This page outlines how the shopping cart works, and provides details on how to get started and make the most of your store.

Getting started

1. Create a SecureHosting Store account online by following the relevant link within your account menu page (you will need to have a SecureHosting account to trial the Store, follow the link to start a free evaluation account from our web site). The store is free to trial for 14 days.
2. Define your global store settings, such as "cookie" expiry period, minimum order value etc.
3. Define your shipping and tax rules within your SecureHosting Store account.

Creating your product catalogue

1. Download the "StoreBuilder" software (link provided within your online SecureHosting Store account area).
2. Install and open the software on your PC.
3. Enter your SecureHosting Store account login and password in StoreBuilder.
4. Then create categories, products and options.

Creating Categories

You can have two levels of category - a PARENT (or "top-level") category, and a CHILD (or "second-level") category. Each category and sub-category can have a name. Each category list page can contain an image, reference and description.

1. Category Image - an image that can be displayed on the category list page. To use this, simply enter a complete URL of an image sourced from your main web site, eg. http://www.yourwebsitedomain/prodimage1.jpg . Then in your category list page insert the variable "$clasimag" for this image to be displayed.
2. Category Reference - a unique reference for the category that can be used to link into the a store with a category list page pre-loaded in the frameset. See below for more information on this.
3. Category Description - a block of descriptive text or HTML to be displayed on the relevant category list page. To display this description in your category list page insert the variable "$clasdesc".

Entering products

Enter your product details in the right hand panel. Each product can have a Name, Keywords, Short Description, Long Description (Item Text), Price, Product Code, and a large and small Image.

1. The keywords can be single words or phrases separated by a comma eg. "quicksilver,v12,jacket,winter"
2. The short description can contain up to 75 characters.
3. The item text box is the main product description and can contain virtually unlimited amounts of text, and can inlude HTML tags.
4. You can have 2 images per product - large and small. Enter the URLs to your images in the relevant box (images must be hosted on your web site eg. http://www.yourwebsitedomain/prodimage1.jpg). Alternatively, if you are unsure of the exact URL's of your images you can use our Image Locator. Just enter the main URL of your web site eg. http://www.yourwebsitedomain in the relevant image box and click on the button next to this box. This will bring up a mini browser, allowing you to locate images from specific pages on your web site. Click on the "Images" tab within the Image Locator to see the individual images, click on the image you require and then click on OK to select. Please note that you will need an open internet connection to use the Image Locator.
5. Products can have up to 10 options, either in the form of drop-down select options, text inputs or checkboxes.
6. Save your store and upload products, using the StoreBuilder upload facility. (Make sure that you establish an internet connection before uploading products!).
7. Your product database can contain up to 2500 items.
8. Each option value can have an associated + or - value, eg. selecting option size/large adds £4 to product price.

Extra Attributes

1. A product can also have additional user-defined attributes. These are defined within the "Extra" tab. Enter a value in each extra field as per your requirements, eg. product dimensions. To display these fields within your live store, simply use the variable names "$itemxtr0" "$itemxtr1" etc. (eg. the field "Extra0" would use the variable "$itemxtr0") within your product detail or category list templates. The extra fields can contain HTML.
2. Likewise, a product option can also have additional information associated with it. These extra values are defined within the "Extra" tab. To display these fields within your live store, simply use the variable names "$optnxtr0" through to "$optnxtr9". The extra fields can contain HTML.

Customising your store's "look and feel" .

If you are happy with the standard templates, but just want to change colours and fonts etc.

• Within your SecureHosting Store account login area, you can define basic customisations to the standard templates.

If you want to change the layout and customisation to a greater level.

• Within your SecureHosting Store account login area, download the set of standard templates. These are normal HTML pages, and contain "dynamic elements" embedded within the HTML for defining where database sourced content is to be displayed (ie. product menus etc.).
• Customise the templates offline using your normal method for editing web pages.
• Insert graphics and change the layout to suit your requirements.
• When happy with your redesigned templates, upload them once again within your SecureHosting Store account login area.
• If at any point you make a mistake with your templates, eg. if you have accidentally "broken" the functionality of the store by removing key dynamic elements, all you have to do is delete your customised template in your account, and your store will revert to the standard template for that particular page.

