Multi-Channel Inventory
eBay Product Sync
Product Level Shipping
Cross-sell/Up-sell Features
Marketing Tools
Google Base Product Feed
Product Images
Product Descriptions HTML Editor
Store Themes and Layouts
Express Store Upgrades to Starter Store
Accessing ProStores Hosting Control Panel
 
 
 
Multi-Channel Inventory
 
What is Multi-Channel Inventory tracking?
Multi-Channel Inventory tracking lets you offer items for sale on both eBay and ProStores at the same time and virtually eliminates the possibility of over-selling unique or low stock items. If an item is sold on eBay, ProStores will automatically decrement it from ProStores. If the item is sold on ProStores and there are none remaining in stock on eBay, the eBay listing for that item will end
 
Multi-Channel Inventory allows you to list your products on eBay and on ProStores at the same time. In previous versions of ProStores, when an item was listed to eBay and inventory was enabled, the ProStores quantity would be decremented when the item was listed. When Multi-Channel Inventory is enabled, the product quantity will NOT be decremented when an item is listed to eBay. Instead, it will show the quantity on eBay and ProStores and revise the quantity appropriately if the item sells, is revised, or ends on eBay. If there is sufficient quantity to fulfill the order without going to eBay to revise the quantity on eBay, ProStores will fulfill the order solely with the ProStores quantity and not revise the eBay listing.
 
Should I enable Multi-Channel Inventory?
Multi-channel inventory tracking may be a helpful tool if you meet these conditions:

• Want to manage and track inventory quantities between ProStores products and eBay listings
• Inventory is enabled for your store
• Manage accurate inventory quantity levels
• Do not allow backorders (Advanced store option)
• Willing to re-create eBay listings that were created prior to enabling the option

The Multi-Channel Inventory option may not be necessary or appropriate if one of more of these conditions is an obstacle with your current operations.
 
Make certain to read the ‘Learn More’ information on the eBay Sync Preferences screen before enabling the option. 
 
How do I enable Multi-Channel Inventory?
Go to Product> eBay> Setup> eBay Sync Preferences.
 
Why are inventory quantities in ProStores not changing with eBay activity after enabling the Multi-Channel Inventory Tracking option?
Multi-channel inventory tracking functions only under certain conditions.  Products are eligible for multi-channel processing under the following situations:

• Multi-Channel Inventory is enabled and an item is listed to eBay from ProStores. If Multi-Channel Inventory is disabled and an item is listed, that particular listing will not be eligible for Multi-Channel Inventory.
• Product sync is enabled and the product was created via an eBay listing.
• Multi-Channel Inventory is enabled and the eBay copy tool is used to create products.
• If an item was listed when Multi-Channel Inventory is enabled and Multi-Channel Inventory is then subsequently disabled, the product quantity will be decremented according to the multi channel inventory rules.

eBay Product Sync
 
What is eBay Product Sync?
eBay Product Sync enables you to use your favorite eBay listing tool (SYI form, Turbo Lister, Backthorne, or 3rd party listing tools) to create eBay listings and simultaneously add them as products to your ProStores web store.  It also allows eBay listing updates to automatically update the corresponding fields in ProStores.
 
Product sync allows you to create and update your ProStores product catalog automatically when you list or revise items on eBay with an eBay listing tool. With Product Sync enabled, when an item is listed to eBay a product will automatically be created in your ProStores Web store. Multi-Channel Inventory must be enabled in order to enable sync so when products are added to ProStores they will automatically be treated as Multi-Channel.
 
Once the product is created in ProStores, any revisions on eBay to the title, subtitle, description, Buy It Now price, or shipping information will be reflected in the ProStores product.
 
Should I enable eBay Product Sync?
eBay Product Sync may be a helpful tool if you meet the following conditions:

• Multi-Channel Inventory option enabled (required for eBay Product Sync)
• eBay is your primary sales channel
• Preferred eBay listing management and creation is My eBay, the SYI form, Turbo Lister, Blackthorne or other 3rd party tools
• Prepared to re-create ProStores catalog from eBay listings (store created prior to 3/19/08)
• Do not create eBay listings with the ProStores listing tool

The eBay Product Sync option may not be necessary or appropriate if one of more of these conditions is an obstacle with your current operations.
 
Make certain to read the ‘Learn More’ information on the eBay Sync Preferences screen before enabling the option.
 
How do I enable eBay Product Sync?
To enable the eBay Product Sync too, go to Product> Setup> eBay Sync Preferences.
 
