complete-webstore-free &laquo; WordPress.com Tag Feed http://wordpress.com/tag/complete-webstore-free/ Feed of posts on WordPress.com tagged "complete-webstore-free" Sun, 20 Jul 2008 11:40:14 +0000 http://wordpress.com/tags/ en <![CDATA[Shopping carts vs. Ecommerce Business Tools]]> http://fastcommerce.wordpress.com/2007/10/12/shopping-carts-vs-ecommerce-business-tools/ Fri, 12 Oct 2007 18:32:18 +0000 FASTCOM http://fastcommerce.wordpress.com/2007/10/12/shopping-carts-vs-ecommerce-business-tools/ It is our view that shopping carts have not been designed to take into account all the tools that small business needs to operate successful ecommerce store. Most of them are designed with limited features, or with features that are limited and offer little flexibility in how they are used. Indeed, most shopping carts are designed with the expectation that the user will need other software programs to run the whole of their business: for example, contact management software. Small business entrepreneurs in ecommerce have been left to juggle different software programs in order to run a fully operation ecommerce company.

In our experience, all small businesses in ecommerce would consider a single-system application to be ideal: a single system that would successfully tie together storefront, transactions, customer management and shipping, etc. Such a system would drastically reduce the expense of running multiple software programs. The next step is well-designed, easy to use software that have been designed to dovetail with small business needs, but which can also be accessed as a service. It is imperative for small business ecommerce companies to be able to get out of the IT business a focus on their core skills, which is running a retail business.

There are shopping carts that do an excellent job of providing customer facing features, coupons, gifts certificates, affiliate marketing, etc. In our view, there are very few companies offering shopping carts that are integrated into the whole of an ecommerce company’s business processes. The goal should be to have a single-system to drive the whole of an ecommerce business; hence a shopping cart should be one tool in a larger array of features and functions, all fully integrated.

 

It is very competitive market with a great many shopping cart platforms offered to small business at small business prices. Most of these shopping carts are customer facing, with little in the way of having serious business applications to operate the whole business. A single-system that drives both the ecommerce and internal operations is not easy to do, and requires a lot of experience in small business applications to do successfully. 
 
 
 
 

FastCommerce.com offers a complete ecommerce package at no or low cost. That includes free hosting, and we do not charge transaction fees. Our strategy is to build a compelling product, and then to offer it for free, or for a small monthly charge. We do not consider the no or low cost to be a competitive advantage in this market. Our competitive edge is to offer web-based, well-designed, easy to use ecommerce applications that will give the small businessperson all the tools needed to sell online. When people sign up for our service, they automatically generate a web-store and a sophisticated back end management system for processing orders, reports, etc. All the tools are there for small businesses to get a start in ecommerce with no risk.

But we are truly competitive in how we direct product development. Our goal is a single system enterprise ecommerce system that has been designed for small business, to offer all the tools small business need to run a successful ecommerce company. Our cost structure will also be competitive: instead of offering our applications in bundles at different price points, our approach is to offer additional features and function a single-feature options. The key here is to enable small businesses to use our applications in a highly target way, one that is best suited for their specific needs, and enables them to control costs.

The strategy is to build a single system with compelling features, easy of use, relevance to small business needs, and then to have to have customers use it. As they grow their companies, and we develop and expand our product and services, the expectation is that people will be happy to pay for additional services

]]> <![CDATA[Google Shopping Jump Starts Small Business E-commerce Retailers]]> http://fastcommerce.wordpress.com/?p=144 Tue, 03 Jun 2008 00:04:44 +0000 FASTCOM http://fastcommerce.wordpress.com/?p=144

  • Google Shopping Jump Starts Small Business E-commerce Retailers

    During the holiday season the search engine giant Google added a Shopping tab to its homepage, a tab which directly links to its on-line product catalog called Product Search. FastCommerce, a small business enterprise e-commerce provider, recently announced the successful launch of its automated submission service to Google Shopping. Submission to Google is also available with the free version of FastCommerce. The results have been remarkable. By simply signing up for the free version of FastCommerce and creating a product catalog, the on-line retailer starts selling right away.

    San Mateo, CA (PRWEB) March 25, 2008 -- For small business on-line retailers, an e-commerce solution that quickly produces results is essential to survival. That is why FastCommerce recently launched a product submission service to Google Shopping; also known as Google Product Search. Google has built the equivalent of an on-line product catalog that is tied in with its popular search site. On-line retailers can post products to the Google catalog, and even sell directly through the service via Google Check-out. Google's popularity coupled with the recent addition of its new Shopping tab on the Google homepage, has the effect of driving targeted searches for product directly through Google Shopping. With Google Shopping, shoppers can view multiple listings for a given product and either purchase directly on Google, or proceed directly to the merchant own web store.

    Submitting to Google Product Search costs the on-line retailer nothing; unlike EBay, there are no fees for posting an unlimited number of products. This is a tremendous competitive edge for small business e-commerce start-ups that cannot afford the sometimes prohibitive cost of running a business exclusively on EBay. Rather than having the merchant manually submit products one by one, FastCommerce automatically submits the whole of a merchant's on-line product catalog to Google Product Search. In providing this level of service, FastCommerce is focused on the success of its clients in an increasingly sophisticated and competitive on-line retail universe.