Notes on customisation

• Any images used in your templates should be sourced from your own server, ie.
  <img src="http://www.yourwebsitedomain/image.gif">

We recommend that only users with knowledge of HTML attempt significant modifications to the templates

Using your Store Linking to individual products from an external web site.
You can link directly to a product detail page within the store, bypassing the normal framed layout, simply by using a URL of the kind below :-
http://store.securehosting.com/stores/mystore/itemdetl.php?itemprcd=x

You can also link into the frameset with a product detail page pre-loaded within the store, simply by using a URL of the kind below :-
http://store.securehosting.com/stores/mystore/shophome.php?itemprcd=x

Note : replace "mystore" with your own SH store ID and "x" with the relevant product code, as entered in StoreBuilder.
Please note: if linking directly to an individual product, you should make sure that the "Stay on product page when product added?" option is set to "No" in your Store Settings.

Linking to individual categories from an external web site.
You can also link into the frameset with a category page pre-loaded within the store, simply by using a URL of the kind below :-

http://store.securehosting.com/stores/mystore/shophome.php?clasrefr=y

Note : replace "mystore" with your own SH store ID and "y" with the relevant category reference (the category reference is assigned by you within the StoreBuilder application). Please note that the category must contain products for this to work!

Linking to a group of products by keyword from an external web site.
You can also link into the frameset with a page of products matching a keyword pre-loaded within the store, simply by using a URL of the kind below :-
http://store.securehosting.com/stores/mystore/shophome.php?itemkeyw=yourkeyword

Note : The keywords are entered in the StoreBuilder software in the relevant product details section.

Using different templates for individual categories and products.
You may want to create a unique design for individual category list pages. This is possible by creating custom templates in the following way :-
For a PARENT category (ie. a top-level category) create a template calledlist_p_{category reference}.html
So for example if you had a parent category with a reference of “golf” for which you wanted to have a uniquely designed item list page, then you would create a template called "list_p_golf.htm".

You may also want to create a unique design for a CHILD category (ie. a second-level category). If so, you need to create a template calledlist_c_{category reference}.html

Similarly, to have a unique design for the product detail page belonging to a PARENT category, create a template with the namedetl_p_{category reference}.html. If the product belongs to a CHILD category then use the template name ofdetl_c_{category reference}.html

Please note : When uploading your custom category/product templates, please select the option entitled "Custom Template" within the SH Store page upload utility.

The search facility
The store comes with a product search facility, allowing your customers to quickly locate products in your database. The default search criteria is based on the "Keyword" entries which you define against each product in StoreBuilder. Keywords should be separated by commas in your StoreBuilder software, eg. "quicksilver,v12,jacket,winter"

Confirmation (thankyou) pages, error pages and confirmation emails
Your SecureHosting account contains a default confirmation page and emails, along with a default error page. These are defineable within your SecureHosting login area, by accessing the relevant menu option from your main account control panel. The system sends a confirmation email to you (the merchant) and to your customer. The two emails can contain different messages, and the content is customisable to suit your requirements.

Collecting Orders
All transactions are stored within your SecureHosting account, where you will find all information relating to the transaction including products ordered and customer address, payment details etc.. Please note : we do not process your payments automatically unless you have opted for one of our realtime processing options. If you have not requested realtime processing, you will have to download and process your transactions manually through an offline terminal.

More details on the templates
A list of the store related templates :-

shophome.html shophead.html shopmain.html itemdril.html itemmini.html itemlist.html itemdetl.html itembask.html itemchck.html itemempt.html itemminn.html itemclas.html sitedown.html

The store frameset Top menu page Welcome page Menu page Mini Basket Product list page Product detail page Basket page Total cost confirmation, proceed to checkout Basket empty message Displayed when minimum order value not surpassed No products found meeting search criteria Database down

Transaction templates
(available within main control panel)

shstore_template.html htmlgood.html htmlbad.html

Secure payment form Transaction confirmation page Transaction failure page

The "shstore_template.htm" template will automatically be inserted into your account when you click on the link to set up your store.

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