What's new in Onxshop 1.6

Monday 19 August 2013 by Hugo

As you can see we've made many changes in our GitHub repository https://github.com/laposa/onxshop/commits/master.

Here is breakdown of major changes since version 1.5:

  • Multi-file drag&drop upload to media library
  • Recursive content duplication
  • Scheduler (publish and un-publish content on specific date)
  • Social login (Facebook, Twitter)
  • Customisable social share component (using API)
  • Enhanced Surveys (image poll, front-end options)
  • Responsive template
  • Store database
  • Recipe database
  • New gallery types
  • Image cropping option
  • Support for roundels in product listing and detail
  • Internal search engine optimization
  • Underlaying libraries update to latest version
  • Many bug fixes and improvements

New Features

Please note not all features are available out of the box. It is possible that enabling some of the features on your website might require configuration or small amount of development (such as creating new Facebook login button, styling issues, etc.) and proper testing.

Media Library Multi-upload

(available out of the box)

The feature enhances back office media library interface to allow bulk image uploading. The user is al- lowed to select multiple files from his hard drive using OS file-open dialogue or just by dragging a list of files from the hard drive and dropping them onto the browser window.

Recursive content duplication

(available out of the box)

When user duplicates any content on the website, all child sub-components of the duplicated content are duplicated too. That allows duplicating whole pages including all page elements with just single click.

New Scheduler

(available out of the box)

We have dramatically improved the scheduler feature. Most of the changes happened under-the-hood to make the feature much more reliable. This allowed us to update back office scheduler interface with more details and clarity. The scheduler is no longer limited to just sending gift vouchers emails, but enables publishing or unpublishing of any content on the website on specific date and time.

Social Login

(requires some customisation before using)

We have implemented a feature that allows users to connect their Onxshop user account with Facebook or Twitter. This allows to personalize the content on the website, e.g. to implement components such as 'Your friends who liked this product'. The login process is also simplified. Users are able to login by just one click if already logged into Facebook or Twitter.

Customisable social share component

(requires some customisation before using)

We have developed generic customisable components that allow easy sharing of any content on the website on Facebook, Twitter or Google Plus.

Enhanced Surveys

(requires some customisation before using)

We have improved surveys to allow image based polls with lot of frond-end appearance configuration options.

Responsive template

(requires customisation before using)

Onxshop front-end website template has been updated to support responsive design on devices with smaller screens such as mobile phones and tables. The new stylesheet makes building a responsive website much easier.

Store database

(available out of the box)

We have implemented back office store management database together with front-end components to represent the database with technologies such as Google Maps, Google Street View and HTML5 in- browser geolocation.

Recipe database

(available out of the box)

We have implemented back office recipe database management interface together with generic front-end components.

New gallery types

(available out of the box)
The gallery component has been updated to support new types of presentation.

Image cropping option

(requires some customisation before using)

Automatic image resizing function has been improved to allow cropping of the images with ability to specify cropping options such as content alignment and orientation.

Support for roundels in product listing and detail

(requires some customisation before using)

Product listing and products detail page may include price roundels.

Internal search engine optimization

It is now possible to customise templates for indexing, which is very useful for pages like product details, where related products are shown underneath the main product.

Underlying Libraries Update

(available out of the box)

We have updated all third-party libraries and dependencies to the latest version.

+ Many bug fixes and improvements

 


Our work wins Google’s Best of British Web competition

Thursday 15 September 2011 by Norbert

JING Tea wins Google competition for best online retail business

South London online tea retailer, JING Tea, has won Google’s Best of British Web competition, which recognises small UK businesses who are making the most of the internet.

According to Google, the competition was designed to inspire small businesses to make the most of their websites and reap the business rewards of being online. According to a recent survey by IPSOS, 40% of SMBs in the UK do not have a website. Of those businesses not online, 60% do not feel having a website is necessary – many still see it as too costly or too complicated. In reality, SMBs actively use the Internet are growing four times faster than those who remain offline, said Google.

The competition, launched in May, searched nationwide for the country’s best small business websites across seven industry sectors including travel, transport, professional services and B2B, health & beauty, hospitality, retail and trade and manufacturing. Winners were selected by a panel of experts based on several criteria including web design, usability and content.

JING Tea (jingtea.com/) was launched in 2004 by Edward Eisler who wanted to create a company that could supply the best tea to the world’s finest establishments. 

After travelling around the globe and building relationships with the world’s finest tea farmers, JING Tea sources the world’s finest teas and supplies them to customers through its website.

JING Tea launched its website in 2006 and immediately saw the business grow. The company now supplies the tea to 70 countries across the globe, from Hawaii to New Zealand, as well as world renowned hotels including select Mandarin Oriental, Rocco Forte Collection and Ritz Carlton properties as well as restaurants by Heston Blumenthal and Gordon Ramsey.

Eisler, said: “Our website has played a great role in turning JING Tea into a truly international company. It has allowed us to supply our products to all four corners of the globe, allowing thousands to experience some of our finest teas and teaware. Being crowned Best UK website by Google is a great achievement for us. 

“Google is at the forefront of internet technology and recognition from them is as high praise as we could hope for. It reflects the hard work that we have put into our online presence and convinces us that the time we have put in has paid dividends.”

Google said it is determined to help more retailers like JING Tea take advantage of the internet’s potential and help the UK economy grow by encouraging small businesses and entrepreneurs to visit www.gbbo.co.uk, where they can get access to the free and simple website builder run by Google’s partner Yola.com, and download the tips and tricks guides to boost their existing websites.

