Introduction

CafeCommerce is the easy way to create your own online store. With over 20 themes to pick from, you can upload your own logo, change colors, modify fonts and more. Plus, we host everything for you, so that every step, from adding products, to accepting credit card payments, is a snap!

The DreamHost Advantage

Here's the best part, CafeCommerce has teamed up with DreamHost to provide you with the world's fastest and most reliable servers to power your online store. There is nothing for you to set up, since we install your store and also take care of future patches and updates for you.

Unlimited Storage and Bandwidth
First Rate Security
Automatic Backups
Free Updates

CafeCommerce Features

Manage orders & keep track of customer data
Create promotions like coupon codes or put products on sale.
Edit content
Accept payments through PayPal, Authorize.net and more
Connect with shipping providers like USPS, UPS, FedEx, Canada Post and Australia Post

Sign Up

Create a CafeCommerce Account

1. Navigate to www.cafecommerce.com.
2. At the main CafeCommerce page, click the Try it Free! button.

3. Create a name for your store and enter it in the Store Address field.
This is the URL your customers will use to navigate to your store. You can change your store address later by purchasing a domain, so if you’re not sure what to call your store, pick a temporary name.
4. Enter your email address in the Email Address field.
5. Enter a password in the Password field and retype it in the Confirm Password field.
6. Click the Terms of Use link to read the Terms of Use, then check the I agree to CafeCommerce’s Terms of Use checkbox.
7. Click the Sign Up button.
In one step, you’ve created both a DreamHost account and a CafeCommerce account, and you’re ready to set up your store.

Log in to the CafeCommerce Manager

Once you have created your account, you will receive an email with a link to the login screen for your CafeCommerce Manager.
Log in with the Email and Password credentials you created when you created your account, and click the Sign In button.
The CafeCommerce Manager displays four main tabs that you will use to create and maintain your store site:

Store
Pages & Navigation
Design
Settings

When the CafeCommerce Manager first opens, the Dashboard section of the Store tab is displayed on top.

Use the CafeCommerce Dashboard

The fastest way to get your store up and running, is using the Dashboard on the CafeCommerce Manager screen.
The Dashboard is located on the Store tab, so any time you want to return to the Dashboard, you’ll need to click the Store tab.

The Dashboard displays 6 Shortcut buttons that walk you through each of the main steps necessary for setting up your store.
Each of the Shortcut buttons navigates you to a specific sub-section of one of the four main tabs.

NOTE: Any time you want to return to the Dashboard, click the Store tab. Using the Dashboard, you can set up your store in 6 Steps:

Step 1: Configure Your Store Settings

Step 2: Add Products to your Catalog

Step 3: Configure your Checkout

Step 4: Configure Tax & Shipping

Step 5: Customize your Design

Step 6: Manage Pages & Navigation

Get Ready to Sell

Step 1: Configure Your Store Settings

1. Start at the Dashboard.

2. Click the Configure your store settings shortcut button.
You are navigated to the General section of the Settings tab.

Step 2: Add Products to your Catalog

1. Start at the Dashboard.

2. Click the Add products to your catalog button.
You are navigated to the Products section of the Store tab. The Details sub-tab is displayed.

3. Click the Descriptions tab.

4. Enter a brief description of your product (as it might appear in a catalog) in the Short Description field.
5. Enter a more detailed description of your product (this is your “hard sell”) in the Long Description field.
6. Click the Images tab.

7. Click the file folder icon.
Depending on your browser settings, you might see a Security Warning similar to the one pictured below.

8. A window will open displaying any pictures (including sample pictures provided by CafeCommerce) that are associated with your site.

Depending on your Browser settings, uploaded pictures may display on the top-left corner, alphabetically, or by date.

9. Double-click the image you would like to use for your product, or highlight multiple images by dragging over them and clicking OK.
You are returned to the Images tab and your image is displayed to the right.

10. When you are finished adding images, click the SEO tab. Enter some information there. (This will help you get your products discovered by search engines.) 11. Click the Additional Settings tab.

12. Add whatever information is relevant to your product’s Retail Price, Weight, Shipping/Handling Charges, or product availability.
13. Click the Save Product button.

Now your product is saved and you are taken to your Product List. Your newly added product appears alphabetically in your product list.

Step 3: Configure your Checkout

About Credit Card Payments

In order to accept credit card payments through your store, you’ll need to have an account with one of the following supported payment gateways:

e-onlinedata w/Authorize.net
PayPal Website Payments Pro
Paypal Website Payments Standard
Authorize.net
Sage Pay VSP Server

If you don’t already have an account with one of the supported payment gateways listed above, you will have an opportunity to create an account with e-onlinedata during the setup process.
CafeCommerce has partnered with e-onlinedata to provide you with a payment gateway solution that you can rely on.
1. Start at the Dashboard.

2. Click the Configure your Checkout button.

3. Click the Payment Gateway drop-down.
A list of supported payment gateways will open. You must have an account with one of the supported payment gateways.
4. If you already have an account with a supported payment gateway, select it from the list.
5. If you do not have an account with any of the supported payment gateways, click the e-onlinedata Apply Now! button to create one.
6. Enter your Payment Gateway account settings.
7. Click the Save Settings button.

