Setting up Your HarmonySite to Sell Merchandise
For all the set-up instructions below, ensure that you are logged into your HarmonySite with a "Webmaster" level of access.
1. Enable the Order module and set up payment options
Before merchandise can be sold from your website, the Order module must be enabled. You must also select at least onepayment method. The payment methods available are:
- Credit card via a secure payment gateway. When a vistor uses this option to pay for their order, they remain on your website for the entire process (unlike PayPal, below). HarmonySite currently has integrated support for two payment gateways: Stripe and eWay. Please refer to our Payment Gateways page for more information.
- Credit card via PayPal. Note that your group must have a PayPal account in order to enable this payment method. These are free to set up, but note that PayPal takes fees on every transaction.
- Internet Bank Transfer. Your bank account details are displayed to visitors when they check out. They make a manual transfer via their own Internet banking system, and when your merchandise manager sees the payment in your group's bank account, they then manually mark the order as paid, and the goods can be shipped.
- Cheque/Money Order. Your postal address is displayed to members when they received their invoice. They post a cheque, and when your merchandise manager receives it, they then manually mark the order as paid, and the goods can be shipped.
To enable the order module and set up payment options...
- Click the "cog" icon in the top-right corner of the site
- On the Website Setup and Configuration page, click the cog icon next to "HarmonySite"
- Click the Configuration tab
- Tick the box at the top of the tab called Online Invoices/Orders/Tickets/Donations
- Tick the box at the top of the tab called Merchandise
- Click the Payments tab
- Enter the details of at least one payment method. For example, the bank account instructions may look something like this...
Please pay funds into the following account:
Bank: First Bank of Harmony
BSB: 123456
Account name: My Excellent Group Inc.
Account number: 12345678
...while the cheque/money order instructions may look like this...
Please make cheques payable to My Excellent Group Inc.
and post to:
My Excellent Group Inc.
PO BOX 9876
Mytown SA 1234 - If you wish to allow visitors to pay for merchandise securely using a credit card, please refer to our Payment Gateways page for more information
- Click Save at the bottom
2. Nominate the person/position responsible for handling orders
In most groups, there is one person that is responsible for purchasing merchandise, as well as being notified of new orders. In HarmonySite, you must nominate who this person is before invoices can be sent. This is done by selecting the "position" that the person holds, not the person themselves. That way whenever a new person takes over that position, the system continues to function without modification.
It may be necessary to first create the "position" and assign a member to it. Check the Officers or Management Team page (or look in the "Positions" database). If the position doesn't exist, create it. Ensure that a member is asigned to it. Then...
- Click the "cog" icon in the top-right corner of the site
- On the Website Setup and Configuration page, click the cog icon next to "HarmonySite"
- Click the People tab
- In the Receive merchandise purchase notifications drop-down list, select the appropriate position
- Click Save at the bottom
Next ensure that this person has administration rights over the merchandise database...
Click on the Admin link in the top-right corner to display the Administration Dashboard
Scroll down to the Members heading, and click on Logins in the far-right Database tables column
- On the Logins Administration page, click the button to update the login record of the person holding this role
- Ensure that their Access Level is set to at least Data Administration Access
- If their Access Level is set to Data Administration Access, then you must ensure that at least the following databases are selected from the set of tickboxes below the drop-down list:
- Merchandise
- Merchandise categories
- Click Save at the bottom
3. Ensure that your merchandise is correctly set up
Now it's time to actually add the products that you wish to sell on your website. Visit the Merchandise page, usually found in the Other menu across the top of the page. If you can't see it there, it may be in one of the other menus. If not, please contact us.
If everything has been set up correctly, then when you visit the Merchandise page you should see no errors - perhaps just the message "There are no items to display". There should also be some links at the top of the page that allow you to add new items and new merchandise categories.
Merchandise Categories
Every item that you make available for sale must be "categorised" - must be assigned a category. Some sample categories have been added to your system to get you started...
- DVDs
- CDs
- Clothing
- Memorabilia
You can delete any of these categories, or rename them, or add new ones, or reorder existing ones. To do so, visit the Merchandise Categories Administration page, by selecting Merchandise Categories from the Administration drop-down list on the Members page.
Adding Items/Products
Once the categories have been set up, you can start adding products. Simply visit the Merchandise page and click the Add new item link at the top of the page. Fill in the details of the item, then click Save at the bottom, and you're done!
Some notes about entering items...
- Options. Some of the items you sell will have "options" associated with them. The HarmonySite system supports a maximum of two "options" per product. The best way to describe what an "option" is is by example: If you're selling a T-shirt with your logo on it, then you will probably sell that T-shirt in different sizes. You may also sell different colours. If that's the case, then your T-shirt will have one option called "size" and another called "colour". When ordering, your visitors will be required to specify the size and colour that they want. It's up to you to list all the "size" options and "colour" options when adding the T-shirt item. Where it says Option set 1, you might specify the name "size", and then, in the box below (called Options), list all the sizes available, each on a line by itself. Where it says Option set 2, you would specify the name "colour", and then list every colour available, each on a line by itself.
- Photos. You can upload at most two photos per item. Be very careful about the size (dimensions in pixels) of the photos you upload. If you upload photos that are too large (bigger than around 500 pixels wide), then it will upset the look of the page.
- Description. The Full Description field can contain whatever you want - even more photos. For example, if you were selling a CD, the Full Description field could contain the track list.
Once you have added all your products, you're ready to sell them immediately!
Viewing Orders that have been Placed
Your website contains a report for viewing orders that have been placed. To access this report, proceed as follows:
Click on the Admin link in the top-right corner to display the Administration Dashboard
Scroll down to the Financials heading, and click on the View all Orders/Invoices/Bookings/Donations link to the right of this in the Admin Pages column
The page you are taken to will have a section for all orders placed. You can easily view the details of each order (by clicking on the order ID). You can also...
- Update the details of each order
- Delete the order
- Send out the latest status of the order to the person that placed the order
- Mark the order as "paid". This is necessary when you receive the payment for an order by cheque or Internet bank transfer.
This report will be enhanced in the near future.