Aurora starter store functions (Feature Packs 5 and 6)
The Aurora starter store enables you to customize the functions of your store. You can enable or disable any of the features as your store requires.
The organization of the available store functions for the Aurora starter store has changed within the Store Management tool. For more information, see Aurora starter store functions (Feature Pack 7 and later).
- Customer interactions
- Registration
- Catalog
- Orders
- Checkout
- Analytics
- Wish lists and feeds
- Store locator
- Subscriptions and recurring orders
- Review the Site flows overview diagram.
- Review the available configuration options in this topic.
- To change the settings, see Selecting store functions
Customer interactions
Function | Description | Considerations | See function on a store page |
---|---|---|---|
Facebook Integration | Enables Facebook social plug-ins on store pages. | Customers must have a Facebook account to use the social plug-ins on store pages. | Home page (B2C) |
Registration
Function | Description | Considerations | See function on a store page |
---|---|---|---|
Account activation by email | Registered accounts are only activated after
a shopper clicks an activation link sent to them by email. For this function to be active in your store, you must Enable account activation by email. |
Ensure that customers submit a valid email address upon registration. | Resend Activation email page (B2C) |
Preferred currency | Registered customers can select the price's displayed currency. | Ensure that currency exchange rates are set
for all supported currencies in the store. Use one of the following
methods to set exchange rates:
|
Registration page (B2C) |
Preferred language | Registered customers can select the store's displayed language. | Ensure that product descriptions and names are entered for each supported language in the store. | Registration page (B2C) |
Gender | Registered customers can submit their gender in the Registration and Change Personal Information pages. | Ensure that the store creates marketing campaigns. | Registration page (B2C) |
Send me information about store specials | Send promotional email to customers. You must configure your email accounts and activities using WebSphere Commerce Accelerator to send promotional email to customers. | Configure your email accounts and activities to send an email to customers. | Registration page (B2C) |
Mobile phone number and SMS notifications opt-in | Registered customers can submit their mobile phone number and opt-in for SMS notifications about order status and promotions in the store. | Ensure that the store creates marketing campaigns. | Registration page (B2C) |
Require new users to provide age information. | Registered customers can submit their age information
when they submit their personal information. The form options are:
|
Ensure that the store creates marketing campaigns. The store uses either Date of Birth or Age to specify customer age information, but not both. The store uses marketing campaigns that target customers based on age. |
Registration page (B2C) |
Catalog
Function | Description | Considerations | See function on a store page |
---|---|---|---|
Search store catalog | Customers can search the store's catalog. | The store catalog is large enough that searching the catalog based on keywords provides useful search results. | Header and Footer (B2C) |
Expanded category navigation | Customers can search the store catalog either
using expanded category navigation (deep product navigation), or without
expanded category navigation (shallow product navigation). When enabled, expanded category navigation displays all of the products that belong to the immediate category and its subcategories to display. For catalogs with a deep hierarchy, this navigation might show many products at the higher levels. The facets on the left sidebar belong to the entire set of products in the current category and subcategories. With expanded category navigation, the scoping of products by filtering through subcategories is not necessary, as it is possible to locate products from the larger product set. That is, products are displayed in a category even if the products are not assigned to the current category, as they belong to its subcategories. |
When disabled, category navigation displays only the products immediately within the current category. Facets on the left sidebar belong to only those products from the search. Customers must filter through subcategories to view the products. Ensure that you use the category navigation option that best works for your store’s catalog size. |
Department page (B2C) |
Display inventory availability | The product display pages can show the inventory availability next to the product. | Ensure that your order management system can update inventory status for the storefront. | Product details page (B2C) |
Product rankings | Displays product rankings in the store, such as best sellers or top browsed products. | Ensure that the Marketing activities are set up for product rankings. | Department page (B2C) |
Browsing history | Displays the customer's browsing history in the storefront, for example, on selected catalog pages and My Account. | Ensure that you want to promote recently browsed products in the storefront. | Browsing History page |
