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Holy Shnikies! It is finally here.. the long awaited e-commerce module! We have incorporated about 95% of all the features you've asked for, plus added more. We have created what we believe to be the ideal membership site e-commerce solution that is fully integrated with iGrOOps, and works wonderfully with the affiliate and autoresponder modules.
Existing PRO customers as of December 20th, 2007, have had this module automatically installed for them as a free trial. If you are one of these customers, you have 30 days to test "try before you buy". if you do not use the "add modules / services" link to order this module within that time, it will be automatically removed from your group on Jan 20, 2008.
E-commerce Quick Start
If you are using this application for the first time, begin by visiting your e-commerce application's "Administration Area" and doing the following
Each step is explained in detail in this documentation.
In addition, you can link directly to the product pages using the links in the product database. If you call the products with an “.htm” extension, no headers or left menus will be used.Features & Benefits List
Examples
There are many ways you can incorporate the e-commerce system into your iGrOOp. Here are some ideas with some examples:
Setting Up Your Admin Options
Step 1 in selling products using your e-commerce system is setting up your admin options. Each option is explained in the right hand column of this page, but below are some more details.
PayPal vs AuthroizeNet? Bottom line, if your total sales volume is not that high, perhaps $100 or so per month, then PayPal would be the most economic option. PayPal is free and their credit card rates are reasonable. The downside is that customers are taken to PayPal's interface which some people see as less professional. It also takes members away from your site. It has been proven that an integrated solution such as AuthorizeNet converts more sales.
AuthorizeNet is the standard in online payment gateways which most online processors use. Monthly rates generally run from 15-25 dollars depending on your processor. Automatic recurring billing is and addl fee with AuthorizeNet but included in PayPal's free service.
If using AuthorizeNet, be sure to add to your response/relay URLs: https://www.safeonlinepayments.com/igroops
Understanding Shipping Schedules
In the admin options, you defined shipping methods. In the shipping schedule area, you define schedules that use the methods, then entries for each method.
Examples:
Shipping Method: UPS Ground
Using the above as an example, the following would be true:
If you use a state or province, only shipping schedules with that state or province will be used when someone is shipping to that state or province. If you use a country, only shipping schedule with that country selected will be used when shipping to people within that country.
Tax Schedules
The tax schedules are fairly straightforward. Select the country and optional state where the tax will be charged. The customer's shipping state will be used to match any and all appropriate taxes. When you create each product, you can choose to exclude the product from taxes, if your are selling both taxable and non-taxable items.
Adding Products
Now you are ready to start adding your products. To do this, go to the product database in the admin area. You will see the link to add your product:
Once clicked, the section will expand. The details of the fields are posted on the right column of the page. Below are some more detailed specifics.
The Custom Thank You Message. This can be a simple message or a full HTML document created with the online editor. Because customers order just one product at a time, this message is specifically for customer who just purchased this product. This means you can return a very specific and detailed message. This is a good place to include links to downloads they just purchases, "free gifts", or other electronic products.
Pricing. This is a powerful system that allows for many options and works seamlessly with the affiliate module to pay commissions to affiliates who are responsible for the customer's sale.
If you are using affiliate commissions, you need to have the affiliate module. This is a separate module offered by iGrOOps.
Promoting Your Products
In the examples section above we showed you some ways to promote your products. Here are the specifics utilizing the insertion of a vertical teaser on the left column.
1) go to your homepage editor and expand the left/right column sections
2) go to the HTML editor and click on the shopping cart icon to launch the window with your existing products
3) click on the link that describes what product and format you want to insert. For left and right columns you want to use the vertical summary
Note that you can choose an option without headers. This will NOT take away the headers on the page where you insert the product, but rather on all the other pages through the checkout process. This feature is ideal for sales letter applications.
4) Once you insert the product, it will show as a shopping cart icon place holder. But when you view the page, it will show as the product format you selected.
You cannot insert a horizontal format in the right or left column. Nor can you insert a full product form in an autoresponder.
Order Management
Here is an illustration of the order process:
Any changes can be made in the customer database by the administrator.
Selling an Electronic Product for Instant Download
People want things NOW, not within 3-5 business days. If you can offer your product or service immediately in the form of an instant download, all the better. iGrOOps e-commerce application is designed to meet this growing need.
An electronic product can be in any format -- exe, pdf, zip, mov, ... you name it.
Two applications are needed for this to work: the e-commerce module and the file sharing application. Assuming your have your electronic product already created, take the following steps:
1) Visit your file sharing application. You will notice a default folder "ecommerce" in the main directory. This is a special folder with special access permissions. Whatever you upload in this folder your members will NOT be able to see or access -- at least not without the special download code generated by the ecommerce system (more later).
2) Upload your files for instant download. Click on the ecommerce folder (you may have to click twice) then use the "add files" button to add the file(s), the the "upload" button to upload them.
