Online Help

Print Document Table of Contents

Start Using Miva Merchant

Overview

Miva Merchant is a browser-based Storefront Development and Management System. It integrates cataloging, product, fulfillment, maintenance, category management, inventory, affiliates, and shopping basket, order and credit card processing. Multiple stores can be maintained by one central administrator or specific store functions can be delegated to sub-administrators.

The software is organized as a series of modules that can be upgraded to provide new functionality without changes to the core system. E-merchants can use the browser-based interfaces to build stores, and developers can build modules in XML-based MivaScript. Merchants manage their stores with a user friendly browser-based interface.

Your Miva Merchant-enabled hosting provider usually supplies initial installation and configuration support. Ongoing developer and merchant support for using Miva Merchant is available from Miva Merchant. For information about support policies and procedures go to http://www.mivamerchant.com/support.

Running Miva Merchant requires a Miva Merchant Engine enabled site. With Miva Merchant

4.13 and below, the Miva Merchant Engine (Empresa) interprets the Miva Merchant code on the fly. Starting with Miva Merchant 4.14, as a compiled program, the Miva Merchant code is executed by the Engine (Miva Merchant Virtual Machine). Also available is a desktop Engine, Miva Merchant Mia, for use with Microsoft Windows.

Store Screens and Administration Screens

Miva Merchant is a powerful storefront development system that gives you a number of options for customizing your store. It is divided into two core modules:

merchant.mv (4.14 and above: merchant.mvc)

This is the module that displays your store on the Internet or on your development PC. To display your store, enter the URL to Miva Merchant (found in your Domain Settings, Site Configuration).

To access your site on the internet, it would look something like:

http://www.YourDomainName.com/Merchant2/merchant.mv

Or http://www.YourDomainName.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc (in 4.14)

On your development PC, it would look something like one of these:

http://127.0.0.1:8000/Merchant2/merchant.mv (merchant.mvc in 4.14)

Or http://YourPCname:8000/Merchant2/merchant.mv (merchant.mvc in 4.14)

admin.mv (4.14 and above: admin.mvc)

This is the module that you use to enter the information into your store. When your installation or upgrade completed, this is the URL it display to access the Administration Interface.

To display the administration module on the internet, enter something like:

http://www.YourDomainName.com/Merchant2/admin.mv

OR http://www.YourDomainName.com/Merchant2/admin.mvc (in 4.14)

On your development PC, enter something like on of these:

http://127.0.0.1:8000/Merchant2/merchant.mv (.mvc in 4.14)

http://YourPCname:8000/Merchant2/merchant.mv (.mvc in 4.14)

The First Steps

Log In

Use the URL that displayed on the last page of the Setup process to access the Miva Merchant administration interface module (admin.mv or admin.mvc). The login screen displays as shown below.

If you previously performed Setup and did not bookmark the URL to the Miva Merchant Administration Interface, you can still locate the URL. The file admin.mv (admin.mvc in 4.14) is located under the Merchant or Merchant2 directory in your script directory (which could be named html, mivascript, etc.) of your domain or sub-domain. Examples:

• • http://www.YourDomain.com/merchant/admin.mv? (.mvc in 4.14)

  • http://www.Domain.com/~YourSubDomain/merchant/admin.mv? (.mvc in 4.14 and above)

OR

• • http://www.YourDomain.com/merchant2/admin.mv? (.mvc in 4.14)

  • http://www.Domain.com/~YourSubDomain/merchant2/admin.mv? (.mvc in 4.14)

If you still cannot locate it, check with your Web Host.

1. Enter the user name and password you defined in the Setup Wizard. This is the name and password for the domain administrator. Click on Login.

2. The Administration Interface is displayed.

If this is the first time you are logging into Miva Merchant after a new installation (setup), the Simple Administration Interface displays.

