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Apr 05, 2017 01:04 AM
Hi, I am creating a Price Comparison Site/Table and need help how to create the main table. We will offer multiple products, with multiple features, from multiple vendors.Customers need to be able to choose different products from different providers - and one single total sum calculated. An example is below.
Important: I have limited tech knowledge, but I must be able to edit the tables myself after go-live and not have to rely on anyone else. Thanks all. Kevin.
Process:
Choose a Base Product / Product(s)
Choose from various product features for each chosen product(s)
Press “get quote” (show list and price from all vendors who provide the chosen product and chosen product features.
Choose preferred Vendor(s).
Show Summary Total of total price for all products chosen.
Allow user to click on each vendor offer to either (order now, or buy now, or ask for more information).
Vendor 1 vendor 2 vendor 3 vendor 4 vendor 5 vendor 6 vendor 7 vendor 8 vendor 9 vendor 10
Product A € 100 € 110 € 120 € 130 € 140 € 150 € 160 € 170 € 180 € 190
Product A € 120 € 140 € 160 € 180 € 200 € 220 € 240 € 260 € 280 € 300
Product B € 140 € 140 € 140 € 140 € 140 € 140 € 140 € 140 € 140 € 140
Product B € 160 € 160 € 160 € 160 € 160 € 160 € 160 € 160 € 160 € 160
Product C € 180 € 180 € 180 € 180 € 180 € 180 € 180 € 180 € 180 € 180
Product C € 200 € 200 € 200 € 200 € 200 € 200 € 200 € 200 € 200 € 200
Product D € 220 € 220 € 220 € 220 € 220 € 220 € 220 € 220 € 220 € 220
Product D € 240 € 240 € 240 € 240 € 240 € 240 € 240 € 240 € 240 € 240
Product E € 260 € 260 € 260 € 260 € 260 € 260 € 260 € 260 € 260 € 260
Product E € 280 € 280 € 280 € 280 € 280 € 280 € 280 € 280 € 280 € 280
Total for Products Chosen €920
Apr 19, 2017 07:28 AM
Hi Kevin,
Airtable is fantastic software and has amazing capabilities. That said, what you’re looking for is out of the sweet spot for Airtable. The application you suggest would require an individual to log in and interact with a custom set of data. Airtable is more of a shared space, if you have the ability to edit one record you can edit others. There are a number of other things you mention such as an “order now” button which does not exist in Airtable capabilities. You could use it as a back end database but most of what you’re talking about would need to be built in another tool. You’ll either need to simplify your requirements or look at other platforms. I invite others to agree/disagree, but I don’t see this working for this use case.
Best of luck
Pierce
Apr 20, 2017 06:00 AM
Hi Pierce, many thanks for your reply and input.
Much appreciated.
Kevin.
Apr 20, 2017 04:29 PM
I agree with the prior comment that you may be asking for something that Airtable is not designed to do. You might be able to try this though:
Table VENDORS to list all vendors, with a column for products, which are linked to…
Table PRODUCTS list all products and prices, which could have a column if you want that looks up the vendors, and would definitely have a column for variations that is linked to…
Table VARIATIONS that would list various variations and the cost for each of these. If you things get complicated, you might have to have a join table where…
Table PRODUCT-VARIATIONS, each product-x-variation combination is listed, with the relevant price
Table QUOTES, where each row is a numbered quote, and the columns are Quote No., Customer, Product-Variation, Vendor, Price
Then,
Group the table, QUOTES, by customer.
Now,
Create a form from QUOTES, to populate the customer’s information and choices into the table.
This works so far as it goes, but your form won’t show the customer the totaled price. You’d have to take an email from the form and then respond to the customer with the price.
Alternative to Airtable would be an online shopping cart such as Square, Ecwid, WooCommerce, or any number of other options. This would get you the product list, categories of products, variations of products, and even discount options, shipping options and costs.
–Ken