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Ekm Systems Newsletter - May 2008
Every month we will keep you updated with company news, topical and current articles, a feature shop review and tips on how to get the most out of your ekmPowershop account.
Inside this Issue
We would love to hear your feedback, please email us via newsletter@ekmsystems.co.uk.
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New update to ekmPowershop...
The stock control system has had a massive overhaul, after an intensive development process and great feedback from our beta testers (many thanks to ekmCommunity members for that).
All ekmPowershop sites now have a comprehensive stock control system which allows for stock quantities to be placed on product options/variants.
The new enhancement to ekmPowershop's stock control system also features:
Low stock levels notification.
The numeric value you set within the drop down box will be the trigger value for when your ekmPowershop sends you a notification email to advise the stock is running low.
Stock control manager.
This facility allows you to edit various elements of your stock in a bulk manner, such as changing product prices, stock levels and product delivery charges - along with several other parameters.
Product variants.
When adding your products, you may find that you wish to have certain variations of that product. For example, you may be selling a shirt that is available in various sizes and various colours. Not only may you have these two variants, but you might have differing stock levels of each variant.
Improved category management.
When you have selected a product to be seen in a different area, you will now have the power to be able to change the listing order as well as the original product added.
We have also added 5 guides to our support section of our website which will help you with the new feature.
What Is Stock Control
Stock Control Settings
Stock Control Manager
Stock Control: Setting Up Product Options
Stock Control: Setting Up Product Variants
Of course this is a new development and so any feedback or issues are welcome as we endeavour to ensure ekmPowershop remains the most powerful ecommerce tool on the market.
If you have any questions or any issues using the new feature please call our Customer Services team on 0871 230 7116.
Or email us at support@ekmsystems.co.uk and we will be able to offer assistance. |
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Don't forget to join the community!
 Many of you now know about and actively use the forum we introduced a couple of months ago.
There are almost 700 members on ekmCommunity now and the number keeps on growing. It has proved a great resource during the new stock control update, as Beta testers volunteered from the forum to iron out any bugs.
It is also a good way to keep yourself upto date on any other new features in the pipeline.
So far there have been almost 25,000 posts on the forum and most of them have been very useful.
It has provided a great resource for technical guidance too - the more experienced ekmPowershop users helping others with their online shops and making them a success.
Overall the forum has probably been most effective in this way for people. However there is room for more in this community so please feel free to join up via this link www.ekmcommunity.com/register.php
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You have 100% Design Control
You can replicate any of your favourite sites or create your own stunning online shop.
If you would like some help designing your store simply contact our design team.
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This months Customer Spotlight features Amardeep Johal from Canvaspicture.com.
Canvaspicture.com
www.canvaspicture.com
Tell us a little about yourself/your business.
Canvaspicture.com was launched in 2005 and offers a wide range of high quality art on canvas, including modern art, natural photography, pop art, and personalised children’s art. Our products are made-to-order and we are committed to providing an extremely high quality service at a reasonable price.
Why did you setup your business, and what do you hope to achieve?
Canvaspicture.com was set-up in response to the lack of variety of canvas art available at that time. Most canvas art retailers offer a limited style of designs, and we wanted to offer customers a single source for all their canvas art and photography requirements.
Why did you choose ekmPowershop?
We originally set up Canvaspicture.com using a different online shopping cart, which took us a considerable amount of time and effort to complete. We came across ekmPowershop by chance, and after trying the online demo were amazed at how user friendly the software was, particularly in terms of uploading products and keeping track of orders. We therefore decided to switch to ekmPowershop and abandon our previous setup.
Do you have any "top tips" for using ekmPowershop, and ecommerce in general?
We would recommend taking time to look into all the features that ekmPowershop offers, and reading the support information; you’ll be surprised at how easy it is to set up features such as importing product data and outgoing emails. But remember to keep your website easy to use, as many of your customers will not be experienced in internet shopping.
How has your experience with Ekm Systems been?
Over the last three years any minor problems were easily and quickly resolved. The most apparent difference between ekmPowershop and the company we previously used, is the technical support. Calls are answered quickly, staff are knowledgeable and queries are usually resolved whilst you are on the phone.
How successful has your online shop been?
Canvaspicture.com is going from strength to strength. We now sell to the USA and other EU countries. We have expanded or product range considerably since the turn of the year, and hope to continue to grow at the fast pace we have seen over the last three years.
Would you recommend ekmPowershop to others?
Most definitely. It is by far the most easy-to-use shopping cart solution we have found. It is also updated and improved regularly, to allow you to stay up-to-date with the latest web technology and payment options.
Do you have any other comments you feel might be useful?
If anyone likes something we have done on our website and would like advice on how to do the same on theirs, please do not hesitate to contact us. Also, if anyone has any comments or suggestions for our website, please let us know.
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Lots of traffic but poor design?
Traffic is essential to sell online - most people know this and quite rightly put lots of time and effort into promoting their online shop. The forum is full of SEO tips, people swapping links and sharing advice to boost traffic in as many ways as possible.
It is a baffling sight when you see a website sitting high in Google (often through lots of time and effort) with a poor design. Traffic converts better into sales if the design is professional, customised and eye catching. If you have spent the time capturing traffic then finish the job off - make it look good!
If visitors feel positive about the design, then they will feel positive about the content of the site. They go hand-in-hand. And this ultimately makes or breaks a sale. Distinctly average sites are soon forgotten.
At Ekm Systems we have been overwhelmed with custom design work - and the results have been well worth the investment for our customers.
Our average custom template design cost is just £550 + VAT and the bespoke look can add upto 50% in shop turnover month on month.
Visitors only take less than a second to decide whether they will stay on a website - purely down to the way it looks.
To see examples of custom designs and for ideas for your own online shop then take a look at www.ekmpowershop.com/ourcustomers_shops.asp
If you would like a quote for design work, be it for minor alterations or fully customised templates please feel free to email David Sharpe, our Web Design Officer on sales@ekmsystems.co.uk or speak to him on 0871 230 7116 option 1. |
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