1. Introduction What is estore Site Content Payment Gateway Secure Sockets Layer Certification (SSL) 09

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1 Update: 1 st November 2012

2 Contents Subject Page No. 1. Introduction What is estore Site Content Payment Gateway Secure Sockets Layer Certification (SSL) Annual Hosting & Support Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) estore Catalogue Data Design & Development Process Going Live Base Specification Additional Development Third Party Software Google Analytics Web Browsers 23 2

3 1. Introduction This guide is intended to give an overview into how estore works, its unique status as an online solution for the kbb industry and also to provide further insight into the powerful capabilities of the fully integrated system you have purchased. A key element of ensuring that your ecommerce venture is successful is a clear understanding of the roles and responsibilities that exist between EQ Software and you the client, as we work together to make your project successful. We re proud of our product and feel confident that EQ estore and the process you are about to commence, in developing your web enterprise, will exceed your expectations. We hope this document will go some way towards helping you get the very best out of your investment and give clear insight into the exciting journey that you have embarked upon. About EQ Software EQ Software is the KBB Industry s largest provider of specialist pricing, quoting and order management software with over 5,500 users. Initial development started back in After very successful one-off installations in a number of very large UK based kitchen manufacturers, the software was released to the market at the KBB show in January Until October 2005 EQ Software was a wholly owned subsidiary of the Mereway Group which is one of the largest independent kitchen and bathroom manufacturers in the UK. In October 2005 the management team undertook a buyout from Mereway under which we procured the majority shareholding in the company. Later that year EQ Software also secured external equity to finance its growth. This equity investment was secured from a variety of sources including a syndicate of business angels, a local high-growth venture capital fund and from the management team itself. Since the management buyout EQ Software has grown rapidly, increasing the headcount from 7 in October 2005 to 40 in January We have recently signed distribution agreements in Australia and South Africa and are in talks with a major CAD vendor to distribute the product in North America. EQ Software enjoys an experienced, highly motivated and dedicated team of owner-managers each with over 15 years experience in either the kitchen or software industries. The team is monitored by a professional board of directors that includes representatives of the external investors. In August 2009 we secured funding from the University of Warwick proof of concept fund to develop a unique set of products aimed specifically at our 3

4 existing customer base. EQ estore was previewed at the KBB show in March The success of EQ estore surpassed all our expectations. EQ Software is the leading provider of Business Management Software to the KBB market. Currently we have in excess of 5,500 users which constitutes over 30% of KBB retailers and manufacturers. We have links with all the major CAD and Accounts software vendors. Our software is used by the majority of leading manufacturers and retailers including: Nicholas Anthony, Everest Kitchens, Premier Kitchens, Betta Living, Harvey Jones, Ripples, InToto, Atlas Bathrooms, Commodore Kitchens, XY Made, Gallery Furniture, Economy German, QK Living, Harvey Norman (AUS), John Flemming (Buildbase), Chamois, Avanti Kitchens, Ultima, Laufen, Villeroy & Boch, Chalon, & Boundary Bathrooms to name but a few. Due to the requirements of our back-end solution, we currently maintain nearly 4,000 supplier catalogues ranging from Furniture, Appliances, Sanitary ware through to worktops and fittings. All of these catalogues are enhanced to provide additional functionality to the retailers. The enhancements include product images, detailed specification, website links, ECO rates such as CO2 emissions and running costs, associated products along with both Manufacturer and Distributor product codes. EQ Software is in a unique position to provide an end-to-end solution for the KBB industry. Our industry standard software can be used by Manufacturers and retailers alike. Both EQ Software and EQ estore web solutions use exactly the same catalogue source. This means there is no reason to duplicate data, no translation problems and therefore no mistakes. Uniquely, we have an understanding of the KBB market, It s customers, well specified product catalogues and the ability to design, develop and integrate stunning, functional ecommerce websites. 4

