Add products to the catalog

You can select which products to make available on your eCommerce site from the Inform Product Master. As you select products for your site, consider the recommendations below:

• Add a description: Inform displays a single product description, but eCommerce allows you to add a web description specifically for your eCommerce site. Search engines index both the product and web descriptions, so the more descriptive your product information, the more likely it will appear in search results.
• Format product images for maximum display quality: Images formatted as JPG's with a size of approximately 288 x 288 pixels (about 4 x 4 inches) will display best on your site.
• Attach images, specifications, or SDS: Your customers can view, download, and print attached files directly from your website. Link these documents similar to how you would link an image to a product.

To add products

1. Go to File>Product>Master.
2. In the Product box, type the number of the product you want to make available on the web, and then press the Tab key.
3. On the Setup page, click the Web Options tab.

   

4. Click Edit.
5. Select publishing options:
   1. To include the product in your eCommerce catalog and display it on your website, select the Web PublishMakes this product available for purchase on your eCommerce site. (For eCommerce users only.) check box. By default, all products are web published.
   2. To add a disclaimer link to the California Prop 65 (chemical warning) on the product detail pages, select the CA Proposition 65 check box.
   3. If you have multiple branch websites, you can select the branch website on which you want the product to appear from the Publish by BranchFor companies with branch specific web sites, you can publish products to one or all of them. From this list, select the web site to which you want to publish, or leave it blank to publish to all. list.
   4. Optionally assign a Web CategoryThe alphanumberic code representing the category in which this product belongs.. Web categories allow you to group products on your site. For more information on creating categories, see Categorize the catalog.
   5. If you want to limit the quantity per order, set the Max Web Order QtyThe maximum number of units (based on the unit of measure) allowed per online order. If you do not want to restrict quantities, leave this box blank.. To edit the message that appears when a customer exceeds this quantity, go to File>Company>Inform eCommerce, and click the Options tab.
6. On the Linked Files panel, choose the documents and images that you want to publish with the product. For best practices on linking files, see Tips on linking images, S.D.S, and specs.
   1. To select a file stored on the Inform server, click the magnifying glass and select it from the list that appears.
   2. To select a file from a local computer drive, click the folder icon and then browse to the location and select the file. You may also drag and drop a file from its current location to the appropriate box; however, drag and drop is compatible with local installations only, not remote connections. Once linked, locally-stored files will automatically be copied to the appropriate folder on your server and can be deleted from your computer.
   3. To point to an existing web location, type the full URL into the appropriate box. applicable). This linked file will be used only if no file is selected from server or local drive. Note that if the host website goes down, this document will not display on your site.
7. You can ignore the Disable UPS Shipping option, as it is used only for B2C solutions. See Add B2C retail
8. Type a Web DescriptionA detailed description of the product. This description has no character limit and appears on your eCommerce site along side the product. Search engines will index this description as well as the Product Description from the Inform database, so the more detailed your description, the more likely customers will find it in a general web search. To format the description with font changes and links, click the Edit As HTML button..

   

   For example:

9. Link to additional Web DocumentsAttach files other than specs or SDS for customer use. Documents may reside on the Inform server or remain hosted online. Click Add Web Document. In the Document box, type the name or brief description for the document. On the website, this text displays as a link to the document. In the Path box copy and paste the server path or web address (URL) to the file. If it is a URL, then select the Is URL check box..

   

10. Click Save.

    Inform posts the product to your eCommerce site immediately.

See also

• Import product information from a spreadsheet
• Import product descriptions
• Update multiple records simultaneously