Simple Administration for New Users

Providing a simple, quick way for you to get your store up and running, the Simple Administration guides you through the phases of the store creation and configuration processes. When one step is complete, a checkmark is placed beside it, and the next wizard automatically loads. If you log out of the Simple Administration interface before completing all the steps, the next time you log in, the Simple Administration will load, with the completed steps checked.

At any time you can go to the Advanced Administration Interface. Your Internet Host Provider may have set up certain modules or features as part of the package you purchased. Therefore, you may not have all the modules available to you that are described in this publication.

          1                                                     2                  3

                                                                 5

Simple Administration Screen

1. 1. Steps Indicates the current task with an arrow. As you complete each step, a checkmark displays next to it and the next step automatically loads (you can, however, click any available step.)

   2. Switch to Advanced Displays the (Advanced) Administration Interface.

   3. Logout Logs out the current user. Using logout is important, so that Miva Merchant can provide you with the same settings next time you log in. When all tasks are complete (indicated by check marks), and you log out, the next time you log in, the (Advanced) Administration Interface will display.

   4. Data Area Displays the information and selections for each of the steps and corresponding wizards.

   5. Notifications These are notifications from your Administrator or Web Host.

Creating Your Store in Simple Administration

The interface first takes you through the process of creating a store and the steps to configure it.

Create Store Wizard

To create your store and set up basic configurations, follow the directions in the Simple Administration screens:

Enter basic information about your store.

The wizard asks you to enter a store name, owner information, store settings and layout. Other store settings are automatically set, based on the country in which the Owner resides. These settings are: Measurement (weight), Sales Tax Calculation and Currency formatting. If you want to modify these and other store settings, refer to HOW TO Change the Sales Tax Calculation for Your Store and HOW TO Edit Store Settings, Maintenance Mode & Order Minimums.

Configure Store

1. Add Categories
   Arrange your products into groups. You can have nested categories, where one category is the parent of another. For example, the categories card holders and bookends. might have the parent category Desk Items. You can also put the products in more than one category. For example, bookends could be under Desk Items, Office Accessories, and Bookshelf Items.

2. Add Products
   Enter the basic product information. At this point, consider keeping the number of products you enter to a fairly small number. After you have set up the basic store you might consider importing your product information, particularly if you are adding quite a few products, will track product inventory, or if many of your products have several attributes (for example, color or size). Refer to HOW TO Import Product Data Using a Flat File.

3. Add Attributes
   After you have added products using the Simple Administration interface, the Add Attributes link will be enabled. Colors and sizes are examples of attributes. If you have several products that use the same or similar attributes, use the Miva Merchant feature Attribute Templates, available in Advanced Administration. For example, T-shirts and Shorts may have sizes of small, medium, large, extra large, and jumbo, and Jackets have all the same sizes, except jumbo. You can copy the Attribute Template, then simply delete the jumbo size from the jackets. Refer to HOW TO Create Attribute Templates.

4. Configure Payment
   Your store must be configured with a payment method so you can sell products. If it is not, your customers will receive an error. This wizard guides you through the payment module(s) selection and configuration.

5. Configure Shipping
   Configuring shipping helps both you and your customer. You can choose the best method(s) for the type of products you sell, include quantity discounts, base the shipping cost on product weight or price, and other options. Your customer sees the specific shipping charges during the checkout process. You can sell products without configuring shipping, but your customers will see a message telling them shipping is not configured.

6. Affiliate Configuration
   You can encourage other sites to become one of your affiliates, for which you could see more traffic, increased completed orders, and your affiliates can earn commissions. In configuring affiliates, the wizard helps you set up the default commissions you will pay out to affiliates. Of course, later you will be able to edit these for any individual affiliate. Other items you configure include Email configuration and notification. For additional information about Affiliates, see HOW TO Administer Affiliate Program, which guides you through the Affiliate settings in the (Advanced) Administration Interface.