Matt Brittin, managing director Google UK, said: “We’re delighted to crown JING Tea as the retail winner of our competition to find the country’s most outstanding small business websites. JING Tea is a great example to other businesses in the industry, demonstrating how using online marketing such as AdWords really helps to expand a business’s reach. We hope their success will inspire others to make the most of the Internet.”

Source: http://retailtimes.co.uk/jing-tea-wins-google-competition-online-retail-business/


Why Magento is not good for us

Wednesday 27 July 2011 by Norbert

It was looking promising back in 2007, but since it's release in 2008, we knew the promise was empty. The version released was so badly written that even trying to setup a simple product catalog was not possible without hacking the core to fix a few typo mistakes. It was obvious that the system was never used in a production environment, it that sense our own open source eCommerce system Onxshop was already running as a stable software for a couple of years. We didn't have any reason switching to Magento. Yes, it was a version 1.0 in 2008, but reading the comments below nothing has changed in the last 3 years.

Even if Magento was well written, we would still have a big problem that it can only do a product catalog, shopping cart and nothing more. Our clients need usually more than this, they need a complete website, a blog, an user forums, a CMS system. We don't want to add Wordpress for blog, than add Vanilla for user forum, etc. It's very bad for long term support to have a few isolated software packages running on one site. We need everything to interact together. Products, events, news feed, blog, newsletter subscription, user logins and the rest cannot be scattered throughout several isolated systems. E.g. using the same taxonomy system is impossible when running separate systems for one website.

Anyway, Magento future is sealed when bought by eBay. Another hype is over.

Read other people's opinion on why Magento is not what it looks like:

http://igorrac.blogspot.com/2011/07/why-magento-sucks.html

http://www.nicollet.net/2010/06/five-bad-reasons-for-using-magento/

http://php.opensourcecms.com/scripts/details.php?scriptid=92&name=Magento

http://amplicate.com/hate/magento

http://www.pickledshark.com/magento-ecommerce-complicated-bloated-brilliant/

http://www.web-design-talk.co.uk/440/magento-ecommerce-case-study/

or just google "why not magento".

Comments (0)


Onxshop GitHub Repository

Thursday 14 July 2011 by Norbert

We are happy to announce that Onxshop CMS/eCommerce source code is available on GitHub (Source Code Management repository).

This is a big step for the future of our innovative software development and we hope to improve accessibility of this software to more web designers and developers.

Onxshop GitHub repository


Ten tips for eCommerce websites

Wednesday 23 February 2011 by Norbert Laposa

1. Sell only products you fully understand

World Wide Web was created mainly to share knowledge. Be an expert in your area and share your knowledge, that’s the only way how to genuinely improve your ranking in search engines and people will also trust you and buy from you.

2. Be honest

Create impression, that your customers can talk to you: always display who they are dealing with and give them a telephone number, possibly picture of your office, tell who you are, name people behind the company on About Us page, don’t try to look bigger than your are, if they want to buy from a big company, they’ll go to Amazon or Tesco.

3. Don’t rely only on sales over your own website

Promote trade/wholesale and use your website as a catalogue, sell everywhere - sell on eBay, Amazon, but have your own shop with cheaper prices - encourage to buy directly.

4. Rent premises

There are plenty of empty premisses in Belfast and you can negotiate a good deal. The ideal situation is to have a high street shop and also sell online. You can rent a shop from £100 per week in Belfast city centre.

5. Try to sell abroad only light postage items and heavier items locally

i.e. washing machines in Belfast.

6. Use good quality photographs (large size) and use an informative description

You’ll mainly need a good light for shooting good photographs. Create description for each photograph like you would explain what’s on the photograph to a blind person, this will not only help screen readers, but also Google to display your product image in Google Images.

7. Main sites pages should be your main product categories

Your website is about your products, reflect it in your information architecture.

8. Treat returning customers

Provide discounts, loyalty scheme, high quality newsletter about your latest products or maintenance tips, not just an advertisement.

9. Secure some support package with your web designer/developer

For example monthly retainer. Always ask what will be an approximate yearly maintenance fee, you need more than just a web hosting for good quality customer experience.

10. Prepare your catalogue first

Before you go to a developer prepare your catalogue as a spreadsheet such as: product title, SKU code, category, net price.


Access a bigger market with your ecommerce

Wednesday 7 July 2010 by Norbert Laposa

Here you will find tips on how to enter a bigger market place, which will increase your traffic and sales and help target qualified shoppers.

Before you start make sure you monitor and measure your current traffic using Google Analytics with enabled ecommerce tracking or similar facility.

Submit your products to different markets

Google Product Search

To ensure your products are listed in Google Product Search, you need to submit an XML data feed. It's a free service.

More information http://www.google.co.uk/products

Amazon

  • acquire a Pro Merchant Account for £28.75/month
  • having EAN, UPC, or ISBN code would be useful
  • Prepare a bulk upload of your products to Amazon

eBay

  • open a PayPal account. Verification will take a couple of days

Promote international business

  • highlight that you do international deliveries
  • show prices in different currencies

These are just tips on how to access a bigger market place. Remember the value of your existing customers. Concentrate on current customers - create a mailing lists and send newsletter. Make sure you can export your current customers as CSV for MailChimp.


Archive

Categories

58 Howard Street
Belfast BT1 6PJ

Send email

+44 (28) 9032 8988
+353 (48) 9032 8988