PRODUCT SET UP

Managing Your Catalog
These pages provide step-by-step instructions on the seller tools. To begin, first log in to your account. Then click on the "Sell" button. The right-hand navigation will change to the seller admin tools:

• Your Account – Allows you to view your order history, wishlist, payback rewards, and edit your profile, addresses, password and seller info
• Add New Product – Allows set up of new products to begin
• Product Manager – Shows a listing of current products, their promotion level, active status and includes a link to preview or edit products
• Promotion Manager – Catalog list of active products; promotion level can be assigned per product here
• Sale Manager – Lists all products set to Premium Promotion, provides fields to set sale dates, quantity and pricing
• Banner Ad Manager – Lists all Premium Promotion level products; each is eligible to have 2 ads uploaded—see page for size details
• Report Manager – Allows you to run wishlist, promotion and order detail reports as well as sales summaries by product, version and date

Follow these step by step instructions to add a new product.

1. Click 'Add New Product'
   
   
2. Fill in the fields. (Click the links to see details.)
   1. Full Product Name
      This is the title of the product. Character limit: 100. Searchable field. Your product name labels the product, helping to define it in the mind of the buyer. Keeping it simple is often most effective. This appears on the rollover as well as the product page.
      Common Product Designations:
      For G2 Males/Females/Figures
      For Miki 2.0
      For DAZ Females/Males/Teens/Figures
      For Poser Figures
      For Multiple Figures (we recommend using keywords, required fields and product description to give more detail – not the title)
   2. Short Product Name
      This is an abbreviated version of the Full Product Name. Character limit: 21. This appears in the Shopping Cart, reports and other lists views.
   3. Artist Credit
      (Optional) Artist name, especially useful for studios, brokerages and other groups that have multiple artists creating content. Separate names with a comma or '&'. Searchable field.
   4. Required Products
      In this field, indicate any required base figure or corresponding product needed for a product to work should be included here. For example, the James Johnson Clothing Set requires the James Johnson character. NOTE: Software type is not a required product.
      Suggested naming convention:
      G2 Simon, G2 James, G2 Kelvin or G2 Koji
      G2 Sydney, G2 Jessi or G2 Olivia
      G2 Male or G2 Female Figure
      Miki 2.0
      Miki 1.0
      Victoria 4 or 4.1
      Victoria 3
      Michael 4 or Hiro 4
      Michael 3
      
   5. Compatible Software
      In this field, indicate what type(s) of software the content is compatible with. Searchable field.
      Suggested naming convention:
      Poser 6, 7 & Pro
      DAZ Studio
      Cinema4D
      3ds Max
      Lightwave
      Maya
      Photoshop
      Vue
      Manga Studio
      MotionArtist
      Paint Shop Pro
      Must read jpg, png, obj, etc
      
   6. Detailed Description
      Use this area to describe the product. Though this area can be utilized for marketing verbiage, it is recommended that product details, notes, props lists, etc., be included. Limited HTML is allowed: p, b, br, hr, li, ul, i, u. No font sizing or colors. No linking or embedding images, external links, formatting, background images, etc.
   7. Licensing
      Choose the license type from the drop-down list: Commercial, Limited Use, Non-commercial. It is recommended that details of the licensing be included in the product download files.
   8. License File
      Include all information for all versions of the product. This is pre-sale information; the actual version-specific license should be included with the product versions download file. Accepted file formats are doc, pdf or txt.
   9. ReadMe File
      This file should contain all information for ALL versions of the product. It is recommended that version-specific ReadMe's be included with the product version download file. Accepted file formats are doc, pdf or txt.
   10. Product Brochure
       This optional field can be used for marketing purposes to bring more awareness to your products or branding. The file should be pdf format. Types of uses:
       Marketing slick for individual product
       Advertising brochure for studio
       Guide to included product features, tracks, etc.
       Product usage instructions
       
   11. Categories
       The key is to keep shopping simple for Buyers. If products are well organized, Buyers can more readily and easily find what they are looking for. Sometimes our inclination is to put a product into every category that might be remotely related. That, however, actually creates a more frustrating shopping scenario for Buyers. Use the category listing to define your product, now who might be the end user. Elaborate using the keyword tags. Keep it simple, keep it clear.
       To benefit all sellers, please do not fill the categories with products that do not fit closely. The staff reserves the right to remove mis-categorized products.
   12. Themes
       Think of Themes as scene solutions. So that Buyers can readily find solutions for their projects, Themes should only be chosen if a product is directly related to it. For instance, because a sweater is worn in the winter does not make it an item for the Holiday theme. This is an optional field. Most products will not have a theme associated with them.
   13. Keyword Tags
       Include things such as: Figure Name, Series Name, Theme or Category that was not selected, Genre (Alien, Space, Robot for example), File Formats.
       The more specific you are, the easier it is to "brand" a series of products.
   14. Status
       Choose Active, Inactive or Active – Do Not Display. (Note: Active – Do Not Display will cause a product to be live but only viewable to those that have been given the product link. This can be utilized for special promotions.)
   
   
3. Click the 'Add Product' button; this will save the product and cause the 3 subsequent tabs to appear.
   
   
4. Click 'Add New Version' button. Each product must have at least one active version before it can be released. Versions represent the choices a Buyer has when purchasing a product — for example: Mac Digital or Windows Physical or different color choices of the same item.



