FastCommerce is the fastest way to set up an online business: it rocks!

http://www.youtube.com/FastCommerce09

Low Cost High Powered e-Commerce

About FastCommerce:

FastCommerce is a web-based e-commerce business application for small to medium sized companies looking for a low-cost ecommerce solution. FastCommerce has all the features and functions of more tradition e-commerce software programs, but it is delivered as a web service requiring no set-up fees and no long term contract. Small to medium sized companies can quickly get started with a professional web store with back-end management tools powerful enough to run a successful online business. By delivering serious e-commerce business applications at a fraction of the price, FastCommerce.com enables small to medium sized business to expand their sales and market reach while significantly trimming costs. The whole package is available as an online service for $29.95 a month for an e-commerce store selling up to two thousand items.

With FastCommerce.com, companies have access to an e-commerce platform that delivers a search engine optimized online product catalog, product variables and customization, related items, featured products and tools for branding. There are additional tools for customizing the online product catalog for search engine optimization, including tools for evaluating SEO performance. On the back end there are many features that meet the required expectations for small to medium sized companies looking to effectively compete online. FastCommerce customers get a customer database, order processing that included the ability to edit the order, to add a tracking code to the shipping email confirmation, as well as generating an invoice and pick list for each order.

FastCommerce is also integrated with Google Analytics, UPS, FedEx and USPS live shipping rates; FastCommerce.com also includes extensive reporting tools for insight into store performance, including a report ranking all products by popularity by number of page views per product. FastCommerce also has inventory control, bulk uploading, as well as a growing list of features and functions. All delivered with a well-designed, easy to learn interface. FastCommerce also delivers performance, security, and support for hundreds of small and medium sized companies.

How do I get started?

That’s easy. Simply register and sign in. When you sign up for a FastCommerce store you automatically generate a professional web store, and a back-end management platform to build the store and run your business. You can watch the recorded seminar “Getting Started” which is located under “Webinar and Events” on the FastCommerce homepage.

Can I really get 2,000 items in my store for only $29.95 a month?

You bet. At FastCommerce, our goal is to get you started at a low price. But we want to accommodate your goal of growing into a significant on-line business. You get started with a low price; build a large store and a large web presence for your store, all the while keeping your costs to a minimum.

FastCommerce is inexpensive, but will it have everything I need?

FastCommerce is low-cost, but it’s high-powered e-commerce that brings together everything you need to run a serious on-line business. It has all the features an e-commerce veteran would expect, but with the ease of use that helps new users get off to a quick start. FastCommerce is a complete, all-in-one solution.

Can I try it out before paying?

Absolutely: simply sign up for the free version. It is not a trial; you can actually run a free online store. It is free for the first fifty products, and you can accept credit card payment through PayPal. Run the free version as long as you want.

Is my store secure?

Yes. Both the customer check-out and your back-end management modules are in a secure, encrypted environment. No need to purchase an SSL certificate, we provide it free of charge.

Do I need to find a hosting company for my store?

FastCommerce is a hosted solution. It is web-based, so when you sign up for a FastCommerce store, there is no need to find additional hosting services. And the hosting is free.

Can I remove the Google ads from my store?

The $29.95 service level does not have ads. However, if you want to start slow, all you need to do is sign up for individual features like Google Check-out, or hosting your domain on FastCommerce, and the ads disappear. Or, for as little as $19.95 a year, you can host your domain on your FastCommerce store, remove the banner ads, and sell up to fifty items using PayPal for credit card payments.

If I sign up for the free store can I upgrade later?

Yes. You can upgrade to the next plan at any time, or sign up for the individual services. Simply go to MY ACCOUNT on your management page. There you will see service options, and your current payment information. This is where you would update your service level.

Are there any hidden costs?

No. There is no set-up fee, and no contract. You can cancel at any time. FastCommerce is all inclusive. For example, if you sign up for the $29.95 plan for 2,000 items, everything is included and there are no other additional fees, including no transaction fees. You simply grow and run your online business at one fixed, low price.

How can I accept payment on my store?

For the free store, you can accept credit card payments through PayPal. Simply go to SET UP on your management module, go to Payment, and click through to the PayPal section. Simply enter in your email for your PayPal account, save it, and your store will automatically work with PayPal for processing credit card payments.

Paying customers have the option of using PayPal Express Check out, Google check out, or both. To accept credit cards directly on the site, you need a payment gateway provider. FastCommerce partners with Authorize.net. If you have an Authorize.net account, go to the Payment tab in SET UP, click on the Payment Gateway tab: there you find two fields. Simply save your API login and transaction key into these two fields, and your store will be integrated with Authorize.net for accepting payments through credit card directly on your site.

Finally, you can set up traditional payment methods such as check, purchase order, or by phone.

Do I need to have programming skills to build my store?

No. You can build a complete and powerful e-commerce platform with no programming at all. It is a web-based application that is well designed, and easy to use. No knowledge of HTML is required.

Do I need to purchase and SSL security certificate?

No. FastCommerce provides a secure, fully encrypted check-out process at no charge.

Can I integrate my current site with my FastCommerce store?

Yes. You can simply create a link, or any number of links, to your FastCommerce store, and then create links back to the original site. You can even create direct links from product pages on your site directly to the same product page on your store. It is easy and quick to build a seamless interface between your web site and your store. You can even upload the same banners and logos to provide continuity for your customers.

Will my store URL be http://store.fastcommerce.com/mystorename?

Yes. But we recommend one of two options. If you currently have a domain, you can go to your registrar and have that domain forwarded to your FastCommerce store address. If you have a domain, you can also host that domain on your FastCommerce store. This means that your store address will no longer be http://store.fastcommerce.com but www.yourstorename.com. This is better for branding and search engine purposes. It is an affordable upgrade for your FastCommerce store, and it is also included in the $29.95 per month plan.

Will my store be search engine optimized?

Yes. FastCommerce has implemented all the best practices for search engine optimization. Most parts of your store will be automatically optimized based on the information you use. FastCommerce has also given you the tools to customize important parts of the site. This will enable you to fine tune your keyword optimization to boost your rankings.

Does FastCommerce charge transaction fees?

No. There are no fees charged per transaction. There are no fees other than the ones you have signed up for on a month by month basis.

Can I integrate Google Analytics into my FastCommerce store?

Yes, and it is easy and simple to do. Instead of pasting code into each page of your store, you go to SET UP, scroll down to “Google Analytics” and install a WEB ID from Google. Once it is installed, you will have every part of your store integrated into Google’s great analytics tool for tracking keywords and visits to your site. Go to your Google Analytics account to generate a Web ID.

Does the FastCommerce back-office management module have reports?

FastCommerce offers over a dozen reports to evaluate store performance, including sales for the month, or even for any customized date range. You can even generate a report that ranks all of your products by number of page views. FastCommerce gives you the tools to evaluate and boost your store’s performance.

How do I get an order?

