Author Archive
Requirements for online store website.
Posted by: zaur in OsCommerce on October 12th, 2006
Just got enquiry to build online shop, as you see there, the ideal solution of this is Oscommerce, because most of the requirements already existing in oscommerce and its addons.
Main requirements:
Front end/Home page
- Customisable welcome content, special offers, news and featured items on home page
- Self managed content pages i.e. news, about us, articles, delivery info etc. to form navigation
- Product category navigation which allows sub-categories
- Log-in and shopping cart links
- Add to favourites link
- Bread-crumb trail so customers can link back to where they came from
- Product search by item number, name or keyword
- Some kind of animation to catch the eye – definitely animated logo but perhaps a showcase for the boxes?
- Gift Finder – simple tool to be devised – possibly organised by age/sex/price
Categories Navigation
- Each category can have subcategories shown perhaps as a rollover
- Products to crossover into different categories
Product pages
- Product personalisation field
- Optional second personalisation field (include personalised date or message on certain items too)
- Customisable product options in drop down format (or something better) i.e. colour, style, wording, size…
- 2 levels of product information (i.e. More info)
- Buy now button on level 1 info as well as level 2
- Quantity option
- thumbnail, larger and zoom-in images
- Landscape or even wider format images if required
- Ability to show colour alternatives images – best option would be colour swatches with rollovers that change the image???
- Ability to show usual price and special offer price
- Products can be attributed to numerous categories to allow cross over
- Show 3-4 related products unique to each item
- Options for wish-list and email a friend
- Show the number of pages in the category (i.e. not have to scroll down on each page)
- Show items that are out of stock so users can seek be informed when item is available?
- Ability to turn products ‘on’ and ‘off’
Shopping cart
- View Basket and Check out option links available throughout site
- Show check out process and whereabouts you are in the trail
- Customer registration as standard using Find Address tool
- Basic data capture in Registration i.e. Ages and birthdays of children/relatives to be stored for later use i.e. birthday reminder emails.
- Standard ability to update quantities, clear cart, continue shopping etc..
- Visually seamless integrated payment system using Protx or possibly Worldpay that allows for major credit cards and Switch
- Ability to defer payment to ensure that items are stocked before a transaction goes through
- Various shipping options i.e. 1st class, standard or next day – not actually required at this stage but should be an option
- Option of gift wrapping according to weight at checkout
- Gift sending and message as standard option in checkout
- Shipping according to predefined combined product weight parameters
- Related products during check out process
- System emails to customer and store owner relating to order confirmation and failure (see below)
- Customer questionnaire at end of transaction process
- Promotional codes options Â
User experience flow TBC1.    Customer confirms order and completes transaction at checkout section of site and is prompted to fill in simple feedback questionnaire.
2.    Customer automatically receives Order Pending email that confirms items purchased and postage and payment method and let’s customer know that they will be emailed once the item has been dispatched.
3.    Back End sends email to Site Owner confirming payment received and detailing customer info, items purchased, gift options, other comments
4.    Double check payment and that stock is available.
5.    If item unavailable or payment declined contact customer either by phone/email to rectify the matter.
6.    We fulfil order as soon as possible and update status of item to Dispatched on the system.
7.    Customer automatically receives Order Dispatched email confirming that the item has been dispatched and the transaction has been approved.
8.    Customer can view order history in the account section of the web site.
9.    Customer receives quarterly (?) email detailing new products, special offers and asking about feedback
Admin area
- Simple and clear user interface
- Different administrator levels
- Easy to add, amend and update products, categories and options
- Ability to view settings, administrators, customer info, orders, products
- View transaction information
- Customisable printable invoice/delivery note/labels (to be used as a gift message tool?)
- Customer newsletter??
- Reporting on site stats and as much as possible on product sales – i.e. monthly best sellers etc.
Design
- Animated logo
- Customised animated header for different seasons i.e. Christmas, Easter, Sale season
- Twinkling flower gifs
- Â Any other new design elements that might workÂ
Why Oscommerce STS templates
Posted by: zaur in OsCommerce on October 1st, 2006
Templatemonster dot com sales a range of oscommerce templates, they are really nice designed, but when it comes to integration you would find them not compatiable with your own customized Oscommerce package. The problem is that they were not created for STS template usage, all graphics and styles placed in defauld header.php, fotter.php and boxes. If you ever used STS template you would get what I’m talking about.
The alternative for oscommerce skin, is to create design for it in photoshop, then cut it to html, then easily integrate into your STS Template.