What do the different eBay Sync icons indicate?
After the Product Sync option is enabled, three different icons will appear on the product information pages in store administration.
 

The ‘not being synchronized’ (grayed-out) icon displayed when:

• A product is created in ProStores through a traditional process (e.g., add product form, product table import, XTE, etc) and is not eligible for sync with an eBay listing
• A product is created in ProStores with an eBay listing tool and the eBay listing is no longer active on eBay (listing ended on eBay)
• eBay listings created from ProStores with the ProStores listing tool are not eligible for eBay Product Sync (same functionality as pre-v9.0)

The ‘Active’ (color) icon displayed when:

• eBay listing is used to create a product in ProStores  (by QuickStart, Copy Listings tool or eBay Product Sync) and the listing is active on eBay

The ‘Locked” (color with padlock) icon displayed when:

• A product is created in ProStores from an eBay listing (by QuickStart, Copy Listings tool or eBay Product Sync), it is associated with an active eBay listing, and the merchant updated the field in ProStores.  An update in ProStores locks the field in ProStores so a merchant can display different content in ProStores and on the eBay listing.  This prevents subsequent updates made to the eBay listing with an eBay listing tool from overwriting it in ProStores.  Updates applied to a listing through My eBay will flow down and update the ProStores product unless the field is locked in ProStores with an edit.
• Fields cannot be unlocked to support eBay Sync.
• The lock does not prevent one from making additional edits to the ProStores product information.

Why do the product descriptions on the product detail pages include all of the eBay listing content? 
The ProStores tools that create products in your web store from eBay listings will include all content in the eBay listing description field as the product description in ProStores.  This includes design elements and content from custom listing templates.  You can edit the description field in ProStores by navigating to Product Information> Description.
 
Why is a product field ‘locked’ for eBay Product Sync?
Product fields are ‘locked’ from eBay Sync functions once it is edited in ProStores by the merchant.  It cannot be unlocked.  One can still manually apply edits to the ProStores product information through ProStores if eBay listing edits need to be applied to the ProStores product.  
 
Why is eBay Product Sync not available for some of my products in ProStores?
eBay Product Sync only works with products added to ProStores through the QuickStore setup process (new stores created after 3/19/08), ProStores Listing Copy tool, or eBay Product Sync product add.  Products added to ProStores though other methods are not eligible for other product sync functions.
 
Why is eBay Product Sync not working when I create eBay listings from ProStores?
Only eBay listing created outside of ProStores (using eBay SYI form, Turbo Lister, Blackthorne or other 3rd party listing tools) are eligible for eBay Product Sync functions.  You can edit your eBay listings with an eBay tool, but those changes will not update the product information in ProStores.  ProStores product information can be edited independent of the eBay listing created in ProStores.
 
Why are the product changes I make in ProStores not updating my eBay listings after enabling the eBay Product Sync option?
eBay Product Sync does not support sending product updates from ProStores to an active eBay listing.
 
Why are the stock eBay images and descriptions I use in my eBay listings not displayed in ProStores?
eBay stock images and stock descriptions are currently only available for display in eBay listing on the eBay Marketplace.  ProStores does not copy that type of content when using the ProStores QuickStart setup process, the ProStores Retrieve Listings tool or the ProStores eBay Product Sync tool.  The other content in your listing will appear in the ProStores product.
 
 
Product Level Shipping
 
How do I enable unique shipping services for each product (product level shipping)?
Go to Store Settings> Shipping Prefs> Shipping Configuration.  Learn more by watching a video tutorial.
 
How do I update or add shipping service options or rates for individual products?
Add or update product level shipping options
 
Can I configure certain shipping services for some products and use combined shipping services for others?
No.  The shipping configuration setting is global. The two shipping configurations options cannot be enabled simultaneously. The product level flat rate shipping and ‘exclude from shipping charges’ options available with Advanced and Enterprise stores are disabled when product level shipping is enabled.

Will I lose the shipping settings (unique shipping service for each product or common shipping services for all products) when I switch from one shipping configuration to the other?
No.  Your shipping configurations are saved, but they are not visible in store administration or on the storefront.
 
Why doesn’t the product export spreadsheet include the unique shipping services for each product I configured?
The shipping information included with the Product export file is determined by the shipping configuration setting at the time of the export.  If it is set to ‘Configure unique shipping services for each product’, the table will include the 38 additional columns used to support product level shipping options.  If it is set to ‘Configure common shipping services for all products’, the table will not include those columns or records, even if they exist.
 