You will get an order email notification that an order has taken place on your store. Additionally, you get a powerful order management module that lists out your orders, lets you edit , even add products to an order, as well as generating a tracking code and pick list with invoice.
I already have my product data in an excel format. Can I simply load the data onto my FastCommerce store and get started quickly?

Yes. For those customers on the growing plan, we can provide you with two excel templates. Simply format your data according to these two templates, and we will upload the data. To get the templates, simply send an email to sales@fastcommerce.com.

FastCommerce seems easy to use, but I don’t have time to set it up.

FastCommerce has third party companies that are experts in getting customers launched quickly with a well designed and completely installed FastCommerce web store. Simply call sales, or email sales@fastcommerce.com and we will get you in touch with reliable, low-cost vendors to help you get started.

Will my FastCommerce store be a success?

Yes. You do the branding, the logo and banners, and then provide information rich product data for each product in your store, and FastCommerce will do rest. We can’t promise that people will like or buy your products, but your FastCommerce store has been designed to give you a highly professional web store that is search engine visible. And, this is important; we do it at a low cost. The rest is up to you.

Fastcommerce

New templates are coming. Beautiful templates. One is almost as good as amazon.com.

Also coming, the ability to host your own domain on your fastcommerce store. Easy integration with Google Analytics. It is AWESOME

http://www.fastcommerce.com

And don’t for get to go to down load the lastest online line seminar.

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CHECK OUT FREE ECOMMERCE STORE

FastCommerce.com Announces a Complete Ecommerce Package to be Offered for Free: Easy to Use and Can be Set Up in Five Minutes, Retailers Can Begin Selling Right Away

Small business retailers have plenty of vendors to choose from, but very few that can deliver all the tools needed to run a business online. FastCommerce is free, can be set up in five minutes and lets retailers start selling right away.

There should be an easy way to get up and running with an ecommerce business. Even existing online retailers face the challenge of replacing inadequate shopping cart software. Online retailers also have to use multiple software tools for storefront, contact and order management and shipping. Where to find an affordable, easy to use online store that ties together every facet of your ecommerce business onto a single system: storefront, inventory, order management, contact management, live shipping tables from UPS and FedEx, tax calculations, payment gateway? Where to find a shopping cart package that is easy to set up and lets you start selling right away?

These are the needs that FastCommerce.com was designed to answer. This new ecommerce package is being delivered as a Web 2.0 service that is free for most small online retailers. By simply registering, anyone can set up an ecommerce storefront that includes online selling, order processing, account tracking, inventory as well as live shipping calculations for UPS and FedEx. And it is completely free for up to 50 items. The storefront is attractive and professional with many features such as featured products, related products as well as search engine optimization. Also featured are back office tools and reports that let you manage your online business.

“Our focus was to deliver a complete ecommerce package that was easy to use, fast and simple to set up and really inexpensive,” says FastCommerce CEO Charles Han. “The goal was to give small online retailers a reliable way of building their online business while keeping costs to a minimum. We asked ourselves why no one had built a complete ecommerce package that was as easy to use as Yahoo email.”

Fastcommerce.com promises to give small online retailers a single system to run the whole of their ecommerce business. FastCommerce makes it easy for small businesses to get started, and do it with the best Web 2.0 technology for greater performance and ease of use. FastCommerce is committed to making it possible to start selling right away and at virtually no or very low cost to operate.

Don’t waste time with free trials. Start selling right away. It is easy to use, fast to set up and it is free. It doesn’t get any easier. FastCommerce.com.

FastCommerce User Guide

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, you 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. Refer to the ‘What are the different packages I can choose from?’ section 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. Refer to the ‘Storefront’ section for more details.

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. You can also refer to the ‘Payment Methods’ section for more details.

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. If you choose to process credit card transactions online, you can sign up with Authorize.Net to create a payment gateway account and offer your customers to pay using a credit card.

· PayPal and Google Checkout: You can 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 ‘Tax 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. Refer to the ‘How do I create a category?’ section for more details on 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?

You can sign up with FastCommerce and set up an online store for free. 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 choose from the three different FastCommerce packages, to start selling your products online. Refer to the ‘What are the different packages I can choose from?’ section for more details 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, do one of the following:

· 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

FASTCOMMERCE STOREFRONT

This module has the features that help you configure and update the layout and theme of your 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 a 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?

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.

Can I modify the domain information?

Yes. You can modify the URL from which your store can be accessed. By default, when you provide a name for your store, it is also suffixed to the domain name which is store.fastcommerce.com. For example, if your store name is fastgoods, your store’s URL will be store.fastcommerce.com/fastgoods. However, you can change this.

To edit the domain information:

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. Click ‘Edit’.

3. In the text field, enter a new name.

You can also preview the page.

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

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

What happens when I modify the domain information?

When you make any modifications in the domain information, it affects the customer navigation from your domain site. The reason is that the URL changes due to the modifications, and this does not match the URL you specified while linking your online store from your domain site. Copy the URL from the Storefront page of you FastCommerce account and paste it in place of the old URL. Now you see that it works fine.

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.

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

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. You can customize this template by modifying it in five different areas. These areas are text boxes which allow you to enter text or graphics. You can design the Home page using the options displayed at the top of the page.

Following is an image of the template:

Storefront Template

You can customize the template for the following:

· Region-1: Have your company logo that acts as a link to your domain site.

· Region-2: Create a title area for your store.

· Region-3: Create a navigation bar with category names and titles of other pages on your site or store which make it an exciting experience for your customers.

· Region-4: Give a description of the overview of your storefront.

· Region-5: Provide an option to the customer for feedback on your store. This option is a hyperlink to Outlook Express.

3. Select a text or an image and hyperlink it to a new page, or Web address, or E-mail address.

Refer to the ‘How do I link my pages from the store?’ section for more details about adding links from the storefront.

4. Click ‘Save’.

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

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.

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

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.

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

3. Products

This module includes the features that help you add, update, and delete the product details. 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.

ADD NEW PRODUCT PANEL

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 of your account.

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 dialog box.

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, the item number, price details, and the shipping weight of the product. However, you need to assign your product to a category to get the product details displayed 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 or Update product pages:

· Call for Price

When you add a new pricing message for a product, the shopping cart gets disabled.

· Availability

· Shipping Message

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

1. Do one of the following:

· If you are adding a product, click ‘New Product’ in the ‘Product List’ panel.

· If you want to add the message for an existing product, click the product name in the ‘Product List’ panel.

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 page.

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

To add a custom message in the Availability option:

1. Do one of the following:

· If you are adding a product, click ‘New Product’ in the ‘Product List’ panel.

· If you want to add the message for an existing product, click the product name in the ‘Product List’ panel.

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 page.

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

To add a custom message in the Shipping Message option:

1. Do one of the following:

· If you are adding a product, click ‘New Product’ in the ‘Product List’ panel.

· If you want to add the message for an existing product, click the product name in the ‘Product List’ panel.

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 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. Do one of the following:

· If you are adding a product, click ‘New Product’.