    Google Product Search consistently generates a high volume of sales and sales inquiries for FastCommerce merchants. Having the whole of a merchant's on-line product catalog published on Google Shopping is nothing less than a major marketing tool for small business on-line retailers. It is a service that Google offers for free. This is even more remarkable given that the FastCommerce small business e-commerce platform is entirely free for the first fifty products. A small business or an individual entrepreneur can sign up for the free version of FastCommerce, build a professional and attractive web store, and post up to fifty products for free. The free version gives them access to almost the whole of the FastCommerce platform: simply signing up automatically generates a professional website and back office tools to manage their business. Merchants then see an immediate effect in having their products automatically listed to Google's Product Search.

    FastCommerce is a web-based e-commerce application that lets small business start, grow and then manage their business on-line, all from one single system. Small business entrepreneurs gain access to a professional, fully operable e-commerce website, as well as a full suite of back-office management tools needed to run a business on-line. It is completely free to the first fifty products. The addition of Google Shopping to the free version is a very powerful tool: a small business can make the move to e-commerce with immediate results. The clients are then free to sign up for additional services when they are ready.

    FastCommerce.com also announced the launch of a Professional services division, designed for established businesses looking to make the leap into e-commerce while avoiding the hefty expense of project implementation and costly technology. Small businesses with large product catalogs face tremendous hurdles when looking to go into on-line sales. Such a move has traditionally involves licensing e-commerce technologies, and then expending additional funds for implementation. The FastCommerce Professional Services team brings years of experience and its Web 2.0 technology platform to get companies up and running in days instead of months. There is no contract. For a small set up fee, small businesses get a fully operable e-commerce web-site with their products pre-installed. FastCommerce drives down the cost to a fraction of most e-commerce technology platforms. There are additional services for submitting to over 100 search engines, directories, as well as keyword consultation and continuous updates.

    About FastCommerce.com

    FastCommerce.com is a Web 2.0 technology platform that changes the way entrepreneurs can succeed in on-line sales. It has been designed to automate all the initial hurdles of beginning a web business and managing it, all from one single system. Far from being a simple shopping cart technology, FastCommerce Small Business e-Commerce technology is enterprise in scope with the goal of letting small companies and entrepreneurs run all aspects of their business from a fully integrated single system. It is affordable small business enterprise e-commerce at a small business price.

    ###

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    • ]]>         <![CDATA[Google Search Engine, Debuts AJAX Language API Tools]]> http://fastcommerce.wordpress.com/?p=142 Tue, 15 Apr 2008 01:19:12 +0000 FASTCOM http://fastcommerce.wordpress.com/?p=142 News: Google Search Engine, Debuts AJAX Language API Tools
     
    Mountain View, California - (Website Hosting Directory) - April 3, 2008 - According to Brandon Badger, Product Manager at search engine, Google, the main goal of its AJAX APIs team is to provide developers with the tools needed to create the next generation of great web applications.

    The API helps developers automatically translate content in their applications. Users on these sites will have an easier time communicating across lingual boundaries. The Language API provides both translation and language detection. It is also possible to experiment with the language detection capabilities.

    In addition, Google recently added a shopping tab to its homepage, which directly links to its on-line product catalog called Product Search.
    FastCommerce, a small business enterprise e-commerce provider, recently announced the successful launch of its automated submission service to Google Shopping. Submission to Google is also available with the free version of FastCommerce. The results have been remarkable. By simply signing up for the free version of FastCommerce and creating a product catalog, the on-line retailer starts selling right away.

    For small business on-line retailers, an e-commerce solution that quickly produces results is considered essential to survival. That is why FastCommerce recently launched a product submission service to Google Shopping; also known as Google Product Search. Google has built the equivalent of an on-line product catalog that is tied in with its popular search site. On-line retailers can post products to the Google catalog, and even sell directly through the service via Google Check-out. Google's popularity coupled with the recent addition of its new Shopping tab on the Google homepage, has the effect of driving targeted searches for product directly through Google Shopping.

    With Google Shopping, shoppers can view multiple listings for a given product and either purchase directly on Google, or proceed directly to the merchant own web store. Submitting to Google Product Search costs the on-line retailer nothing; unlike EBay, there are no fees for posting an unlimited number of products. This is a tremendous competitive edge for small business e-commerce start-ups that cannot afford the sometimes prohibitive cost of running a business exclusively on EBay. Rather than having the merchant manually submit products one by one, FastCommerce automatically submits the whole of a merchant's on-line product catalog to Google Product Search. In providing this level of service, FastCommerce is focused on the success of its clients in an increasingly sophisticated and competitive on-line retail universe.

    Google Product Search consistently generates a high volume of sales and sales inquiries for FastCommerce merchants. Having the whole of a merchant's on-line product catalog published on Google Shopping is nothing less than a major marketing tool for small business on-line retailers. It is a service that Google offers for free. This is even more remarkable given that the FastCommerce small business e-commerce platform is entirely free for the first fifty products. A small business or an individual entrepreneur can sign up for the free version of FastCommerce, build a professional and attractive web store, and post up to fifty products for free. The free version gives them access to almost the whole of the FastCommerce platform: simply signing up automatically generates a professional website and back office tools to manage their business. Merchants then see an immediate effect in having their products automatically listed to Google's Product Search.

    FastCommerce is a web-based e-commerce application that lets small business start, grow and then manage their business on-line, all from one single system. Small business entrepreneurs gain access to a professional, fully operable e-commerce website, as well as a full suite of back-office management tools needed to run a business on-line. It is completely free to the first fifty products. The addition of Google Shopping to the free version is a very powerful tool: a small business can make the move to e-commerce with immediate results. The clients are then free to sign up for additional services when they are ready.

