Product: Nexternal

Article Link: http://help.truecommerce.com/en/articles/4495483-nexternal-store-design-site-sync-information-and-preparation

We take a lot of pride in our Store Design process. Below you'll find a list of common questions and answers. Please read the information below before beginning the process.

What are my options for Store Design?

Merchants may choose to design their stores based upon one of our pre-designed templates, or they may choose a custom website design sync.

For whom are Template Designs best suited?

After I choose a pre-designed Template, can it be modified to reflect my branding?

Absolutely! The templates offer a range of options including cart style, tiled or list-style product list pages, various header and footer styles, and other variations. The template you select is merely the starting point, and there are over 30 modifications included in the template price that can be requested, including header, footer, banner and button colors, fonts, logo, images, various navigation updates, moving various elements around the page, etc.

What is a Custom Website Design Sync?

A custom website design sync is a best attempt by a TrueCommerce design engineer to match the look of your new TrueCommerce Nexternal store to the look of your website. It is based on your website code, not on a pre-designed template. While we can often match the look of the website quite closely, please understand that we are working within the shopping cart software framework and there are minor limitations.

What does TrueCommerce Nexternal need from me before commencing with a Template-based Store Design?

Your Store Design Manager will provide you with a link to your template options as well as a complete list of included modification requests. Prior to beginning your store design, we will need your template selection and list of requested modifications, along with your logo and any images you have to replace placeholder images in the header or footer of the template (if applicable).

What does TrueCommerce Nexternal need from me before commencing with a Custom Website Design Sync?

Usually nothing but your approval to begin (please see below to know when you are ready). We will view the source code of your website and then attempt to adapt it to work in your TrueCommerce Nexternal store. Occasionally, your TrueCommerce Nexternal Representative (“Site Design Manager”) will contact you with a request for certain files after we begin the Site Sync. If the layout of your website changes dramatically from page to page, please email your Site Design Manager a link to the page you would like us to sync to.

What does a store design cost?

For new clients, the site design is included in your setup fee. Your contract will reflect whether you have selected the template design option or the custom website sync option which is more expensive. It's our goal to provide a good-looking, effective store, so template designs allow substantial modifications included in the price. And even a custom website sync includes a reasonable number of customizations at no extra charge. However, if it is a rush at the time it is submitted to our design engineers, additional rush charges will apply. Also, if non-included template customizations are requested or substantial website sync customizations are requested, additional fees may apply. For existing clients who have already undergone a custom website design sync, please see "Will TrueCommerce Nexternal update my store to reflect future changes to my site?" below.

When am I ready for a template store design?

You are ready as soon as you:

Your TrueCommerce Nexternal Representative will work with you to help you prepare for your store design to ensure the best outcome.

When am I ready for a custom website design sync?

If you are finished making short-term changes to your website and it contains no broken links, then you are ready for a website design sync. If you are still planning on making changes to your header, footer, or navigation menu, then you need to complete these changes before initiating the website design sync. Please understand that the site sync will reflect the page we sync to on the day we copy its source code. If you make changes to your site after you initiate the site sync and you want us to make those changes to the store, you will be charged for those changes. We can sync to a site located on a staging server if necessary, but we need to know the URL where the site will eventually reside.

How do I initiate a store design or redesign?

Please read this entire page first. If you determine that you are ready for a store design or redesign, please email your TrueCommerce Nexternal Representative and they will have your store design added to our queue. For template store designs please include your template selection and all modification requests, along with your logo and any images you have to replace placeholder images in the header or footer of the template (if applicable). For custom website design syncs please include any special requests and a link to the page you would like us to sync to. By initiating a site sync, you are acknowledging that you have read this page.

How long does a store design or redesign take?

Our lead time is usually around 4-5 weeks, but it can change rapidly. If you are a new client, the lead time for your store design will be whatever is the current lead time when your store design is formally submitted by your onboarding Implementation Manager, even if that time is longer or shorter than it was when previously quoted. Your TrueCommerce Nexternal Representative can give you the current lead time and will provide you with an ETA after your site design request is formally submitted and our design team schedules it. Your TrueCommerce Nexternal Representative will notify you as soon as the store design is complete. We ask that you please do not request changes until receiving your notice of completion. If you are on a tight timeline, please notify us of any reason why your store design project requires rush treatment and we will try to accommodate you. If we can accommodate the request, rush fees will apply.

When should I add my products and images?

You can add products to your store before, during, and after the store design, but the store layout may be in temporary disarray while the design is in process. For custom website design syncs, we normally recommend that you wait until the design is complete before adding images so you can set the sizes that look best to you. If you add your images prior to design completion, you may need to resize some of your product images once the site sync is complete, for example, because wide product images can sometimes cause the store to "blow out," or render wider than the header and footer.

Can I request revisions to the store design?

For both template and custom website store design syncs, once you receive notification that your store design is complete, you will be given the opportunity to request one round of revisions as part of the one-time site design service. Please scrutinize your store carefully as soon as your store design is complete. You will need to view several product pages, add products to your cart, and even click the "proceed to checkout" button. If you would like to see any changes to the store design, please write them clearly and email them to your TrueCommerce Nexternal Representative. We will do our best to accommodate the changes you list, but there are limitations to what we can do. Template revisions are governed by the list of included and excluded modification requests. If you require additional rounds of revisions, or if you request revisions to reflect changes you have made to your site, you will be charged $150/hour for the changes or rush fees if applicable. You have one week to define any changes from the completion time of the initial sync.

What if I find that something isn't working right in a particular browser?

After one round of revisions, if you discover that something is not rendering correctly in your store within a particular browser, we will usually fix the problem free of charge. We test all site designs in multiple browsers, but some details occasionally escape our notice. We encourage you to test your store in multiple browsers before taking it live.

Can I make changes to my TrueCommerce Nexternal store layout myself?

Yes, you have full control of the code that forms the layout of your store and you can change it at any time, except it’s important to wait until after completion of any modifications requested of our design team. If you are proficient with HTML and CSS, you can make a copy of the bordering HTML we created (in the layout section of the Order Management System), as well as the CSS, and modify it as you see fit. Please note, however, that if you create a problem and or require assistance with this, you will be billed for our design engineers' time.

Will TrueCommerce Nexternal update my store to reflect future changes to my website or branding?

Yes, whether you make slight changes to your website or branding or completely re-design it, TrueCommerce Nexternal can update your template store design or your website design sync to reflect the new look. We charge $150/hour for this service ($190/hour if it is a rush job). We can provide an estimate for you to approve before we commence with a re-sync. Please remember to budget for our re-sync service when you redesign your website unless you plan to make the store modifications yourself.

Can different pages have different "skins"?

Yes. Different pages can be assigned different layouts or skins which will modify the bordering html and styling components. Please note, however, that TrueCommerce Nexternal's standard setup fee includes just one skin. If you want to use multiple skins in the same store, please contact your TrueCommerce Nexternal Representative for a quote.

What happens when existing browsers are updated or new browsers are introduced into the market?

Most of the time no action will be required. However, we cannot foresee future changes to browsers and your site design may need to be updated at your expense upon the release of a new browser or browser version.

How do I communicate with the design engineers?

Your TrueCommerce Nexternal Representative will communicate all of your requests to our design engineers in writing so that we can keep track of the status of each project.

Does my store design include a custom mobile-friendly store?

Our design engineers will activate your mobile store, match the header and footer to your desktop online store, and configure the mobile store with a basic but effective layout. Hourly charges will apply to all requests for customization.

rev 7/14/22