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Seems sales are migrating away from my sites and eBay toward Amazon. Not sure why?
Since we are either the largest dealer, sole distributor, or the manufacturer of what we sell on Amazon, I am not overly concerned. Just scratching my head on why people in droves will pay more on Amazon?
Most of my websites are in good search engine position. We do a fair amount of PPC and advertising. We include flyers and special offers on the websites with everything we send out (including Amazon FBA).
I'd be more concerned -than the more concerned I am- except eBay is sliding in parallel. Overall sales are up, just shifting.
So I'm anxious to see how V9 can help manage Amazon, eBay, and multi-stores.
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It's going to help you manage your channels well, giving you a unified interface for everything. We've had reports from a couple of other clients seeing sales lost to amazon in particular. In one case, the client is selling both using a Kryptronic online store and on Amazon and seeing bigger growth on the Amazon side.
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I'm also looking forward to the Amazon integration. I avoided selling on Amazon for years but as lgt mentioned people will pay more. After throwing some test products up on Amazon I was amazed how easy it was to sell products without any discounting.
Nick: Although I'm waiting with baited breath for V9, I'll be patient and not bug you about a release date. However, if you could reveal a little more about how the Amazon integration works that would help me a lot. We're looking at potentially adding thousands of products to our Amazon store and I don't have a clue what the process for doing that with CCP will be. Any details would be much appreciated.
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V9 has a completely different data setup than all previous versions. In order to understand how the Amazon integration works, you need to understand that V9 does not simply have products with options (like V8 and lower). V9's base physical/shipped/inventoried products are called 'Inventory Items'.
Inventory Items are basically SKUs for every item you can touch that you or someone else (a dropshipper) ships. Each Inventory Item can have it's own options. Inventory Items are sold in the online store using products, now called Product Offers. A Product Offer can contain one or many Inventory Items in a variety of configurations (one, choice of more than one, multiple choice, package of multiples with set quantities, custom selection of group of multiples).
Product Offers can also be set up as services (sold, but not tied to Inventory Items) as well. These offers can be sold as downloads or gift certificates, accept custom price input from customers, have recurring monthly charges, and can have options.
All Product Offers, regardless of whether they are services or tied to one or more Inventory Items, can have optional Inventory Item addons. As noted, options can be assigned to service Product Offers and to Inventory Items. Under this configuration, options as we know them have been reduced to items like service enhancements and for customer input on custom configurations. Pricing is entered for each service Product Offers and Inventory Item on the Product Offer level,
With all that said, we're basically going to have a bunch of Inventory Items that we're selling in the store, also available to sell on other channels like Amazon. Hopefully you've entered barcodes for your Inventory Items as that will make listing on Amazon easy. Your new Amazon interface allows you to view all listed items, modify listed items and add new listings. When adding a new listing, you'll be selecting one or more Inventory Items and entering pricing for them. The barcodes are used to identify the item on Amazon and help you match it to an existing ASIN on Amazon. If no match can be found, you're run through the process of creating a new listing, otherwise you can sell using the ASIN you select at the pricing you enter.
Basically, you'll be selling your Inventory Items as Product Offers in your store, and listing your Inventory Items on Amazon as listings at the same time. All the orders from the store and all channels end up in the store backend for processing/export/etc.
I hope that helps.
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Wow. V9 is going to be powerful. Manufacturers like us don't use barcodes, so we don't use Amazons UPC codes. Rather, we have our brand registered at Amazon to identify our unique offers (items). I'm guessing that we'll be able to simply add the ASIN to the v9 Inventory Item information.
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Can products prices be set indepently for CCP, Amazon and eBay or will it be one price for all?
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Thanks Nick, that gives me a better idea of how this will work. Much of what we sell doesn't have bar codes (musical instruments and accessories from boutique suppliers.) but we do have bar codes in our database for many of the items that have them.
Like sdn, I'd also like to know if we can set seperate prices for the Amazon items. Their 15% fee changes the whole pricing equation
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I'm guessing that we'll be able to simply add the ASIN to the v9 Inventory Item information.
You'll enter your ASIN when listing your item to do the match that way.
Can products prices be set indepently for CCP, Amazon and eBay or will it be one price for all?
