 Online Help |
|
Online Help |
|
When you are creating a new product, the additional tabs will appear once you click Add to save the information you have entered.
This is the code that uniquely identifies the product in the store database.
The product code can be up to 50 characters long, but shorter codes will make some screens and reports easier to read. Customers will be able to see the product code, depending on your store settings.
Letters (upper- and lower-case) and numbers can be used, along with dashes and underscores. For instance, RULER-12in or Pen_Black_3pk would be acceptable. Other characters, including spaces, decimal points, quotation marks, and slashes, cannot be used in the product code. So RULER-12", or Pen Black 3pk would both not work.
Product codes must be unique — no two can be the same. Upper — and lower — case versions of the same letter are recognized as having the same meaning. On the product codes CANDY, Candy, cAnDy, and candy would be considered duplicates, and only one would be allowed.
One way of sorting products is by code, either ascending or descending, to determine the order on the product list screen, and within categories. The strategy described below, under Product Name, can be used with product codes, to determine the display order when sorted.
The product name is a descriptive label. It appears in many areas of the store, including the major heading for the product details screen.
The name can be up to 100 characters long, alphanumeric, and can be changed at any time. Upper — and lower — case letters, along with numbers, spaces, and symbols, can be used in the product name.
Product display order can be determined by name. This can be either ascending or descending on the product list screen, and within categories. Some businesses choose to name products so the ordering naturally clusters certain items or brand names together. To do this, establish a naming convention in your store where the more general information comes first, followed by the more specific information. For example:
Pants, Flared-leg
Pants, Straight-let
Scarf, Silk
Scarf, Wool
Skirt, Blue
Skirt, Red
Compare the order above with:
Blue Skirt
Flared-leg Pants
Red Skirt
Silk Scarf
Straight-leg Pants
Wool Scarf
In most cases, a store is organized by categories. Categories and subcategories generate the navigation tree that shoppers use to browse through the store. Products that are assigned to categories will be easy for customers to find.
A product can be assigned to multiple categories and subcategories. An acoustic guitar might belong to both the Guitars category in a music store, and to the category for all products by a certain manufacturer.
Specify a category in which this product will be listed. You can enter the Category Code directly, or select it from a list by clicking Look Up. Later, if you want to assign the product to additional categories, do so from the Categories screen.
When a product is not assigned to a category, it is only accessible through the Product List screen. If you do not want the product to be in any category, leave this field blank.
Enter the Price for the product. This is the price that will normally appear in the store. Discounts may be applied, based on this price, when the product is offered to customers who are members of a price group, or when the product is offered as an upsale product
Specify a Cost value. Businesses use this field in several ways. One is to enter the actual cost of the product, and base special offers on a markup from cost. Another is to enter a set value of your choosing, and offer specials at a price equal to this "cost." If you will not be basing any offers on cost, you can choose to leave the cost at zero.
Shipping charges are usually based on the combined weight of the products ordered. The Weight you enter here should be the shipping weight of the item, including any required packaging. For instance, a 40 pound blown-glass art piece might require a wooden crate and cushioning materials weighing an additional 20 pounds, so the shipping weight would be 60 pounds for that item.
Weight values are always specified in the Units of Measurement (Weight) field on the Edit Store / Settings screen. There is one unit of measurement that is used for all weights throughout the store.
The Description is what shoppers see on the product screen in your store. The description can be as long as you like, and can be entered as plain text to use the default formatting, or as HTML code, to format the description exactly as you like.
Select Taxable if this product is subject to tax. Clear the Taxable check box for products that should not be taxed. Whether a product is taxable or not depends on your country and jurisdiction. Some things, such as services, certain food products, or some books are not taxed. Check with your accountant or tax attorney for specific, up-to-date information.
Select Active if you want the product to appear in the store. Clear the Active check box to hide the product. This is convenient for seasonal or occasional products. Rather than deleting them, and all the information that goes with them, set them to inactive until you want to make them available in your store again.
Each product can have a small "thumbnail" image, and a full-sized image. These can simply be small and large versions of the same photo or graphic, or they can focus on different features of the product. The full-sized image, for instance, could be a montage of detailed views of the product, or could show it being used.
The thumbnail image is shown in category listings, and other places in the store where a smaller image is required. The full-sized image is displayed on the product screen.
For complete information on creating and working with images, see Uploading Images.