Sterling Configurator | Enables Sterling Configurator integration. | Ensure that you have Sterling Configurator enabled. | Checkout flows |
Orders
Function | Description | Considerations | See function on a store page |
---|---|---|---|
Quick order | Enter SKUs to add items to the shopping cart. | Enable when customers are likely to know the SKU numbers of the items they want to order. For example, if the store sends out paper catalogs, the customer can enter the SKU number (as printed in the catalog) in the quick order form. | Checkout flows |
Order status tracking | Customers can track the status of their orders. For example, a customer can see when an order is awaiting approval, processed, or scheduled to be processed. | The store updates the order status during payment authorization, capture, and fulfillment. | Order Details page |
Integrating with Sterling OMS | Enables Sterling OMS integration. | Ensure that the Sterling OMS integration feature is enabled. | Checkout flows |
Checkout
Function | Description | Considerations | See function on a store page |
---|---|---|---|
Quick checkout | Registered customers can complete an order by using information that is predefined in a quick checkout profile. | Ensure that you inform customers that they must know the SKUs of the products they wish to purchase. | Checkout flows |
Multiple shipments | Customers can choose multiple shipments for an order. | If this option is disabled, customers can ship only an order to a single address, by using a single shipping method. | Shipping and Billing Method page (B2C) |
Future shipping date | Customers can specify a future shipping date for items in an order. | Ensure that you can fulfil current orders at a future date. | Shipping and Billing Method page (B2C) |
Shipping instructions | Customers can provide special shipping instructions for items in an order. | Ensure that your shipping department can see and handle special shipping instructions. | Shipping and Billing Method page (B2C) |
Promotion code entry field | Customers can enter a promotion code on the checkout pages. | Ensure that you have promotions set up for your store. | Shipping and Billing Method page (B2C) |
Payment type promotions | Customers can take advantage of payment type promotions for their order. | Payment type promotions work only if the order uses only one method of payment. The store calculates the order promotion each time a method of payment is selected, and reflects the order totals accordingly. | Shipping and Billing Method page (B2C) |
Punch-out payment | Enables a payment model where a third-party payment service provider processes payments for orders. | You must have an account setup with a third-party payment service provider | Checkout flows |
Analytics
Function | Description | Considerations | See function on a store page |
---|---|---|---|
Enable analytics integration | Enables the analytics tags that exist in the
store JSP pages, such as the <cm:pageview /> tag. |
You must have an account set up with IBM Digital Analytics, formerly known as Coremetrics Analytics | For more information about the features that are offered with IBM Digital Analytics integration, see Integrating a store with IBM Digital Analytics for WebSphere Commerce. |
Enable IBM Product Recommendations integration | Enables a set of e-Marketing Spots that support the display of dynamic recommendations on store pages IBM Product Recommendations, formerly known as Coremetrics Intelligent Offer. This check box is selectable only after you select Enable analytics integration. | You must have an account set up with IBM Digital Analytics and subscribe to IBM Product Recommendations. | Recommendations from IBM Product Recommendations can be displayed on the following store pages: |
Store locator
Function | Description | Considerations | See function on a store page |
---|---|---|---|
Store Locator | Enables the following cross-channel shopping
features:
|
Store location data must be entered in the database. | Store Locator page |
Wish lists and feeds
Function | Description | Considerations | See function on a store page |
---|---|---|---|
Enable Wish lists | Customers can create multiple wish lists and save them with different names. | Customers must be registered with your store to create wish lists. | Personal Wish List page |
E-Marketing Spot feeds | Customers can subscribe to feeds from e-Marketing Spots and wish lists. | A store developer must enable the Subscribe link for the e-Marketing Spot or wish list. | Enabling a Subscribe link for an e-Marketing Spot feed in the Aurora starter store Enabling a Subscribe link for a wish list feed in the Aurora starter store |
Subscriptions and recurring orders
Function | Description | Considerations | See function on a store page |
---|---|---|---|
Enable subscriptions | Enables customers to purchase subscription products. | Enable when you want customers to set up buying patterns for particular products or orders. | Checkout flows |
Enable recurring orders | Enables customers to place recurring orders. | Enable when you want customers to set up buying patterns for particular products or orders. | Checkout flows |