· If you want to add the details for an existing product, click the product name in the ‘Product List’ panel.

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 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. Do one of the following:

· If you are adding a product, click ‘New Product’.

· If you want to add the details for an existing product, click the product name in the ‘Product List’ panel.

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 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. Do one of the following:

· If you are adding a product, click ‘New Product’.

· If you want to add the details for an existing product, click the product name in the ‘Product List’ panel.

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 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. Do one of the following:

· If you are adding a product, click ‘New Product’.

· If you want to add the details for an existing product, click the product name in the ‘Product List’ panel.

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 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. Do one of the following:

· If you are adding a product, click ‘New Product’.

· If you want to add the details for an existing product, click the product name in the ‘Product List’ panel.

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 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 on the Home page of your account.

To assign a product to a brand name:

1. Do one of the following:

· If you are adding a product, click ‘New Product’.

· If you want to add the details for an existing product, click the product name in the ‘Product List’ panel.

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 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. When a customer searches for a product using keywords, relevant products are also displayed on your store. This results in more sales as the customer tends to buy more products.

To provide keywords:

1. Do one of the following:

· If you are adding a product, click ‘New Product’.

· If you want to add the details for an existing product, click the product name in the ‘Product List’ panel.

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 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. Do one of the following:

· If you are adding a product, click ‘New Product’.

· If you want to add the details for an existing product, click the product name in the ‘Product List’ panel.

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 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’.

CATEGORY PANE

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. For more details, refer to the ‘Procedure for editing the category details’ section.

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.

Can I add a text message to a category?

Yes. You can add a text message to a category.

To add a text message:

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 add text, apply styles and format the text, hyperlink, browse for an image file, etc.

4. Type the text and click ‘Done’.

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

6. 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?

FastCommerce offers you the feature for creating a sub-category for your products. There is no limit to the sub-categories you can create for each category of your product. However, you can add create the sub-categories up to four levels. 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.

How do I assign my product to a category?

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

To assign a product to a category:

1. Do one of the following:

· If you are adding a product, click ‘New Product’.

· If you want to add the details for an existing product, click the product name in the ‘Product List’ panel.

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 page.

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

Can I assign a product to more than one category?

Yes. You can assign a product to more than one category. Assigning a product to more than one category helps in more sales of the product. Refer to the ‘How do I assign my product to a category?’ section for more details.

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. Do one of the following:

· If you are adding a product, click ‘New Product’.

· If you want to add the details for an existing product, click the product name in the ‘Product List’ panel.

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

You can find the ‘May We Also Recommend’ panel displayed on the right side of the page. This panel helps you add the related products. You can click and drag the products in this panel to change the order of display. The number of related products you can add is set to three by default. However, the ‘Add more related products’ option below this panel helps you to add more products.

3. Click ‘Select Product’ of the May We Also Recommend panel.

The ‘Select Product’ pane is displayed.

4. Select the related products and click ‘Done’.

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

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

Can I customize the interface for adding or updating product details?

Yes. FastCommerce application is carefully designed to meet the basic user requirements. So you never need to customize any part of the application, mainly the interface for adding or updating product details.

However, FastCommerce offers you an option which helps you customize the interface. You can customize the tab titles of the editor panel below the product details area.

Adding Product Images

Adding the images of your product is the best way to market the product on your store. This gives your customer a clear view of how your product looks like.

How do I upload the images of my product?

Fast Commerce provides you an option to upload the images of your product in a very simple procedure. You can upload the images of your product located anywhere on your local computer.

To upload the images:

1. Do one of the following:

· If you are adding a product, click ‘New Product’.

· If you want to add the details for an existing product, click the product name in the ‘Product List’ panel.

2. In the Product Image panel, click ‘Add’ in the thumbnail box.

The ‘Upload Images’ dialog box is displayed. This dialog box has three options as follows:

· Original: This option helps you to browse the original image located on your local computer. This image is displayed when the user opts to view the larger size of the thumbnail image.

· Main: This option helps you to browse the image to be displayed in the main image area above the thumbnails. If you select the check box, the option is deactivated and a copy of the original image resized to the default dimensions of 250*250 pixels is saved to the database.

· Thumbnail: This option helps you to upload thumbnail images of your product. These images are displayed as thumbnails in the storefront. When the user clicks on a thumbnail, the image is displayed in a larger size in a separate window. If you select the check box, the option is deactivated and a copy of the original image resized to the default dimensions of 80*80 pixels is saved to the database.

3. Click ‘Browse’ to upload an image.

The ‘Image File Manager’ window is displayed. This window has the following options:

· View: This option helps you to view the images in thumbnail/list mode.

· Create: This option helps you to create a new folder.

· Rename: This option helps you rename the selected file/folder.

· Delete: This option helps you to delete the selected file/folder.

· Upload: This option helps you to navigate the file/folder in your local computer.

4. Click ‘Upload’ and navigate to the file or folder of your product images.

5. Select the image file and click ‘Open’.

When you upload images from your local computer, they are saved to the database and get displayed in the File Manager window. Next time when you insert an image, you can select the images from the database or upload a new image.

6. Click ‘Done’.

The uploaded images are displayed in the ‘Product Image’ area.

How many images of the product can I add?

You can add two different images of your product. Images which can display the accessories along with the product help the customers looking for more details of the product. These images are displayed in the storefront according to the template you select from the Storefront feature of this application.

What should be the size of my product images?

FastCommerce provides you two options related to the image sizes. You can either choose to add the images with their original sizes or select the Auto resize option of the Upload Images dialog box. Refer to the procedure of uploading product images for more details of image sizes.

Can I add an image to the customized product descriptions?

Yes. You can add an image in each tab of the editor panel where you add the custom descriptions of your product.

To add an image:

1. Do one of the following:

· If you are adding a product, click ‘New Product’.

· If you want to add the details for an existing product, click the product name in the ‘Product List’ panel.

2. In the options area of the editor panel, click ‘Insert/Edit Image’ option.

The ‘Insert Image’ pane is displayed.

3. Click ‘Browse’.

The ‘FastCommerce File Manager’ window is displayed.

4. Select an image from the window or click ‘Upload’ to navigate to the file or folder of the image.

5. Click ‘Done’.

You can set the dimensions, border, and the alignment of the image in the ‘Insert Image’ pane.

6. Click ‘Save’.

The image is inserted in the description area of the editor panel.

7. Click ‘Save’ at the bottom of the page.

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

Updating Product Information

The features of FastCommerce allow you to modify the details of a product whenever needed. You can update the product details any number of times. The details include the images, add-on options, stock availability, price, related product details, etc.

How do I edit the details of an add-option?

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

To edit the details of an add-on option:

1. In the Product List panel of the Product page, click on a product name.

The ‘Update Product’ page is displayed.

2. In the product details area, click ‘Edit’ in the Add-on Options.

The Add-on Options pane is displayed.

3. Select the add-on item and click ‘Add Value’.

A pane with the values of the add-on item is displayed.

4. Click ‘Edit’.

The ‘Edit Option’ page is displayed.