    FastCommerce.com also announced the launch of a Professional services division, designed for established businesses looking to make the leap into e-commerce while avoiding the hefty expense of project implementation and costly technology. Small businesses with large product catalogs face tremendous hurdles when looking to go into on-line sales. Such a move has traditionally involves licensing e-commerce technologies, and then expending additional funds for implementation. The FastCommerce Professional Services team brings years of experience and its Web 2.0 technology platform to get companies up and running in days instead of months. There is no contract. For a small set up fee, small businesses get a fully operable e-commerce web-site with their products pre-installed. FastCommerce drives down the cost to a fraction of most e-commerce technology platforms. There are additional services for submitting to over 100 search engines, directories, as well as keyword consultation and continuous updates.

    FastCommerce.com is a Web 2.0 technology platform that changes the way entrepreneurs can succeed in on-line sales. It has been designed to automate all the initial hurdles of beginning a web business and managing it, all from one single system. Far from being a simple shopping cart technology, FastCommerce Small Business e-Commerce technology is enterprise in scope with the goal of letting small companies and entrepreneurs run all aspects of their business from a fully integrated single system. It is affordable small business enterprise e-commerce at a small business price.

    With the largest index of websites available on the World Wide Web and the industry's most advanced search technology, Google Inc. delivers the fastest and easiest way to find relevant information on the Internet. Google's technological innovations have earned the company numerous industry awards and citations, including two Webby Awards; two WIRED magazine Readers Raves Awards; Best Internet Innovation and Technical Excellence Award from PC Magazine; Best Search Engine on the Internet from Yahoo! Internet Life; Top Ten Best Cybertech from TIME magazine; and Editor's Pick from CNET. A growing number of companies worldwide, including Yahoo! and its international properties, Sony Corporation and its global affiliates, AOL/Netscape, and Cisco Systems, rely on Google to power search on their websites. A privately held company based in Mountain View, California, Google's investors include Kleiner Perkins Caufield Byers and Sequoia Capital.

    For more information about FastCommerce.com, please visit: http://system.fastcommerce.com.

    ]]>         <![CDATA[FastCommerce.com Feature List]]> http://fastcommerce.wordpress.com/?p=141 Sat, 12 Apr 2008 23:16:52 +0000 FASTCOM http://fastcommerce.wordpress.com/?p=141 E-Commerce Website Feature
    • Professional Retail Web-store and Checkout
    • Homepage Branding and Personalization
    • Easy homepage management (no technical expertise required)
    • Ability to upload images, banners, logos into multiple parts of the website
    • Homepage option for creating text, as well as links to marketing pages 
    • Create-A-Page for Custom Marketing
    • Attractive templates for free
    • Automatic shipping calculator for UPS, FedEx and USPS
    • Automatic Tax calculator
    • Free secure and encrypted checkout process
    • One Page Checkout
    • Guest Checkout
    • Google Checkout option
    • PayPal option
    • Alternative or traditional payment options (check, purchase order, etc)
    • Accept credit cards through Authorize.net
    • Featured products on homepage
    • Related products for accessories and cross sell
    • Automatic order email confirmation (with customizable messaging)
    • Automatic order email notification to merchant
    • Automatic shipping confirmation email
    • Flat rate shipping option for all carriers
    • Custom shipping options (merchant defines)
    • Handling fee option
    • Message box in shopping cart
    • Customer registration and account edit capability
    • Customer order history per account
    • Customer re-orders from order history
    • Built in search and advanced search
    • Search by brand and advanced search
    • Easy navigation through parent category tabs
    • Shop by brand

    PRODUCT MANAGEMENT MODULE

    • Alternative keywords per product for enhanced search results
    • Free shipping option per product
    • Product management by category search capability
    • Quick product search field, or by alphabet
    • Multiple images
    • Product Personalization Option
    • Assign product to multiple categories
    • Multiple pricing options including you save percentage option
    • Real time for price and product changes for quick response
    • Hide product from online store and search option
    • Quick link for 10 top selling items
    • Quick link for 10 most popular items
    • Quick link management for products without images or category assignment
    • Assign product to brand
    • Product variables (size, color, price, etc.)
    • In-Stock quantity
    • Quickly create related items
    • Customizable product description tabs
    • Assign item to brand
    • Tabs for product description, specification, warranty, etc
    • Disable shopping cart option per product with customizable messaging (Call for Price)
    • Search engine visible product pages with search engine optimization features
    • Customizable shipping message
    • Customizable availability message (Fifty in stock)
    • Display shipping weight option
    • Customizable product description area for marketing, pictures, links and more
    • Image file manager for permanent storage and fast upload
    • Ability to control product order within a given category

