OASN Version 2.0 User Manual

SECTION A

SECTION B

SECTION C

SECTION D

SECTION E
Search Marketing
ExampleN A STORE NETWORK
Before You Start
Building your on-line business should be a hassle free and fun experience. If you should have any problems with OASN V2.0 software or suggestions on how we can provide a better service for your company please contact us at your convenience. We will do our best to get back to you as soon as possible.

For software support: support@oasn.net


Important Information
When working on your website start by:

1. Log into your Store Administrator using your user name and password. (Sent to your e-mail address)
2. Click the "View" Web Store button.
3. After your store has loaded, use the minus " " button on the top right of the browser window to minimize the storefront, now a button to access your store will be next to the Windows "Start" menu.
 
  Storefront Access^ Administrator Access^

Now you will have access to both your Storefront and your Store Administrator available in two separate browser windows allowing you to see changes you make right away in real-time.

To view changes you make:


1. Maximize your storefront window by clicking on its icon next to the start menu.
2. Click the "refresh" or "reload" button located on your browser. (If the changes do not appear hold the "shift" buttom on your keyboard and click "refresh or "reload" on your browser again.)

Tip: Getting used to having two browser windows accessible will make the process of building your store easier.


Please Note
All instructions are based on starting from the first page of the store administrator after logging in with your user name and password.

Clicking "Exit" in your store
administrator
will always return you to the page you came from.

A Generated Web Store requires no additional work beyond configuring your Web Store with the Administrator. If you require a Custom Web Store, your index file MUST be named "home.html". Further information on how to manually link to Web Store functions will be found under "linking".


  Instructions For OASN V2.0

 
SECTION A. Inventory | Product Management
FUNCTION INSTRUCTIONS TIPS
Adding departments

Synopsis

Adding a department automatically creates a link on the store navigation bar, and a link on the "main screen" which also includes space for a representative department image. Each department can have unlimited categories or "display pages" of products.

^ Top

To add a department:

1. Log into the store administrator using your user code and password.
2. When the Administrator screen appears Click "Add Department".
3. Type in the desired department name.
4. Click "Update"



After you submit a new department entry, upload a sample product image to display on the Storefront.


The Administrator defaults a new department to "live" mode, thus publishing it to the web instantly. If you wish to take it off-line follow the next step.

Turning a department off

Synopsis

If you run out of a particular product you may take it off-line at anytime by turning off the department it is in. Your store database will remain so that you can turn it back on after your supplies are replenished.

^ Top

To turn off a department:

1. Select the department you wish to turn off using the dropdown menu.
2. Click "Edit" button.
3. Click "Go" button. This will switch the department to live or off-line.
4. Click "Update"


If the department is currently in "live"
mode it will switch it to "off-line" mode and vice versa.

This feature is available on the "Generated" Store Only.

When using the store administrator, The "Exit" button will always take you back to the page you came from. Continue ing to click exit will bring you back to the main page of the store administrator.

The "Exit" button is located on the bottom of each administrator page.
Adding categories

Synopsis

Display pages are categories of products within each department. For example. The display page will list the thumbnail images of products that are in a given category .

^ Top
To add a new category / display page:

1. Select the department you wish to add a page to using the dropdown menu.
2. Click "Edit" To the left.
3. Click "Add" New Display Page button.
4. Type in the new display page title, description and select colors for the page.
5. Press the "Update" button.

You may turn the shopping cart on or off on the display pages. Generally it is more convenient for the consumer to turn on the shopping cart.

Display pages are pages that represent each product category. Display pages can give each department its own unique look. The administrator allows you to create a unique color scheme for each display page or provide your own background images and representative images.
Adding products

Synopsis

Each department can contain unlimited categories each category can have unlimited display pages of products. After Creating a department category you are able to add unlimited amounts of products to it. Creating several products that share the same information is easy using the "copy item" feature.


