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Setting Up Web Inquiries with Adobe Flash
The following shows you how to set up an Adobe Flash-based web site to work with SuccessWare web inquiries. It does so from the SuccessWare perspective and does not offer help with the necessary aspects of Adobe Flash. If your web site uses standard HTML files, see Setting Up Web Inquiries.
The server that manages SuccessWare's web inquiries accepts new inquiry submissions through a Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP) web services interface. The following describes the interface. For specifics on how to access SOAP interfaces via Flash, please consult the Flash documentation.
It is strongly recommended that you use the Web Inquiry Form Wizard to generate the code for a standard HTML form. Reviewing it in your favorite HTML or text editor will show you the proper values to include in the drop down menus and other interface elements of your Flash form. To use the wizard, run Success Tracking and choose Web Inquiry Form Wizard from the Inquiry menu.
The WSDL that describes the interface to the SuccessWare web inquiries server is located at http://www.successwareclients.net/4DWSDL. It consists of one message named WebService_SubmitInquiryRequest. All of the parameters except Client_ID are optional. However, if not enough information is given to generate the inquiry—at least a full address, one phone number, or an e-mail address—the server will generate an error (see Error Handling below). The server does minimal error checking for valid phone numbers, e-mail addresses, and the like. If the entry of certain values is to be required, you must program such checks on the Flash client side. The type of each parameter is given in the WSDL. Those parameters that are not self explanatory are described below.
Client ID
This is a unique number which identifies the studio. It can be viewed by running Success Tracking, choosing Preferences from the File menu, clicking Inquiries in the list to the left, and, if it doesn't already appear in the Web Inquiry Client ID field, clicking Get Client ID from the Internet. You can also see it in the hidden Client_ID field in the HTML generated by the Web Inquiry Form Wizard. This parameter is required and is the same for every inquiry submitted by a particular studio.
Name_Title
The title (such as Ms., Mr. Dr., etc.) of the person making the inquiry (the inquirer).
Middle_Initial
The middle initial, with or without a period, of the person making the inquiry.
Name_Suffix
The suffix (such as Jr., Sr., III, etc.) of the person making the inquiry.
State
The 2-character state abbreviation of the inquirer's address.
ZIP_Code
The ZIP or Postal Code of the inquirer's address.
Phone Numbers
7 or 10 digit phone numbers are accepted with or without formatting characters. Leading 1s are ignored. For example, 5555555555, (555)555-5555, 555-555-5555, and 1-555-555-5555 are all accepted.
Work_Phone_Extension
The extension number without a leading "x." For example, 1234 is acceptable, but x1234 is not.
Identifiers
Up to 5 identifiers can be passed per inquiry. These are customized values for each studio and will normally already be defined in the Prospect Identifiers list. To view this list, run Success Tracking, choose Update Lists from the File menu, and then click Prospect Identifiers in the list to the left. If a value that does not appear in the list is downloaded into SuccessWare with a web inquiry, the user will be asked if it is valid and if they wish to save it in the list for the future.
Prospect_Type
This field has a customized set of valid values for each studio and will normally already be defined in the Type of Prospects list. To view this list, run Success Tracking, choose Update Lists from the File menu, and then click Type of Prospects in the list to the left. If a value that does not appear in the list is downloaded into SuccessWare with a web inquiry, the user will be asked if it is valid and if they wish to save it in the list for the future.
No_Direct_Mail
This is a boolean value specifying if the user indicated they do not wish to receive direct mail from the studio.
Notes
Free text that the inquirer may have entered to further explain their desires or to ask questions of studio personnel.
Product Line
The product line of the type of product or service
in which the inquirer is interested. The best way to derive this value
is to include a drop down menu or list from which the inquirer can choose
a product or service that makes sense to them. For example, the list might
contain an item named "Family Portrait." Flash could interpret
this as belonging to the Studio Portraits product line and pass this value
along with "Families" in the Product_Line_Category parameter
(see below).
The Web Inquiry Form Wizard sets up a drop down menu that works in this
way. You can see the proper values for product lines in the wizard-generated
HTML under the <select> tag named "Product_Line_And_Category."
The values before the pairs of tildes (~~) are the product lines.
Product_Line_Category
The product line category of the type of product
or service in which the inquirer is interested. The best way to derive
this value is to include a drop down menu or list from which the inquirer
can choose a product or service that makes sense to them. For example,
the list might contain an item named "Family Portrait." Flash
could interpret this as belonging to the Families category of the Studio
Portraits product line and pass this value along with Studio Portraits
in Product_Line (see above).
The Web Inquiry Form Wizard sets up a drop down menu that works in this
way. You can see the proper values for product line categories in the
wizard-generated HTML under the <select> tag named "Product_Line_And_Category."
The values after the pairs of tildes (~~) are the product line categories.
Marketing_Strategy
This is an indication of which of your marketing
strategies (such as direct mail) got them to inquire. The best way to
derive this value is to include a "How did you hear about us?"
drop down menu or list. For example, the list might contain an item named
"Galleria Mall Exhibit." Flash could interpret this as belonging
to the Displays marketing strategy and pass this value along with "Galleria
Mall" in the Marketing_Strategy_Source parameter (see below).
The Web Inquiry Form Wizard sets up a drop down menu that works in this
way. You can see the proper values for marketing strategies in the wizard-generated
HTML under the <select> tag named "Marketing_Strategy_And_Source."
The values before the pairs of tildes (~~) are the marketing strategies.
Marketing_Strategy_Source
This is an indication of how the inquirer heard about the studio. The best way to derive this value is to include a "How did you hear about us?" drop down menu or list. For example, the list might contain an item named "Galleria Mall Exhibit." Flash could interpret this as belonging to the Galleria Mall marketing strategy source and pass this value along with "Displays" in the Marketing_Strategy parameter (see above).
The Web Inquiry Form Wizard sets up a drop down menu that works in this way. You can see the proper values for marketing strategy sources in the wizard-generated HTML under the <select> tag named "Marketing_Strategy_And_Source." The values after the pairs of tildes (~~) are the marketing strategy sources.
Marketing_Strategy_Source_Other
If you provide an "Other" item for how the inquirer heard about the studio along with a text area in which to specify how, set this parameter to the text the inquirer entered. If this parameter is used, make sure Marketing_Strategy is set to Other.
Error Handling
If an error occurs on the server or it detects invalid input, it generates a SOAP fault with an appropriate textual description of the problem. This description is suitable for display to web site users as an indication of what is wrong. Here is an example of an error description:
Your home phone number must be 7 or 10 digits.
Your entered ZIP code is invalid.