To David Cowgill and Scarstens, et al
Lots of us ClassiPress owners want the Form Ad Listing procedure to be more intuitive about not scaring off clients because it seems to THEM that they must PASS THE PAYPAL PAYMENT or other Payment Menu hurdle or obstacle--it creates confusion for Free Ads.
ClassiPress owners have posted about how potential posters are backing out of the Ad Listing process after they see the Payment Method displayed. It stands to reason that even if you think you are Posting a Free Ad the Payment Method can make people think that they are initiating some charge that will be revealed on the next page.
I just completed another one of my rough mods that I posted here to step-functions that shows them the Price of the Category they are posting the relevant ad Form in and invites them to check the featured box if they want to add more visibility to their ad.
In my mod if the Ad Category is free then they are told that it is Free but are still invited to check the Featured Listing box.
However, because I grabbed the value of the Category they are posting in it gives me the option to write the following
Code:
// show the payment method box if enabled
if(get_option('cp_charge_ads') == 'yes' && ($myprice > '0') ) {
?>
And, of course, with this change in the step-functions if the Ad is Free then the Payment Dropdown never gets built and all they see is the Continue >>> button.
This was simply done for a TEST ONLY. The Dropdown list should be built and available anyway in case the Featured Listing box is then checked and adds its price that then requires the Payment Method to be selected from the Dropdown menu.
So, then, I think, I got a "better logic idea" which should make it easier on all of us and yourselves as developers.
MOVE the Dropdown Menu Payment function to the TOP of Step 3, the REVIEW AD before Submission page---
So, in Step 2, you only Fill out the Ad>>> focus the user on AD CONTENT , not on Payment.
If the user wants to Feature the Ad Listing he or she can check the Featured Listing box. Either way all the user sees is the CONTINUE >>> button at this step.
After the Ad content is filled out in whatever form applies the user presses the Continue Button Step >>>>
The Summary of charges is displayed ABOVE the Payment Method dropdown.
Below these lines is the Ad itself now filled out for their review before Submitting at the bottom.
What this change means is that the Total Charges of Ad price along with Featured listing price if applicable are now known and available in Step 3 to smoothly and logically determine if the Dropdown Payment Menu even has to be built. You have every value necessary to apply a PHP IF statement that decides if the Payment Method dropdown has to be built or if it does not have to be built and displayed.
If the Ad is Free and no Featured Listing was chosen then the Payment Dropdown function that builds the Payment menu never even has to be invoked.
All the Poster sees is the ad details and the total price and the Terms before submission as is currently in Step 3.
So, this suggested change to Step 2 and Step 3 now shows the Payment Method dropdown at the TOP of the Step 3 page.
This takes care of every situation and moves the Poster nicely along.
Step 1..... Poster Chooses Ad Category
Step 2 ..... Poster Writes the ad and decides whether he or she wants to Feature the Listing for the shown price
......... Poster sees nothing but Continue Button and clicks it....
Step 3 ...... At the Top of the 3rd page the sum total is shown and the Payment Method dropdown menu shows up -- below that is the regular Content of the Ad for review .... Click as usual on the bottom to Submit the Ad with Payment
------ If the Ad is Free and no Feature listing was selected the Payment Dropdown menu never shows up
----- If the Ad was Free but the Featured Listing option was chosen the Payment Dropdown is built and shows
---- If the Ad has a price and the Featured Listing option was chosen the Payment Dropdown is built and shows
This would move the process along and never give the Poster confusion about why a Payment Method is still showing even though the Ad is free.
