1.0 Store Overview
The store overview page gives you a quick glance at what's happening in your online store.
Monthly Sales Chart
The monthly sales chart displays the current month's sales by day. You can also show previous months by selecting a new date in the bottom drop-down menu, and clicking the 'View Chart' button.
Order Notifications
The number of new orders are displayed in bold text and can be accessed by clicking on the large box icon. Orders that still need to be shipped are displayed below.
Quick Store Statistics
Quick statistics of your store's sales are displayed in three categories; day sales, month sales and total all-time sales.
Announcements / Notices
Service announcements and news updates are displayed with the most recent items on top. Any changes made to your account and urgent notices requiring your attention, such as chargeback, will be displayed in red.
2.0 Orders
The orders page is where you can access all orders and transactions made through your store at any point in time. A colored icon is displayed next to each order item, representing the status of the order. Click on the invoice number to view details about a specific order (see section 2.1).
List Orders
By default, active orders (new and to be shipped) are displayed on the page. You can list orders from the current or previous months by selecting the desired item from the dropdown list and clicking on the 'List Orders' button.
Search Orders
You can search any information contained in an order by typing in the search criteria and pressing the 'Search' button. Any orders that match the criteria will be displayed below as search results. You can also list orders within a certain date range by typing the date in the appropriate format. For example, entering '2007-01-01to2007-03-31' would list orders between January 1, 2007 and March 31, 2007.
2.1 Order Details
This page displayed detailed information about a specific order.
Print Invoice
Clicking this will open a new window with a print-friendly copy of the invoice. Depending on your browser type and version, the new window my prompt you with your print settings automatically.
Email Invoice
Clicking this will send a copy of the invoice to the customer's email address listed in the billing information.
Refund Transaction
Clicking this will bring you to the refund transaction page. For more information please view section 2.2 of this document.
Order Status
The order status allows you to organize your transactions and keep track of which ones have been dealt with and which ones haven't. When clicking on a new order to view its details, the order status will be automatically changed to 'to be shipped' if products are to be shipped, or 'completed' if no products are to be shipped. Once the order has been dealt with, you can update its status by simply selecting the desired status and click on the 'Update Status' button to save changes. Some orders, such as ones that have been returned or charged back, cannot have their status updated.
2.2 Refund Transaction
The refund page allows you to do a partial or full refund of an online order. You must first enter which products will be refunded, and whether or not to refund the shipping and handling. Once entered, click on the 'Update Total' button to view how much will be refunded. You must then enter the customer's credit card number, which will be credited with the calculated amount. Once ready, press the 'Process Refund' button to process the refund.
If only a partial amount of the total order has been refunded, you may return to this page and refund the remaining amount of necessary.
3.0 Store Logo and Details
The store logo and details page allows you to enter your business' logo as well as detailed information about your online store.
Store Logo
Your store logo will be displayed on your shopping cart and your customer's invoices. To upload a logo, simply click the 'browse' button, select a JPEG image from your computer and then click on the 'Upload New Image' button. Logos will be resized to a maximum of 150 pixels by 100 pixels, but will keep the picture's original ratio.
Quick Description
This short description gives customers a quick overview of your business. This description is limited to 250 characters
Detailed Store Description
The detailed store description allows you to inform your customers about your business and build the confidence needed for them to complete a purchase. Both the quick and detailed descriptions can be viewed by customers through your shopping cart, and can be accessed remotely using our XML tools.
3.1 Store Policy
Your store's delivery, return and refund policy must be accessible by your customers in order to meet credit card industry standards. This policy should include:
- customer service contact
- delivery methods
- duty fees responsibility
- estimated time of arrival
- return eligibility
- exchange eligibility
- return time window
You can enter your own policy in the text field, or use our policy generator which will populate the policy for you. Your store's policy will be accessible by your customers through the shopping cart, and can be accessed remotely using our XML tools.
