Here are the latest updates to the Website Forge core system:

- Froogle (google base) attributes are automatically mapped to fields on the Froogle Export form to reduce customer errors.
- Image Lists can show out-of-stock overlays.
-  Default distance for zip distance search can be specified.
-  Tree options performance optimizations - thousands of items should not be a problem to display in a tree.

- DHL realtime rating option.
- Zero-downtime publishing - the old version of the site will be 100% accessible during the publishing process, until the moment new published version is ready.
- Stricter validation of discount coupons.
- Detection of different error conditions in file uploader.
- File uploaders validates file types (won't allow to upload WMV when FLV is expected, etc).

Thanks, Shane Merem

www.websiteforge.com

Web Design and E-commerce

After 13 months of hard work and a crash course in internet fraud ... Kevin O'Brien at www.diveprodivegear.com sent me great this message yesterday.

This message is encouragement for the entire Website Forge community.  Your hard work combined with the power of Website Forge will equal business success. 

Shane:

Thought you'd also like to hear about our progress.

In the 13 months (June 2007) since we launched our website, www.diveprodivegear.com, we have gone from $0 sales to hitting $20K+ sales in July.

I expect we'll have our first $30K month during the Christmas season. This is just from the website. We have no brick & mortar business.

Thanks to the entire WF team for helping us achieve !! -- KOB.

_________________
Kevin O'Brien
www.DiveProDiveGear.com
Toll free: 1-877-55-DIVER

Related Article:  See http://www.websiteforge.com/blog.html?m17:post=important-credit-card-fraud-information-website-forge-shane-merem about Kevin's crash course in credit card fraud.

Ecommerce Module:
- Code change meant to fix the repeated order number issue.
- Customizable order status notifications. Admin can control which order statuses will trigger emailed notifications and which won't.
- A way to change the shipper in the order.

Ad Module:
- mX_edit_item.html page can be called with ?mX:cat=XXXX parameter which will cause the category to be preselected when creating an ad.
- If the Add button is clicked from the mX_item_list.html page and if this page displays only ads from particular category (mX_item_list.html?mX:cat=XXXX), this category will be preselected on the Add form.
- Item List interfaces have "No items found" text configurable, HTML allowed.
- When adding to cart a product with Custom File options and if at least one file is selected, "Please wait" will be displayed while files upload.

Import/Export:
- On the import pages, there is now a message recommending to split files into pieces.

Members' FTP folders: Are now named after member ID and email, i.e. mXXXX-yyy@zzz.com, instead just XXXX. So the owner always knows whom the folder belongs to. Also, on the Edit Member page there is now a quick link to member's FTP area.

Feedback forms:
- For File fields (with Max Number of Files=1), Please Wait message is shown while uploading.
- For File fields with Max Number of Files > 1, an in-page frame is now used instead of a separate browser window to select files for uploading.
- Form frame now has a new parameter, "Email Mode", which can be set to "Text" (suitable for automated processing), "HTML" (like before), and "HTML with Layout" (mimcs the form layout).

Multimedia Features:

- FLV thumbnail mode. On Product Types/Fields you can set fields of type File to display as a thumbnail. When clicked, the thumbnail will display a player in a popup window.
- FLV's and other media in ecommerce. COOL FEATURE!! Audio File, Video File and FLV file subtypes of File fields are now available for the ecommerce modules. This means you can put videos in your product details.

New File Upload Interface:
Multiple files and Java uploader support for Product Options. Product Options of type Custom File can be set up to allow multiple files, with limits on quantity and total size. They can also be set up to allow uploading via Java applet. If configured this way, the option will not display on the product list, but instead, when clicked "Add to Cart", it will open a popup for uploading. The popup can work both in regular mode and in Java mode (if enabled). All the uploaded files will be zipped and the link to this zip file will be added to the cart.

*** NOTE *** The Java uploader is not yet available to use in the Image/File store, it will be added soon.

Other features:
- Tree-like membership groups. Groups can now be organized in a tree like ecommerce categories. This will allow 3LG stores to divide users into companies, departments, subdepartments etc. This feature is systemwide and is available for all membership modules.
- Multi-level group selection. On Registration and Edit Profile forms, and also on Edit Ad forms of Ad modules, multi-level group selection is now supported. To enable, open the corresponding page in the memeber's area, select Frame Settings for the form frame, and change "Tree" setting to "Multi-level" for the group selection control. Republish the site. In this mode, the user first selects the first level of groups (e.g. companies) in one dropdown, the second level in the second dropdown etc. Like we have for tree-like options. This feature is available systemwide for all membership and ad modules
- Aliases in Google Sitemap. Made it possible to use aliases just like real pages.
- Membership. Trial Period for LinkPoint recurring payments.
- Site favicon feature.
- Login frames have now two configurable messages: a) for invalid logins and b) for inactive accounts. HTML is allowed.
- Shipping Source product field can be now exported and imported.

 My sales team has received disturbing reports from prospective clients who are told that "Website Forge templates are bad" by some of our competitors.

