Setup Terms and Content to vary by Price Type

Wednesday, May 14, 2014
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Varying Terms

  1. Create a new field (name=Content Terms Id) of the type ‘text’ and create the field CourseSales.com Internal Type ‘Content Terms Id’, you will also require a Content Terms field (if it does not already exist) do NOT add the Internal Type ‘Content Terms Id’ to this field.

  2. Add both the Content Terms Id field and the Content Terms field to the required document form(s). NOTE: Only the Content Terms field will show in the form, the Content Terms Id field is ‘hidden’.

  3. Create one or more Content Terms with a Price Type set

  4. Make sure the relevant Course Date has an alternative price set for each of the required Price Types NOTE: if the named alternative price type does not exist at the course date the course master alternative price type will be used, if no alternative price type exists at the course master the course date Our Price will be used (which is a mandatory field for all course dates).

  5. Add a Document using the Price Type - You should see the correct Terms

  6. To include a specific (and only) price type on public page listings use the variable ‘crsPrcKey’ which is the equivalent as the Price Type OptionId. eg. http://demonstration.cns.coursesales.com/public/courses?h=1&css=&js=&crs...

  7. From the course date public page listing the Price Type indicator (‘crsPrcKey’) will carry through to forms and will include the correct terms, this can also be used to promote specific courses with specific pricing and terms for Google adword or facebook registration links. eg. http://demonstration.cns.coursesales.com/public/form?CourseDateId=151&Pr...

  8. Later when you view or edit the Document you should still see the correct Terms

When pricing is missing or otherwise, the Terms from the Course Master should be displayed

How does CourseSales.com work out which Terms to use?

Terms, like most publish content, can include a specific provider, location and course category. This means Terms content with a provider & course category match will be selected over a broad price type match. The preference heirachy is (top, preferred to least preferred):

  1. Provider, location, course category

  2. Provider course category

  3. Provider location

  4. Provider

  5. Location, course category

  6. Course category

  7. Location

  8. -none-

So a price type can result in multiple matches that are then determined by this heirachy.

Practically, how does this work?

Think of price types as not the actual price, but the indicator for the reason for the price change eg. budget website or gold discount.

Scenario One

You have three websites, all have different list prices with different terms. Create three different price types, eg. website1, website 2 and website3. Create three different terms, associate to each website price type. Add alternative pricing to each course master that reflected each website’s pricing strategy. Copy these to the course dates. Use the OptionId (xxxx) for each price type and include in the URL used to retrive the CourseSales.com public site eg. &crsPrcKey=xxxx

Scenario Two

You have three pricing discount levels, all have different prices with different terms. Create three different price types, eg. Silver Discount, Gold Discount and Platinum Discount. Create three different terms, associate to each discount price type. Add alternative pricing to each course master that reflected each discount’s pricing strategy. Copy these to the course dates. When signing up customers using the administration interface select the approriate discount and include the OptionId (xxxx) for each discount price type when sending links for promotional purposes. eg. &crsPrcKey=xxxx to ensure that the appropriate discount is applied. If terms vary remember to have a customer confirmed process step so that the customer accepts the terms.

Troubleshooting

If you can see the correct price type Terms displayed on the public website but the document arrives at your administration area without the correct terms, ie. showing the course master default terms, it is because there is no Content Terms ID field on the document form, or the form was not published following adding that field.

If you are using the Document External ID to retrive another form for a second data gathering eg. for AVETMISS information, be sure to include the Content Terms Id field otherwise you will see the terms reverting back to the default on the course master.

When testing be sure to confirm that:

  • The OptionID is correct for the Course Price Type

  • The Terms have the correct Course Price Type, to assist make the content basic eg: ‘Course Price Type 5676’

  • All document forms with the Content Terms Id have been published

  • If you are using multiple document forms in a process path that each on the process path contain the Content Terms Id field

  • When testing a specific course date confirm that it has the expected Course Price Type associated as an additional price.

Caveats

  • You cannot associate one Terms to multiple Locations, Providers nor Course Categories, these must be duplicated.

  • While course master price types can be used if absent at course dates terms and conditions still revert back to those at the course master, not those associated with the price type.

Varying content

You can modify the email and PDF content, including links, bodies of text, logos and other images

If your site uses an integrated (API) approach to incorporating the course listing and display of forms you cna use the internal type field HTTP_host. You can use this to display the URL for the relevant website automatically.

Bodies of text

You can use terms Long content 2, 3 & 4 (if your license supports it). Reference this content in the emails and PDFs using the appropriate replacable variable from the field widget.

Logos (and other images)

You can vary logos to be included in emails and PDFs by using the Content terms ID. You do this by creating a directory with that value, or appending it to the file name (before the extension).

Distinguish between different images using the Content terms ID:

  • Default logo file name: logo.jpg

  • Alternative Price type logo file name: logo<Content terms ID>.jpg

or

  • Default logo file location: /images/logo.jpg

  • Alternative Price type logo file location: /images/<Content terms ID>/logo.jpg

Include these image files where you can refer to them in the PDF or email. This allows you to have a default logo but then use a Price Type logo when required. Alternatively the HTTP_host internal type field could also be used, in place of <Content terms ID>.

See Also