5. Edit the details and click ‘Save’.

6. Select the values and click ‘Save’ in the values pane.

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

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

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

How do I edit a product brand name?

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

To edit the details of an add-on option:

1. In the Product List panel of the Product page, click on a product name.

The ‘Update Product’ page is displayed.

2. Select a brand name from the Product Brand drop-down list and click ‘Edit’.

The ‘Edit Brand’ pane is displayed.

3. Edit the brand name and click ‘Done’.

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

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

When customers buy products from my store, will the in-stock quantity in the application reduce automatically?

Yes. The In-stock Quantity feature helps you to manage your inventory. While adding the details of a new product to the catalog, you enter the number of product quantity available with you. This number is reduced automatically when the product is sold.

How do I edit the details of a category or a sub-category?

You can edit the details of a category or a sub-category whenever you need to give a new category or sub-category name to a group of products.

To edit the details of a category:

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 an editor panel similar to that of the ‘Add New Product’ page.

4. Edit the details and click ‘Done’.

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

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

Deleting Product Information

The features of FastCommerce allow you to delete the details of a product whenever needed. The details include the images, add-on options, stock availability, price, related product details, category details, etc.

Can I delete the images of my product?

Yes. You can delete the images of your product. You can navigate to the product module by clicking Products on the menu bar on the Home page of your account.

To delete the images:

1. In the Product List panel of the Product page, click on a product name.

The ‘Update Product’ page is displayed.

2. In the thumbnail area of the Product Images area, click the delete option displayed as ‘X’.

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

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

Can I delete the details of an add-on option?

Yes. You can delete the details of an add-on option. However, you cannot the delete the details if an add-on option is already assigned to a product.

To delete the details of an add-on option:

1. In the Product List panel of the Product page, click on a product name.

The ‘Update Product’ page is displayed.

2. Click ‘Edit’ in the Add-on Options in the product details area.

The ‘Add-on Options’ pane is displayed.

3. Select an item and click ‘Remove Items’.

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

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

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

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

How do I delete a product brand name?

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

To delete the product brand name:

1. In the Product List panel of the Product page, 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 ‘Delete’.

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

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

How do I delete the details of an assigned category?

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

To delete the details of an assigned category:

1. In the Product List panel of the Product page, click on a product name.

The ‘Update Product’ page is displayed.

2. In the Data for Internal Product Management area, click the delete option of the assigned category displayed as ‘X’.

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

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

Can I delete the details of a category?

Yes. You can delete the details of a category. However, you cannot delete the details if there are any products assigned to a category.

To delete the details of category:

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 ‘Delete’.

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

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

How do I delete the details of my product from the catalog?

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

To delete the details of a product from the catalog:

1. In the Product List panel, click the ‘X’ symbol of a product under the Action column.

2. Click ‘Ok’ in the confirmation dialog box.

The details of the product are deleted from the catalog.

3. Click ‘Save’.

Searching for a Product

FastCommerce offers you the search options for every module that help you to search the details in a very less time.

How do I make an advance search for my product?

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

To make an advance search for a product:

1. Click the ‘Advanced’ option in the search panel.

The ‘Advanced’ pane is displayed. This pane has the following options:

· Product Name

· Product #

· Brand

· Keywords

· Price From-To-

2. Specify any of the options and click ‘Search’.

The product details are displayed in the ‘Product List’ panel.

Can I search my product details by its category?

Yes. The search panel option of the Product page helps you to search a product by its category. You can navigate to the product module by clicking Products on the menu bar on the Home page of your account.

To search a product by its category:

1. Click the ‘Search Product By Category’ option in the search panel.

The ‘Search Product By Category’ pane is displayed.

2. Click the category that matches your search criteria.

The search results are displayed in the ‘Product List’ panel.

How do I make a quick search of my product?

The search panel option of the Product page helps you make a quick search of your product. You can navigate to the product module by clicking Products on the menu bar on the Home page of your account.

To make a quick search of your product:

1. Click the ‘Quick Links’ option in the search panel.

The ‘Quick Links’ dialog box with the following links is displayed:

· Products without images

· Products without assigned categories

· Free Shipping products

· On Sale Products

· New Products

· Top 10 Selling Products

· 10 Most Popular Products

2. Click any of the links that closely matches with your search criteria.

The product details are displayed in the ‘Product List’ panel.

4. Store Configuration

SET UP PANE

The Set Up menu features help you modify the details such as payment, shipping, tax information, and sales order setting information. These details are generally configured while signing up with FastCommerce. Using the Set Up menu features, you can configure the shipping and payment details making it convenient for customers to opt for the methods they like, and check out from your store comfortably. For more details, refer to the ‘How do I sign up for an account?’ section.

Shipping Methods

FastCommerce supports three types of shipping methods: UPS, FedEx, and USPS. In addition to these, FastCommerce also allows you to set a custom shipping method. You can set the minimum shipping costs, charge handling fees, and the minimum order amount for which the handling fees are charged.

What shipping methods can I use for my store?

You can use any of the three shipping methods supported by FastCommerce. You can also set a custom shipping method which has its business lines to your area of business. You can navigate to the set up module by clicking Set Up on the menu bar on the Home page of your account.

To set up a shipping method:

1. In the Shipping Information area, click ‘Change’.

The ‘Shipping Setting’ page is displayed. This page has the following areas:

· Shipping From Address: This area has the details of your ‘From’ address.

· General Setting: This area has the details such as minimum shipping cost, minimum order amount and the handling charges.

· Shipping method: This area has a list of the services offered by the following three types of shipping methods: UPS, FedEx, and USPS. This area has a custom define method where you can specify the details of a custom shipping method.

2. Enter the details in the ‘Shipping From Address’ area and the ‘General Setting’ area.

3. Select the preferred type of shipping method and click ‘New Shipping Method to customize the details.

4. Select the service type from the Service drop-down list.

5. Select the Rate type whether Retail or Flat Rate from the drop-down box.

You have to enter an amount if you choose ‘Flat Rate’.

6. Click ‘Save’.

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

How do I edit the details of my shipping address?

You can edit the details of your shipping address in the set up module. You can navigate to the set up module by clicking Set Up on the menu bar on the Home page of your account.

To edit the details of your shipping address:

1. In the Shipping Information area, click ‘Change’.

The ‘Shipping Setting’ page is displayed.

2. Edit the details in the ‘Shipping From Address’ area.

3. Click ‘Save’.

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

How do I specify the minimum shipping and handling charges?

You can specify the minimum shipping and handling charges in the set up module. You can navigate to the set up module by clicking Set Up on the menu bar on the Home page of your account.

To specify the charges:

1. In the Shipping Information area, click ‘Change’.

The ‘Shipping Setting’ page is displayed.

2. Edit the details in the ‘General Setting’ area.

3. Click ‘Save’.

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

How do I set up the details of my shipping methods?

You can set up the details of the shipping methods in the set up module. You can navigate to the set up module by clicking Set Up on the menu bar on the Home page of your account.