^ Top

To add a product:

1. Select the department you wish to add a product to using the dropdown menu.
2. Click "Edit" To the left.
3. Select the category you wish to add a product to using the dropdown menu.
4. Click "Edit" To the left.
5. Click the "Add" new product button.
6. Type or paste in the desired product information.
7. Click the "Add" button.


Upload images and add Options after you submit your new product entries.

If you so choose, you may add all of your products and come back to upload the images at a later time.

To repeat this action for the next product check the "copy item" box. A new product page is created and the information is already in place for it. The administrator will also generate an SKU automatically.
Adding product images

Synopsis

Each product page has designated areas for images to appear one small and one large. The small image always becomes a link to the larger image. Images can be added when you create your product pages or at any time thereafter.


^ Top
To add product images:

1. Select the department which contains the product record you wish to add an image to using the dropdown menu.
2. Click "Edit".
3. Select the category which contains the product record you which to add an image to using the dropdown menu.
4. Click "Edit".
5. Click the "Edit" button for the desired product.
6. Click the "Image Manager Link"
7. Choose "Main" or Thumbnail image.
8. Click "Browse"
9. Select desired image from your hard drive.
10. Click "Update" or "Upload".

Images can be uploaded when a product page is made or at a later point.

Recommended image sizes for products:

Thumbnail Image (Small Image) Size: 100x100 Pixels.

Main Image (Large Image) Size: 350x300 Pixels.

It is recommended that all of your small images are exactly the same size and all of your large images are exactly the same size.
Edit product information

Synopsis

Each product in your database contains a price, a product id number (SKU), a large and small image and a product description. The product may also contain a number of "order options" see "Options Manager"

^ Top

To edit product information:

1. Select the department you wish to edit a product in using the dropdown menu.
2. Click the "Edit" button.
3. Select the category you wish to edit a product in using the dropdown menu.
4. Click the "Edit" button.
5. Click the "Edit" button to the left of the product you wish to edit.
6. Make desired changes.
7. Click "Update" button.

We highly recommend learning how to use the software by actually just using it . This manual has been created to assist you with questions you may have in the process of building and maintaining your website.
Change product location

Synopsis

You may add the same product to another Department or change a product location.

^ Top
To change product location:

1. Select the department which contains the product you would like to change the location of.
2. Click the "Edit" button.
3. Select the category you wish to edit a product in using the dropdown menu.
4. Click the "Edit" button.
5. Click the "Edit" button to the left of the product you wish to edit.
6. Use the "Dept" dropdown menu to select which department you would like the product to appear in.
7. Click "Update" button.
 
Deleting a department

Synopsis

You can remove a department form your database entirely.

^ Top
To delete a department:

1. Delete each product in each category.
2.  
3.  
4.  

If you wish to bypass this process and simply take the department off-line for later use . Simply follow the instructions for turning a department on or off.
Deleting categories

Synopsis

You can remove a category from your database entirely.

^ Top
To delete a category:

1. Delete each product in the category.
2.  
3.  
4.  
 
Deleting Products

Synopsis

You can remove a product form your database entirely.

^ Top
To delete a product:

1.
2.  
3.  
4.  

 
Changing Billing Information

Synopsis

The e-mail address to which all orders are sent may be changed at any time.

^ Top
To change billing information:

1. Click "Edit" General Settings
2. Click the "Payment" link
3. Type in your preferred billing e-mail
4. Type in which cards you accept for payment.

Clicking the "Exit" button will always take you back to the previous page. It works like the back button on your web browser.

All orders will be sent to your billing e-mail.
Order Options

Synopsis

You may turn on or off any of the following order options.

^ Top
To change order options:

1. Click "Edit" General Settings

2. Click the "Payment" link

3. Select Pay Pal or Manual
 
Currency

Synopsis

The store administrator is capable of transactions in any currency.

^ Top
To change currency:

1. Click "Edit" General Settings

2. Type in desired currency

3. Type in desired Currency symbol (e.g. "$")
 
Tax manager

Synopsis

Each state may have its own unique tax rate built into the order system.