Pricing is set using it's own table (ecom_pricemap) and is independent of Inventory Items. Meaning you can sell the same Inventory Item on different channels at different prices. In fact, you can sell the same item in the store under different offers at different pricing. We used a separate pricing database table in order to allow for you to easily add multiple items at multiple prices to a single product offer, as well as to have a way that pricing worked cross-channel.
Barcodes and ASINs will make listing on Amazon easy. If you don't have either, you can always list the item and have Amazon create an ASIN for it.
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Sounds to me like things are getting more complicated. There are a lot more moving parts than there was back in V6.
Are you going to depend more on resellers and web designers? Supporting all these upgrades and new ways are going to be a huge undertaking.
Still no word on pricing?
I know close. Very close.
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Good point.
Look at it this way: We're trying to achieve a simpler to manage setup through being creative with the data structure. In V6 the product table had already grown to 52 columns from 30 in V5.1. V8's table is 74 columns, and V9 was spec'ed at a minimum 128 columns to handle single inventory item offers (no bundles or custom packages or addons). It was time to rethink and simplify when laying out V9, and to basically rebuild it from the ground up.
At this point, V9's product offers table (ecom_prod) is at 64 columns, all marketing related. The inventory table (ecom_inventory) is at 41 columns, all inventory and shipping related. The pricing table (ecom_pricemap - maps product offers to one or more inventory items with pricing) is at 23 columns, all pricing related. They're all managed independently of each other, so as a shop owner, you'll first set up your inventory, then you'll create offers for that inventory. The pricing is created as you create the offers. You'll have tools to automatically adjust pricing independent of offers and inventory.
So much effort was put into the foundation to ensure easier management of a more complex data structure. As far as design, I think most Kryptronic users will find the new displays easier to manage. In most cases it will be as simple as uploading a new logo and possibly doing some color changes in the stock Flex skin's CSS file. Even the CSS was built this time around to group all the things you would do as a shop owner, like color changes, into one easy to read and follow file. The newer design is so clean that a logo and some cool banners are all that's really needed to make it unique.
Concerning pricing, it's going to be higher. We're getting our pricing inline with the competition. Our current pricing on V8 is low due to the fact that it's on it's way out the door. As a company, we are going to move towards implementing our software on our hosting platform using different plans as our base offering, with a self-hosted version available as an option. We want to move more towards building software on a day to day basis, like we did in the early days. We're forming partnerships with longtime Kryptronic clients currently which will allow us to use more resources for Custom Shop work and concentrate here on ongoing software development. Happy days will be here again for everyone. All our clients know our software makes them money, more with every upgrade, and it's worth every penny. In my mind, whatever pricing is finalized, it will be insignificant in an ROI calculation.
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CCP is the best cart for me.
It seems that you want to go high-end, and that is great. I'm ready to go with you.
One special note, I personally wouldn't put my main websites on a cart-hosted platform. Too many factors out of my control.
Stories abound on the internet about hosted carts going down for a week or more and support being unsupportive. Additional stories about complaining and being summarily booted and unable to retrieve data. I'm sure there are stories behind the stories. My reality is internet--based-perception.
I trust you with my data-on my server.
The thing that makes me wary of your last paragraph is you can't meet a deadline worth a flip! Ho Chi Mama! That is experienced-based-reality.
Your skills and knowledge amaze me. Do you have one more WOW in your bag?
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Being located in the UK, we prefer a UK based server for various reasons.
Will having CCP9 hosted on our own server be similar to managing CCP8?
Will we be hit with a higher charge for CCP9 for self-hosting?
Last edited by sdn (11-17-2015 03:00:23)
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lgt & sdn:
We haven't finalized our pricing plans for the new software. I've laid out above what we want the plans to look like. Both of you are valued long-time clients. We do not plan to alienate you. I too run an online store and would not trust anyone else but me to host it, so I get where you're coming from. Most clients, though, want an easy to setup and manage hosted version. It's what most people are looking for these days, and what people expect to see as a primary offering. So, we're formulating plans for both types of clients. We are planning on a higher one-time license charge for self-hosted clients. Please read on about support...
Upon release, Kryptronic will have a new support framework. As always, our forum will continue to be free for all. Hosted clients will be entitled to Kryptronic support as outlined in the hosting plan they've chosen. Different plans have different levels of support. Self-hosted clients will be entitled to limited support for a specified timeframe with a one-time license purchase. The option to add on a monthly support plan will be provided for those self-hosted clients. You will need an active support plan in place to contact Kryptronic for any technical support, beyond using this forum.
