Within commerce you can add 3 different types of product into the system. In this step we will be showing you how to add a "Normal" product. A normal product would be one which is a digital product such as a download or payment for something intangible, or a physical item.
You can add a new product by visiting Commerce>Store>Products within the admin CP and selecting the + next to one of the groups (Note you can add new groups using the "Create new group" button if you wish to do so.
First of all you will need to select from one of the three options you see under the "Type" section as shown in the screenshot below. We will be selecting "Normal Product" for this exercise.
Product Types
If you select a physical product on this tab, you will be given the option to select the items dimensions. This can be important when using shipping prices. You can also select shipping methods that are allowed to be used on this particular product.
Physical Sizes & Shipping
At the bottom you will notice a section similar to the screenshot below for association of products. This will allow you to associate items with other items. For example, you may be selling different types of gift wrap which must be associated with another item (the item they want wrapping). You can do this easily by selecting one the results below. If for example you can associate it, or by the gift wrap on its own, you can set it as "can be associated" which will give the opportunity to associate with another product, but not force you to do so.
Can Associate
Alternatively, you may want to force the association with another item. For example, we actually do this on our own installation. If you purchase gallery you must associate it with a core license.
You will also notice that there is a "Group with Parent" item. This will allow a renewable item to be grouped together as if it were one. Again if you think of how your renewals work on IPS, you get one renewal rather than one for each of the applications you own. We have achieved this by using this setting.
Lastly in this section you will see the "Up-sell in store" setting which will allow you to try and up-sell to this product when another product is purchased.
Must Associate
Prices & Discounts
Within the pricing tab, the first thing you would need to input would be the price itself. You can then select a tax setting which you have set up if you wish.
Purchase Price
You can also in this section set up discounts by filling in the items as appropriate within that section for usergroup dicounts, Previous purchase discounts, or sale discounts. You can add more than one level of each of these by selecting the "Add Another" button below the appropriate item. In my example here I have set a discount for my members of staff.
Group Discounts
Renewable Items
When adding products, you may have some items which area renewable items. You will see these when purchasing some items within the marketplace, or even our own products (your support renewals). You can add your own renewals by selecting the "Renews?" option and adding in your renewal. These will then be invoiced the given amount at each given period.
You will also note there is an "Initial Term" option. This is helpful in setting up an initial discounted or trial period. For example, you may set the initial purchase price to 0, and the initial term to 1 week. This would give the user this item free for a week, after which the renewal charge would be applicable
Renewals
If you are setting up a year for a renewal period, you need to set it to 1 year rather than 365 days (as 365 may not be a year on leap years). You should also use weeks rather than 7 days.
In the Stock and Price Adjustments tab, you can select to adjust the price by a given value based on items within custom profile fields. In the example below, I have added a length field as I am selling dog leads. This will allow me to add on a monetary value to increasing lengths of lead, without creating a new product for each.
Adjustments
Within this tab you will find various item settings you can apply to the product you have set up. These range from what payment methods to allow, who can see the product, the description and images for the item and more
Store Settings
Of particular interest here will be the purchase benefits section. From here you can give people generated license keys for digital items, and can move people to groups. Imagine, for example, setting up a premium group that people have to purchase. You can set up a purchasable product for this and have the system automatically move to the premium group. In addition it will also move them out of that group once it has expired.
This tab is where you will set what can be seen by the customer within their client area. You can set up upgrading and downgrading from a product in this area, along with adding any information you wish within the "Client Area Content" editor. This is where you would add a download, simply by attaching to the editor in the same way you would in a post. They would then have access to download the item from their client area upon purchase.
As an example of how to use this, I have added in an ebook to this area, which the person would be able to download upon purchasing this item.
You can also give the option for your users to generate their own renewals on renewable items, if they have expired, along with the ability to upgrade/downgrade to and from other products. Note, to do this they must be in the same product group.
Client Area Options
Report Guide