AmeriCommerce allows you to run Multiple Storefronts from one administration console. This greatly reduces the amount of time spent to maintain inventory, process orders, and analyze performance.
How does it work?
Each Store has it's own web site and FTP directory. When a customer visits one of your Stores, AmeriCommerce looks at the Domain Name used to access the site (ex: www.yourstore.com). It then displays information based on the settings you supply in the administration console.
Can I share files between the stores?
Absolutely! Though each store has it's own root directory, each of your sites have a common Shared directory. By uploading files into this Shared directory, they immediately become available on all your stores through the /Shared path.
Using this Shared folder is extremely handy when maintaining your product catalog. All your product photos and spec sheets should be placed in sub-folders under the Shared directory. This way, when you tell the Product Editor where to find the photos, all stores will reference the same photo. This means you will have only one place to update your photos, and you will use less storage space on the server.
Can each store show only a sub-set of the product catalog?
Yes, the Catalog Editor contains all your product information. Each store has an Active Catalog. It lets you specify specific categories for your store, or all categories if needed.
To hide certain products within a category specified in a stores' Active Catalog, check the Hide option on the Stores Tab of the Product Editor.
Can each store have it's own pricing?
Yes, this is managed under the Pricing Tab of the Product Editor.
Do I need a separate SSL Certificate for every store?
It is always advisable to use an SSL Certificate purchased for your domain name. This lends the most credibility to your online store. However, if cost is an issue, you can always use the AmeriCommerce online store shared SSL for free. Or you can purchase your own Shared SSL for a domain name you own.
What this means is when a customer visits a page that needs to be secured, they will be re-directed to storename.americommerce.com. In the case of your own Shared SSL, storename.yourdomainname.com.
Comments
11 comments
Can you help me how to create more than one store in one account? I dis not get any link to create one more store. Please help me.
Anshu,
Your free trial doesn't include multiple stores by default, but we can enable this feature. It's best if you call in and talk to Mike or Justin 800-936-9006 or you can open a ticket here http://support.americommerce.com/requests/new
I have the same question, but I pay for Americommerce. How do I get access to the multiple store front setup wizard?
Hi, Nick!
Your Account Manager (that's me!) needs to set that up for you. I'm replying to your ticket with more details.
Thanks!
-Mike
(800) 936-9006 x106
When orders are placed on the child store do they also show up in the parent store?
Is where they show up at all impacted by the payment gateway configuration, i.e. whether or not the child has its own configuration or is using that of the parent?
Can coupons created in the parent be used in the child?
Is Shipping & Handling configuration inherited to the child?
When running multiple stores, they are not considered parent/children of each other. They all run concurrently as separate stores that can all be managed from one console. With that in mind, you can access the orders for any other store no matter which store you are logged in to (unless your admin account has not been granted access to the other store). Their display is not impacted by what payment method was used. Coupons can be shared between stores. Some settings affect all stores while others are configurable per store. Settings such as what carriers are enabled, the account information for the carrier, as well as some markups are global and thus affects all stores. However, you can make other shipping markups, disable shipping methods, and various other settings per store. It looks like your store is running the new admin, so when you look at settings, anything that affects all of your stores will be indicated with a globe next to the individual setting or next to the setting section header if all settings in that section are global. You can change which store you are editing store-specific settings for by selecting it from the store selector at the top of the page.
Thanks for the detailed response at the Admin Console level. Very helpful! I have a couple of questions as they relate to API access. If the API is provisioned for one store is it provisioned for all under the same account? If it is provisioned for all are separate API calls required to say get orders from each store or will a single API call return orders across stores?
The API is per account, so it will work for all stores in the account. The request will pull all orders via Order_GetByDateRange or narrow down by store via Order_GetByDateRangeAndStoreID, your call. This gets you a collection of orders. I prefer calling the 'PreFilled' ones (like Order_GetByDateRangePreFilled) because they have orderitems and other things already popuplated, saving some additional api calls. There are many get variations. Happy coding!
I see there is only one way to add the manufacturers. But Is there any way to make some of them from visible to another store? Thanks.
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