~WELCOME ~
(A) TIPS FOR YOU AS A VISITOR
(B) TIPS FOR YOU AS A FUTURE LISTER
(A) FOR VISITORS
KEYWORD SEARCHES can be started on any page by clicking the Search Symbol tab which appears near the top of every page. They can also be started on the Home Search Page as you will have seen.
CATEGORY SEARCHES can be started on the Cat.2 Page.
AN ODDITY. When search change(s) are made on the Results Page using the Filters button the system does not remember the new results after you leave that page so it is unavailable to click back to.
It is easy avoid the small irritation involved. The topic is dealt with in Schedule 2 below. The problem does not affect the Retailers db . If you back-click from a site to a listing page and on and you find you have lost your results (the Results Page is not now showing them) an easy option is to use the > button once to the Listing Page and then continue by clicking a relevant sub-category. You will see them so don’t worry.( If you are using a phone and do not know where the forward button is then scroll almost to the bottom of this page to find out.)
OTHER SEARCHING ADVICE – Using the search function can be easy.
(i) You can only search one database at a time. There are 3 databases (Producers, Retailers & Services) and when you run a search you target just one of them. This will be the one highlighted. Just click on another before you search to change the target database. In searching for a product most will try keyword(s) first in Producers then Retailers and if needs be do a 2nd search of Retailers by scrolling the Categories/ sub- categories.
(ii) You can avoid retyping search words. When you have typed the word(s) into a search box use the clipboard Copy/Paste feature of your device.to copy. Later use the paste feature to put the wording into an empty search box to progress. Even phones have a copy/paste mechanism. (Copy/Paste on a phone is explained in Schedule 1 below. Here are a couple of relevant links to video explanations : Android……IPhone).
(iii) You can avoid results catching words within words etc. If you search for a word which can be part of another word then you will get results for that other word too. So car = car, carpet, cartridge and so on. So cars would be a better choice. Putting an S on a search word on other occasions too can sometimes cut out some unwanted results.
(iv) You can search two words as a couple. You do this by enclosing them in quotation marks ” ” . The search engine will then look for that exact two words as written. eg “wood stain” (the double marks are used here not the single ones). If you do not use them the search engine will look to find both words within the searchable part of the same business listing but not necessarily next to each other. Hey, have a go! Try searching in Retailers cut flowers then “cut flowers” and see the difference.
(v) Easy Search References. These are listed business references. Just a few are currently being trialled.
(vi) You can search using Categories etc. This is best done using Cat. 2. Searching Categories is particularly useful when searching Retailers some of which will present you with tens of thousands of items to choose from. If you are searching for an item used in say fishing then if a business stocks thousands of tackle items it is highly likely that when you search “fishing tackle” and then follow through to the site you will see what you want.
(vii) You can search using sub-category references. These appear in each Listing Page near the top next to the business name title and on the Results Page in blue lettering. Sub-categories are useful ‘to click up’ all the entries of the sub-category in the database you are in. The above mentioned oddity can affect database switches as mentioned above.
(viii) In a keyword search consider using word(s) that are generic (characteristic of or relating to a class or group of things; not specific) eg bikes, books. Doing this is likely to result in more productive searching of Retailers & Services. There are millions of key-word combinations possible on the Internet and this site can only aim to cover some of them. When you find a Retailers or Services site that can help then there may well be others in the same sub-category able to help too. The choices with some listed sites run to tens of thousands. Please use the search engines of listed sites as an extension of the search engine of this site by clicking through, searching and returning as needs be.
(ix) Your history tab will come in useful. You can see which sites you have visited by using the History button of your device.
BOOKMARKING – You can open an account and use the bookmarking system to record the link addresses of sites.
You bookmark by clicking a heart shape. You will see them on the Listings and Results Pages.
(B) FOR FUTURE LISTERS
* EXAMPLES QD suggests you look at some examples before you start. Just search using the word example.
* RED TABS You click a red tab from the Home page to start a new listing and one on a listing page to start an adoption.
* A LISTING’S CONTENT This is subject to approval. What you see in non-adopted sites is provisional as are the sub-category links. There is no linking to Categories which can nonetheless be searched by a visitor. The Description area is currently a place for listing in the way you can see from the examples. Entries in that area can only include qualifying products in a Products database listing and so forth The opportunity for description proper is in the following text box, &&, and &&&. There are several link opportunities as you can see. Some contact medium is required. Visitors’ time must not be wasted The user must have a welcoming, useful and time-efficient experience.
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SCHEDULE 1
COPY/PASTE ON A PHONE
This is s a bit tricky until you have done it a few times. Sometimes you may need to restart your device for the Copy/Paste system to work efficiently. The Restart will clear the Cache.
You use a finger to select, adjust and activate as usual.
A) Put the search text you want into the search box.
B) Put your finger over the word(s) to select and then remove it.
C) 2 blue markers appear , one at each end of the word(s).. If you don’t see 2 then repeat. The marker positions can be adjusted .
D) You are given the option to Copy, select it.
E) To Paste you put your finger on the right side of the search box , where it is completely empty. Remove your finger and 1 blue marker appears and you are given the option to Paste. If the blue marker did not appear then repeat until it does.
F) Select Paste.
Visuals –IPhone video Android video
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SCHEDULE 2
IRRITATION AVOIDANCE
The exception to the oddity problem explained
The oddity does not affect the default database, currently the Retailers db.
For example, you can on the Results Page switch from a Producers search or a Services search to a Retailers db search without being affected by the oddity.
The solutions (all work and only take seconds)
(i) MAKE SEARCH CHANGES ELSEWHERE SOLUTION – Do not use the filters tab.
(ii) DUPLICATE OR COPY THE RESULTS PAGE SOLUTION – Duplicate the page or copy the URL. Either method takes just a few seconds to set up and later to resume. (See details below). * and **
(iii) USE THE SUB-CATEGORIES SHOWN ON A LISTING PAGE SOLUTION – When you back-click beyond a Listing Page you can click forward > to the page again. The sub-categories are next to the title on every listing page. You cannot miss them.***
NB (iii) is the one you should particularly remember because you will likely forget about the oddity until you back-click and find yourself on the Result(s) Page looking at different results than those you left. You can then just click forward and select a sub-category from the listing page you were looking at.
* HOW DO I DUPLICATE THE SEARCH RESULTS PAGE? – Use the browser tab duplication system of your device to save the Search Result Page results for handy reference.
Duplication involves just one or two clicks on your device.
- In Microsoft Edge, right-click the tab and select Duplicate Tab. or press Ctrl + Shift + K (Windows) or Cmd + Shift + K (Mac).
- In Chrome, Safari, or Firefox, right-click a tab and select “‘Duplicate tab'” or Duplicate.
** HOW DO I COPY THE URL? – Here you use the COPY & PASTE method with your browser.
Copying the URL is a method used by QD when using Google on his Android phone. Copying is done via the sharing symbol, just a finger touch on that and another to copy. Pasting is done by finger touching the x (top right of your screen) clearing the browser box then finger touching it to be offered the paste option, You then you finger touch to activate. In all only 4 finger touches are needed. Simple!
*** WHERE IS THE FORWARD BUTTON ON MY MOBILE PHONE?
If you are using Google Chrome then there are 3 dots top right of your screen. Touch there and you will see the > key.
Test area
(A) WHY USE THIS SITE? Click me!