Athens Locally Grown:  Testing the New Ordering System

This message is both on the new Locally Grown website http://athens.locallygrown.net and being emailed out to those customers who have created accounts on the new site.

We’re not quite ready to switch to the new site, but everything from the customer’s point of view is in place. I’ve still got to do some work on the back end to help the growers organize their harvests and packaging, but we’re getting very close.

This message is a demonstration of how the availability emails will be sent out when we do go live. The new website has a “weblog” section, which is a page of locally grown news, information, links to other interesting information, etc. Each Sunday after I update the availability, I’ll post a new entry and it will get mailed out to everyone, just like this. I’ll post other entries from time to time, and the most important ones will also get emailed out. If you’re reading this right now in your email’s inbox, then everything worked.

Even though we’re not quite ready to switch to the new site, I would like for you to take a look at the ordering system if you have a few minutes. Go to “The Market” page, and you’ll see that I’ve begun transferring over the available products. If you’re logged in, you’ll be able to add items to your cart and place an order. Can you give it a try and let me know what you think? It’s a little different from the old site, but hopefully easier, more understandable, and just downright better. I’d like to hear your comments good or bad so I can fix something that you all think is just no good before we switch over. Please understand that these orders will not be filled! I’d just like for you to try it out and let me know what you think.

Thanks!

Athens Locally Grown:  Product Listings Underway

I’m beginning to transfer the product listings form the old site to the new. The formatting of the display isn’t set in stone yet, so feedback is welcome and appreciated (and there’s still some functionality that’s not there—such as seeing product details and the entire ordering system).

I’m still looking at moving the entire operation from the old site to this one in January, so if you haven’t created an account over here yet, please do—your old account will not get automatically moved to this site! (I will correct your membership status, however.)

Athens Locally Grown:  Customers Invited In

Today I invited our current customers at the old site to come on in and create accounts.

I am currently at work on the product listing (growers being able to manipulate the product categories and add their own products to the market).

After that will come the ordering system, and after that, the order processing system. Still on schedule, but still a lot to do!

Athens Locally Grown:  Growers been added

I’ve now gone and added the current growers to the system. I’ll get them each user accounts so they can edit their info.

Moving right along!

Athens Locally Grown:  Not quite open, but getting closer!

We’ve taken the first step in moving our site to this new system. I expect to have everything converted over in January. Don’t wait until then to let me know what you think, though!