    Order and Customer Management

    • Approve, Process and Ship new orders
    • Email notification for new orders
    • Fast search for customer and account information
    • Real time order management module for quick order processing
    • Edit order for order modification and partially shipped orders
    • Add/ adjust shipping and handling charges during the order processing
    • View recent orders
    • View recent customers
    • Create customer account
    • Create notes for customer accounts
    • Multiple shipping addresses per account
    • View customer purchase history
    • Back Orders
    • Report for total sales for adjustable time frame
    • On Hold Orders report
    • Report for shipping expenditures
    • Report for product ranking by popularity
    • Flat rate shipping option
    • Customizable shipping options
    • Payment by credit card, PayPal, Google Checkout
    • Payment option for traditional methods (check, purchase order, etc)
    • Customizable payment options
    ]]>         <![CDATA[More Details About FastCommerce Features]]> http://fastcommerce.wordpress.com/2008/03/24/more-details-about-fastcommerce-features/ Mon, 24 Mar 2008 22:50:39 +0000 FASTCOM http://fastcommerce.wordpress.com/2008/03/24/more-details-about-fastcommerce-features/ 1.    Getting Started

    Fast Commerce is a browser based e-commerce application. This application stands as a support to the owners of small businesses to start and manage an online business. Just by signing up with Fast Commerce, anyone can automatically generate a professional Web store for free. This application has all the features expected in e-commerce software to create a fully customized Internet store to sell the products online. A complete range of products can be managed in one user-friendly online store interface.

    How do I sign up for an account?

    Signing up with FastCommerce involves a simple procedure that takes very less time. After you complete the sign up procedure, you can continue with the other features that help you configure your store.To sign up with FastCommerce:1.    On the Home page, click ‘Sign Up Now’.The FastCommerce Service Plans Overview page is displayed.2.    Select one of the packages that meet your business requirements and click the sign up button below the description area.The Account Sign Up page is displayed. Click here to know more about the different packages offered by FastCommerce.3.    Enter the details of company information and the account information.If you opt for the packages that require a monthly payment then you have to enter the details of payment information in the Account Sign Up page.4.    Click ‘Submit’.A page is displayed with all the details submitted by you for signing up the account.5.    You can do one of the following three things here:

    ·         Click ‘Modify’ to edit the details submitted by you.

    ·         Click ‘Continue’ to work with the other tabs to set up your store. You can configure the following parts of your store as you move across these tabs:

    ·         Store Theme & Layout

    ·         Set Up Shipping

    ·         Payment & Taxes

    ·         Set Up Store Catalog

    ·         Click ‘Cancel’ to set up the store later.

    Store Theme & Layout

    The features of this tab help you to pick up a theme and layout for your store. You can also specify a name for your store on this tab.

    To set up a store theme and lay out:

    1.    Enter a name for your store in the My Store Name text field.

    The name you enter in this text field also gets populated in ‘My Store URL’ text field.

    By default, the first template of the three pre-designed templates is displayed in the Current Store Theme area.

    2.    Select either the default template or click ‘Change Template’ to select a suitable template for your store.

    The Select A Store Layout pane is displayed with three pre-designed templates.

    3.    Select a template.

    You can choose a new template for your store anytime.

    4.    Select the orientation and choose a color from the range of colors.

    5.    Click ‘View’ to view the template in a larger size.

    6.    Click ‘Done’.

    7.    Click ‘Continue’ to work with the features of the Set Up Shipping tab.

    Set Up Shipping

    This tab has the following list of shipping companies supported by FastCommerce to ship your goods to the customer.

    ·         UPS

    ·         FedEx

    ·         USPS

    To set up a shipping method:

    1.    Select the shipping companies you like to choose for shipping your goods.

    2.    Click ‘Continue’ to work with the features of the Payment and Taxes tab.

    You can configure the shipping methods using the features of the Set Up menu on the menu bar. For more details, refer to the Store Configuration section.

    Payment and Taxes

    The features of this tab help you to set the methods of payment and sales tax for your store. These payment methods are supported by FastCommerce.

    This tab has the following payment options:

    ·         Credit Card: This option allows you to select the following types of credit cards:

    ·         Visa

    ·         MasterCard

    ·         American Express

    ·         Discover Card

    You can choose to process the credit cards transactions online or to capture the credit details of the credit card and process the transactions offline. You can also provide your customers to pay by signing up with Authorize.Net to process the payment transactions.

    ·         PayPal and Google Checkout: You can also choose to process your payment transactions by signing up with PayPal and Google Checkout. This option helps you deal with the customers who have an account with these online payment systems. PayPal offers a free use of its services for a month. You have to pay $4.99 per month if you opt for extending the services of PayPal.

    To set up the payment and sales tax methods:

    1.    Select the payment methods from the Payment Type area.

    2.    In the Sales Tax area, select a state from the State drop-down list.

    The state name you select serves as your primary business location. However, you can configure multiple states later.

    Refer to the Store Configuration section for more details.

    3.    Enter the tax rate, which is applicable in the state you selected, in the text field.

    4.    Click ‘Continue’ to work with the Set Up Store Catalog tab.

    Set Up Store Catalog

    The Set Up Store Catalog page leads you to the Category Management page where you can create any number of categories and sub-categories to categorize your products. Click ‘Continue’ to open the Category Management page. Click here for more details of creating categories.

    What are the different packages I can choose from?

    FastCommerce offers you three different packages to choose from. Based on your business requirements, you can choose one of these packages to get started with the setting up of your online store.

    They are as follows:

    ·         Startup: This is a free package designed for the startup businesses to set up and run an online store. This package allows you to sell a maximum of 50 products on your store and avail the Web hosting services with a storage space of 200MB. You can have data transfer up to 1GB per month. You can use your existing domain name or add an online store to your Website that already exists.

    Click http://system.fastcommerce.com/learnmore.jsp?serviceplan=free for more details of this package.

