Setting up your Wholesale Central Store:
Included with your WholesaleCentral membership is a FREE shopping cart/storefront
system. The instructions below will take you through the general store
settings, as well as adding items and images to your cart. Once your store
is set up, don't forget to OPEN it and send yourself a test order.
1. Click the "Manage Your Store" link. This will bring you
to your Store Manager.
2 . Click option 1, Store Setup. This is where you can choose what payment
and shipping methods you accept and set general store functions. Click
on each option make your selections. (A checkmark will automatically appear
next to an option once you have completed it.) When all of the options
have been completed, click the upper right hand "exit" button
provided, until it brings you back to the main Store Manager 1-2-3 page.
3 . Click on option #2 Store Inventory.
4 . The first thing you will want to click on is the "Department
Manager". This is where you set up your product categories, or "departments"
for your store directory. Simply enter each department name and click
"Save" after each one. Once you have entered all your product
departments click "Exit".
5 . Now you are ready to enter your items. Click on the "Item Manager.
Click the top link which says "Click here to add a new item to the
store." Each item has the following information:
#1 : Item Number. This is a number that you choose to identify
the item. It could be your existing stock number for that item, or anything
else you may choose.
#2 : Item Name. The name of the item.
#3 : Brief Description of the specific item you are entering.
**IMPORTANT: Your product brief description is used by our search engine,
so use fill it with keywords that buyers might type to find your item.
Consult with our support department if you are not sure.**
#4 : Full Description. You may enter HTML code into this box.
If you do not know HTML, plain text can be entered here. This is for more
detail about the product such as dimensions, any order requirements for
that
specific item, etc. You can leave this field blank if you have nothing
to add to the Brief Description.
#5 : Item Price.
Select Flat Price if this item has one flat price, regardless of quantity
ordered.
Select Table Pricing if you offer quantity discounts on this item (ex:
1-5 items, $2 each; 6-10 items, $1.80 each; etc.)
Select Fixed Pricing if you sell this item in preset quantities only.
(ex: 5 items for $10; 10 items for $18; etc.)
Call For Price is used if you prefer not to publicly display your wholesale
pricing, etc.
6. Item Options : You can add options to an item such as color,
size, and style. (example: you sell sneakers that come in 10 different
sizes and 4 different colors. You can create a size option menu with the
10 different sizes and a color option menu with the 4 different colors.
The buyer will then be able to choose any combination of sizes and colors.
You can have multiple options per item. (Important: Only use this feature
if your Options do not change the price of the item. If each option has
a different price, you must create a new item for each price.)
#7 : Select one or more "departments" to assign this item
to. If you assign an item to a subdepartment of a department which
is empty, your item and the main category will not appear in your store.
You must assign at least 1 item to the main category in order for it to
viewable.)
#8 : Images: You may enter 1 thumbnail and 1 full size image
for each item. Thumbnails can be created automatically if you only have
a full-size image. To do so, simply click browse for the full-size image
and upload it in the first image upload box. If you already have a thumbnail
you'd like to use, you may separately enter the thumbnail and full-size
images with the upload boxes below. Images are optional, but
highly recommended. Buyers like to see what they'll be getting. Stores
which include photos of the exact item have done much better than stores
which do not include item images.
#9 : Feature Item on Homepage: You don't want an empty storefront
when someone first enters. It is highly recommended that you feature at
least one item from each category/department on the front page to inspire
buyers to look further. But be sure not to feature too many, as the page
will take too long to load and you'll scare them away!
Once you have completed the above steps, simply click the "Save Item"
button. You will be returned to Item manager where you can continue adding
items.
After you enter about five items in your store, it is best to return to
the main store manager page and click the "Open Store" button
at the bottom of the page so that buyers can start finding the products
you sell. Before you open your store, you can preview it by clicking the
"Store URL" link provided on the main Store Manager 1-2-3 page.
Open your store.
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When your store is set up and you have entered your merchandise, you will
want to open your store. Opening your store makes it available to buyers.
- Click the Open Store link at the bottom of the Store Manager page.
- Click Yes to confirm opening your store.
- If your web site is hosted outside of Wholesale Central, BE SURE to
put a link on your web site to your store!
Send yourself a test order.
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- Visit your store as a buyer would. Place a small test order.
- Every order placed through your store generates an email notification.
If you do not receive your test order email, contact us immediately.
Process the order.
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- In your Store Manager, click Process Orders. Enter a range of dates
and click the Show Orders button. You will see a list of all new orders.
Click each order to see the order details.
- We recommend that you send email confirmations to your buyers when
you receive their orders.
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