ecommerce software

Overview
- Summary
- Tips & Ideas
- Get Started
- Store Setup/Management

Setup Tab
- Summary
- General Settings
- Payments
- Taxes
- Shipping
- Multi Language Stores - FAQs

Catalog Tab
- Summary
- Category Setup
- Product Filters
- Product Variants
- Add a Product
- Clone a Product
- Import/Export Products

Site Content
- Summary
- Custom Pages
- Adding News
- Viewing News
- Product Ratings/Reviews

Marketing Tab
- Summary
- Cart Discounts
- Discount Coupons
- Newsletter
- About Froogle
- About Shopping.com
- Survey Questions at Checkout
- Banners
- About IntelliContact
- About Del.icio.us
- Product Promotion
- Search Engine Optimization
- Multi Language Stores - FAQs

Reports Tab
- Summary
- Sales Reports
- Website Statistics

Orders Tab
- Summary
- Order Management

Stock Tab
- Summary
- Product Stock Record
- Quick Product Stock Guide

Members Tab
- Summary
- Online Store Members
- Add a Member
- Newsletter
- Export Store Members

Other
- Getting Help
- Setup your Email Accounts

Tips & Ideas



Suggestions & ideas for your e-commerce store!
Benefit from Magnet Commerce!

 

Bulk product import

If you already have your products organized in an Excel or Access file, you can import them to your ecommerce store in minutes by following the instructions found at "Catalog > Import products". You can also use this feature to update the details of your products. Their prices for example.

 

Clone a product

Adding similar products can be time consuming without using the cloning feature. This button is found at the bottom of a created product presentation page and when clicked creates a new product with all details of the parent product except for its photos. Usually, you will have to edit the name, description and price of the new product, change the product types and add its photos.

 

Free shipping for orders over a certain amount

One of the main disadvantages of electronic commerce compared to traditional commerce is shipping costs. Overcome this obstacle by offering free shipping for orders over an amount slightly above your average sale. It will help you increase your average order and will make shopping easier for your customers. Go to "Setup > Shipping" and follow the instructions to offer free shipping for orders over a certain amount.

 

Add your products to FROOGLE

Google's shopping engine combines Google's popularity with its state-of-the-art technology to gain traffic fast. You definitely want your products to be listed there and Magnet Commerce allows you to do this from the tab "Marketing > Froogle", if you follow the instructions. Best of all, publishing your products on Froogle is free!

 

Try some test orders before going live

Before your ecommerce store goes live, think like a customer and place some test orders. Ask some of your friends to do the same. You'll certainly find issues to fix or improve before your real customers start placing their orders.

 

Best sellers help buying decisions

In your "brick and mortar" store your customers ask you what others customers buy most. The conception is that if a product is popular among other buyers, it must be good. Help their buying decisions in your e-commerce store as well by showing your best sellers from "Catalog > Product Promotion" page.

 

Keep in touch with your customers every 21 days

Send an email to your customers and newsletter subscribers to inform them about new products and special offers. Research shows that 21 days is the ideal period to send a newsletter. From the administration area go to the tab "Marketing > Newsletter".

 

You only have 46 seconds to win a customer

According to research from clickz.com, the average time a visitor spends on a website is just 46 seconds. Show them your advantages over competition from the first seconds. Use slogans, banners, featured products and all other options that Magnet Commerce gives you to grab your first-time visitors' attention. Making the site more memorable.

 

Give multiple payment options to your customers

Accepting credit card payments is a must for any ecommerce store. We suggest that you also accept as many other payment options as you can support. Paypal becomes more popular every day, while many customers prefer more traditional methods like bank transfer, check or payment on delivery. You don't want to loose customers because of limited payment options.

 

Propose related products

If you're selling digital cameras, propose to your customers compatible memory cards, batteries, data cables to connect to PC or protective cases. You help them find compatible accessories and this also helps you increase your average order. Even if they don't order them when a camera is ordered. They know that they can be found at your store when required. From the product administration page go to "Promotion" tab and select related products.

 

"Add to cart" vs "Buy"

Magnet Commerce allows you to edit any predefined text that exists on your website from "Setup> Texts" tab. Change everything except for this one: "Add to cart". Many online stores use "Buy", but research shows that conversion rates improve when "Add to cart" is used. The reason is that the ordering process is smoother, customers can add a product to the cart and decide later if they will buy it or not.

 

Clarify ordering policies

Lack of trust is a major problem for ecommerce sales. You must have at least 4 paragraphs in your website, usually combined in one page: full details of your company, shipping policy, return policy, privacy policy. You can add this page from the "Site Content" tab and ask your customers to accept your policies during checkout by adding a checkout question from "Marketing > Checkout Questions" tab.

 

Update orders' status

Your customers want to know if you have received their payment successfully, if you have shipped their products or if there is any delay. Magnet Commerce keeps them updated through automatic email notifications and a password protected area where they can see the status of their orders. You only have to update the status with just a click from the "Orders" tab.

 

Product Variants

If you're selling a t-shirt in 3 colors and 3 sizes, you can have 9 different products or just one with variants for colors and sizes. This is the use of VARIANTS from the "Catalog" tab. It is possible to alter the product's price according to variants' selection, so be creative.

 

Offer pickup from store option

Some local online customers will prefer to pickup their order from your shop to save time or shipping costs. Add an extra shipping type, named "Pickup from store" from the "Setup > Shipping" tab and follow the advice there. If you have multiple stores, you can ask your customers during checkout which is more convenient to them by using CHECKOUT QUESTIONS from the "Marketing" tab.

 

Show them your brick and mortar store

If you are not a pure dot com player, add some pictures to your website from your real store. Include photos of you and your staff working as well. It will help your visitors trust you and will make their shopping experience more personal.

 

Ask your customers what you want to know

Ask them where they heard of your store, if their order is a gift and they'd like to add a note, why they buy from you, their age or whatever you want to know. These questions appear at the first step of the checkout process and they can be optional or mandatory. Set them up using the "Marketing > Ckeckout Questions" tab.