Take care if you are using Magento invoicing to capture payments.
From Magento admin it appears to work but I have just noticed in PayPal (UK) that authorised payments are still pending and the capture process has not occurred.
Others have also raised a similar problem with Authorize.net.
I don’t know what the solution is or why it just began happening, but do check and process manually if required.
Fortunately PayPal offers a bulk tool so, although annoying, it is simple to deal with.
Generated at http://quikqr.com/
What is QR code?
QR code is a small graphic that contains a website URL that can be read by a barcode reader, such as a camera on an Android or iPhone – there are reader/converter apps for those available free. It can contain ISBN, email contacts or plain text. For this article I am just looking at web links.
What does it do?
If you convert a link, such as your website homepage, into a graphic you can then print this out on your invoices. Rather than typing it in, smart phone users can scan it, go straight to your homepage and bookmark it. Very user friendly and no room for typos too.
It is popular in Japan, for example in printed advertising, business cards, billboards and flyers, but uptake is slower in the USA and Europe.
How might I use it?
Here is an example I thought of recently: I purchased a few packets of seeds from an online retailer who print and stick on their own labels to foil packets. Why not include a QR code on each sticker incorporating the URL to that product on their website. When I run out of seeds I simply pick up my phone, scan the packet and I’m at the buy page for that product.
From a customer service viewpoint how about including a code for instructions, care, propagation, pictures or anything else that might be useful. If a customer is likely to scan for information, chances are high they will return and scan your shopping cart link.
Where could you benefit from using QR codes?
Click Here!
Here is a summary of the CSV file downloaded from ZenCart, edited then uploaded to Magento.
If you are new to Magento you may wish to read first my previous posts on importing basic products into Magento from ZenCart, configuring the Magento CSV file and importing categories and images.
Overview:
Creating a Magento product CSV from a ZenCart file is straightforward and easy.
I open a sample Magento file and then copy and paste the Zen-cart columns, deleting the column when it is copied over to keep track.
Then simply bulk copy and paste the remaining Magento specific rows – it only takes about 4 copy and pastes. Change the image details then sort out the categories. Upload and done.
Magento Headings Information Required ZenCart Equivalent
store default: admin
websites name of every website using this product
eg myweb1, myweb 2 (comma separated)
attribute Default
type simple
category_ids the number of the category v_categories_name_2
simply find and replace to convert them
sku model number/stock code v_products_model
has_options 0
name product name v_products_name_1
meta_title meta_description url_key url_path page_layout options_container
I leave all these blank although you could copy and paste them from your ZenCart database if you wanted.
gift_message_available default: Use config
price cost for buyers v_products_price
special_price / cost I leave these 2 blank
weight weight for shipping purposes v_products_weight
status Enabled ensure this is set for all products else they do not show
tax_class_id Taxable Goods
is_recurring No
visibility Catalog, Search
enable_googlecheckout set all to Yes or No if you want to use Google checkout
description product description v_products_description_1
short_description either copy in description again or leave blank (I leave it blank)
meta_keyword custom_layout_update special_from_date special_to_date news_from_date news_to_date custom_design_from custom_design_to
I leave all these blank
qty number in stock v_products_quantity
The following depend on your set up. Most will be 0 or 1. Below is mine:
min_qty 0
use_config 1
is_qty_decimal 0
backorders 0
use_config_backorders 1
min_sale_qty 1
use_config_min_sale_qty 1
max_sale_qty 0
use_config_max_sale_qty 1
is_in_stock 1
low_stock_date ( I leave this blank)
notify_stock_qty 0
use_config_ 1
manage_stock 0
use_config_manage_stock 1
stock_status_changed_automatically 0
use_config_qty_increments 1
qty_increments 0
use_config_enable_qty_increments 1
enable_qty_increments 0
product_name I don’t know why this appears again copy and paste column H name
store_id 1
product_type_id simple
product_status_changed I leave this blank
product_changed_websites I leave this blank
image /image.jpg v_products_image
Use the image name with the / and ensure jpg is lower case. If you have directoryname/image.jpg then simply find and replace all directoryname/ with / to leave /image.jpg
Copy all the image files to /media/import and ensure permission on the files is 777.
small_image copy and paste column from image
thumbnail copy and paste column from image
Your competitor has a new website with a modern, individual look and many useful functions. You have an open source 2 or 3 column standard layout that looks like any other shopping site available and offers only basis functions Which website is a customer going to browse?
While osCommerce and ZenCart are not difficult to use or to understand how they work, are they rather dated and unable to do what customers require of a modern shopping website? I think its time to move on and I have chosen Magento.
It is a challenge. Magento works very differently and offers many more functions with more ways to customise than either ZenCart or osCommerce could hope to offer. The downside? It’s complicated.
Rather than go live, I have installed it at home on my own server in order to test and understand how to manage the front and admin side.
My aim: to run 3 websites using one installation of Magento with one database, offering a selection of products through sites that look and feel different.
I am starting with the free 1.4.1 version and I’ll keep you updated on how i get on. Hopefully if you are a Magento beginner like me it will help you too.
In addition, the importance of SEO cannot be emphasised enough for any website. As well as marketing and promoting your online store, your cart software has to have great SEO compatibility and I think Magento is over and above ZenCart and OsCommerce.
(Almost) purchased a coffee machine from very.co.uk
After going through checkout, giving address and payment details, the order has a despatch date of 2 weeks. 2 Weeks!
Emailed to cancel. Response: due to a successful busy period emails can take 7 days for a reply. Oh please! Is service of that level acceptable?
If you are slow to despatch:
1. Don’t be
2. Make it clear up front so the customer can decide
Eventually cancelled and went elsewhere. Shame as it was a good product at a good price. Annoying website though.
Perhaps the people at Very should read my brief article with 3 reasons not to shop online.
If you’re looking to improve your customer service skills, <a href=”http://066f3a2s8rdl3k2je6o3hu5x80.hop.clickbank.net/?tid=CUSTSERVICE” target=”_top”>Click Here!</a>
If you have upgraded to Zen Cart 1.3.9 and use the sitemap module to create a sitemapindex file then you may be getting the above error.
Fix:
$tpl_dir = $template->get_template_dir(‘gss\.xsl’, DIR_WS_TEMPLATE, $current_page_base, ‘css’);
$zen_SiteMapXML->setStylesheet($tpl_dir . ‘/gss.xsl’);
Again it is basic but have you checked the length of your descriptions, meta descriptions, key words and their relevancy to your content?
Try this meta tag analyser and have a look at your own website.
In my own example, before working on it, word length is fine but word relevancy needs some work.
Get serious about SEO and do it.
In the next article I will talk meta descriptions in Zen Cart. I changed mine manually and Google noticed the improvement.
Its time to get serious about SEO.
This is basic but has been on hold for too long so lets get down to it.
While of only little use to search engine placement or result, the meta description appears beneath your web site title on the results page.
Image shows google result with meta description (before work begins)
It can therefore be used to:
Check out this article for more in-depth examples of branding using the meta description.