^ Top
To add taxing information:

1. Click "Edit" General Settings

2. Click "Taxes"

3. Check the "add a state" box

4. Select desired state with Dropdown menu

5. Type in tax percentage

6. Click "update" button
This feature is currently available in the United States only.
Shipping manager

Synopsis

You can either set the shipping method by weight total or order total. You can also add a default shipping method of your choice.


^ Top
To add a new shipping method:

1. Click "Edit" General Settings
 
Options Manager

Synopsis

Each product can have its own unique options such as color, weight, size, ect. The options manager is connected to the shopping cart and each option can be assigned its own monetary value.

^ Top
To add options to a product:

 
 
B. Design | Content
FUNCTION INSTRUCTIONS TIPS
Changing color scheme

Synopsis

You may at anytime change the look of your website by choosing new colors for the background, text and links.

^ Top

To change the color scheme:

1. Click "Edit": General Settings.

2. Under Configure click the "Storefront" link

3. Click the"colors and fonts" link.

4. Select which area you would like to change the colors of: the FRAME or the MAIN area then select which area you would like to edit by clicking either "logo", "text", "link" or "background".

5. Select which color you would like to use by clicking on the color link then click the "select" to the right of the color you choose.

DIAGRAM A:
(INTERFACE SIMULATION)

LOGO | LINKS| *BG
FRAME
LINK
MAIN
     
     
     
LINK | TEXT | *BG

*BG=Background Image

Reverse the colors of the frame background and the text links so that text is easy to read.

Note:
Reverse the colors of the Main background color and the text and link color.
Adding a logo

Synopsis

There is a designated area just for your company logo. If no logo is provided your company name will appear in static text in the top left of your website.

^ Top
To add your logo:

1. Click "Edit": General Settings.

2. Under Design click the "Logo" link

3. Click the"Browse" button.

4. Select the appropriate image on your computer.

5. Click upload and wait for "your logo has been uploaded" message to appear.

6. Click "exit".
If you provide no logo, whatever you name your store will be written in the upper left of the top frame of your Web Store. To change the appearance of the logo text follow the instructions for changing the color scheme (above).

After adding your logo continue clicking exit until you are at the main screen of the administrator. To view you logo on the live website. click "View" store button or the "link".
Adding background images


Synopsis

It is possible to create a unique design for your website. by adding your own custom made background images.

^ Top
To add background images:

1. Click "Edit": General Settings.

2. Under Configure click the "Storefront" link.

3. Click the"colors and fonts" link.

4. Click the "background file" link for either the frame or the main area.
Background images can give your website a unique look.

You may select a unique background image for each page.
Adding content


Synopsis
You can control content throughout your website. In each area you may cut and paste existing html, use word document text or just type in your information.


^ Top
To add content:

1.)

The main areas that a designated for content on a standard OASN webstore are as follows:

1.) The top and bottom text areas on the home page.

2.) The product display pages (department pages) and the individual product pages.

3.) Any custom pages you may wish to add.

Managing images

Synopsis

You can set aside certain folders on your computer to make the process of transferring information to your website. much easier.

^ Top
To manage images properly :

1.) Create a folder for storing images on your main drive (Usually the C Drive).

2.) Title your images in numeric sequence or title them according to what the product is. Example: Toaster_1.gif, Toaster_2.gif

3.) Always save related images and associated files in this folder so it will be easy to find when you are prompted.


Titling images according to a pattern will help you to find the images quickly when your are creating your store.

Note:
The Netscape browser requires that you first select "All Files" before an image is selected for uploading.
Adding pages with no shopping cart

Synopsis

It is possible to add unlimited pages to your website. using this method. By creating a link on the Main page of your website , and uploading a corresponding html page.

^ Top
To add html pages that have no shopping cart:

1.) Prepare your html file and name it whatever you want. Example: shoes.html

2.) Then login to your administrator and click
Additional information about your company or services may be added to your webstore using this method.
Changing frame size

Synopsis

To accommodate graphics and text you may control the size of the logo area and the product navigation bar.