Step 4: Configure Tax & Shipping

Tax Rules

Different regions may have different taxes that need to be added to the cost of the products you are selling. By creating Tax Rules, you ensure that purchases made from within those regions will have the appropriate additional charges added at checkout. You can easily create, modify or delete tax rules at any time.
1. Start at the Dashboard.

2. Click the Configure tax & shipping button.
You are navigated to the Tax & Shipping sub-section of the Settings tab with the Tax Rules screen displayed. If you have not created any Tax Rules, you can create one by clicking the Add Tax Rule button.

3. Click the Add Tax Rule button.
The Add Tax Rule screen will open.

4. Choose a country from the Country drop-down.
5. Enter a tax percentage rate in the Rate field.
You will need to research the tax rates on your own.
6. Click the Add Tax Rule button.
Your Tax Rule is added and you are returned to the Tax Rules page.

The Tax Rule displays as part of a list, and will be automatically applied to products that ship to the region for which it is relevant.

Shipping

You can help to cut costs and give your customers more control over the way they receive your products, by creating Shipping Rules.
Up to this point, all of your store setup has been achieved directly from the Dashboard, but Shipping is different. Shipping is a sub-screen of the Tax & Shipping subsection of the Settings tab, and you will need to manually navigate to it.
1. Start at the tab area of the Tax Rules screen.

2. Click the Tax & Shipping subsection of the Settings tab.
3. Choose Shipping.
The Shipping screen will open.

4. Click the Enable Shipping checkbox.
A Shipping Rules screen will open beneath the Shipping Settings screen indicating that you will need to provide an address for your Store in order to configure Shipping.

You are navigated to the General subsection of the Settings tab.

5. Scroll down to the Store Location section at the bottom of the screen.
6. Completely enter your Store address in the Store Location section.
Note: You must enter a country and a state, or you will not be able to configure shipping.
7. Click the Save Settings button.
8. Click the Tax & Shipping subsection of the Settings tab.
9. Choose Shipping.
The Shipping screen will open.

10. Click the Enable Shipping checkbox.
Two new sections, Shipping Providers and Shipping Rules, appear beneath Shipping Settings.

11. Click each of the listed Shipping Providers with whom you have an account, to configure your shipping settings.
12. Use the Add Shipping Rule button to create Shipping Rules based on location and Shipping Provider.
13. When you have finished adding rules, click the Save Settings button.

Step 5: Customize your Design

1. Start at the Dashboard.

2. Click the Customize your design button.
You are navigated to the Theme section of the Design tab. A gallery of available themes is displayed.

Each theme has two buttons beneath it, Select and Customize.

3. Click the Select button to apply a theme to your store “as-is.”
You can View your store with the new theme applied at any time by clicking the View Store button at the top of the CafeCommerce Manager screen.

4. If you would prefer to customize the look of your theme, click the Customize button beneath it.
A Theme Editor will open in a newBrowser window.

Modify Colors

The easiest way to modify your colors is by using the Magic Slider. The Magic Slider rotates through the color wheel to give you a completely different color scheme without any clashing colors.

1. Click the Colors button.
2. Move the Magic Slider’s Sliding tool along its track.
3. Watch the Live Preview area to see the changes that will occur on your store’s website.

Add Images

The right images will make any theme one-of-a-kind. You can add images to the Store Logo, Page Background, Store message background, Header and Footer areas.

1. Click the Images button.
2. Click one of the 5 tabs that control where your image will appear.
The tabs are: Store Logo, Page Background, Store message background, Header and Footer.
3. Click the folder button.
Depending on your browser settings, you might see a Security Warning similar to the one pictured below.

4. A window will open displaying any pictures (including sample pictures provided by CafeCommerce) that are associated with area of your site that you are modifying.

Depending on your Browser settings, uploaded pictures may display on the top-left corner, alphabetically, or by date.

5. Double-click the image you would like to use for your product, or highlight multiple images by dragging over them and clicking OK.
You are returned to the Theme Editor and your image is displayed.

Modify Fonts

1. Click the Fonts button.

2. Click one of the 4 tabs that control where your fonts will be modified.
The 4 tabs are: Global, Headings, Main navigation, Side navigation.
3. Click to highlight the font you would like to use.
4. Move the slide me tool along its track to change the Font Size.
5. Watch the Live Preview area to see the changes that will occur on your store’s website.

Save Your Theme

1. Click the Save button on the right side of the screen.

The Save your theme screen will open.

2. Enter a name for your theme in the Theme Name field.
3. Click the Save button.
4. Your theme is saved and appears as an option in the Custom Themes area of the Design tab.

Cancel Your Customizations

Click the Cancel button.

Step 6: Manage Pages & Navigation

1. Start at the Dashboard.

2. Click the Manage Pages & Navigation button.

3. Highlight the page you would like to modify.
4. Click the Modify Content button to add content to a page.
A new window for you to edit content.
5. Click Page Details button to modify details such as the Page Name or Keywords.
6. Click the Delete button to delete a page.
7. Click the Save Changes button when you are finished.

CafeCommerce Getting Started Guide

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