To set up the details of shipping methods:

1. In the Shipping Information area, click ‘Change’.

The ‘Shipping Setting’ page is displayed.

2. Select the preferred type of shipping method and click ‘New Shipping Method to customize the details.

3. Select the service type from the Service drop-down list.

4. Select the Rate type whether Retail or Flat Rate from the drop-down box.

You have to enter an amount if you choose ‘Flat Rate’.

5. Click ‘Save’.

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

Can I set up a customized shipping method?

Yes. You can set up a customized shipping method. You can navigate to the set up module by clicking Set Up on the menu bar on the Home page of your account.

To set up a customized shipping method:

1. In the Shipping Information area, click ‘Change’.

The ‘Shipping Setting’ page is displayed.

2. Select Custom Shipping Method and click ‘New Shipping Method to customize the details.

3. In the Description area, enter the name of a new shipping method in the text field.

4. From the drop-down box in the Rate Type column, select the rate type whether Retail or Flat Rate.

You have to enter an amount if you choose ‘Flat Rate’.

5. Click ‘Save’.

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

Payment Methods

FastCommerce offer a variety of features that help you configure the payment methods. These are the most secure and reliable methods.

How do I set up the payment information?

You can set up the payment information in the set up module. You can navigate to the set up module by clicking Set Up on the menu bar on the Home page of your account.

To set up a payment method:

1. In the Payment Information area, click ‘Change’.

The ‘Payment’ page is displayed. This page has the following payment options:

· Credit Card: This option has the following cards listed in it.

· Visa

· MasterCard

· American Express

· Discover Card

· PayPal

· Google Checkout

Refer to the ‘Payment and Taxes’ section for more details of online payment transactions.

· Other Payment Methods: This option has the following payment methods:

· By Phone with Customer Service

· Check

· Cash On delivery

· Purchase Order

· Wire Transfer

2. Select any of the payment methods and click ‘Save’.

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

Can I set up custom payment methods?

Yes. You can set up a custom payment method in the set up module. You can navigate to the set up module by clicking Set Up on the menu bar on the Home page of your account.

To set up a custom payment method:

1. In the Payment Information area, click ‘Change’.

The ‘Payment’ page is displayed.

2. In the Other Payments area, click ‘New Payment Method’.

The ‘New Payment Method’ pane is displayed.

3. Enter the payment method name in the Payment Method Name text field.

4. Enter text in the Description area.

5. Click ‘Save’ in the ‘New Payment Method’ pane.

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

7. Click ‘Save’ in the ‘Payment’ page.

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

Can I accept credit cards?

Yes. You can accept credit cards. You can set up this method of payment in the set up module. For more details on payment transactions, refer to the ‘How do I set up payment information?’ section.

Can I accept payment through third-party providers such as PayPal and Google Checkout?

Yes. You can accept payment through third party providers. This helps your customers who already have an account with these providers. It also makes your customers feel more secured while they shop on your store. You can set up this method of payment in the set up module. For more details on payment transactions, refer to the ‘How do I set up payment information?’ section.

Tax Configuration

The billing details of the invoice generated to your customer include the taxes applicable in your state. You can update these details in the set up module.

How do I charge taxes on the products purchased on my online store?

You can charge taxes applicable to a product in your state. You can navigate to the set up module by clicking Set Up on the menu bar on the Home page of your account.

To set up the tax details:

1. In the Tax Information area, click ‘Change’.

The ‘Tax’ page is displayed.

2. In the State column, select a state from the drop-down list.

3. In the Flat Rate column, enter the tax rate applicable.

4. Click ‘Save’ in the ‘Tax’ page.

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

Sales Orders Setting

This feature helps you to configure the details of the orders from your customers. You can configure the following details:

· Set a serial number for your orders which helps you track an order and process it easily.

· Provide an Email address to receive an email with the details of recent customer purchases.

· Set a minimum order amount

· Provide an order confirmation message

· Set a tracking code for the orders you receive

What is a sales order?

A sales order is an order placed by a customer for your products. This order helps you identify a customer, the items for sale, and the payment information. Your transactions start as soon as you receive a sales order from a customer.

How do I set up the details of sales order information?

FastCommerce offers you the features that help you set up the details of sales order information in a simple way. You can navigate to the set up module by clicking Set Up on the menu bar on the Home page of your account.

To set up the details of sales order information:

1. In the Sales Order Setting Information area, click ‘Change’.

The ‘Sales Order Setting’ page is displayed. This page has the following details:

· Start Order Number

· Email box for order confirmation

· Minimum order amount

· Order confirmation message

· Tracking code

2. Enter the details and click ‘Save’.

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

How do I configure the serial numbers for my sales orders?

You can configure the serial number for your orders in the set up module. You can navigate to the set up module by clicking Set Up on the menu bar on the Home page of your account.

To configure the serial numbers for sales orders:

1. In the Sales Order Setting Information area, click ‘Change’.

The ‘Sales Order Setting’ page is displayed.

2. In the Start Order Number text field, enter the starting serial number for your sales orders.

3. Click ‘Save’.

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

How do I set the order tracking code for my sales?

You can get the order tracking code for your sales in the set up module. You can navigate to the set up module by clicking Set Up on the menu bar on the Home page of your account.

To configure the order tracking code:

1. In the Sales Order Setting Information area, click ‘Change’.

The ‘Sales Order Setting’ page is displayed.

2. In the Order Tracking Code text field, enter the code number for your sales orders.

3. Click ‘Save’.

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

How do I get the confirmation message for my sales?

You have to specify your Email address to get the confirmation message for your sales to your Email address. You can specify this address in the set up module. You can navigate to the set up module by clicking Set Up on the menu bar on the Home page of your account.

To specify an Email address to receive the confirmation message:

1. In the Sales Order Setting Information area, click ‘Change’.

The ‘Sales Order Setting’ page is displayed.

2. In the Email box to receive order confirmation text field, enter the Email address.

3. Click ‘Save’.

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

5. Customers

This module has the features that help you add, update, and delete the details of your customers. The success of an online store depends on how well the customers are managed while they visit your store. With Fast Commerce features, you can make your store easily navigable for a customer so that the customers find an easy access to all the features on your store.

CUSTOMER PANEL

Signing up information

FastCommerce provides a flexible sign up option to shop online.

Do my customers need to sign up to buy products from my store?

No. They need not sign up to products from your store. Before the customers check out, they provide the details such as billing address, shipping address, shipping methods, and payment type. After they submit all the details, the order confirmation page is displayed asking the customer to save a copy of it. You will receive a mail with the details of purchase and the order form generated to the Email address you provided while configuring your store.

How can customers register with my store?

FastCommerce offers two ways in which your customers can register with your store. They can click Sign In option on the home page of your store or they can make a purchase and register during the process of checking out.

How do I view my customer’s details?

You can view the customer details in the following ways after you sign in to your account.

· To view the recent customers’ details, click the customer name in the Recent Customers table.