They claim that they look the same.  They are told they are unreliable and worse...  They are told that if they purchase a Website Forge site they will never be found in the Search Engines.

I think it is time to set the record straight.  For someone to relate templates to search engine marketing is no different than a car salesman saying "That car has ABS brakes -- that means the windshield wipers won't work".    Sounds silly right? 

It sounds silly because most consumers know more about cars than they do about web sites.

Here are the true facts. 

Fact:  Every major web site uses some sort of template system.  Google, Yahoo!, even Amazon.com uses templates.  If templates were bad do you think one of the largest e-commerce web sites in the world like Amazon.com would use them?

Fact:  Template does not mean ugly.  Every custom Webite Forge site has a great looking unique design.  Take a look at the portfolio page on www.websiteforge.com .  Every site is designed from scratch to meet our customers needs.

Fact:  A web site is only as good it's creator.  If a template engine is written poorly then the end result is a poorly performing web site. 

On the other hand -- if a web site is programmed by an experienced team then it will perform well for you. 

Website Forge has invested hundreds of thousands of dollars to provide the possible platform for your business.  Every day we are working to improve the system so that you can make more money with your site.

Fact:  Website forge is the LEADER in search engine technology.  Our customers have amazing success.  

Without optimization, the Website Forge template engine will assure your site will do better than most.  Optimization will take your site to the next level. 

My inner geek could keep me talking and talking.  I could talk about how the Website Forge engine is more reliable than other technologies. 

I could go into detail about how my team is constantly upgrading the Website Forge engine to compete in the search engines. 

What about the backup system?  We take backups of your site every four hours!  Nobody does that!  We do.

I'll stop myself there. 

Shane Merem

www.websiteforge.com

www.magnusoft.com

Web Site Design and E-commerce

Hi Everyone.

Are you taking full advantage of the media player features of your Website Forge web site?

Don't forget.  You can stream audo and video in the following formats:

MP3

FLA Flash (Macromedia Flash)

FLV Flash Video (Macromedia Flash Video)

MWV (Microsoft Media Player)

MOV (Apple Quicktime Movies)

Contact support@websiteforge.com to start streaming audio and video from your Website Forge web site.

Shane Merem

www.websiteforge.com

www.magnusoft.com

Web Site and E-commerce Web Site Development

It's true!  And I have PROOF!

Because of the updates we affected last Sunday to all the Website Forge web sites -- you are getting more traffic because your products and keywords are more effective than ever in Yahoo!, Google, MSN and more!

Imagine:  Your Website Forge web site is moving to a higher position in the major search engines right now as you read this article! 

Brian Shockly at www.shopbakersnook.com just sent me via email:

JUST BECAUSE IT'S SIMPLE DOESN'T MEAN IT IS EASY!  You still need to work at marketing your web site in the search engines.

Buying a car with all the latest features doesn't make you a better driver -- it just makes driving easier. 

Fact: Your Website Forge site is loaded with technology that exponentially increases your ability to rank well in the search engines

Fact: Garbage in -- Garbage out

You need good content to have good search engine results!  If you don't take the time as a business owner to make sure your web site and product descriptions are written with plenty of keywords  then your web site will not be relevent to search engines.  It's that simple.

If you have not yet talked to our SEO expert, email us at support@websiteforge.com and we will schedule a time for Kevin Gannon to contact you and see what things you can do to make the most out of your Website Forge web site. 

He will give you free advice and offer a strategy.  I cannot name any business  that is successful without good marketing of some kind.

Shane Merem

www.websiteforge.com

Web Design and E-commerce

There are two search engine technologies you absolutely must take advantage of if you are serious about marketing your web site.  They are absolutely free.

Froogle (renamed Google Product Search) and Google Sitemaps.

Froogle is a version of Google that focuses on your product catalog.  If you provide an upload of your entire database formatted specifically for Froogle, your products will be indexed exactly how they should.  Froogle will insert every one of your products into the Google database exactly the way you intended. 

Google Sitmaps is another technology, if taken advantage of, will assure that every page of your entire web site is visited by the Google search engine.  No more wondering if your entire web site has been spidered and indexed by Google.

You will significantly increase your search engine penetration with Froogle and Google Sitemaps.  It's a must have.

Why don't more web developers encourge the use of Google Sitemaps and Froogle?  My guess is that the average web site developer does not have the programming skills to automate the delivery of these files. It wouldn't make sense for a web developer to suggest something they cannot provide themselves. 

Your Website Forge web site is fully Froogle and Google Sitemaps compatible "out of the box".  This means there is no coding neccessary to utilize these powerful search engine technologies.  It's just a matter of configuration.

If you are interested in configuring your web site to use Froogle and/or Google Sitemaps, please contact support@websiteforge.com and we will have one of our search engine specialists help you get it setup.

YOU CANNOT AFFORD to omit Google Sitemaps and Froogle from your search engine efforts!  It's a free boost up in the search engines.

Shane Merem

www.websiteforge.com

Web Design and E-commerce