5. The 'version detail' screen appears. Fill in the fields. (Click the links to see details.)
1. Version Name
   This field is visible. It will always appear in conjunction with the Product Name, so it should not simply repeat the Product Name. Name it simply and name subsequent versions consistently. For multiple file types per product, name the different versions "Vue" or "Poser" or "Bryce", etc. For different colors of the same items, name the version by color. IE: "Purple", "Yellow", "Polka Dot" For Volumes, name each version by volume number.
2. List Price
   This is the original retail price. The default version is the default display price.
3. Version SKU
   Most vendors will not make use of this optional field. It can be used to track product sales for individual artists (especially useful for brokerages). For physical goods, SKU would represent shipping items.
4. Delivery Type
   Digital or Physical. If you have a physical product (DVD, CD) to distribute please contact (CPStaff@smithmicro.com) for set up.
5. Serial type
   Most vendors will not be distributing serialized products and should leave status set to "Not Serialized." If you do choose to serialize your products, there are 2 options.
   1. Load a list of SN where a unique SN is provided with each customer order (Pull From a List).
   2. Use a universal SN, where the same number is given with every customer order.
6. Version Status
   One version must be completed and active before a product will be displayed.
7. Product Type
   Select a product type from the drop down menu



6. Click 'Add'
   
   
7. Once the version details are saved, the title 'version file' appears below the version details. It will read "No Files Found", as no downloadable files have yet been associated with the product.
   
   
8. Click 'Add New File.' NOTE: you will need the latest version of Java installed to be able to upload files.
   
   
9. Once the Java applet window appears, simply drag and drop the download file(s) into the window. A progress bar will appear. Once it is finished, you will need to…
   
   
10. Click 'Complete File Upload.'
    
    
11. Click the 'Back' button to return to the product tabs.
    
    
12. Go to the 3rd tab, 'Imagery, Audio, Video.' Upload thumbnails (80x80) and their corresponding large images (400x400 up to 800x800 accepted; up to 20Mb) by clicking on 'Add Image' and 'Add Media File' respectively. File types accepted: jpg, gif and png for thumbnails and jpg, gif, png, flv, mp3 and mp4 for large media.
    Note: If the picture contains any nudity as defined in the FAQs, the nudity box for that image must be checked. The main image cannot contain any nudity, nor can any thumbnails.
    Thumbnail Tips
    The main thumbnail for each product is the first image a buyer will see. First impressions are a big deal, so make it powerful! Since images are so small, removing all text and logos maximizes image real estate. Cropping in and showing only a portion of the product can also be a great way to capture a Buyer's attention.
    Large Image Tips
    If a picture is worth a thousand words, what is yours saying? Does it say "this is an ok product, but go check the rest of the site," or does it say "Wow. This is an amazing product. You want to have this in your collection!" The feedback we've gotten from Buyers (and Sellers, too!) is that often not enough time and care is taken on final product renders for marketing purposes.
    Ask yourself these questions:
    • Is my product thoroughly/completely represented?
    • Does it look washed out, too dark, too flat?
    • Will the Buyer see creative uses for my product?
    • Does it stand out amid the many other products online?
    
    Also, a close up of a smaller item is good for the thumbnail, while the larger image will represent how that item is used.
    File Upload Methods
    Image and media files can be uploaded individually, or multiple files can be uploaded using the Bulk Upload tool. Files can then be selected from the server.
    Bulk Upload
    The Bulk Upload feature can be used to put a large group of thumbnails or large images/media files on the server at one time. The Bulk Upload buttons, located at the top of the tab, save time by allowing you to drag and drop multiple images from your computer.

    Once the Java applet window appears, simply drag and drop the thumbnail or large media file(s) into the window. A progress bar will appear. Once it is finished, you will need to Click 'Close Uploader.' Images can then be selected from the server.
    Individual File Upload
    To upload files individually, click on the 'Add Image' (for thumbnails) or 'Add Media File' (for large image/media). NOTE: you will need the latest version of Java installed to be able to upload files. With the 'Upload New Media' tab visible (default), Browse for the file you wish to upload, then click 'Upload Media.'
    Choose Image File From Server
    To choose a file from those previously uploaded, click on the 'Add Image' (thumbnail) or 'Add Media File' (large image/media) and go to the 'Select Media From Server' tab. When selecting from the server, a preview of the image will be visible, making selection easy.
    A search for a specific image can also be done using the 'Search for an image...' field. This requires you to know the name of the file and no preview is available using this method. Consistency in naming conventions will make this a more effective a practical tool.
    When you are finished, go to the 'Up Sell' tab.
    



13. Click 'Up Sell'. Here you can select up to 6 products to up sell. The products you select here will appear in the first six slots in the "you might also like" area at the bottom of the product detail page and the shopping cart page when customers view or choose this PID. You can search by keyword or other sellers if you would like to promote another seller's product..



14. Be sure both the version and product are set to "Active" or the product will not show up in the catalog/searches.

Updating a Product
Go into Product Manager and click 'Edit' next to the product you want to update.
Go into the tabs you would like to change and make the appropriate updates. Click 'Save Product' when you are finished.

To updated a Product Version, go into the Product Manager and click 'Edit' next to the product you want to update. Select the Product Version tab and click 'Edit' next to the version you want to update. If you want to change the zipfile for a Product Version, click 'Edit' next to the Version File that you wish you to replace. A seperate Java window will pop up where you can simply drag and drop your new Version File.

Product Update Notices
Once a version file is edited, the option to send out an email notice to any customer who has purchased that file will appear under the Product Versions tab in the Product Manager. If no one has previously purchased that file, then the update action link will not appear.
There will be a confirmation prompt when sending out an update notice. Once the notice is sent, the action link goes away. Only one notice per edit of a file can be sent.
The notice will alert customers to return to their order history to re-download the updated product. If their download time has expired, they will be prompted to contact customer support for a temporary download extension.

Deleting Version Files
If a version has never been purchased by a customer, there is an option to delete the version. If a product version has already been on the market and has sold, the option to delete will not apply.
Go to 'Product Manager' and select 'Edit' next to the product that has the version you would like to remove. Click on the 'Product Versions' tab. Click 'Delete.'

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