Refer to the ‘navigating the FastCommerce interface’ section for more details.

· To view the details of an existing customer, navigate to the Product page and click the customer name.

The ‘Customer Details’ page is displayed with the details of the customer.

Can I add a customer’s record?

Yes. You can add a customer’s record. You can navigate to the customer module by clicking Customers on the menu bar on the Home page of your account.

To add a customer record:

1. In the Customer List panel, click ‘New Customer’.

The ‘New Customer’ page is displayed. On this page you can enter the billing address and the shipping address along with the customer information.

2. Enter the details and click ‘Save’.

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

How do I modify a customer’s record?

You can modify a customer’s record to update the details. You can navigate to the customer module by clicking Customers on the menu bar on the Home page.

To add a customer record:

1. In the Customer List panel, click the customer name.

The ‘Customer Details’ page is displayed.

2. Click ‘Edit Account’.

The ‘Edit Customer’ page is displayed.

3. Edit the details and click ‘Save’.

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

How do I search for a customer’s record?

You can search for a customer’s record using the search panel on the Customers page. You can navigate to the customer module by clicking Customers on the menu bar on the Home page of your account.

To search for a customer’s record:

Enter the customer name in the Search text field and click Search.

The search results are displayed in the ‘Customer List’ panel.

You can also search a customer’s record in the following ways:

· View an alphabetical list of customers

· Perform an advanced customer search

To view an alphabetical list of customers:

Click the alphabet corresponding to the name of the customer.

The search results are displayed in the ‘Customer List’ panel.

To perform an advanced customer search:

1. Click the ‘Advanced’ option.

The ‘Advanced’ pane is displayed. This pane has the following options:

· Account#

· First Name

· Last Name

· Company

· Phone

· Email

2. Specify any of the options and click ‘Search’.

The search results are displayed in the ‘Customer List’ panel.

Can I delete a customer’s account?

Yes. You can delete a customer’s account. You can navigate to the customer module by clicking Customers on the menu bar on the Home page of your account.

To delete a customer’s account:

1. In the Customer List panel, click the ‘X’ symbol under the Action column.

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

What is the check out experience of my customers?

The check out experience of a customer also stands as a key factor to the success of an online store. The check out page includes the billing information, shipping address, shipping methods, purchase items list, and the payment information.

6. Orders

This module includes the order processing features which help you track the order information, customer identity, approve or cancel an order, and deliver the goods in time.

ORDER PANEL

How do I process a customer’s order?

You can process a customer order using the features of the Orders module. There are two ways in which you start processing a customer’s order.

· You can start processing the orders from the Recent Orders list on the Overview page.

· You can start processing the orders from the Order module.

To process a customer’s order from the Order module:

1. In the New Orders list on the Orders page, click an order number under the Order# column.

The ‘Order Details’ page is displayed. This page has the following areas displayed:

· Customer account details area

· Billing and shipping addresses area

· Item details area

· Shipping methods area

2. You can view all the details and click ‘Approve’, or click ‘Cancel’ to cancel the order.

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

The ‘Approve’ button disappears and the ‘Start Ship’ button appears in its place.

4. Click ‘Start Ship’ to ship the items.

All the invoice details are displayed for your final review.

5. Click ‘Finish’ to complete the order processing, or click ‘Cancel’ to cancel the order.

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

How do I edit the order details of a customer?

You can edit the order details of a customer using the features of the Order module. You can navigate to the Order module by clicking Order on the menu bar on the Home page of your account.

To edit the order details:

1. In the New Orders list on the Orders page, click an order number under the Order# column.

The ‘Order Details’ page is displayed.

2. Click ‘Edit Order’.

The ‘Edit Order’ page is displayed. On this page you can edit the following details:

· Billing address and shipping address

· Purchase items and prices

You can also add products if required.

· Shipping methods

· Shipping cost and handling fee

· Payment methods

3. Edit the details and click ‘Save’.

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

Where do I include the shipping charges in the invoice?

You can include the shipping charges in different ways:

· You can include the charges in the Shipping Information feature of the Set Up module. Refer to the ‘Shipping Methods’ section for more details.

· You can include the charges while processing a customer order. For more details, refer to the ‘How do I edit the order details of a customer?’ section.

Where can I see the details of a shipped order?

You can see the details of a shipped order in the Order module. You can navigate to the Order module by clicking Order on the menu bar on the Home page of your account.

To view the details of a shipped order:

1. On the orders navigation bar of the Orders page, click ‘Shipped Order’.

The details of shipped orders are listed in a panel.

2. In the Orders column, click the order number.

The ‘Order Details’ page is displayed with all the details of the shipped order.

Can I process a cancelled order?

No. You cannot process a cancelled order. However, you can view the details of a cancelled order. You can navigate to the Order module by clicking Order on the menu bar on the Home page of your account.

To view the details of a cancelled order:

1. On the orders navigation bar of the Orders page, click ‘Cancelled Order’.

The details of cancelled orders are listed in a panel.

2. In the Orders column, click the order number.

The ‘Order Details’ page is displayed with all the details of the cancelled order.

How do I view old orders?

You can view the details of old orders using the features of the orders navigation bar of the Order module. The order navigation bar has the following features:

· New Orders

· Ready for Shipping Order

· Shipped Order

· Back Order

· On Hold Order

· Cancelled Order

7. Data Analysis

Data analysis includes the details of everything that happens in your online store. These details include the information of your recent customers, the customers’ purchase of items on your store, the payments, etc. You need to maintain a record of all the details of your store. The FastCommerce application features make this task very simple.

Store Overview

You can have an overview of the event details of your store on the Home page or the Overview page once you log in to your account.

How do I keep track of the latest trends on my store?

FastCommerce offers you the features that help you keep track of all the latest trends on your store. On the Home page of your account, you can find the details of recent customers, recent orders, and the details of top selling products and popular products listed in different tables.

Report Generation

REPORTS PANEL

You can generate the reports of your transactions using the features of the Reports module. This module helps you generate various reports as follows:

· Sales reports

· Shipment reports

· Orders reports

· Products reports

· Customer reports

· Products by popularity reports

How do I generate my sales reports?

You can generate the sales reports using the features of the Reports module. You can generate the sales reports based on different categories such as sales by customer, sales by brand, and sales by item. You can navigate to the reports module by clicking Reports on the menu bar on the Home page of your account.

To generate the sales reports:

1. Select the type of report in the Sales area.

You can preview a sample report in the preview area.

2. In the report preview area, select an option from the Select the rate range drop-down list.

3. Select the From and To dates and click ‘Display’.

The repot is displayed in the PDF format in a new window. You can take a print of this report.

In what formats can I generate my sales reports?

You can generate your sales reports in PDF formats as offered by FastCommerce for now.

What categories of sales reports can I generate?