Can I add product level shipping services with a product table import?
Yes.  If your shipping services are similar for all products, this may be the quickest way to add them to a large catalog.  A suggested approach- configure your product level shipping options for one product, export the product table, copy and paste the shipping information in the last columns of the spreadsheet (header names ‘Irregular’ to ‘InternationalShippingCountryCodes3’) from the configured product to  the rest of your products, then import the updated spreadsheet.  You can update your catalog with product level shipping services using the product import process even if the store is currently configured with ‘common shipping services for all products’.  The product level shipping options will not appear on the storefront or in store administration until the shipping configuration is changed. 
Why are my ProStores shipping promotions no longer working after switching to the ‘Configure unique shipping services for each product’ setting?
Product level shipping uses the shipping promotions configured in your eBay account, not the ProStores configured promotions.  If you are an eBay seller and you have set up shipping discount rules, you may include these discounts in your ProStores shipping calculations. To copy your discount rules into your ProStores Web store, click the Sync Discount Rules button on the Shipping Preferences page.
 
Can I use ProStores shipping promotions with product level shipping enabled?
No.  ProStores configured shipping promotions only support the ‘Configure common shipping services for all products’ shipping configuration.
 
Why do some shoppers see “Combined Services” as the only shipping method during checkout?
When a shopper creates an order that contains products that do not share a common shipping service option (e.g. one heavy/large item set with ‘UPS ground’ as the only delivery service option and the other with several ‘USPS’ delivery options).   The “Combined Services” shipping rate is the sum of the shipping rates for the different shipping services used to support the order.  ProStores defaults to the least expensive delivery service available as the shipping service the other items in the cart.   The shipping service used for the shipping rate calculation is displayed on the cart and invoice page for each item for review by shopper and merchant.
 
Why do shoppers see “Local Pickup: $0.00” as the only shipping option during checkout?
If you have enabled the “Configure unique shipping services for each product” option (product level shipping), your shoppers will see this as the only shipping option if shipping services are not configured for the item in the cart.  “No Shipping: Local pickup only” is the default setting for each product until it is updated by the merchant.
 
Confirm that all of your products have shipping settings configured.

Why do shoppers see "Shipping: $0.00" without any shipping service options when I have configured product level shipping correctly?
If the product level shipping services has been properly configured for your products, you may need to add the new code that supports the product level shipping service options to your cart and various invoice templates for those elements to appear in all areas of your store. This is necessary when you have a customized Cart, Invoice, Invoice Email and/or Invoice Print template. Review the "Why are product level shipping service options not displaying on the Cart, Invoice, Invoice Email or Invoice Print templates after enabling and configuring product level shipping service options?" FAQ for more information.

Why are product level shipping service options not displaying on the Cart, Invoice, Invoice Email or Invoice Print templates after enabling and configuring product level shipping service options? 
Business tier and above merchants that have upgraded to v9.0 from a previous version may not see certain elements of the new product level shipping features on their storefront pages and email communications after enabling the option in store administration.   The new code that generates product level shipping elements and options on various pages was not automatically added to customized templates during the upgrade process.  Product level shipping elements will not automatically appear on the following templates if they have been edited:

• Cart
• Invoice
• Invoice Email
• Invoice Print

The new code must be added to these customized templates in order to support the new product level shipping features and options on the storefront.  See knowledge base article #72315 for details on adding the new code to your cart template.
 
http://kb.prostores.com/article.asp?article=72315&p=3988

Can I print shipping labels from ProStores with the product level shipping services option enabled?
You can print USPS shipping labels through PayPal with the ‘Print USPS Label' option on the ‘Order Ready for Shipping' screen.  FedEx and UPS label printing through ProStores is not currently supported when product level shipping is enabled.
 
 
Cross-sell/Up-sell Features
 
How do I enable the Cross-Sell/Up-Sell feature on the cart page?
To enable the Cross-sell/Up-sell feature go to Store Settings > General > Shopping Cart and Checkout Options > and enable the Cross-Sell/Up-Sell option > click Submit.
 
Why are Cross-Sell/Up-Sell products not displaying on my cart pages after enabling the feature? 
Stores without purchase transaction history, active product sales or related products configured will not display anything until an order is processed.  Best selling product data is calculated nightly.  It may take 12-24 hours after the first transaction before products are displayed on the cart page.
 
If your store was created before 3/19/08 (release date of v9.0 that supported this feature) and you have a customized Cart template, you will need to add the new code that supports the Cross Sell/Up-Sell feature.
See knowledge base article #72316 for details on adding the new code to your cart template.
 
http://kb.prostores.com/article.asp?article=72316&p=3988
 
 
Marketing Tools
 
Where do I find store promotions, email marketing, SEO and comparison shopping tools in store administration now?
Those tools are now located in the new Marketing area of store administration. 
 
