Step by Step
A Simple step by step, How to creat an Amazon aStore
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This first example is the easy method letting Amazon auto fill the categories. I will explain the method of custom filling your astore in Step.By.Step.2
1
Amazon have changed this layout slightly and the first page of the edit box is now astore settings, Here you can select options for navigating your aStore, selecting a link back to your website, showing the heading and creating an 'about me' page. You need to click under this 'aStore Settings' title on the left column of the edit box to select a category to be able to add products.
The first category can be named using the custom title field. You then add products either by selecting an Amazon category. In this example the main category I have chosen is Music. This will then show the top selling items from Amazons music category. You could create a search filter for this Though it may be better to select a search filter under subcategories.
You can then choose a number of subcategories under the main category, by either using a search filter, adding items individually or using the provided sub categories to auto fill.
Be aware that this first category does not collapse when viewing other categories, so you may want to keep the number of subcategories under this limited.
You also have the ability to add text to the top of each category and subcategory by filling the box at the bottom.
2
You can also change the look of your aStore, very handy for matching the colour scheme of your blog, website, etc
You can select different theme's and colours for all apsoect of the aStore here, including fonts. One thing I should flag here is that this is where you "Name" Your store, this is easily done by filling in the space for it at the bottom of the page. I have seen many aStores that still display "My Associate Store"
3
On the next screen you will see a number of options to add and position widgets on your aStore
The sidebar can be selected to show on the left or right of the page. If you select no widgets for the home page it will just show your categories and a search box.Personally I don't like the Listmania options, though you may find them useful
the options for to show similair items, accessories and reviews I do find useful.
4
Getting your link!
You have 3 options here. The easiest is just to select the standalone site, which will display your aStore and you can use the link to it in emails, Blogs, etc. The most popular use is for using "iFrames", this is a way of integrating the aStore into almost any website, web blog or similair. You just need to tick the iframes button, hit 'Highlight HTML' and copy. Then paste the code as HTML in any web presence that allows the input of HTML.
The final option of publishing to Frames is for the more experienced web master.
Please Note:
When embedding using iFrames a common problem is the aStore width cut off - If you change the code supplied to 'scrolling = auto' a scroll bar appears when necessary allowing visitors to view the whole of the page. The other common problem, thoughnot as crucial is the frame height. If you aren't using dozens of categories or adding custom text to items you have picked to display you can comfortably set the frame Height to 1000 rather than the 4000 pixel height that is in the original code supplied. Even if you don't get this correct having switching scrolling to auto will allow viewers to scroll to see the entire page. I have seen many aStore that have what seems like acres of space at the bottom due to the 4000 pixel default setting!
I will cover how to add individual items in the next tutorial.
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A custom coloured astore recommended products banner, filled using - caetgory > general bestsellers