I hope that explains it a little better without putting any numbers to it.
lgt:
More WOWs? More candy? Wasn't that enough?
Well, what about an embedded POS system in admin? We've got this.
Or manufacturer support with manufacturers being automatically listed like categories with full navigation? We've got this.
Maybe running special offers for just certain users or mail list subscribers is your thing, and you want the system to automatically generate a whole category section based on you entering a few sale percentages. We've got this.
Are you sick of how breadcrumbs are built and really want them right in this new version? We've got this.
Do you need the ability to show product offers in grids grouped by category with comparison features instead of listing all products in a standard grid? We've got this.
Are you tired of waiting for your V8 site to load in your browser because of all the extra scripts and CSS that's embedded? Perhaps completely streamlined and rewritten JS and CSS is your thing. This more complex (by far) system generates pages on the server side 10% faster than an equivalent V8 site, and renders in the browser 300% faster.
You know about the responsive design, but it needs a second WOW shout out. It's badass. No more mobile/desktop. One skin to fit them all (feeling like LOTR here).
Need to point multiple URLs into a single site and have all the URLs and SEO work right? Need to be able to offer different pages, categories, products, settings, specials, etc. on those different URLs with a single install? Need to skin it right? We've got this.
Want to offer instant rebates that show up in the cart and checkout to avoid MAP pricing? Or bundle free items with MAP priced items in order to get sales? We've got this.
What to give away free products when you spend X amount on products from the same manufacturer? Like a $50 gift certificate for spending X on manufacturer A's products. We've got this.
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I've got to get back to work. This was all off the top of my head. All just frontend stuff because it's fresh on my mind as I've been testing the hell out of all of the above.
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Will CCP actually manufacture the products I sell, package them and take them direct to the customer.
Or do I have to wait for V10??
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Is that true POS with carder reader and receipt printer option? Is it like an embedded PayPal Here?
I reluctantly opened the warehouse to walk-in traffic. Turned out to be a real good move so far.
Soon we'll have in-store financing set up.
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I know, I know "close". And I hate being a pest. But when do you think you believe egarden.com will be installed?
I laid-off a content writer a few weeks ago, after one more day... one more day...
The more hints you drop, the more I know I'm going to need her back.
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zanart: We're calling it the auto-assistant module. We got our inspiration from the movie Weird Science, and the auto-assistant that's created for you will be scantily clothed. We're working on it. Just kidding.
lgt: The POS is a management interface function that allows you to build orders for customers and checkout on a single page in the backend. We've built it to handle walk ins and phone orders. It works with all API-based processors, so processing via PayPal Standard isn't doable - processors PayPal Direct and Authorize.net AIM work with it. You have your choice for card entry - plug in a card reader and operate it like any other input device, or type in the card number the customer gives you. I've been working on the importer for two solid weeks in conjunction with your egarden build. I keep seeing things in the import that I want to go back and address in the core, so it's alot of back and forth right now to make it perfect. I wish I had an estimate. I wake up every morning thinking today could be the day.
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What a coincidence! I wake up each day thinking today is the day as well.
Unless it is just for practice, I wouldn't worry too much about making egarden.com skin at all. It is just a placeholder for the new cart program. It will be totally,totally, totally, redesigned.
In fact, my intention is to get a cart program on egarden.com, then make the skins for all the other sites from it.
The POS has really piqued my interest. Do you have a tested card reader you'd recommend?
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Thanks for the info on the skin. The skin in V9 is so substantially different from V8, in most cases we're just doing logo uploads and color/font changes when doing custom upgrades. Trying to replicate a V8 or earlier skin in V9 would be absurd as the earlier skins are desktop-only and would never work in a responsive format. In all cases so far, the sites look better in V9. In the cases where we got SS Creative Studio involved to create banners and provide some style guidelines, they've come out fantastic. If you want to contact SSC, call 717.846.0800, ask for Van and tell him you want a Gladhill designed V9 skin and banners.
I haven't tested a card reader, but they work like any other input device. So, just like barcode scanning, grabbing a card number from a card reader is handled by the device the reader is tied to and the input data is treated as standard input. As the management interface is responsive, you could implement this POS on any type of device, and it would work in the shop as well as out in the wild to take orders. One client of ours attends conventions and camps where they plan to sell items using the POS onsite.