Google Base Product Feed
 
How do I enable or disable the Google Base product feed option that does not require a Google account?
To enable or disable the Google product feed that doesn’t require a Google account, go to Marketing> Comparison Shopping (No account required)> Google Base> Enable Google Base product feed
 
How do I view or manage the Google Base product feeds and reports when using the basic (without a Google account) Google Base product feed?
There is no option to edit product feeds or view reports with the basic version of the Google Base product feed.  Those options are available if you establish a Google account and configure the advanced Google Base feed.
 
How frequently is the Google Base product feed submitted when using the basic (without a Google account) Google Base product feed?
The Google Base product feed (basic version) is generated nightly.  Google retrieves the file every 24-48 hours.  ProStores has no control over the frequency that Google retrieves and processes the feed. 
 

Product Images
 
Why are the product images I uploaded after the v9.0 upgrade different sizes than the rest of my images?
A default product detail and thumbnail image size option was enabled during the upgrade process. New product images added after the upgrade are automatically resized to predefined sizes (Detail images = 300pix, thumbnails = 100pix) to make it easy to have consistently sized images in the store. You can disable or modify that feature. To update or review product image resize options go to Product> List> Product Settings> Product Image Resize Options.
 
Why are my product images not resizing after enabling or changing the setting?
The tool does not resize existing product images.  Images are resized during the product image import process based on the ‘Product Image Resize Options’ settings at the time of the import.
 
Additionally, images referenced by a URL path on the Product Information> Product Images screen are not resized.
 
How do I review or change the product resize options?
To review or edit product image resize options go to Product> List> Product Settings> Product Image Resize Options.
 
Can I add or update product image URLs with a product table import?
No, product image URLs are not currently supported with the product table export/import tools. 
 
 
Product Descriptions HTML Editor
 
Are there any browser requirements to use the product description HTML editor?
Yes, the product description HTML editor is currently only supported with Firefox and Internet Explorer 6.0 browsers.  Internet Explorer 7.0 does not currently support the HTML editor.  IE 7.0 users can still edit product descriptions and include HTML formating, they simply won't see the HTML editing option. The Firefox browser is available at no cost at http://www.mozilla.com.
 
 
Store Themes and Layouts
 
Where can I review the new themes and home page layout options?
You can review the new store themes and home page layouts by navigating to Store Design> Design Settings.  The new store themes are in the ‘Contemporary’ category.  Do not ‘Save and Publish’ if you do not want to overwrite all of your current store design elements. 
 
Tip: Create a new store version and apply the new theme and layouts to the new store version before overwriting your current store design. 
 
Express Store Upgrades to Starter Store
 
How do I change the products displayed the home page of a Starter store?
The eight products displayed on the home page of starter stores are randomly selected.  There are no options for managing the displayed products.  Upgrade the Starter store to a Business or above level to gain options to control the product displayed on the home page.
 
 
Why do all of my products in my upgraded starter store show a quantity of 0 or 1?
A product quantity of One or Zero was assigned to each of your products based upon the quantity setting for the product at the time of the upgrade.  If it was set to ‘In Stock’, your Starter store product will start with a quantity of one (1).  If it was set to ‘Out of Stock’, it will have a quantity of zero (0). 
 
Why do shoppers see this message “The following fields are required or are invalid: product name here (0 Available)” and unable to purchase the product?
This message appears when inventory is enabled and the product quantity is zero (0).  If your store was upgraded to v9.0 with inventory enabled and quantity set to ‘In Stock”, the product quantity started with one (1).  If it was set to ‘Out of Stock’, it started with a quantity of zero (0).  Additionally, a previous purchase may have decremented the inventory to zero (0).
 
Go to Store Settings> Product Prefs> Inventory Preferences to review or modify the inventory tracking setting.
 
Go to Product> List to review or update inventory quantities for your products.
 
Where can I review more information about the changes with the Express store upgrade to Starter store?
More details about the Express to Starter upgrade are available here.
 
Accessing ProStores Hosting Control Panel
 
How do I access my ProStores hosting account control panel?
One can access the ProStores hosting account control panel from the ProStores store administration home page.  Click on the ‘Go to your store hosting account’ link.
 

 
 
You can also access it directly by using this URL:
 
https://my.prostores.com/login/login.htm?destination=my.prostores.com/index.htm