^ Top
To change the frame size:

The top frame of your webstore is preprogrammed at a size that is optimized for viewing. It is better to re-size your logo to fit in the frame rather than increase the frame height.

In most html editors you will be able to view the html that the software is generating, copy it and paste it into a Web Store.
Cut and paste

Synopsis

OASN software will convert any text into html automatically. Or you can use an HTML editor such as Macromedia's Dreamweaver and cut and paste it into the desired area of your website.

^ Top
Use html or static text. To copy text:

1. Highlight text by left clicking and pulling your cursor over the desired text. Then right click and select "Copy".

To paste text:
Go to the desired area you would like your new text to appear and highlight the existing text (if any) then right click and select "Paste"
Adding custom scripts or html

Synopsis

To enhance your website. further you may choose to add your own custom Java scripts and or html.


^ Top
To add a custom script or html:

 
Adding banners

Synopsis

You may add customized ad banners to your store interface.

^ Top
To add a banner or custom graphic:

Using images that exceed 590 Pixels in width can cause problems. It is recommended that images are sized under 590 Pixels. This rule does not apply to background images.

Caution! Banners generally interfere with the look of your website. and may cause some people to leave your website. right away.
 
C. Company Pages
FUNCTION INSTRUCTIONS TIPS
About Us Page

Synopsis

Your website. has space designated for an About Us page. You may control the about us page content and turn it on or off at any time.


^ Top

To edit "About Us" page:

Turn off page:

Turn on page:

 

The "About Us" page should contain whatever information you would like customers to know about your company.
Contact Us Page

Synopsis

Your website. has space designated for a "Contact Us" page. You may control the contact us page content and turn it on or off at any time.

^ Top
To edit "Contact Us " page:

Turn off page:

Turn on page:

The "Contact Us" page may either be turned off or on at any time.
Ask Us Page

Synopsis

Your website. has space designated for an "Ask Us" page. You may turn it on or off at any time .

^ Top

To edit "Ask Us " page:

Turn off page:

Turn on page:

The "Ask Us" page may either be turned off or on at any time.
Security FAQ Page

Synopsis

Your website. has space designated for a security page. The standard Web Store places a "Security FAQ" link on your main store interface (home page).

^ Top
To edit "Security FAQ" page:

This "Security FAQ"is a standard page that may not be deleted or changed.
 
D. FTP Manager
FUNCTION INSTRUCTIONS TIPS
Uploading Html

Synopsis

You can upload your own custom html pages.

^ Top
To upload html:

1. Click "
FTP" under File Manager section.

2. Click "Upload" button

3. Click "Browse" button

4. Locate the proper html/hml file on your computer.

5. Click "Upload" again.

6. Click "Exit"
The FTP (File Transfer Protocol) function is integrated with the OASN solution. Becoming familiar The OASN FTP Manager is highly recommended.
Editing Html

Synopsis

You can edit html and upload it all in one screen.


^ Top
To edit html:

1. Click "FTP" under File Manager section.


2. Select desired html file you wish to edit.

3. Click "open" button.

4. Edit your html document.

5. Click"Save" button.

6. Click "Exit" button.
Note:This feature is recommended for advanced users/ developers.

Changing html improperly can cause the page to become disrupt and unusable.

You may paste entire pages of html over an existing page using this method. Make sure to select all of the html when you are writing over it.
Changing file names

Synopsis

You can change the name of an .html or .htm file or image .gif or .jpeg at any time.


^ Top
To change file names:

1. Click "FTP" under File Manager section.


2. Select desired file you wish to rename.

3. Type in the new name. (Note: Do not type the file extension, just the name.)

4. Click the "Rename" button.

 
Linking

Synopsis
To Link a new document:

1. Click "FTP" under File Manager section.
 
Uploading Images

Synopsis

Place images on your website. including product photos, logos, animated gifs and flash.