5 2. What is EQ estore EQ estore is the solution to the complex problem of delivering configurable products to an ecommerce website and is broken down into two main modules. 1. EQ Professional EQ Professional is used as the engine or off-line driver to the website. This enables the data to be collected, initially from a standard EQ catalogue, enhanced and finally pushed to the website. Having an offline solution to manipulate the data speeds up the process enormously, allowing huge amounts of data to be processed quickly and efficiently. The CRM also holds customer trade accounts, discount structures and order history. Any customers registering or placing orders on the site can be downloaded to the EQ Professional System. 2. EQ estore CMS Our bespoke CMS (Content Management System) has been engineered to bring the technology of search engine optimisation and professional web site layout to the end user. Our solution has been developed on a Linux Server running Apache MySQL and PHP otherwise known as LAMP, this is a secure and reliable environment. The use of JavaScript is used for special features. EQ estore is tested to work on the following platforms: Internet Explorer 7 Running on Windows XP, Internet Explorer 7 Running on Windows Vista, Internet Explorer 8 Running on Windows 7, Internet Explorer 9 Preview Running on Windows 7, Firefox Running on windows 7, Google Chrome Running on Windows 7, Opera Running on Windows 7, Safari Running on Window 7, Chrome Running on Mac OSX Snow Leopard, Firefox 3.6 Running on Mac OSX Snow Leopard, Safari Running on Mac OSX Snow Leopard, Safari Running on ipad, Safari Running on iphone 3gs, Safari Running on iphone 4, Safari Running on ipod Touch EQ estore is also written in a modular format allowing us to bolt on extras and updates as and when the site may need to evolve with new search engine technologies or languages. 5

6 Just a few of the features in EQ estore o Add / Edit / Delete content and web pages by the click of a button o Edit your content using a WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) web page editor (similar to editing a text document within a text editing programme such as Microsoft Word ). o Add hyperlinks, download links, images, text and Flash content easily o Rename web pages o Add Keywords and Meta tags for search engine optimisation o Change and archive amendments made to any page, with easy moderation. o Restore old content by the click of button o Create/manage the navigation structure quickly and easily o Hide web pages from public view o Enable and disable web pages from public view o Set page links to other sites or products/services that are offered o Set which template design you wish to use on any page (allowing different designs / colour schemes on any web page) o Set which CSS (Cascading Style Sheet) you wish to use on any page, giving literally unlimited amount of styles and layouts. o Page cordons allow for setting up pages only accessible by a particular group of users. o Multiple editable content areas allowing for stable page control. o Hit and view statistics for individual pages. 6

7 3. Site Content EQ Software will provide support with initial content, but the responsibility is down to you as the customer to provide this as soon as possible to avoid delays in the process. At the point of compiling the information into the CMS, full access and control will be given to you; and also full responsibility to maintain and update the content. The benefit of estore is very much about this, that the client has full control over their own content; Navigation Levels EQ estore allows full administration of content Navigation. The client is able to add/delete and archive pages/links at top level of navigation and also add sub levels to this, enabling complete control over site architecture. Page Creation Within Page Manager a client is able add pages, defining meta data such as Page Title / Keywords / Descriptions. This automatically builds the page with appropriate SEO friendly link and also you can select from a number of options relating to how a page will display content. Content Insertion and Modification Content can be place into a page by using the content area management Edit your content using a WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) web page editor (similar to editing a text document within a text editing programme such as Microsoft Word ). Gallery EQ estore operates a fully functional Gallery module, allowing you to upload, edit and publish images to any area of your site. It is also capable of delivering You Tube videos seamlessly into your website, this is particularly useful both for promotional and instructional video. This capability is also reflected with in EQ s backend allowing for product associated video and imagery. 7

8 4. Payment Gateway The client is responsible for setting up a payment gateway for estore to integrate with, and should be applied for immediately after the initial design meeting, if one isn t already in place. A payment gateway is a service that authorises payments for online retailers. They protect credit card details by encrypting sensitive information, such as credit card numbers, to ensure that information is passed securely between the customer and the payment processor. Our recommended solution is Sage Pay ( this is a 3 rd party company, which has been pre-built into our estore solution. Once a site is ready to go live, we require the Sage Pay vendor name for the client's Sage Pay account (if you already have a Sage Pay account there is no need to create another, the site can still post payments to existing ones). At this point, EQ Software will fully test the system in the development environment, before setting the site live and then asking the client to make a live purchase and refund, to satisfy Sage Pay criteria. Applying for a Sage Pay account and vendor name requires the client to apply for a merchant bank account from their bank. This can then be provided to Sage Pay upon application. 8

