
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I have now tried to duplicate what you are explaining and I cannot get it to leave the referrer section. When I uninstall it in the CE or the Pro edition it takes the section out. If I just “disable” the mod it does leave the section, but again, when I disable it the field or section is removed.
What version are you using?
I am also still wondering what cpu resources this addon was really effecting?
Awesome work, one step closer to an excellent cart. If CS-Cart were to integrate most of the add-ons published by the community, it'd be the best cart out of the box imo.
I tried this mod with version 2.1.3. It works on the very first order and then it does not work any more or sporadically. If I uninstall and reinstall, again, on the very first order the information is shown, but subsequent orders, is random Seems to add entries if someone uses paypal to pay. It does not show the information when they first entered the site, but the paypal url after submitting the order, which is useless.
The last 5 orders:
3 with no information (IP, Referrer, Referrer query)
1 with paypal information. Looks like the Referrer query was the return string from a PayPal Express order
1 did have all the information (IP, Referrer, Referrer query) This was from a Google search
Any reason for inconsistency? Is it the version I am using.
Have installed the add-on and nothing but :// and ? shows up on the Domain and Query Label. No useful info at all. Have un-installed and re-installed to no avail. What am I missing here.
Some of the orders will show information, some will not. You must remember that many people block information because they don't want you to know where they came from. I do this often times myself. Primarily because I'm sick of places like Google watching every search I do and then advertising to me for the next few days on other sites I visit. Honestly, it gets annoying.
So it is working, but just as your CS-Cart “statistics” or even your server browser can not show all the information, this will not either. The difference between this mod and those is you can find out more specifically where an order comes from, well, at least when the customer doesn't block the information.
The other thing we have noticed is often times when people are shopping from work it doesn't show any information. This could be again because the customer doesn't want their boss to know what they are doing so they are surfing in stealth mode or they may be within a network that blocks the information.
I can track a customer using my online chat software. This software shows IP address, referrer, etc. I watch the customer make a purchase, but the information which is seen in the help desk software is not shown on the invoice, for many customers. If there was some blocking software or setting, wouldn't the information not show in the tracking software?
I’m probably using a different chat, but the only thing my live chat shows is the current site they are on. It doesn’t show the referrer. So I’m not for sure. From what I understand this mod pulls from the information that is already within CS. I’m honestly not for sure where, how, etc.
I do believe that tbirnseth has a similar mod at http://www.ez-ms.com/addonproducts/order-referrer.html . It will cost you a few bucks, but he will be able to answer more questions and details on his mod and maybe he can pull in more information. The current mod available here works wonderful for what we wanted and does pretty much exactly the same thing that Storefront.net did so we are pleased with it.
Sorry, I am not a software/code writer so I don’t really know how to offer much support here. I was just sharing with the community what I had programmed for us. Probably the best thing to do if the mod is not working to your liking is to just uninstall it. Sorry I can’t offer a more positive answer.
The good part is it was free.
The bad part is it may not have done what you wanted.
The good part for us is it does work as we planned and we were used to all information not being pulled in before.
