CMS and e-commerce Systems

So you want to sell Products onlineWhat is a CMS (Content Management System)

 

CMS or a 'Content Management System' is a configured website with a Control Panel that allows you to control and manage the content within your web site - without the need for you to have the technical knowledge of HTML, PHP or even MySQL Databases. Using a CMS system will allow you to Delete, Add or Edit content on your website on the fly, this will include images, content and even pages. If you wish to invest in a long term website to display or even sell your products then it is likely you will require more information and more pages added over a period of time.

To have a Web Developer on board to make these changes can be a costly practice and you must understand there is a significant price difference between a 'static' website and a CMS 'Dynamic' website. Investing in a CMS System will save you money over the life span of the website and in addition you have all the benefits of being in Control and the ability to change direction at any time with only a small cost impact - a powerful tool to have in this day and age.

We use a number of CMS Systems depending on the requirements from our client. Most are 'Open Source' meaning the development and code is freely available to the Development community. We have used Joomla, Drupal, OS-Commerce and Magento.

 

 

Some of our work below:

Tools Direct 2 You

The Tools Direct 2 You group are distributors of professional quality tools and equipment for all Trades & Professions but not forgetting DIY and Hobbyist. With thousands of tools from hundreds of Manufacturers they are the fastest and most convenient 'on-line' store for all your tool needs. We have worked with Tools Direct 2 You and provided a Magento Platform to sell their goods 'online'. Their requirement was to have the facility to upload thousands of products and we agreed the Magento Platform would be the best solution. We have integrated the website with a large database and by the use of 'CSV' Data files provided by their suppliers, we were able to adapt the files and drop in a few thousand products at any one time to the database.
www.toolsdirect2you.com

VKBB Home Appliances

Manchester based showroom selling Fridges, Freezers, Cookers, Compact Appliances - in Fact just about anything white and has a plug on it, they will provide it. Operating for a number of years they have come to the conclusion that there is so much competition in the supply of 'White Goods' to the consumer. We initially met with a view of planning a basic static website to give them exposure on the internet. After our initial discussion we found that they had all the supply connections and with an e-commerce website in place they would be offering a direct selling opportunity via the website, and most importantly it would give them an edge over their biggest retail high street competitors. VKBB have full control over the inputting of the products, pricing structure and promotional activities such as special offers and price beating on selected products, which they will change on a monthly business. Coming to the end of the project and they are frantically uploading the products and 'tweaking' their 'Terms and Conditions. The website is linked directly into their Merchant Bank account for processing payment as well as offering PAYPAL payment facilities. Focus has been on each product to ensure Full SEO Optimization for Google indexing. A sneak preview can be found below. Under Development and finalising integration with Merchant Payment System.
www.vkbbhomeappliances.co.uk/index.php

 

 

So what are the benefits of having a CMS Website?

 

Well here are a few that we have picked out:

• effective Product Management

• Full Range of Shipping Options

• Full Marketing and Promotion Tools built in

• Payment Processing Integration - Full Merchant Compatibility

• Full Daily, Weekly, Monthly Reporting

• Internal and Customer Communication

• Confirmation orders, invoices self generated

 

We have found that in most cases Magento tends to tick all the boxes.

Magento eCommerce Platforms provide the scalability, flexibility and features for business growth. Magento provides feature-rich eCommerce platforms that offer merchants complete flexibility and control over the presentation, content, and functionality of their online channel.

 

 

If you have a product or service that you need to sell 'on-line' we will be happy to discuss your requirements - Call us on 07732 675 404 to make your first step in the right direction

We are familiar with the Development and Implementation of CMS systems