7. Add Affiliates
   Potential affiliates can sign up in your store, depending upon how you configure Affiliates, but you can also add affiliate information yourself. You might do this when you have disabled the Default Application Status, in which case the Affiliate Login does not display on your Store Front. This data also includes the specific commissions you want to pay out for this affiliate.

8. Order Fulfillment Configuration
   Confirms orders via Emails to your customers and to designated merchants. To enter more than one Email address in the CC field, separate the Email addresses with commas.

9. Configure Look & Feel
   Guides you through choosing a store color scheme, messages, and assigning products that will appear on your Store front. For additional information on this wizard, see HOW TO Create the Basic Look & Feel for a Store using the Wizard.

10. Configure Sales Tax
    Choose the type of tax you want Miva Merchant to calculate. Then, the wizard guides you through the steps to set up the specific tax you selected.

11. MIVA Marketplace Sign Up Wizard
    MIVA Marketplace is a pay-for-performance service, which assists you in promoting your products to shoppers who are searching or browsing various websites. This wizard takes you through the sign-up process, after which you will be able to add your products to the MIVA Marketplace service. For more information about MIVA Marketplace, visit http://www.mivamerchant.com/mmp/ .

12. MIVA Marketplace List Product Wizard
    This wizard helps you list your products within the MIVA Marketplace service, choose the categories, and enter the per-click price to position your product.

13. MIVA Marketplace Mass-Listing Wizard
    Use one or more files that contain your products codes, MIVA Marketplace categories, and other pertinent data to upload to MIVA Marketplace.

14. Miva Merchant Mailer   Setup Wizard (new in 4.13)
    Establish an account with the Miva Merchant Mailer Service.

15. Miva Merchant Mailer Add Mailing List Wizard (new in 4.13)
    Create the Mailing Lists, including the prompts that will display to your customers and affiliates, providing them the opportunity to subscribe to one one more of your mailing lists.

16. Miva Merchant Mailer Send Wizard (new in 4.13)
    Enter the subject and body for your Email, and send to one of your lists. The Miva Merchant Mailer Server will send to each of the Email addresses in your list.

• When the basic configuration for your store is complete, an option displays for you to switch to the Administration Interface.

• If you are new to Miva Merchant and you have created your store, check these sections:

Next Steps: Add Functionality to Your Store

After you have the basic configuration of your store, you may want to further refine its look, or add certain functions. (The Miva Merchant feature or function is identified in parenthesis below.) You may want to:

• • Link your new Miva Merchant store and your current website (Integrate Miva Merchant into an Existing Website).

  • Make Changes to Your Store

  • • track the inventory of some or all products (Inventory)

    • extend special offers to your customers (Upsales)

    • sell products at reduced rates to certain customers or for whom you have

    • special products (Price Groups and Availability Groups)

    • identify a minimum quantity or order price that must be purchased (Order Minimums).

  • Change the Look & Feel of Your Store

  • • coordinate color scheme with your existing website (Edit Store, Colors)

    • apply the same text at the top of each page (Global Headers and Footers).

  • Promote your products to audiences of qualified shoppers (MIVA Marketplace).

Administration Interface

The Advanced Administration Interface is referred to simply as Administration Interface in the rest of this publication, and in other Miva Merchant publications. The Administration Interface includes the following components:

1. 1. Header menu bar

   2. Administration Interface menu

   3. Data entry area

Top Menu Bar

Administration Interface Menu Items

This menu is where you access the administrative functions of Miva Merchant. When you start, the menu only shows the following items:

Using the Administration Interface Menu

Click on an item in the main menu to access its functionality. Some menu items are hyperlinks, and some are not.

Items that have a blue arrow next to them contain subordinate items that may be displayed by clicking the blue arrow to the left of the item.

Item

Item

Item

• • Item

Items with no subordinate items have a blue dot next to them.