3.2 Store Policy Generator
The store policy generator is a tool that generates a simple and effective e-commerce policy. Simply enter the requested information which represents your business' store policies accurately and click on the 'Generate New Policy Preview' button. You will then be showed a preview of your new policy. Read over this policy and if you find it acceptable to your business, click the 'Click Here to Save New Policy' button the to apply it to your online store.
4.0 Shipping Rates and Taxes
This page allows you to change your store's shipping rates and applicable taxes.
Shipping Rates
There are two types of shipping calculations available for your store. You can select to calculate the shipping rate based on a percentage of the sub total by selecting this method and entering a percentage amount. For example, five percent (5%) on a $100 order would charge the customer a shipping rate of $5. Shipping can also be flat-feed based on the order size. Simply enter the shipping rate next to the preset order amounts. Be sure to click on the 'Save Shipping Changes' button when changes are made.
Taxes
If you're business does not charge federal or provincial sales tax, you may choose the option of not taxing invoice sub totals. If your business does charge sales taxes, enter the federal and provincial sales tax percentage accordingly. Some provinces do not charge provincial sales tax, and in this case the field should be left at zero. Businesses who do charge taxes to customer must provide them with a tax number, which will be displayed on customer's invoices. Be sure to click on the 'Save Tax Changes' button when changes are made.
5.0 Product Catalogue
The product catalogue is the central hub of your store's inventory. This page displays all categories present in your store, as well as all products present in those categories. There are three buttons present on top of the page. The 'Add Category' button will prompt you for the new category's information (see section 5.1). By default, all products are minimized below each category. By pressing 'View All Products', each category's product list will be expanded. This can be reversed by pressing the 'Hide All Products' button.
Category List
Each category is displayed in a blue window. Products that are part of this category are hidden by default, and can be viewed by pressing the 'View Products' button. Once listed, you can click on the product's name to view this product's details (see section 5.3). The 'Add New Product to Category' button will take you to the new product page with the specific category already selected (see section 5.2). The category itself can be edited by pressing the 'Edit Category' button or removed by pressing the 'Remove Category' button. Removing a category will not remove its contained products. Those products will simply be de-categories and appear under the Not Categorized heading.
5.1 New Category
Product categories help you organize your products and help customers sort through your catalogue. To create a new category, simply enter its name and its description, and press the 'Add New Category' button.
5.2 Adding a New Product
This page allows you to create a new product for your online store.
Product Name
The product name can be up to 60 characters in length and should clearly represent the product that customers are purchasing.
Category
Selecting a category is optional, but will help you organize your product catalogue and help your customer's navigate through it.
Price
The product's price should not include any shipping order taxes, as these will be calculated later in the checkout process. Prices are limited to your account's transaction limit.
Description
A detailed description of the product is recommended to ensure customer satisfaction.
Availability
Products that are no longer available cannot be viewed by buyers and cannot be added to the shopping cart.
Donation
Select this option if the product is a donation and not a physical product. Donations will allow the buyer to enter who the donation is from in the shopping cart. Shipping rates & taxes will not be applied to donations.
Shipping Options
By selecting the 'Quantity does not affect shipping rate' option, no matter what quantity a customer adds of the same product on the shopping cart, shipping rates will be calculate as if quantity was set to a single item.
Stock Level (Inventory)
Products that are out of stock can still be purchased by customers, but a warning message is given to them about stock levels.
5.3 Product Details
This page shows detailed information about the product, and allows you to make changes to various aspects of the product by selecting a section in the sub menu.
View Previous / Next Product
This gives you quick access to other products in your catalogue.
Generate Buy Button
Clicking this will bring you to the Link Generator page with this specific product preselected (see section 7.0 for more details).
Delete Product
Clicking on the 'Delete Product' button will permanently remove this product from your store's catalogue, including any pictures uploaded.
Edit Product
This section allows you to make changes to the product's details, including name, description and price. Be sure to press the 'Save Product Changes' button to save any changes made.
