Managing Multiple website stores in Magento

Managing Multiple website stores in Magento

In Basic Installation a magento has one website, one store and one store view. Here it is used for creating a single shop website.
To setup multiple website stores in magento there are a few configuration changes to be done in the backend. Mentioned below are the  instructions to be followed to create  multiple website stores in magento.

1. Go to the magento admin panel. 
2. Go to the "Catalog" tab, and select "Manage Categories." [Now you can see only one root category(Default category), This category is used for the first website store].
3. Create new root category. This category named as "second_root_category" (This is used for the Second website Store).
4. Go to the "System" tab and select "Manage Stores".
5. Create New Website [Enter Second website name. Then enter code as "second"(The code value will be used later as mentioned in "Step 13". So don't forget the code value)].
6. Create New Store (To create the Store for the Website, select second website from the dropdown. In "Name", we'll enter Second Store. In "Root Category", select the "second_root_category" from the dropdown ).
7. Create New Store View (For  "Store", select the scond store from the dropdown. In "Name", fill second store view. In "Code",  fill value "second". In  "Status", select "Enabled" from the dropdown).
8. Change Link URL in Configuration.
   > Go to "System" tab and select the "Configuration"
   > Change "Current Configuration Scope" to "Second Website".
   > Select "Web" from the sidebar on the left under the "General" heading.
   > Edit the Unsecure tab uncheck the Use default box "Base URL" and "Base Link URL".
   > Enter Base URL is "http://yourwebsitename/".
   > Enter Base Link URL is "http://yourwebsitename/second/".
   > Save Configuration.
    
9. Create a new folder named "second" inside 'magento' folder
10. Copy 'index.php' of magento folder into "second" folder.
11. Change $compilerConfig = 'includes/config.php'; to $compilerConfig = '../includes/config.php';
12. Change $mageFilename = 'app/Mage.php'; to $mageFilename = '../app/Mage.php';
13. Change Mage::run(); to Mage::run('second','website') {Please refer Step 5};
14. Copy .htaccess file from magento folder to "second" folder.

Finally, you have setup a multi website for your magento shop. Your base magento installation  can be browsed by "http://yourwebsite/" and your second website can be browsed by "http://yourwebsite/second/".