See the close up below:

When you click an arrow, the menu displays the subordinate items, and the arrow points down at these items

When you select a link in the menu, its corresponding content or form displays in the Data Entry Area. For example, clicking the About Miva Merchant link displays the following form:

Administration Interface Data Entry Area

The default screen for the Data Entry Area in the Advanced Administrative Interface is the Miva Merchant Quick Start screen. This is the screen that is displayed when you click Main in the Header Bar or in the Administration Interface menu on the left.

In the screen below, you see a new store. Store Notifications, Statistics, and Best Sellers are displayed directly below the store name. (Since this is a new store, the statistics show zero.)

Before the first store is created, the only wizard on this screen is the Create Store Wizard. After the store has been created, store statistics and the other wizards are displayed under the store name.

When you click a link in the Administration Interface Menu, the corresponding data entry form is displayed in the Data Entry Area. For example, when you click the Domain Settings link, its Data Entry Area displays.

Data Entry Form

The Data Entry Form generally includes the following sections:

1. 1. 1. Title - The title of the form is at the top. It is the same name as the link you selected from the Administration menu on the left.

      2. Help button - The Help button loads the applicable Miva Merchant help from Miva Merchants website.

      3. Tabs (Links) - Many Data Entry Areas for the selected link contain more than one form. Clicking these tabs displays additional sets of fields.

      4. Field Area - The field area contains text boxes into which you enter data. This area also displays data you or your Internet Host Provider previously entered, or data from the Miva Merchant program.

      5. Buttons - The buttons at the bottom of the form will update, reset, or delete the selection.

Statistics

Clicking the Main link in the Administration Interface menu on the left, or in the bar at the top, also displays Miva Merchant statistics. They reflect the numbers since the last time you reset the statistics.

Hits: The total number of hits for your store.

Visits: The number of individual visits your store has received.

Orders: Based on baskets converted to orders.

Revenue: The total of all the order totals.

Products Sold: The total quantity of all products sold.

Best Sellers: List of the top five selling products and the number of each sold.

Administration Interface Navigation Buttons and Arrows

There are icons in the Miva Merchant Administration Interface that you can use to access various functions. These icons are described below.

Wizards

Wizards help make creating a store and configuring features and functions quick and simple. You can select any wizard directly from the Administration Interface menu (shown below) or from the Miva Merchant Quick Start form. (The Simple Administration Interface automates the process for you).

" Create Store Wizard (Domain Level)

When you first enter the Administration Interface, if you have not yet created a store, the Create Store Wizard is the only wizard available. It is a fast and easy way to step through the initial phase of creating a store.

This wizard is located at the domain level, and the wizards below are all located at the store level.

" Add Category Wizard

You can have nested categories, where one category is the parent of another. For example, the categories card holders and bookends. might have the parent category Desk Items. And, wooden bookends and metal bookends could have the parent category bookends.

" Add Product Wizard

Guides you through entering the basic product information. If youre adding quite a few products, will track inventory, or many of your products have several attributes (for example, color or size), you might consider importing your product information.

" Add Product Attribute Wizard

From the Add Product Wizard, you can click the Add Attribute(s) button to run this wizard. And, as with other wizards, you can select it from the Administration menu or the Quick Start form. It guides you through entering attributes (features) and options that you products have. It also lets you choose the type of selection methods your customers will see.

" Payment Configuration Wizard

Based on the payment module you choose to use, this wizard displays a series of screens for you to identify the specific data required for the selected payment type.

If you want to use a Payment Gateway, before you can set this up, you need to do the following, unless your IHP (Internet Host Provider) already has.

-Obtain a merchant account

-Determine the Payment Gateway you want to use -Get an account with the Payment Gateway and register.

-Enter this information as the wizard asks for it. Read about the Payment gateways in HOW TO Set Up Payment Configuration.

" Shipping Configuration Wizard

When you configure shipping, you can choose the best method(s) for the type of products you sell, include quantity discounts, base the shipping cost on product weight or price, and other options. Your customer sees the specific shipping charges during the checkout process. You can sell products without configuring shipping, but your customers will see a message telling them shipping is not configured.