Even those commercial templates could come in your help, you can use their styles, and graphics but converted in your template format.
I’m thinking to open a section on this website, where we can share nice STS template with community.Â
Advantages of STS template is opportunity to change your website design easily, since you edit only one file insted several php files.
New built AMAY business center in Baku
Posted by: zaur in Miscellaneous on October 1st, 2006
I captured this picture on my way to home, its new built AMAY business shopping center, which is still under construction, its going to be the biggest commercial center in Azerbaijan, possible even the biggest one among former Soviet republics. The “A.M.A.Y.”, located near a station(underground) “Ganjlik” about 12 years, used to be one of the objects of trade most popular in Baku.
The name of this business market associated with the first letters of the initials of its owners. However on command of time for change to the ware markets more modern, civilized form of trade which high service translates mutual relations of buyers and sellers on a new, better level comes. Henceforth the market center has changed the status, becoming shopping center ” A.M.A.Y. “. The large object of trade not only has changed the address, having placed nearby to station of underground “Khatai “, but also has found the new person.
Today’s “A.M.A.Y.” is respectable 7 the floor shopping center erected on the area in 2 hectares. The building both outside, and from within is decorated by a national ornament, and from the ceilings divided into three sections, spreeds soft light of our three-colored flag. On a ground floor it is planned to establish two fountains. About scales of the project speak such facts: the center has 12 inputs-outputs, 28 passenger and goods lifts, 12 escalators. Throughput of this trading complex will be estimated in thousand buyers, here there will be a underground garage on 2 thousand machines. According to director of Open Society ” A.M.A.Y. ” Novruz Abazarova, all the businessmen had the shops at former fair, certainly, on the basis of contracts from Open Society will be provided by the equivalent trading area in a new building. Let’s note, that the market center located near of station of underground “Genjlik”, totaled the order of 360 shops. The majority of owners of shops leased them. Director of the “A.M.A.Y.” has informed also the important fact: ” the Administration of the enterprise has decided to release in first two months businessmen from payment for municipal services, having taken these charges on “.In turn, owners of shops within the limits of the given presentation period not begin to keep for rent from the tenants. Let’s note, that in a building the business center in which offices of company ” A.M.A.Y. ” will be placed also is stipulated. Besides the complex includes a conference hall, set of cafe, restaurants, the entertaining center for children, grocery supermarkets, etc. In opinion of our interlocutor, in region while there is no analogue this shopping center.
As if to quantity of the workplaces created here this parameter will be made over 7 thousand by person (at former fair 3 thousand) worked. It is necessary to add, that the building of a complex is calculated on 9,5 points steadiness and erected with participation of 1200 local builders within six months. Construction of last floors now comes to the end. And already in the near future “A.M.A.Y.” will open its doors.
Personalized Commerce
Posted by: zaur in E-Commerce Business on September 21st, 2006
Virtually, we count everyday activity as part of shopping context. Put variously, ecommerce now becomes an integral part of our daily deal, rather than a distinctive activity. There is no more need to accumulate or remember a long list of things to buy, nor make separate trips to the mall or Web sites.
Consumers became more demanding; they also become the agents or personalized expert for the products they use. Our family and friends influence on us than those terms of what to buy. This has some interesting business implications. For example, if you buy a shirt because you like it when you see your pal Edward wearing it, Edward might get a commission. To retailers, their ecurrent product owners now become chain for marketing and sales. And those owners are caused to wear or use the merchandise so as to increase their commissions.
For most homeowners, home is probably the one most important physical asset and the biggest investment in their life. It is also the place where they spend many of their hours spending in a broad range of activities. Thus, it comes as no surprise that the home is a big market for technology products and services, including phones, TV, fax machines DVD players, game consoles, PC, cameras, cable modems, and so on. Despite of the high perviousness of such technologies and the growing availability of wireless home networks and broadband Internet access, direct online services to consumer homes still bdirectly exist.
Imagine a landlord trying to install a lighting fixture. It doesn’t work normally, and he needs get an expert assistance. What should he does? First, he would seek for help, probably in phone book or possibly through a keyword search on the Google, or ask a his friend. He would assess the possibilities (an example - home improvement and hardware stores, private contractors) and make a selection. Then he would make a call, try to describe the problem, and decide what to do. Perhaps he would take notes and go return the ladder to give it another attempt.
The above circumstances shows a common call for micro service –customer services that come at a highly granular level.