You can generate sales reports of the following categories:

· Sales Order Summary Report

· Sales By Customer Summary Report

· Sales By Customer Detail Report

· Sales By Brand Report

· Sales By Item Summary Report

· Sales By Item Detail Report

· Sales Tax Report

Google Shopping Jump Starts Small Business E-commerce Retailers

1. 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. ### <!– –>Post Comment: Trackback URL: http://www.prweb.com/pingpr.php/RW1wdC1Qcm9mLVpldGEtQ291cC1TdW1tLVplcm8= shopping cart google e-commerce small business entrepreneur on-line retail web store free enterprise online products Bookmark - Del.icio.us | Digg | Furl It | Spurl | RawSugar | Simpy | Shadows | Blink It | My Web small business web 2.0 free ecommerce entrepreneur google shopping e-commerce research online business enterprise web design webmaster online retail online store shopping cart selling shopping cart software biology biotech free website free software life sciences medical research e-commerce software antibodies web store antibody free online store free ecommerce on-line retail online storefront office live ecommerce store online products free shopping cart enterprise e-commerce peptide selling online netsuite

Google Search Engine, Debuts AJAX Language API Tools

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.

FastCommerce.com Feature List

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

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.

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

You can find the ‘May We Also Recommend’ panel displayed on the right side of the page. This panel helps you add the related products. You can click and drag the products in this panel to change the order of display. The number of related products you can add is set to three by default. However, the ‘Add more related products’ option below this panel helps you to add more products.

3.    Click ‘Select Product’ of the May We Also Recommend panel.

The ‘Select Product’ pane is displayed.

4.    Select the related products and click ‘Done’.

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

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

Can I customize the interface for adding or updating product details?

Yes. FastCommerce application is carefully designed to meet the basic user requirements. So you never need to customize any part of the application, mainly the interface for adding or updating product details.

However, FastCommerce offers you an option which helps you customize the interface. You can customize the tab titles of the editor panel below the product details area.

Adding Product Images

Adding the images of your product is the best way to market the product on your store. This gives your customer a clear view of how your product looks like.

How do I upload the images of my product?

Fast Commerce provides you an option to upload the images of your product in a very simple procedure. You can upload the images of your product located anywhere on your local computer.

To upload the images:

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

The Add New Product page is displayed.

2.    In the Product Image panel, click ‘Add’ in the thumbnail box.

The ‘Upload Images’ dialog box is displayed. This dialog box has three options as follows:

·         Original: This option helps you to browse the original image located on your local computer. This image is displayed when the user opts to view the larger size of the thumbnail image.

·         Main: This option helps you to browse the image to be displayed in the main image area above the thumbnails. If you select the check box, the option is deactivated and a copy of the original image resized to the default dimensions of 250*250 pixels is saved to the database.

·         Thumbnail: This option helps you to upload thumbnail images of your product. These images are displayed as thumbnails in the storefront. When the user clicks on a thumbnail, the image is displayed in a larger size in a separate window. If you select the check box, the option is deactivated and a copy of the original image resized to the default dimensions of 80*80 pixels is saved to the database.

3.    Click Browse to upload an image.

The ‘Image File Manager’ window is displayed. This window has the following options:

·         View: This option helps you to view the images in thumbnail/list mode.

·         Create: This option helps you to create a new folder.

·         Rename: This option helps you rename the selected file/folder.

·         Delete: This option helps you to delete the selected file/folder.

·         Upload: This option helps you to navigate the file/folder in your local computer.

4.    Click ‘Upload’ and navigate to the file or folder of your product images.

5.    Select the image file and click ‘Open’.

When you upload images from your local computer, they are saved to the database and get displayed in the File Manager window. Next time when you insert an image, you can select the images from the database or upload a new image.

6.    Click ‘Done’.

The uploaded images are displayed in the ‘Product Image’ area.

How many images of the product can I add?

You can add two different images of your product. Images which can display the accessories along with the product help the customers looking for more details of the product. These images are displayed in the storefront according to the template you select from the Storefront feature of this application.

What should be the size of my product images?

FastCommerce provides you two options related to the image sizes. You can either choose to add the images with their original sizes or select the Auto resize option of the Upload Images dialog box. Refer to the procedure of uploading product images for more details of image sizes.

Can I add an image to the customized product descriptions?

Yes. You can add an image in each tab of the editor panel where you add the custom descriptions of your product.

To add an image:

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

The Add New Product page is displayed.

2.    In the options area of the editor panel, click ‘Insert/Edit Image’ option.

The ‘Insert Image’ pane is displayed.

3.    Click ‘Browse’.

The FastCommerce File Manager window is displayed.

4.    Select an image from the window or click ‘Upload’ to navigate to the file or folder of the image.

5.    Click ‘Done’.

You can set the dimensions, border, and the alignment of the image in the ‘Insert Image’ pane.

6.    Click ‘Save’.

The image is inserted in the description area of the editor panel.

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

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

Updating Product Information

The features of FastCommerce allow you to modify the details of a product whenever needed. You can update the product details any number of times. The details include the images, add-on options, stock availability, price, related product details, etc.

How do I edit the details of an add-option?

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

To edit the details of an add-on option:

1.    In the Product List panel of the Product page, click on a product name.

The ‘Update Product’ page is displayed.

2.    In the product details area, click ‘Edit’ in the Add-on Options.

The Add-on Options pane is displayed.

3.    Select the add-on item and click ‘Add Value’.

A pane with the values of the add-on item is displayed.

4.    Click ‘Edit’.

The ‘Edit Option’ page is displayed.

5.    Edit the details and click ‘Save’.

6.    Select the values and click ‘Save’ in the values pane.

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

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

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

How do I edit a product brand name?

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

To edit the details of an add-on option:

1.    In the Product List panel of the Product page, click on a product name.

The ‘Update Product’ page is displayed.

2.    Select a brand name from the Product Brand drop-down list and click ‘Edit’.

The ‘Edit Brand’ pane is displayed.

3.    Edit the brand name and click ‘Done’.

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

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

When customers buy products from my store, will the in-stock quantity in the application reduce automatically?

Yes. The In-stock Quantity feature helps you to manage your inventory. While adding the details of a new product to the catalog, you enter the number of product quantity available with you. This number is reduced automatically when the product is sold.

How do I edit the details of a category or a sub-category?

You can edit the details of a category or a sub-category whenever you need to give a new category or sub-category name to a group of products.

To edit the details of a category:

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 an editor panel similar to that of the Add New Product page.

4.    Edit the details and click ‘Done’.

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

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

Deleting Product Information

The features of FastCommerce allow you to delete the details of a product whenever needed. The details include the images, add-on options, stock availability, price, related product details, category details, etc.

Can I delete the images of my product?

Yes. You can delete the images of your product. You can navigate to the product module by clicking Products on the menu bar in the Home page.

To delete the images:

1.    In the Product List panel of the Product page, click on a product name.

The ‘Update Product’ page is displayed.

2.    In the thumbnail area of the Product Images area, click the delete option displayed as ‘X’.

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

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

Can I delete the details of an add-on option?

Yes. You can delete the details of an add-on option. However, you cannot the delete the details if an add-on option is already assigned to a product.