Once you upload the files into this special folder, you will NOT be able to see them.... at least not in the flash uploader. You will be able to see them listed below listed under "E-commerce Folder for Paid Downloads"
Either copy this download URL(s) now or come back to this page later when you are ready to create the product entry for your instant download. It is this URL that you will want to link to in the "thank you" message.
You will NOT be able to open this link if entered directly in the browser. The word "DOWNLOADCODE" will be substituted for the actual download code when the "thank you" message is displayed, or in the order database after the order has been made.
3) Set the expiration for your download codes. In your admin options for the e-commerce application (leaving the file sharing application now), you will see a select for when you want your download codes to expire. You have the following choices:
4) Link to the special download link in your "thank you" message. Using the link(s) you created in step 2, link them to your message like you would any other URL (using the link button in the editor). Now the customer will be ready to download the product upon successful completion of the order!
Here is how it works: the text "DOWNLOADCODE" in the initial URL is substituted for the actual download code when the "thank you" page is generated. The download code is made up of the order number and the timestamp of the order, which is unique for each order. When the file is attempted to be downloaded, the system does a check against the order to ensure the code is good. If not, the file will not be made available.
What if someone loses their download and asks for the URL again? No problem, open up their order in your order database. Providing the "thank you" message still has the link to the download in it, any instant download URLs will show up in an "purchased downloads" section. You can just give your customers that/those URL(s). OR, the customer can get the URL(s) herself by clicking the receipt/invoice link for the order sent via e-mail.
E-commerce and Affiliates / Ad Tracking
The e-commerce module/system is designed to be nicely integrated with the affiliate module. This means, with both modules, your members (affiliates) can be compensated for the products they are responsible for selling. This is quite easy to implement. First of all, all members are automatically affiliates, so there is no additional sign up process. Members just send traffic to any product link and append their Nickname to the product URL using "+" then nickname.
Example:
http://www.igroops.com/igroops/y2s/ecommerce/00000011/Year-To-Success-E-Book.html+NicknameHere
Or, if you or your affiliates are sending traffic to a sales letter page (custom webpage with a product inserted in), add the affiliate code to the URL of the webpage:
http://www.igroops.com/igroops/y2s/adminpages/YearToSuccess+NicknameHere
Even if you are not using the affiliate program, you can use this to track advertising results of your webpages. For example, in place of the affiliate nickname you can use a campaign name and assign a different campaign name to each version of your webpage (sales letter) to track the results. This affiliate ID or tracking code is saved with each order.
If you are including the newsletter on a custom webpage, make the redirect the same page (URL) so the user does not get lost. If you are using an affiliate ID for that page, then add a "+AFFILIATEID" to the redirect URL. The word "AFFILIATEID" will be replaced with the actual affiliate ID.
Commission Reporting. The affiliates commissions are reported in the affiliate commission area, right under the affiliate commissions for membership sales. Sold products are kept separate from memberships for accounting purposes and organization.
Here are some important commission rules that the system follows:
Selling Your Member's Products and Services
The iGrOOps e-commerce solution comes with a unique feature that allows you to sell your member's products and services on consignment. This means, you come to an agreement with your members as to what percent of the revenue they will get, and what percent you will keep. You sell the items with your merchant account and send the member their cut via PayPal.
Here are the fields in the product database for this feature
Not only is this a great way to increase your revenues for your group, but it is also a great way to attract new members. Who wouldn't want to sell more products? Especially when it is no cost to the member!
A Couple of Examples. Say for instance you have a member who sells a physical book (you remember the kind with paper and ink). You would ask the member to send you a few copies of the book. You would then enter the product in your database, enter the members nickname in the "product owner" field, then the "member cut" which could be expressed as a percentage of the entire order (less tax and shipping) or a fixed dollar amount. Once the product is ordered via your e-commerce page, the customer pays you, the admin, then the member's cut will appear in the affiliate commissions area. This way, you can pay the member once per month. This will protect you quite a bit from refunds.
You may be tempted to work out an arrangement with your members so that when an order is placed you notify them and they ship the order directly. Keep in mind that the customer is paying YOU, not your member. This can get you in quite a bit of trouble if your members do not deliver in a timely manner.
Now let's say you have a member who sells an e-book. You can upload the product in your ecommerce folder in your file sharing app, then there is no need for the member to ship any product to you, or you to ship product to the customer.
If you are offering commissions on products where members are getting a cut, understand that out of the full amount, the members get their cut first, then commissions are paid, then you get what is left over. For example:$100 - total of products$10 - tax$15 - shipping$50 - member cut is 50% of the total order$10 - affiliate commission is 10% of the total order$5 - second tier affiliate commission is 5% of the total orderYOU GET $60 - here is the breakdown$10 - full tax amount$15 - full shipping amount$35 - total of products less member cut and affiliate commissions
