Ecommerce overview
The technology
Konnect Soft use online store technology which has substantial default functionality already
included (functionality for your system is therefore largely
“implemented” rather than “developed”)
As a result of using this “product approach”, quality
assurance is massively reduced
Where additional functionality is required, due to the architecture of
the product, the implementation can be customized.
Security
All e-commerce functionality utilizes secure communications to protect the client’s and users’ data.
System functionality overview
Highlights of the functionality provided by the system include:
- Provides true multi-language support over a single web site
- Provides not just a shopping cart functionality to take
payments by credit card …
- But also a sales order processing environment that can be utilized
by the client:
- Customer order status functionality complete/unfinished:
awaiting invoice, awaiting payment, awaiting despatch
- Ability to print invoice to PDF and e-mail direct to the
customer
- Stock control (including stock/reorder levels)
- Send email to the customer informing them of an update to
their order status
- Order with payment by credit card or debit card
- Order without payment by credit card for approved customers
- Customers can administer their own accounts
- Plus many more features including customer reviews, quantity
discounts, promotions, currency, product options, etc.
Main features
W3C Standards Compliant
All front end pages are designed to adhere to the W3C's recommended XHTML
specification. The placement and appearance of almost every page element can
be controlled thanks to the extensive CSS implementation, with a "skinning" system
which means graphic designers can work on the look and feel without touching any
program code.
Product
Options
Multiple product options per item such as size, color, style, etc. are
possible. You can also turn these options into specific combinations and
track stock of each separately.
Multiple Language Capability
- Database driven for easy editing and changes online
- Supports individual
skins for each language.
Multiple Currencies
You can customize each currency separately, so that users can see each displayed in
its preferred form, for example £ 5.20 (with space), $4.60 (no space), 7,30
Kr (symbol after amount and comma as decimal separator) or ¥165 (no decimal
fractions). A real-time exchange rate update facility is available as part
of support coverage.
Search
Engine Friendly URLs
Replaces Google-unfriendly parameterized URLs with friendly hierarchical
ones without requiring any components installed.
Search
Engine Extras
Google Sitemaps support and static page generator.
Quantity Discounts
Bulk pricing for 2+, 5+, 10+ etc. - you can define the break points and
number of bands.
Promotions
"Buy one get one free", "Buy X get Y% off", "Buy 2X get Y for free", etc.
Customer Groups
Create customer groups such as "reseller" and "valued customers", then
restrict access to certain categories of products to a specified group only
or give these customer groups a percentage discount.
VAT/sales tax and shipping calculations
Dependent on the products selected and where the customer is located,
prices are, as required, calculated in terms of:
- Applicable
VAT/sales taxes
- Etc.
You can choose prices including or excluding tax, tax displayed or hidden
until checkout, US state tax, EU VAT support, tax exemption for
overseas/out-of-state customers and base shipping charges on UPS real time
quotes or the built-in banded shipping system.
Saved Baskets, Wish lists and Speed
order
Save a basket to your account or during checkout and reload it whenever
you need it. Set up wish lists for others to purchase items for you. Enter
item codes of products from a printed catalogue or other source and add them
straight to your basket.
Customer Reviews
Customer reviews configurable to allow:
- Anyone to post
- Only customers
- Only those who
have bought the item they wish to review.
You can also require reviews to be
approved before going live.
Product Attributes
Create new attributes such as ISBN (for books), author, manufacturer,
etc. and choose whether these are searchable and can appear as options on
the search form too.
Charging for access to online content
Payment functionality is supplied to support “charging for content” as
well as the option to support the purchasing of physical product.
Other features
- Affiliate system to track clicks
and sales via affiliates
- "My Account" section to review
order history and other account info
- Support for downloadable items
including time limiting and manual approval option
- EU VAT number format check
- Opt-in verified mailing list
manager
- Enquiry feature (with option to
attach cart details)
- Cross-selling "people who bought
this also bought" and manually configured "related items" as well as "try
these categories"
- Sophisticated search based on
keywords and categories; can search custom-defined attributes such as ISBN
- Search results displayed in plain
text format or using the category and product display options
- Highlight search terms in results
- Back end global search box finds
customers, orders, configuration settings and site text matching terms
- Back end "to do" list automatically
keeps track of tasks that need attention
- Administration logs keeps track of changes
- Markup tool - easily modify prices
on all items matching the criteria you specify
- Skinned HTML invoice/receipt in
back end and customer account section for printing/saving
- Optional display of stock level,
weight and RRP ("recommended retail price" - list price)
- Add extra text pages with basic CMS
functionality
- Edit most page and email text
through the back end system
Additional features
For details of additional features see
E-commerce - Additional features.
Shopping cart features
Shopping cart features were designed and developed with the UK, European
and US markets in
mind.
UK & EU
VAT: Handling the basics
Extensive built-in VAT (Value Added Tax) handling. You can choose
whether the price you enter for items in the back end administration section is
inclusive or exclusive of tax; the store will then add VAT where appropriate
if you entered ex-tax prices, or remove tax for foreign orders if your
prices are including tax. You can set the VAT rates, include a zero rate for non-VATable
items. You can also choose whether to show both ex-tax and inc-tax prices on
your store, or just the headline price (either including or excluding tax).
UK & EU
VAT: Advanced tax handling for EU customers
If your store is in the UK or EU, you will typically have to charge VAT
to all customers in your home country, and exclude VAT to those outside the
EU. In the case of companies within other EU countries who are VAT
registered, you should zero-rate the tax. They will then declare the order
on their EU VAT return and pay tax at their own country's prevailing rate
via their tax return.
EU VAT handling can be activated so that customers in EU countries
outside your own will be prompted for a VAT number during checkout. There is
a basic algorithm you can activate to check that the number meets the basic
format of VAT numbers for the country in question (there are many different
formats for VAT numbers across the EU). Orders with a VAT number supplied
will have the VAT zero rated. You should always check of course with the VAT
authorities that the number supplied matches the customer details; but this
feature decreases typos and misquoting
of VAT numbers significantly.
Support
for popular payment gateways
Many of the most popular payment gateways are supported see
E-commerce - Payment gateways.
Meets
EU ecommerce requirements
The checkout procedure gives a full summary of the cart contents prior to
checkout, and you can activate a "confirm terms and conditions" checkbox
from the configuration settings. A printable receipt of each order is shown on
screen after a successful purchase. An email copy of an order is also sent
to the customer. solutions are web-standards compliant and meets basic
accessibility requirements.
Payment options
Konnect Soft provide real time
credit card processing linked to any of the major providers. All
e-commerce functionality utilizes secure communications to protect the
client’s data.
The system utilizes appropriate purchase options:
- Credit card
(real time credit card transaction verification) - multi-currency payment
can be supplied on request
- Payment
following invoice
Cards are checked and authorised online with major credit cards, debit
cards and Paypal supported.
An online credit card payment gateway is utilized to validate and bill
credit cards in real time. This functionality increases security,
reduces labour costs and (subject to the product or online service) fulfils
the order automatically.
The online payment gateway bills the credit card automatically and
deposits the payment into the supplier’s account.
Multi-currency facilities can be provided as required.
Placing orders without a credit card
Approved Customers can order by PO (purchase order)/account number without a credit card.
SEO optimized
Best-in-class SEO (search engine optimized) features such as friendly URLs, Google sitemaps and static
page generation.
Also class-leading features are available to improve search engine visibility,
ranking and performance are provided including:
- Search-engine friendly URLs for
database-powered pages
- Custom meta tags and page titles for products
- Static-page generator
- Google Sitemap