9 5. SSL Certification It is essential that your customers have confidence in the shopping experience you provide. They need to be certain when entering credit card details and personal information that this sensitive information will be kept safe when making a purchase on your website. For any online retailer, securing the checkout process is absolutely paramount. If the consumer in any way perceives that their credit card transaction might be compromised, they are unlikely to do their shopping with your company. As part of the client's estore purchase, EQ Software will provide them with an SSL certificate. An SSL certificate ensures that data transferred on your website is secure and encrypted, and certifies the owner. EQ Software will purchase an SSL certificate on behalf of you, but you must provide full legal details of your business when we do. This is to be communicated directly to certificate authority (not through EQ) which will be requested by . Usually a VAT certificate will suffice for this purpose, along with your Company Registration number and registered address - a PO Box number cannot be used. The site s domain name must also be purchased & live, ready to use for the certificate application process to be applied. The charge for this SSL Certificate is per annum, and included in your Annual Hosting & Support fees (see below) 9

10 6. Hosting and Support Our websites are hosted on a Linux Server running Apache MySQL and PHP otherwise known as LAMP, this is a secure and reliable environment. Your annual hosting fee covers:- o 12 months of hosting on a secure server, running dedicated protocols for information transfer between EQ Gateway and estore; including customer orders and sales leads. o Single Static IP Address o Secure Socket Layer (SSL) Certificate for encryption & secure credit card transactions. o Domain Renewal Your annual support fee covers:- o 12 months support (including EQ estore interface support) o Telephone and remote support for both estore and the CMS. o It also provides upgrades to all the software (feature release). The fees for Hosting & Support will recur after each 12 month period, taking the month your site Goes-Live as month 1. The first of which is due before your site can be transferred over to our live web-servers, regardless of any payment plans for the site itself. Support is available from until 17:00 Monday to Friday (UK time), with our fully trained team of technical advisors, and also via , details of which will be given at your initial design meeting. 10

11 7. Search Engine Optimisation One of the most common questions we are asked by clients concerns their approach to online marketing and in particular SEO. Your site may look great and function perfectly, but like any shop the end goal is to get customers through the door and buying. EQ estore facilitates all aspects of Search Engine Optimisation; This section will explain this and also advise how with a little effort you can maximise the success of your website. EQ estore has been built with several ways to improve and increase visibility in major search engines. As a company we don t directly research or involve ourselves in these modification areas but offer the client the flexibility to do so themselves. We offer a product that is Search Engine friendly and gives the client all the tools in the correct places to expand and apply Search Engine Optimisation techniques with little to no prior knowledge. Content Management System The online Content Management Solution (CMS) allows for the addition of Meta tags, Meta descriptions and Meta Keywords along with Page Titles and Page Headings, all of which are important elements in order for a page to have the correct keyword density and be informative to a search engine in order to improve position within search engine search result pages (SERPS). It is also ideal for any static page content to mention as many times as possible without repetition, the subject of the page. estore allows for the customer to keep these updated on the static pages and edit as according to search engine rules. As a company we do not dictate or research these keywords or descriptions unless required under the terms of additional work requested for us to optimise the site for the client. Products estore attempts to do the best possible with the data provided from catalogues added to the offline estore module in EQ, by picking out keywords from product description and specifications to create relevant Meta Information. The Meta created can be expanded in EQ under the Search Engine tab, this enables the client to be able to add other tags, misspellings or descriptions that is not put in the catalogue data, this is important to take into consideration when a product description may not describe the item correctly in a retail scenario (e.g. Alvero Basin Monobloc - With no pop-up waste, swivel spout, minimum 1 bar does not contain the word Tap so this could be added to the Meta and Specification by the client in EQ so that the product would be indexed for the word Tap too). Page titles and Headings are also generated by the system and are relevant to the product type, category and description. Sitemap The system site map is generated from all pages and products in the online 11