To delete the details of an add-on option:

1.    In the Product List panel of the Product page, click on a product name.

The ‘Update Product’ page is displayed.

2.    Click ‘Edit’ in the Add-on Options in the product details area.

The ‘Add-on Options’ pane is displayed.

3.    Select an item and click ‘Remove Items’.

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

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

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

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

How do I delete a product brand name?

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

To delete the product brand name:

1.    In the Product List panel of the Product page, 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 ‘Delete’.

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

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

How do I delete the details of an assigned category?

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

To delete the details of an assigned category:

1.    In the Product List panel of the Product page, click on a product name.

The ‘Update Product’ page is displayed.

2.    In the Data for Internal Product Management area, click the delete option of the assigned category displayed as ‘X’.

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

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

Can I delete the details of a category?

Yes. You can delete the details of a category. However, you cannot delete the details if there are any products assigned to a category.

To delete the details of category:

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 ‘Delete’.

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

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

How do I delete the details of my product from the catalog?

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

To delete the details of a product from the catalog:

1.    In the Product List panel, click the ‘X’ symbol of a product under the Action column.

2.    Click Ok in the confirmation dialog box.

The details of the product are deleted from the catalog.

3.    Click Save.

Searching for a Product

FastCommerce offers you the search options for every module that help you to search the details in a very less time.

How do I make an advance search for my product?

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

To make an advance search for a product:

1.    Click the ‘Advanced’ option in the search panel.

The ‘Advanced’ pane is displayed. This pane has the following options:

·         Product Name

·         Product #

·         Brand·         Keywords

·         Price From-To-

2.    Specify any of the options and click ‘Search’.

The product details are displayed in the ‘Product List’ panel.

Can I search my product details by its category?

Yes. The search panel option of the Product page helps you to search a product by its category. You can navigate to the product module by clicking Products on the menu bar in the Home page.

To search a product by its category:

1.    Click the ‘Search Product By Category’ option in the search panel.

The Search Product By Category pane is displayed.

2.    Click the category that matches your search criteria.

The search results are displayed in the ‘Product List’ panel.

How do I make a quick search of my product?

The search panel option of the Product page helps you make a quick search of your product. You can navigate to the product module by clicking Products on the menu bar in the Home page.

To make a quick search of your product:

1.    Click the Quick Links option in the search panel.

The Quick Links dialog box with the following links is displayed:

·         Products without images

·         Products without assigned categories

·         Free Shipping products

·         On Sale Products

·         New Products

·         Top 10 Selling Products

·         10 Most Popular Products

2.    Click any of the links that closely matches with your search criteria.

The product details are displayed in the ‘Product List’ panel.

4.    Customers

The success of an online store depends on how well the customers are managed while they visit your store. With Fast Commerce features, you can make your store easily navigable for a customer so that the customers find an easy access to all the features on your store.

Signing up information

FastCommerce provides a flexible sign up option to shop online.

Do my customers need to sign up to buy products from my store?

No. They need not sign up to products from your store. Before the customers check out, they provide the details such as billing address, shipping address, shipping methods, and payment type. After they submit all the details, the order confirmation page is displayed asking the customer to save a copy of it. You will receive a mail with the details of purchase and the order form generated to the Email address you provided while configuring your store.

How can customers register with my store?

FastCommerce offers two ways in which your customers can register with your store. They can click Sign In option on the home page of your store or they can make a purchase and register during the process of checking out.

How do I view my customer’s details?

You can view the customer details in the following ways after you sign in to your account.

·         To view the recent customers’ details, click the customer name in the Recent Customers table.

Refer to the navigating the FastCommerce interface section for more details.

·         To view the details of an existing customer, navigate to the Product page and click the customer name.

The ‘Customer Details’ page is displayed with the details of the customer.

Can I add a customer’s record?

Yes. You can add a customer’s record. You can navigate to the customer module by clicking Customers on the menu bar in the Home page.To add a customer record:1.    In the Customer List panel, click ‘New Customer’.The ‘New Customer’ page is displayed. On this page you can enter the billing address and the shipping address along with the customer information.2.    Enter the details and click ‘Save’.3.    Click ‘OK’ in the confirmation dialog box.

How do I modify a customer’s record?

You can modify a customer’s record to update the details. You can navigate to the customer module by clicking Customers on the menu bar in the Home page.

To add a customer record:1.    In the Customer List panel, click the customer name.The ‘Customer Details’ page is displayed.2.    Click ‘Edit Account’.The ‘Edit Customer’ page is displayed.3.    Edit the details and click ‘Save’.4.    Click ‘OK’ in the confirmation dialog box.

How do I search for a customer’s record?

You can search for a customer’s record using the search panel on the Customers page. You can navigate to the customer module by clicking Customers on the menu bar in the Home page.

To search for a customer’s record:

·         Enter the customer name in the Search text field and click Search.

The search results are displayed in the ‘Customer List’ panel.

You can also search a customer’s record in the following ways:

·         View an alphabetical list of customers

·         Perform an advanced customer search

To view an alphabetical list of customers:

·         Click the alphabet corresponding to the name of the customer.

The search results are displayed in the ‘Customer List’ panel.

To perform an advanced customer search:

1.    Click the ‘Advanced’ option.The ‘Advanced’ pane is displayed. This pane has the following options:·         Account#·         First Name·         Last Name·         Company·         Phone·         Email2.    Specify any of the options and click ‘Search’.

The search results are displayed in the ‘Customer List’ panel.

Can I delete a customer’s account?

Yes. You can delete a customer’s account. You can navigate to the customer module by clicking Customers on the menu bar in the Home page.

To delete a customer’s account:

1.    In the Customer List panel, click the ‘X’ symbol under the Action column.

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

 

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Do you need a website that produces better results? Do you need to get lots of products online? Do you want a website that produces more incoming phone calls and requests for quotes? How about a service that will monitor your website on a constant basis, and then provide you with keyword analysis you can use to fine tune and enhance website performance? You get this and more with FastCommerce.com, an e-commerce technology that acts as a publishing engine to search engines, Google Products, and industry directories. It is a powerful online product catalog with complete search engine visibility. Our professional services can get you up and running quickly with a complete web store and on-line product catalog. Your company can start generating more business right away. The FastCommerce professional services team can then monitor and analyze site performance and offer recommendations to improve performance. There is no contract. You can cancel at anytime. FastCommerce.com will deliver the results you need to make your company a success. And you can start right away. No messy project implementations, everything is pre-built. Give us your data and within days you?ll have a professional, comprehensive e-commerce website. Start powering your business now with FastCommerce.com. We help you get up and running in a week We publish your data to Google Products within a week We submit your products to Google Search Engine using Google XML SiteMap Submit your site to 100+ search engines Submit your site to 20+ directory services Build up to 5 product blog sites on top blogs Generate monthly reports on key search engine performance metrics Generate high quality free leads

For More Info: 888-598-2211 Email:sales@fastcommerce.com