    ·         Growing Business: In addition to the features of the ‘Startup’ plan, this package allows you to sell a maximum of 2000 products on your online store. You can set up your online store for free. You can avail the Web hosting services with 1GB storage space and have data transfer up to 5GB per month just for $29.95 per month. You can use your existing domain name or add an online store to your Website that already exists.

    Click http://system.fastcommerce.com/learnmore.jsp?serviceplan=growing for more details of this package.

    ·         Enterprise: In addition to the features of the ‘Growing Business’ plan, this package allows you to sell a maximum of 10000 products on your online store. You can set up your online store for free. You can avail the Web hosting services with 10GB storage space and have data transfer up to 20GB per month just for $99.95 per month. You can use your existing domain name or add an online store to your Website that already exists.

    Click http://system.fastcommerce.com/learnmore.jsp?serviceplan=enterprise for more details of this package.

    How much does FastCommerce cost?

    FastCommerce focuses mainly on small businesses with e-commerce hosting and free support, which means that there is no need to download the software or pay for it. You can sign up with FastCommerce and set up an online store for free. You can choose from the three different FastCommerce packages, to start selling your products online. Click here to know more about the packages.

    Can I change the store configuration after signing up?

    Yes. You can change the configurations of your store even after you sign up with FastCommerce. You can change the configurations such as the store theme and lay out, your store name, the shipping information, the payment and taxes information, and the sales order setting information. Refer to the Customization section for more details about changing the store configuration.

    How do I navigate the FastCommerce interface?

    The FastCommerce application has a user friendly and an easy-to-navigate interface. After you log in to your account, the Overview page is displayed. This page also serves as the Home page. There are two menu bars on this page which help you navigate to different pages of this application. The details of the recent orders, customers, and the sales report of your products based on their popularity are displayed on this page giving you an overview of your online transactions. This information is provided in three different tables according to their category. The Search pane enables you to make a quick search of the product or customer details.

    FastCommerce Interface

    From the Overview page, you can navigate to:

    ·         The Customer Details page

    ·         The Order Details page

    ·         The Update Product page

    After navigating to these pages, you can edit the details, view the status of an order, and approve or cancel an order.

    To navigate to the Customer Details page:

    ·         In the Recent Orders table, click the customer name.

    Here you can view the status of recent orders and edit the billing address.

    ·         In the Recent Customers table, click the account number or the customer name.

    ·         In the Search Customer pane, click the account number or name.

    The Search Customer pane is displayed when you search for the customer details using the Search option on the Overview page.

    Refer to the Customers section for more details.

    To navigate to the Update Product page:

    ·         In the products table, click the product name or item number.

    Refer to the Products section for more details.

    ·         In the Search Product pane, click the product name or the item number.

    The Search Product pane is displayed when you search for the product details using the Search option on the Overview page.

    To navigate to the Order Details page:

    ·         In the Recent Orders table, click the order number.

    Here you can approve or cancel an order.

    Refer to the Orders section for more details.

    How do I edit my company information?

    You can edit your company information using the features of the Set Up menu once you log in to your account.To edit your company information:1.    Click ‘Set Up’ on the menu bar.The Set Up page is displayed.2.    In the Company Information area, click ‘Change’.The Company Profile page is displayed.3.    Edit the details and click ‘Save’.4.    Click ‘OK’ in the confirmation dialog box.

    How do I edit my account information?

    You can edit your account information using the features of the Set Up menu once you log in to your account.To edit your account information:1.    Click ‘Set Up’ on the menu bar.The Set Up page is displayed.2.    In the User Information area, click ‘Edit’.The User Profile page is displayed.3.    Edit the details and click ‘Save’.4.    Click ‘OK’ in the confirmation dialog box.

    How do I change the password of my account?

    You can change the password of your account using the features of the Set Up menu.To change your password:1.    Click ‘Set Up’ on the menu bar, after you log in to your account.The Set Up page is displayed.2.    In the User Information area, click ‘Change Password’.The Change Password page is displayed.3.    Enter the details and click ‘Save’.4.    Click ‘OK’ in the confirmation dialog box.

    2.    Storefront

    Storefront is the Home page of your online store. From this page, your customers browse through your products, add them to the shopping cart, pay for the items and check out. Configuration of your storefront plays a vital role in making your online store successful. The Home page as well as the other pages of your store should provide an easy access to all the details the customer looks for. These details must include the details of the products, payment, shipping, etc.

    Basic Configuration

    The basic configuration of your store includes selecting a name for your store, linking the store to your Website, designing a template, etc. Fast commerce offers you three pre-designed templates that help you make your storefront presentable. By configuring your store using these templates, you can make it easy for your customer to access all the features and product details available on your store. You can change the appearance of your store by using these templates. Refer to the Customization section for more details.

    How can I integrate the store with my existing Web site?

    FastCommerce provides you an option that enables you to integrate the store with your existing Website. To integrate the store with your Website:1.    Navigate to the Storefront page, after you log in to your account.You can find a URL given in the Enter your domain information area. This is the URL of your online store.2.    Give this URL a link from your existing Website.

    Can I use my own domain name for the storefront?

    <We don’t know the answer to it. With the present functionality, it doesn’t seem to be possible.>

    Customization

    Customization is the way you configure your storefront using your own images or text. FastCommerce offers you the features that help you change the layout and content based on the specific needs of the customer.

    Can I change the appearance of my store?