Shipping & Inventory
Changes to the product's shipping options and inventory levels can be made here. Once again, be sure to press the 'Save Product Changes' button to save any changes made.
Pictures
Each product can hold up to 4 individual pictures. When uploaded, each picture is formatted in various sizes. For more information on picture sizes, please see section (10.0). To upload a picture, click the browse button and select a JPEG image from your computer. Pictures files exceeding 1600x1200 pixels may take a long time to upload. If picture files are too large, the upload function can timeout and fail. For optimal quality, we recommend pictures of at least 400 by 400 pixels. Once selected, press the 'Upload New Picture' button to begin uploading.
Main Picture
You can select which image will act as your product's main picture by simply clicking on one of the thumbnails. This will be the image displayed during product listings.
Options
By selecting an option choice item and applying it to a product, you give your customers to ability to purchase different variations of the same product. For example, instead of having to add a separate product for each size, you can simply apply a size option group by selecting the group items that apply to this product. Not selecting any items in a group will disable this option group from the product. When you have selected the desired options for this product, be sure to click the 'Save Changes' button. To make overall changes to the option groups and the choice available, click on the 'Edit Option Groups' button (see section 5.5).
5.4 Parent Categories
Parent categories are used to group various product categories together. Categories ("children") can be added to multiple parent groups. To create a new parent category, simply enter a name, brief description and check the children categories that you wish to group together.
5.5 Option Groups
Option groups can be applied to any product by visiting the product details page, selecting the 'Options' section and applying the desired groups to the specific products. This allows you to enter a single product in your catalogue and give your customers the ability to choose variations of the same product. The group name is the name of the option group, such as 'size' or 'color'. Choice items are choices that customers will have for the specific product, such as 'small', 'medium' or 'large'. You may edit existing choice items by simply editing the text fields and saving your changes. To add a new choice item, simply type the new item in the 'Add New Item' field and click the 'Save Changes' button.
6.0 Events
The Helcim virtual store merchant backend also allows for ticket sales. In order to sale tickets, you must first create an event. The events listings page shows a list of current (active) events and expired events. To view an event's details, click on the event's name and you will be taken to the events details page (see section 6.2).
6.1 Adding a New Event
Before you can start selling tickets, you must first create an event which the tickets will be associated to. Enter all the information required and press the 'Add New Event' button to create the new event.
Event Name
The event name should represent the event and not seating or ticket sections.
Event Date & Time
The event date and time will be used to inform customers when the event will take place.
Event Description
It is recommended that you provide as many details as possible in the description to ensure customer satisfaction.
Address & Contact
Enter the event's address on two lines (if necessary). The contact field should contain the contact phone number or email address associated with the event's customer support.
Ticket Sale Duration
Select a date and time when tickets will be available for purchasing. You must also select a cut-off (end) date & time to ticket sales. Customers who try to purchase tickets outside of the time window will be denied the ability to complete their transaction.
Ticket Delivery Options
Choose whether tickets will be (1) mailed to the customers, (2) only available for online printing by the customer or (3) mailed and available for online printing.
6.2 Event Details
This page displays detailed information about the selected event. You can click on sub menu items to access the various sections and features of the event management. If the event has just been created, you will be prompt to create at least one ticket type in order for this event to begin selling tickets (see section 6.3).
Edit Event
This section allows you to make changes to the current event, including all fields initially required during the event's creation.
Pictures
Event pictures work very similarly to product pictures (see section 5.3), with the addition of the ticket background. If you have selecting 'online ticket printing' for your ticket delivery method, you are given to option of customizing the background image of the ticket itself. Simply click the browse button and select a JPEG image from your computer. Unlike the product and event pictures, the picture will be submitted to a forced resizing of exactly 650 pixels by 200 pixels, so it is recommended that you upload a picture of that ratio to avoid distortion.