12 system, these links are generated into an industry standard XML formatted file for inclusion into major search engines, particularly Google The sitemap also contains the priority of the page within the system and is also represented similarly as a set of linked pages in the sitemap HTML page. Analytics and Webmaster Tools estore online administration areas has the facility for the client to add tracking via Google Analytics and/or Webmaster tools this is useful for the client should they wish to track the performance of the site within Google s index. Google Base/Google Merchant Centre Google Merchant Centre is an online list within Google s search indexes of products that have been submitted to the listings by retailers. Below is a screenshot of a Google search for Eastbrook Leonardo Heated Towel Rail Showing UK Bathroom Creations having the top 4 links in Google, and also inclusion of products in Google Merchant Centre. The client can directly from within EQ estore module select products for inclusion into Google Base, the client can then export a feed from the online administration console, this can be imported into Google Merchant centre for inclusion of products, not online into Google s product database but also into its search indexes. There is no cost attracted by Google for including a data feed in Google Merchant Centre, and is provided free of charge by Google. 12

13 Important Considerations and Techniques for Search Engine Optimisation It is important to remember that in order for a site to rank in the major search engines it needs to have the relevant content and keywords in place. Search engines work by using dynamic comparisons of data in terms of keywords. Google and Yahoo both employ algorithms that can identify a site or page of content by analysing the keywords in the content for instance, if a site is listing the word Java it could be a programming site or page or content as Java is a programming language, or alternatively the page could be about coffee. Search engines are intelligent enough to distinguish that if the page also contains the word Cup the page is probably related to Coffee, if the page also contains for instance the word Function or Procedure then the content is more likely to be about programming. Search engine performance improvement can be achieved relatively easily as long as the rule Content is Key is observed, the following list is a small list of starting points to enable a site a better position within SERPS. 1. Description Pages Pages that are not actual ecommerce product pages should be included to describe the main feature of the site and the products or brands that are being advertised, a search engine will better search and index a site which includes not only products but also pages with descriptions that are relative to the items for sale, this could include how to pages (e.g. How to fix an Aqua Deck, How to change a tap or How to tile a bathroom) these pages don t necessarily need to be about the actual products, but in the same industry or trade to be related to the products for sale. 2. Ideal Headings Page headings and title tags go a long way to providing a reasonable amount of information about what the page is about and are the main identifier the search engines will index. Search engines expect a page heading to be appropriate to the body of content its describing, for example if your page heading says All about Apples you don t want your page to be a page of content about oranges. 3. International Content Search engines are not English or Retail they index what you put on your pages, it s easy to rip content from other sites and it be of international origin (Spelling/phase/grammar differences) 4. Duplicate Content One of the biggest mistakes people can make is duplicating content from other sites or across many pages, whilst this is not so bad on product listings or product descriptions for static pages this can cause real issues and can actually result in being banned from the major search engines. Content should be written by the client and added to the site, it s a common misunderstanding that you can simply copy the content from our competitors and plagiarise it and this will work as well as it did for your competitors who might be higher than you in the SERPS. The search engines are more likely to penalise you for 13

14 this activity. 5. Get the Content Right A lot of supplier data in EQ Catalogues is aimed towards the use of EQ users to sell to their customers and worded so. It is important to make sure that products or content which is expected to be found for the right reasons, while EQ Clients understand and know what a Bath Mixer Spout is, the end user searching the web will look for more common keywords and descriptions Taps for Baths so inclusion of these kind of keywords and descriptions should be adopted, that being said the keywords do not need to be Tap, Taps, Bath and Baths just Tap and Bath would suffice. 6. Landing Pages These can be good and bad, if not done properly they can result in penalty and even a permanent ban from a search engine, a good way to do landing pages is to make them as simple and clear as possible that the purpose of these pages is to land a user on the page more relevant to the search criteria, a lot of search engine companies will add Gateway Pages which serve as a way to gain more pages in search indexes but the common goal is not always a positive one, which is why Gateway pages are usually done on a second, not so important site, to back fill traffic from the lead generation site to the main site, then if the Gateway pages/or site get banned the main site remains unaffected, this is a common route a lot of companies take. 7. White hat SEO vs. Black hat SEO Black hat SEO is a method of getting a web site to rank with unsavoury methods which can and usually does involve spamming and banning of a site. Although White hat SEO takes longer to produce results and needs constant attention, it s the only way to guarantee any kind of long term performance. We do not employ any methods of Black hat SEO in any way shape or form and this should be recommended to the client. 8. SEO Companies There are many fly by night SEO companies who will guarantee front page success for a menial cost the typical 500 for front page of Google Adverts should be avoided. Companies offering this kind of Opportunity are almost completely attaining results using Black hat SEO methods and no long term results or performance and even worse they can get sites banned, the main issue with this is Black hat SEO does produce results, and these companies can produce evidence of this, but only for a very short time (usually around 2-8 weeks) at which stage the search engines identify the sites using these techniques and employ bans or search penalisation, leaving the client wondering why the site has now started to fall from the SERPS, it is often at this point more difficult to repair the damage done. 14