    Yes. You can change the appearance of your store using one of the following methods:

    ·         Select a template

    ·         Customize a template

    To select a template:

    1.    Click ‘Storefront’ on the menu bar.The Storefront page is displayed.2.    Click ‘Change Template’ in the Template area.The ‘Select A store layout’ pane is displayed. This pane has three pre-designed templates, range of colors for the selected template, and the orientation type.3.    Select a template, color, and the orientation type.4.    Click ‘Done’.5.    Click ‘Save’ at the bottom of the Storefront page.To customize a template:1.     Click ‘Storefront’ on the menu bar.The Storefront page is displayed.2.    In the Web Pages area, click ‘Home Page’.The template of the home page of your store is displayed in a new window. This template enables you to enter text or graphics in 5 different areas on your home page. You can select a text or an image and hyperlink it to a new page, or Web address, or E-mail address.3.    Click ‘Save’.

    Can I add my own pages to the store?

    Yes. You can add your own pages to the store. FastCommerce offers you the features that allow you to create and add new pages to your online store.To add new pages:1.    Click ‘Storefront’ on the menu bar.The Storefront page is displayed.2.    In the Web Pages area, click ‘Create & Edit new page’.The Create a page pane is displayed.3.    In the Page Name text field, enter the page name.You can insert the text, images, tables, or anchors, use styles and formatting, hyperlink this page, use smiley, select a template for this page, print the page, redo and undo your actions.4.    Click ‘Done’ after you customizing the page.5.    Click ‘Save’ at the bottom of the Storefront page.

    How do I link my pages from the store?

    You can link any number of pages from your store. You can also give links to the Web addresses and Email addresses from your store.To link the pages from your store:1.    Click ‘Storefront’ on the menu bar.The Storefront page is displayed.2.    In the Web Pages area, click ‘Home Page’.The template of the home page of your store is displayed in a new window. This template enables you to enter text or graphics in 5 different areas on your home page. You can select a text or an image and hyperlink it to a new page, or Web address, or E-mail address.3.    Select the text or image and click the ‘Insert/Edit Link’ option in the options area.The Create Link To dialog box is displayed. This dialog box has three tabs:

    ·         User Pages: This tab has a drop-down list with the pages you have created using the features on the Storefront page.

    ·         Web Address: You can provide a URL on this tab to link your pages from the store.

    ·         Email Address: you can provide an Email address in this tab to receive any feedback from your customers. 

    4.    Click ‘Save’.

    5.    Click ‘Save’ at the bottom of the Storefront page.

    3.    Products

    After signing up with FastCommerce.com, you can start adding your products to the catalog and make the product details available to your customer. The number of products you add to your store depends on the type of package you select while signing up with FastCommerce.

    Adding Product Information

    The Product module includes all the features necessary for adding, updating, and deleting the details of a product. You can add details such as the product name, description, price, add-on options, images, etc. You can also add customized descriptions about the product to your storefront. You can choose to display the related products on your store along with the other products.

    How do I add the details of a product to my storefront?

    You can navigate to the product module by clicking the Product tab of the menu bar on the home page.

    To add the details of a product:1.    Click ‘New Product’ in the Product List panel.

    The Add New Product page is displayed.

    2.    Add images of the product in the Product Image area.

    3.    Specify the product details.4.    Add product descriptions in the editor panel.5.    Provide details in the admin area.

    6.    Add related products in the May We Also Recommend panel.

    7.    Click Save at the bottom of the Add New Product page.

    8.    Click OK in the confirmation box displayed.

    What is the minimum information I must specify to add a product?

    The minimum information needed to add a product to the catalog is the product name and the item number of the product. However, you need to add your product to a category to display the details of the product on your store.

    What kind of pricing details can I add?

    There are three kinds of pricing details you can add. You can also choose whether to display the details on your store or not. You can add the following pricing details of your product:

    ·         List Price: This is the basic price of the product which is suggested by the manufacturer of the product. This price is often subject to discount.

    ·         Your Price: This is the price you offer to the customer.

    ·         On Sale: This is the price after discount. When you enter the price in On Sale field, the You Save field gets automatically populated.

    Can I hide the prices of products on my store?

    Yes. You can hide the prices of products on your store.To hide the price details:

    1.    Click the ‘Product’ tab on the home page.

    The ‘Product’ page is displayed.

    2.    Click on the product name in the Product List panel.

    The ‘Update Product’ page is displayed.

    3.    Clear the check boxes of the price details which you want to hide.

    4.    Click ‘Save’ at the bottom of the Update Product page.

    5.    Click ‘OK’ in the confirmation dialog box.

    What custom messages can I add for a product?

    You can add custom messages for the following options on the Add New Product page:

    ·         Call for Price

    ·         Availability

    ·         Shipping Message

    To add a custom message in the Call for price option:

    1.    Click ‘New Product’ in the Product List panel.

    The Add New Product page is displayed.

    2.    In the Call for Price option, select New Pricing Message from the drop-down list.

    The ‘New Message’ pane is displayed.

    3.    Enter the text and click ‘Done’.

    4.    Click ‘Save’ at the bottom of the Add New Product page.

    5.    Click ‘OK’ in the confirmation dialog box.

    To add a custom message in the Availability option:

    1.    Click ‘New Product’ in the Product List panel.

    The Add New Product page is displayed.

    2.    In the Availability option, select New Availability Message from the drop-down list.

    The ‘New Message’ pane is displayed.