^ Top
To upload images: Recommended image sizes for the standard storefront: Thumbnail Image 100x100 Pixels. Main Image 350x300 Pixels.

Note: Sizing images properly will create a nice uniform appearance throughout your Web Store.

Adobe Photoshop is a great program for sizing images.


Copyright 1997-2006. www.open-a-store.com




 
General Remarks:

Hit Update in order to make a change in the Administrator.


Exit will always return you to the page you came from.


In order to see the changes to your Store, go to your Store and hit Reload
on your browser.


 


  Getting Started:
There are 2 steps to getting started: "Configuring the Store" and "Entering Product Information".

Step 1.   Configure the Store:
 
Click Edit "Web Store Configuration" on the Administrator Main page.

You will be at General Information . Enter your Store Name, Billing email address (also used for offical communications from OASN), Web Address, and Currency information.

You can also select whether you want a "Generated" or "Custom" Web Store.


A Generated Web Store requires no additional work beyond configuring your Web Store with the Administrator.

If you require a Custom Web Store, your index file MUST be named "home.html". Further information on how to manually link to Web Store functions will be found below.


On the General Information page, you will also find links to Shipping, Tax, Payment, and Storefront configuration.

Under Storefront , you will find links to "Colors & Fonts", the Service Pages (Order Options, Contact Us, About Us, Security FAQ, 'Ask Us' Form), Storefront text, Logo Uploader/Logo Font Face, and Storefront style. Some of these do not apply to the Custom Store.


 


 
Step 2.   Entering Product Information:
 
1. Click Add Department on the Main Administrator page.

Enter the name of your new Department and a description to be displayed on the Storefront. After you submit your entry, you can also upload a sample picture for the Storefront.


After creation, you will be able to change the description and image, as well as delete the Department, by clicking Edit & choosing your Department on the Main Administrator page. You will then be at that Department's main page. Then click Edit Department Record.


 
2. Click Add New Display Page on the new Department's main page.

Enter an optional title and description for your new Display Page, as well as choose colors for the Display Page and its Product Pages.

You also have the option of choosing whether you want to allow ordering from the Display Page, or whether you want customers to order from an individual Product Page.

After making your choices, click Update, then click Exit.


 
3. You will now be on the new Display Page's main page. Click Add New Product. Fill out the New Product form.

After making your choices, click Update, then click Exit.

You will be returned to the Display Page you are working on. You can then Edit the Display Page, Add another New Product, Edit any existing products from this page, or Exit .


 
 
Tip: Make sure you switch your new Department from "offline" to "live" in order to see the changes to your store.


 


 
How to link to the Web Store's generated pages using the Custom Store option:
 
 
1. Linking to a Product Page:
 
The general form is:

product: DEPARTMENT NAME / DISPLAY PAGE NUMBER / SKU
all of which goes into the HREF tag, but without the spaces.


For instance, if you want to link to a product whose SKU is 1234 and which is on Display Page 1 of a Department named "Shoes", write:

<A HREF="product:Shoes/1/1234"> My product </A>

 
2. Linking to a Display Page:
 
The general form is:

display: DEPARTMENT NAME / DISPLAY PAGE NUMBER
all of which goes into the HREF tag, but without the spaces.


For example, if you want to link to Display Page 1 of a Department named "Shoes", write:

<A HREF="display:Shoes/1"> My display page </A>

 
3. Linking to Service Pages:
 
"Order Options":

<A HREF="order-options"> Order Options </A>

"Contact Us":

<A HREF="contact-us"> Contact Us </A>

"About Us":

<A HREF="about-us"> About Us </A>

"Ask Us":

<A HREF="ask-us"> Ask Us </A>

"Security FAQ":

<A HREF="security-faq"> Security FAQ </A>

 
4. Linking to the E-Cart and Checkout:
 
E-Cart:

<A HREF="e-cart"> E-Cart </A>

Checkout:

<A HREF="checkout"> Checkout </A>

 
5. Linking to a custom HTML page is done normally:
 
<A HREF="page_name.html"> My link </A>