15 8. EQ estore catalogue Data functionality estore catalogue data is designed to link into the estore web site s content areas. For example a navigation menu may be driven form the estore products Type, Category, Colour, Brand, Collection, etc. Filters may also be designed to operate in the same way. For this reason, product areas of the estore website are said to be dynamically data driven which means that the content is directly driven and associated with the product data held on the EQ system that pushes it. Data Push Pushing means the uploading of a catalogue dataset to the estore server so that it is made available to the web site. During this process the EQ estore module packages up the data and uploads it, this is a manual process and is performed by the estore client. The estore server automatically receives the package and makes it available to the web site instantaneously - this part of the process is automatic. Catalogue Types There are four types of catalogue used in estore, these are namely; 1. My Catalogue This is the product data which is wholly created and maintained by the user and can be loaded into the estore module for further preparation prior to pushing to the web. 2. Appliance These are the catalogues created and maintained by EQ Software. Examples types; Appliances, Sinks, Taps, Brassware, Sanitary ware, Worktops, Components, etc Example brands; Neff, Franke, Abode, Tre Mercati, TC, Duropal, Hafele, etc The data normally seen in EQ (codes, descriptions, types, categories, images) can be loaded into estore and further preparation can be made by the user eg. Adding On Sale flags, adjusting sell prices, adding more images, adding detailed descriptions, grouping by collections and brands, etc. It is the estore user s responsibility to add this further preparation level if required. 3. Door Regular door catalogues can be loaded into estore too, however before doing so it is advisable to consult with EQ data services because much of the further classifications, range naming, grouping, etc can be built into the catalogue. This was done due to the onerous nature of maintaining this information. Due to the technical and complex structure of door datasets special variants of existing door catalogues may be required to be created 15

16 for use on your website. Once created these may also be maintainable by the user or by EQ as a chargeable service. 4. Furniture In a similar way to door catalogues, existing furniture could be loaded into EQ and further estore preparations made by the user, furniture catalogues can also be built from scratch within the estore module. However it is advisable that a consultation meeting is held with EQ to derive the best route to web for the intended data. For example Carcase Only catalogues will not function in the same way in estore as they would in EQ (auto adding of doors). The data should always be considered as Complete style in estore ie. carcase and door together as one price. Special furniture catalogue(s) may need to be created for your estore and are chargeable as a maintained service. Images, Copyright and Trademarks EQ will wherever possible attempt and intend to add product images to products in the EQ maintained catalogues; however we cannot guarantee to have image coverage for every product. This is one of the reasons that estore has the functionality for the client to add their own images if required. EQ catalogues are supplied as is and no license or right to publish copyright or trademarked material (eg. images) is given or transferable from EQ to the user. It is the estore user responsibility to gain, where relevant, sufficient permission from copyright owners to use any copyrighted material on the web. As per the terms and conditions, EQ will accept no responsibility nor indemnify the user for loss or damages due to copyright issues or complaints. 16

17 9. Design &Development Process 1. Design (1-3 weeks) A Design & Development meeting will be booked by our own in house web architect, where you can speak to them first hand about your site requirements. They will cover every aspect that goes into the look, feel & functionality of your site. Ideally a Company Logo is required, or for you to have a logo in mind to base the site on. This is very important at this early stage as the subtle shapes & angles of the logo can be echoed throughout the design. Your Company Colour Scheme is also important as this is part of your company as a brand and is equally as important as the logo. Images make all the difference on a website, so a selection of them would be another advantage, particularly those of the Lifestyle variety showing your products displayed in situ. These can be your own or available from your supplier, however copyright holder s permission must be obtained. This is then left with the design team (1-2 weeks) to create an overall style for your website. They will produce an image of the homepage for you to make comments on and feed back any changes you require. This image is purely a static (non-functional) representation of the site look itself; and is generated in a simple file format (IE.pdf,.jpg). When you are satisfied with this initial static design, your approval needs to be communicated by or by fax to the designer before the 2 nd stage of your development can begin... INTEGRATION 17