    3.    Enter the text and click ‘Done’.

    4.    Click ‘Save’ at the bottom of the Add New Product page.

    5.    Click ‘OK’ in the confirmation dialog box.

    To add a custom message in the Shipping Message option:

    1.    Click ‘New Product’ in the Product List panel.

    The Add New Product page is displayed.

    2.    In the Shipping Message option, select New Shipping Message from the drop-down list.

    The ‘New Message’ pane is displayed.

    3.    Enter the text and click ‘Done’.

    4.    Click ‘Save’ at the bottom of the Add New Product page.

    5.    Click ‘OK’ in the confirmation dialog box.

    What are add-on options?

    An add-on option can be any quality of your product. For example, it can be a range of colors, different sizes, shapes etc. This helps your customer to choose from a variety of options available with your product.

    Add add-on options

    The Add-On option of the product module enables you to add the add-on options along with the product details. You can choose the way your customer selects an add-on option. For example, you can list the add-on options in a drop-down box on your store, or you can provide a text box on your store for your customer to enter the text.

    To add add-on option:

    1.    Click ‘New Product’ in the Product List panel.

    The Add New Product page is displayed.

    2.    Click ‘Edit’ in Add-on Options.

    The ‘Add-on Options’ pane is displayed.

    3.    Click ‘Add-on’ items.

    The ‘Add-on items’ pane is displayed. This pane has a text field, a ‘Dropdown Box’ option, and a ‘Text Field’ option. By default the drop-down option is selected.

    4.    Enter the name of add-on item in the text field of the Add-on items pane and click ‘Save’.

    The ‘Add Values’ page is displayed.

    5.    Enter the add-on option of the item in the text boxes and click ‘Next’.

    You can enter either numbers or text in the text box.

    6.    Click ‘Add values’ in the Add-on Options pane.

    A pane is displayed with the values you created for the add-on item.

    7.    Select the check boxes of the values to be displayed in the drop down box and click ‘Save’.

    You can click ‘Edit’ to edit the values.

    8.    In the Extra Price text field of the Add-on Options pane, enter the price that is charged extra for the selected add-on items.

    9.    Click ‘Save’ in the Add-on Options pane.

    10. Click ‘Save’ at the bottom of the Add New Product page.

    11. Click ‘OK’ in the confirmation dialog box.

    How do I add a custom description for a product?

    You can add custom description for a product. This description can be an overview, specifications, warranty details, accessories, any modifications of your product, or any such description that interests your customers. You can also add an image along with the descriptions.

    To add custom description for a product:

    1.    Click ‘New Product’ in the Product List panel.

    The Add New Product page is displayed. You can find an editor panel below the ‘Shipping Message’ option. This panel has four tabs where you can add custom descriptions. You can also customize the tab titles. You can perform the following tasks using the options given on the editor panel:

    ·         Select a template for the descriptions

    ·         Add a new page to the descriptions page

    ·         Apply styles to the text you enter

    ·         Insert an image, table, smiley, or a special character

    ·         Split the descriptions page

    ·         Remove the formatting

    ·         Paste the information from your clipboard in two different options such as plain text and from Word.

    ·         Undo and redo your actions in the editor panel

    ·         Add hyperlinks to your text

    2.    Enter the custom descriptions in each of the tabs and click ‘Save’ at the bottom of the Add New Product page.

    3.    Click ‘OK’ in the confirmation dialog box.

    Can I hyperlink the product descriptions page to any other page?

    Yes. You can hyperlink the product descriptions page to any other page you like.

    To hyperlink the product descriptions page:

    1.    Click ‘New Product’ in the Product List panel.

    The Add New Product page is displayed.

    2.    In the editor panel, select the text or an image and click ‘Insert/Edit Link’ option in the options area.

    The Create Link To dialog box is displayed. This dialog box has three tabs:

    ·         User Pages: This tab has a drop-down list with the pages you have created using the features on the Storefront page.

    ·         Web Address: You can provide a URL on this tab to link your pages from the store.

    ·         Email Address: you can provide an Email address in this tab to receive any feedback from your customers. 

    3.    Click ‘Save’.

    4.    Click ‘Save’ at the bottom of the Add New Product page.

    5.    Click ‘OK’ in the confirmation dialog box.

    Can I add a product to the inventory but not list it on the store?

    Yes. You can add a product to the inventory but not list it on the store.

    If you don’t want to list a product on the store:

    1.    Click ‘New Product’ in the Product List panel.

    The Add New Product page is displayed.

    2.    Enter all the details necessary to add a product to the inventory.

    3.    Clear the Sell in Online Store option in the Data for Internal Product Management area.

    The ‘Sell in Online Store’ option is selected by default.

    4.    Click ‘Save’ at the bottom of the Add New Product page.

    5.    Click ‘OK’ in the confirmation dialog box.

    How do I create a product brand name?

    You can create a product brand name. This helps the customers who prefer to search products by their brand names.

    To create a product brand name:

    1.    Click ‘New Product’ in the Product List panel.

    The Add New Product page is displayed.

    2.    Enter all the details necessary to add a product to the inventory.

    3.    In the Data for Internal Product Management area, select ‘New Brand’ from the Product Brand drop-down list.

    The ‘New Brand’ pane is displayed.

    4.    In the ‘Name#’ text field, type a new brand name.

    5.    Click ‘Done’ in the New Brand pane.

    6.    Click ‘Save’ at the bottom of the Add New Product page.

    7.    Click ‘OK’ in the confirmation dialog box.

    How do I assign my product to a brand name?