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Just guessing, but it seems like this is not just a cart upgrade, but a whole new way of doing business?
That is why I'm anxious to see the back end.
You're making wholesale changes that seem to fit the direction we want to go.
If it will speed things along, just set up egarden.com as a new install. There isn't any data that we're going to keep. Even the logo is not the correct one.
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POS is not directly relevant to us but we would like to streamline our telephone order process (MOTO).
It would be good if we could do these via using CCP as we could setup an online account for the customer (If they wish), use the Postcode Anywhere address lookup, take the card payment and update online stock quantities all at the same time. We have a fast(ish) system for getting CCP orders into Quickbooks (is the QB Connector mentioned in another forum thread going to become a reality any time soon?) so it is easier for us to have the cart lead the telephone order process. We can almost do it now using guest checkout but we hit the 3D secure screen when using SagePay form and we obviously cannot ask customer to reveal their password.
It seems we would need to use their Direct integration described at
http://www.sagepay.co.uk/support/15/36/ … he-process
Is this the Protx (SagePay) Direct - Secure Server method already offered by the cart? Is you new POS working along these line or is it a different setup altogether?
Last edited by sdn (11-19-2015 05:24:48)
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lgt: I'm not sure if this is a whole new way to do business or not, but the software is completely different. It opens up a bunch of opportunities for you to adjust your business model by opening up marketing channels (ebay, amazon, much better wholesale) as well as addresses the needs of businesses selling SKUed items. Let's face it, selling today on the web is way different than it was 10 years ago, and we're building the new version to sell what you need to sell today. The web has advanced, it's time your ecommerce platform advances beyond that.
sdn: You would need to use Protx (SagePay) Direct - Secure Server and have the 3dsecure check disabled for POS orders. That can all be done within the software, 3Dsecure is automatically disabled when the POS is active for all gateways. It sounds like changing the processing method is all you need to do to take those phone orders via the POS. I just thought, though, that you can have different gateways active on the BackEnd versus the FrontEnd in the new version, so you could activate that API method for the BackEnd (POS) only and continue to process using what you're using now for customers shopping the store, if you want to do that. We need somebody who is willing to work with us and test the QB connector if it's going to be part of the release. I've looked at it and want to do it. Interested?
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Your MOTO suggestions sound promising. Doing it within the admin area with Secure Server sounds best to me. Wouldn't take much time to duplicate that payment gateway and have it without 3D secure for internal use only if anyone wanted to run Secure Server on their site. We gave up with it on our site as we felt people have more confidence entering their card details into the more familiar SagePay screen. The internal system would need to have a shopping cart (or form) to enter the product codes and quantities plus display the shipping country delivery prices and options plus billing and shipping address fields. All of that is pretty much already there for the frontend anyway.
I am happy to offer whatever help I can on the QB Connector testing. Just let me know what you need us to do.
Last edited by sdn (11-19-2015 13:45:20)
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sdn: "The internal system would need to have a shopping cart (or form) to enter the product codes and quantities plus display the shipping country delivery prices and options plus billing and shipping address fields."
Right. That's the POS, a nice backend representation of frontend checkout. Pick or add customer, adjust addresses / customer info, pick products, add to cart, checkout, all on one screen. You even have the ability to discount the pricing to get a good deal for the customer, or allow them to haggle, over the phone. Open a tick on the QB connector with our custom shop and I'll work with you there on it. Thanks.
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When you refer to POS (also called ePOS?) do you mean a cardholder present transaction using a PED?
It seems to me that MOTO (Mail Order Telephone Order) are "cardholder not present" transactions (like ordering online).
Seems that you have already got the order entry system covered for both and SagePay Direct covers the CNP card payment side for MOTO. Now all we need to do is contact the AAAA.
I have opened a ticket for QB Connector as suggested.
Last edited by sdn (11-21-2015 15:23:09)
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You must have a military background with all these acronyms! Correct on MOTO and we have that covered. We refer to a point of sale system as a POS and it will handle face-to-face with hardware swipe (you need to configure this), or card entry over the phone or mail in checks, etc. ala MOTO. I hadn't considered mail order as an option.
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