Guest List
Clicking this button will open a printable guest list in a new window. Keep in mind that if tickets are still on sale, the guest list will continue to change until the ticket sale duration has expired. The guest list can be order by the customer's billing name, ticket type or ticket number by simply clicking on the column's heading. A small printer icon is located next to each ticket, which will allow you to reprint a customer's specific ticket at his or her request.
Generate Link
Click this will bring you to the Link Generator page with this specific event preselected (see section 7.0 for more details).
Delete Event
Deleting the event will permanently remove the event from your store, including ticket types, pictures and guest list. This is not recommended for active events that have already sold tickets to customers.
6.3 Tickets
After you create an event, you will be asked to create at least one ticket type in order to start selling tickets. There are no limits to the number of tickets types you can create per event, keeping in mind the importance of new confusing customers with too many choices. Once all the new ticket information has been entered, click on the 'Add New Ticket Type' to create this ticket.
Ticket (Section) Name
The ticket (section) name should reflect the admission type of the event. For example, the ticket could be called 'General Admission' or 'VIP Access'.
Price Per
This should represent the price per ticket and should not include any taxes or shipping, as these will calculated and added during the customer's checkout process.
Tickets Sold
This field shows how many tickets have already been sold (cannot be edited).
Ticket Number Prefix & Starting Number (optional)
Ticket numbering is used to valid purchased tickets. Ticket numbers are automatically generated based on the prefix and starting number you enter. For example, with a 'TCK' prefix and a '1000' starting number, tickets numbers would display 'TCK1001', 'TCK1002' and so on.
Total Tickets
This is the number of total tickets that will be available for purchase (including already sold tickets). For example, if 25 tickets have already been sold and you would like for 75 more tickets to be available, the total tickets would be 100.
7.0 HTML Link Generator
The link generator creates html links that connect your website to your shopping cart. To create a new link, first select the product or event that will be added to the customer shopping cart when clicked on. Next, click on 'Select a New Button' and select a button from the list available below. Not that you can always create your own buttons if no button on the list match your needs. Finally, copy the generated html code and simply paste it on your website.
8.0 Shopping Cart Colors
You can customize the look of your shopping cart by editing each of the color groups or by selecting one of our shopping cart color presets from the drop down menu. If you are unfamiliar with Hex (HTML) color codes, click on the 'open swatch' button and select one of the colors from the swatch. You may also enter any color you would like in the text field, as long as the colors are in the right Hex code format. We recommend that you select colors that match your website's layout and that are easy to read by your customers.
9.0 Remote Access
Warning: Our remote access XML tools are for advanced users and web developers. If you are unfamiliar with XML technology, it is not recommended that you enabled XML for your online store.
About Our XML Tools
XML generation is a feature available for advanced users who wish to display their store's content on their own website without the need for an independent database. Visit the Helcim Support section to view documentation on our XML standards and sample integration code. The XML token prevents outside users from randomly accessing product and store information from multiple merchants.
XML Generator
The XML generator is a quick tool for generating the appropriate XML 'commands' based on your store's product and event catalogue.
10.0 Custom Image Sizes
Custom picture sizes are to be used by web developers and advanced users, integrating the store's content into a website and needing specific product and event picture sizes. Whenever you upload a picture, three pictures are created by default: a large format (no prefix), a market size 400x400 max (mkt), and a 90x90 max thumbnail (tn). This page gives the advanced option of creating additional sizes for new pictures to be uploaded.
To add a new custom image size preset, enter a prefix (up to 4 characters), a max width and a max height for the image. You must also select whether or not to force a resize on the image or to keep its ratio. For example, setting a maximum width and height of 500 pixels and keeping the ratio, an image 1000 by 800 pixels would be resized to 500 by 400. However, if the ratio was forced, the image would be resized to 500 by 500 pixels and distortion would occur.
Please take note that editing a custom picture size will not affect pictures that have already been uploaded in the system. In order to adjust current pictures, pictures must be re-uploaded. It is important that the desired custom sizes are entered before the product catalogue is populated. Deleting a custom picture size will however delete all pictures with that prefix.