18 2. Integration (4-6 weeks) Your static design is then given to one of the Web Developers to cut-up. The cut-up process is simply that, which is to theoretically cut-up the design image into sections; and made to function as it was intended to (2-3 weeks). This is created on one of our test servers, which is not available to the public but can be accessed by you on any internet connection. As a standard, all levels of estore will have generate up to a maximum of 5 topic pages as part of the initial homepage design. (For ecommerce sites, this is excluding your product pages.) Once full control has been handed over to you on Go-Live, you will have full access to the Content Management System (CMS) to add additional pages yourself. A few suggestions for the Topic Pages: Home Page Products Services Reviews Testimonials Galleries Reviews Shipping Information Dealer List Warranty & Return Policy Informational Pages About Us Contact Us Privacy Policy FAQ News Articles/newsletter Links Customer Service These are just examples and are not meant to be restrictive, feel free to discuss options with the design architect at your initial meeting. Once you have agreed on the topic pages we suggest you immediately start to think about writing the content for each. At minimum you would need a few paragraphs, but it s also advisable to consider exactly what content you would like to populate each topic page as soon as possible. As part of the integration process your EQ System will be upgraded to install the estore Module that connects you to the website. From this you will be shown how to Add, Amend and Export catalogues to the website, at this stage you will be required to push all the required catalogues up to the newly integrated site on the test server. You can then manipulate the data as and when you require. Then when you are satisfied with this Design Integration, your approval is needed again to be communicated by or by fax to the designer before the 3 rd stage of your development can begin... GO-LIVE 18

19 10. Go Live (2 days) After the Design-Integration has been approved by you, it is then copied across to a Live Web Server where your domain is pointed to it it is now that your site is considered as LIVE. There are 2 necessary reasons why you should go live as soon as possible, and another why it s to your advantage. Firstly, your site needs to be LIVE to apply for your SSL Certificate. Secondly, your site needs to be LIVE to test your payment Gateway. Thirdly, the sooner you are live the quicker the search engines will find you. 11. Base Specifications Level 1 Brochure site, to promote your business on the Internet o Although a non-ecommerce website, access to a Content Management System is given to you to control all pages created in the initial design. o As a standard we create a maximum of 5 such pages in the design, but non can be linked in any way to a product catalogue although you do have access to add your own galleries of products if required o The site will come with SEO friendly tools, including automatically generated keywords, descriptions and search engine friendly URLs o Contact Forms ed directly to your accounts can also be generated. Level 2 Bathroom and Kitchen Appliance ecommerce site o Option to push 'My catalogues' from EQ, allowing you to sell anything and everything. o Includes CMS to give full control over adding and editing pages o Add team members, testimonials and contact forms o Full user control, allowing you to restrict employee access o Fully integrated with EQ o Export your existing catalogues to your estore o Specify different price margins for your estore o Select which products you'd like to sell online, or choose them all o Update products in minutes, including adding or removing sale items o Import customers and orders from your estore into EQ o Setup promotional codes for customer discounts o SEO friendly, including automatically generated keywords, descriptions and search engine friendly URLs 19

20 Level 3 Kitchen Furniture ecommerce site o Including kitchen carcasses and doors o Including your 'My catalogues' from EQ, allowing you to sell anything and everything o Quick order system; developed specifically to reduce ordering time for trade customers o Includes CMS to give full control over adding and editing pages o Add team members, testimonials and contact forms o Full user control, allowing you to restrict employee access o Fully integrated with EQ o Export your existing catalogues to your estore o Specify different price margins for your estore o Select which products you'd like to sell online, or choose them all o Update products in minutes, including adding or removing sale items o Import customers and orders from your estore into EQ o Setup promotional codes for customer discounts o SEO friendly, including automatically generated keywords, descriptions and search engine friendly URLs 20