    You can navigate to the product module by clicking Products on the menu bar in the Home page.

    To assign a product to a brand name:

    1.    Click on a product name.

    The ‘Update Product’ page is displayed.

    2.    In the Data for Internal Product Management area, select a brand name from the Product Brand drop-down list.

    3.    Click ‘Save’ at the bottom of the Add New Product page.

    4.    Click ‘OK’ in the confirmation dialog box.

    Can I provide any keywords to optimize the customer search for my product?

    Yes. You can add keywords related to your product to optimize the customer search for your product. A keyword can be a word or a phrase related to the product. This helps your customer to search for the product more accurately.

    To provide keywords:

    1.    Click ‘New Product’ in the Product List panel.

    The Add New Product page is displayed.

    2.    Enter all the details necessary to add a product to the inventory.

    3.    In the Alternative Search Keywords text field of the Data for Internal Product Management area, enter the keywords related to your product.

    You can type up to 2000 characters in this field.

    4.    Click ‘Save’ at the bottom of the Add New Product page.

    5.    Click ‘OK’ in the confirmation dialog box.

    How can I track my inventory?

    FastCommerce offers you a feature that helps you track your inventory every time the product is sold. This helps you in inventory management based on the product sales.

    To track your inventory:

    1.    Click ‘New Product’ in the Product List panel.

    The Add New Product page is displayed.

    2.    Enter all the details necessary to add a product to the inventory.

    3.    In the In-stock Quantity field of the Data for Internal Product Management area, enter the total number of product quantity available with you.

    4.    Click ‘Save’ at the bottom of the Add New Product page.

    5.    Click ‘OK’ in the confirmation dialog box.

    What is a category?

    A category is a group of objects that have some common attributes. You can create a category for the products with common features. Most often, a customer tends to search a product either by its brand name or by its category. When you include your products under a category, your customer finds it easy to locate them.

    How do I create a category?

    You can find a menu button on the menu bar. This menu has the Category option that helps you to create a category. You can create a sub-category as well. Categorizing your product helps your customer to quickly search for your product. The category you create is displayed in the storefront.

    To create a category:

    1.    Click the menu button located on the left of the menu bar.

    2.    Click ‘Category’.

    The ‘Category Management’ pane is displayed. You can add a category and a sub-category in this pane. You can change the order of the appearance of a category by selecting the category name and clicking ‘Up’ or ‘Down’ buttons. This pane also enables you to edit or delete a category or sub-category name. Refer to the Procedure of editing the category details for more details.

    3.    Type the category name in the text field and click ‘Add’.

    The new category is saved to the category list.

    4.    Click ‘Save’.

    5.    Click ‘OK’ in the confirmation dialog box.

    Can I add images to the category?

    Yes. You can add images to the category created.

    To add images:

    1.    Click the menu button located on the left of the menu bar.

    2.    Click ‘Category’.

    The ‘Category Management’ pane is displayed.

    3.    Select a category and click ‘Edit’.

    The ‘Edit Category’ pane is displayed. This pane has the editor panel similar to that of the Add New Product page. This panel allows you to perform the tasks like applying styles and format the text, hyperlink, browse for an image file, etc.

    4.    Click ‘Insert/Edit Image’ option in the options area of the editor panel.

    The ‘FastCommerce File Manager’ window is displayed.

    5.    Select an image or navigate to the file or folder of your image and click ‘Done’.

    6.    Click ‘Save’ in the Category Management pane.

    7.    Click ‘OK’ in the confirmation dialog box.

    How do I create a sub-category?

    FastCommerce offers you the feature for creating a sub-category. You can group the products with more similar features into a sub-category so that your customer can quickly locate the products.

    To create a sub-category:

    1.    Click the menu button located on the left of the menu bar.

    2.    Click ‘Category’.

    The ‘Category Management’ pane is displayed. This pane has the category list you created earlier.

    3.    Select a category and click ‘Add Sub’.

    Another list of categories is displayed next to the existing categories list.

    4.    Click ‘Save’.

    5.    Click ‘OK’ in the confirmation dialog box.

    How many sub-categories can I create?

    You can create a sub-category to categorize your products to a much specific level. This minimizes the time spent by your customers to search for a product. FastCommerce offers you the feature for creating a sub-category for your products. You can create four sub-categories to each category of your product.

    How do I assign my product to a category?

    You can navigate to the product module by clicking Products on the menu bar in the Home page.

    To assign a product to a category:

    1.    Click ‘New Product’ in the Product List panel.

    The Add New Product page is displayed.

    2.    Enter all the details necessary to add a product to the store.

    3.    Click ‘Select Categories’ of the Product Categories options in the Data for Internal Product Management area.

    The ‘Select Category’ panel containing category/sub-category list(s) is displayed.

    4.    Select a category/sub-category and click ‘Add’.

    5.    Click ‘Save’.

    The assigned category is displayed at the bottom of the page.

    6.    Click ‘Save’ at the bottom of the Add New Product page.

    7.    Click ‘OK’ in the confirmation dialog box.

    Can I add related products along with my product?

    Yes. You can add related products along with your product. By adding related products, you can increase the scope of product sales. A user who is interested in a related item tends to purchase it along with the main product.

    To add related product:

    1.    Click ‘New Product’ in the Product List panel.

    The Add New Product page is displayed.