Refer to HOW TO Set up Shipping Configuration.

" Affiliate Configuration Wizard

In configuring affiliates, the wizard helps you set up the default commissions you will pay out to affiliates. (You can modify these for individual affiliates, if you wish.) Other items you configure include Email configuration and notification.

" Add Affiliate Wizard

Potential affiliates can sign up in your store, but you can also add affiliate information yourself. You might do this when you have disabled the Default Application Status, in which case the Affiliate Login does not display on your Store Front. This data also includes the specific commissions you want to pay out for this affiliate.

" Look and Feel Configuration Wizard

Helps you customize the basic look and feel of your store. The choices vary, depending upon which Layout you have selected, Kool Cat or Miva Merchant Look & Feel. Refer to HOW TO Create the Basic Look & Feel for a Store Using the Wizard.

" Sales Tax Configuration Wizard

Guides you through the selections and options for each of the sales tax modules. Only one sales tax module can be selected for a store. Choose the one that best fits your needs.

" MIVA Marketplace Sign Up Wizard

MIVA Marketplace is a pay-for-performance service, which assists you in promoting your products to shoppers who are searching or browsing various websites. This wizard takes you through the sign-up process, after which you will be able to add your products to the MIVA Marketplace service.

" MIVA Marketplace Mass-Listing Wizard (new in 4.13)

Use the wizard to update many products at one time, using one or more update files to upload your product data to MIVA Marketplace.

" MIVA Marketplace List Product Wizard

Displaying after you sign up with MIVA Marketplace, this wizard helps you list your products within the MIVA Marketplace service, choosing the categories, and the per-click price to position your product.

" Miva Merchant Mailer Setup Wizard

Establish an account with the Miva Merchant Mailer Service.

" Miva Merchant Mailer Add Mailing List Wizard

Create the Mailing Lists, including the prompts that will display to your customers and affiliates, providing them the opportunity to subscribe to one or more of your mailing lists.

" Miva Merchant Mailer Send Wizard

Enter the subject and body for your Email and the list to which you want to send it. The Miva Merchant Mailer Server will send to each of the Email addresses in your list.

Next Steps: Maintain Your Store

Keep Your Store Running Efficiently

To keep your store running efficiently, prevent the size of your store from becoming larger than necessary and overburdened, and for added security, you should put your store into Maintenance Mode on a regular basis to perform some housekeeping.

Refer to the guide How to Maintain an Efficient Store for details about:

" Deleting shopping baskets and whether or not to recover order numbers

" Deleting temporary files

" Packing data files

" Removing old orders

" Backing up your data

Miva Merchant Documentation

The Miva Merchant publications are located on the Miva Merchant website, at http://www.mivamerchant.com/support/docs/. Knowing the version of the software you are using can help you locate the correct publication. To find the version: in the Administration Interface menu, on the left, click About Miva Merchant.

Help Documents

The Help Documents are written for the merchants who wants to build a Miva Merchant store. The guides assume you have a general knowledge of the Internet and e-commerce.

The Help Documents are written to help you perform specific tasks. On the website, they are grouped in the following categories:

• • • Getting Started - Includes publications for installation, starting to use Miva Merchant (this publication), creating a store, and integrating into an exiting site.

    • Making Changes to Your Store - Includes adding and setting up products, categories, attributes, inventory, upsale, groups, countries and states, and customers.

    • Set Up Basic Miva Merchant Configurations - Includes configuring affiliates, payment, shipping, order fulfillment, and logging.

    • Edit Your Store's Features and Functionality - Includes changing the look & feel of your store, store setting, maintenance mode, order minimums, and the tax structure.

    • Administer a Miva Merchant Store - Includes setting up a domain, a mall, users/groups, order processing, exporting and importing data, importing products, and utilities to clean up your domain and store data.