Magento

Allright, lets brainstorm in this thread of features that you would like to see in Magento. I’ll start.

- Completely customizeable and unlimited order statuses with different e-mail body text
- Checkout could use less steps, and merge some steps, like shipping information and shipping method
- META description to be filled with 233 characters of text including three dots (...) (max amount in Google) using the product description if left empty.
- META keywords to be filled in with product name and category name, comma separated if left empty
- META robots control per object
- Ability to hide category, product or CMS page but still be active by using full url
- Instead of only allowing Google Analytics, add a textbox where you can paste in any custom tracking code you’d like which will be included on the checkout page (or any other conversion page)
- Ability to have surcharges for payment options, with customizable names with absolute and percent rates and taxes (a must have for Scandinavian ecommerce)
- Ability to create order for customer and send link to their email to confirm purchase with payment
- PDF generated invoice
- Ability to mass print PDF invoices and shipping labels
- Automated daily currency update
- When changing password, require to enter old password as added security measure
- Automated backups with possibility to filetransfer automatically via SSH and FTP to another server
- Ability to share a common checkout using the same SSL-certificate and a default gateway domain, ability to change colors and the logo to match each site
- Ability to use product templates when creating products with prefilled values such as default tax, ability to specify a default template and a list to choose from
- Admin notes tab for each customer for use with things such as RMA, order/customer issues, notekeeping etc.
- Perhaps display a semi-large image on Product information General tab just to help admins recognize a product faster in the backend
- Recommended price for each product, display in frontend RRP price, “you save %” etc.
- Specific shipping cost and checkbox for free shipping per product
- Ability to specify custom page title for each product, category etc.
- Ability to have custom landing pages for manufacturers and brands (landing page per attribute?)
- Ability to pre-add products, hide them and have them published on a certain date, also hide products on a certain date (this could be used for seasonal products for lazy ecommerce admins)
- Add lightbox into core, have admin choose in configuration if lightbox should be enabled or disabled
- A log with IP-number of the last 30, 100? logins for each user, including admin for added security
- Sales statistics per customer. Not only limited to lifetime sales but break it down monthly, per year etc. (may cause database to grow quite a bit)
- Add custom fields to customer profile
- Full logs of all transactions with payment providers etc.
- Order update history (a small oneliner log that updates as each backend admin handles the order and change status, could be used for small notekeeping too)
- Display payment and shipping methods depending on destination (country, state etc.) in checkout

Have fun!

- Checkout could use less steps, and merge some steps, like shipping information and shipping method

I would vote against combining those steps.  They are not logical, especially if someone was to select “ship to my billing”.

- META description to be filled with 233 characters of text including three dots (...) (max amount in Google) using the product description if left empty.

Meta description should be left to 255 max regardless of what Google says, but I agree that the product details would be nice to put in there—depending on how the store uses the description.  I think all Meta tags should be editable per page, but it would be cool to also set up defaults per page type.

- PDF generated invoice

Would be very cool.

- When changing password, require to enter old password as added security measure

A must.  I’m sure this will be fixed in a future release.

- Automated backups with possibility to filetransfer automatically via SSH and FTP to another server

This should be done at the server level and is out of the scope of the ecommerce software.  But maybe a Magento only backup would be nice.  The ability to install Magento on a server and then import all of the customization would be nice—especially for syncing a development store!

Johan - 02 September 2007 05:51 PM

Allright, lets brainstorm in this thread of features that you would like to see in Magento. I’ll start.

- Completely customizable and unlimited order statuses with different e-mail body text.

I currently have this, and have found it to be GREATLY beneficial. Such items to note account payment methods is by far my most useful asset.
‘Payment Reminder’ -> ‘Payment Acknowledged (Internet Banking / Cheque / Cash) ->’Completed’ can benefit many.

Johan - 02 September 2007 05:51 PM

- Checkout could use less steps, and merge some steps, like shipping information and shipping method

Johan runs an e-comm store like many of us, he’s shown me the facts on paper. Personally I would wish to have a shorter checkout, after all the customer can fill in extra details upon next visit (I KNOW it’s not the way...but it works )

Johan - 02 September 2007 05:51 PM

- META description to be filled with 233 characters of text including three dots (...) (max amount in Google) using the product description if left empty.

Johan - 02 September 2007 05:51 PM

- META keywords to be filled in with product name and category name, comma separated if left empty

Motion Granted.

Johan - 02 September 2007 05:51 PM

- META robots control per object

Not 100% sure what you mean there mate.

Johan - 02 September 2007 05:51 PM

- Ability to hide category, product or CMS page but still be active by using full url

I’m guessing that this will allow the administrator sometime to edit various products without taking them off-line (and therefore a 404)
Maybe an automatic unavailable status upon administrator ‘edit’ for the duration of the edit, or 20minute time-out?

Johan - 02 September 2007 05:51 PM

- Instead of only allowing Google Analytics, add a textbox where you can paste in any custom tracking code you’d like which will be included on the checkout page (or any other conversion page)

Google Analytics adds 20kB to page load times, here in Australia it makes a big difference when you consider most people are stuck on 256k lines.
I’m currently using MINT which uses a javascript call so that saves a lot of downloading.

Johan - 02 September 2007 05:51 PM

- Ability to have surcharges for payment options, with customizable names with absolute and percent rates and taxes (a must have for Scandinavian e-commerce)

Paypal payments are such a PITA we hate offering it, charges can be high as 10% depending on the circumstance (Been burned to don’t try to prove otherwise ) Currently we have a paypal surcharge on our store.

Johan - 02 September 2007 05:51 PM

- Ability to create order for customer and send link to their email to confirm purchase with payment

Straight to the customer’s registration detail page with the order being shown first, VERY good idea if little Johnny purchases stuff

Johan - 02 September 2007 05:51 PM

- PDF generated invoice

Motion granted, although I’ld prefer text + PDF as most people *still* don’t have adobe reader

Johan - 02 September 2007 05:51 PM

- Ability to mass print PDF invoices and shipping labels

Great idea to keep a library of complete sales, invoices, shipping information, fraudulent orders etc

Johan - 02 September 2007 05:51 PM

- Automated daily currency update

If you guys use this, another reason for me to start bugging for a release candidate. Currently I’m having to manually set exchange rates between the Euro, USD, AUD, RMB and consider the multiplication between this numbers everyday?

Johan - 02 September 2007 05:51 PM

- When changing password, require to enter old password as added security measure

Makes perfect sense if someone tends to leave their PC at a financial risk that I don’t want to deal with (presuming customer side)

Johan - 02 September 2007 05:51 PM

- Automated backups with possibility to filetransfer automatically via SSH and FTP to another server

A Cronjob is something I’ld prefer myself, I’ve had a great failure working with ‘application’ level backup facilities,
Most trouble I’m going to have is that CPanel hates FXP so it’s going to be impossible on my own server from memory

Johan - 02 September 2007 05:51 PM

- Ability to share a common checkout using the same SSL-certificate and a default gateway domain, ability to change colors and the logo to match each site

shop.businessnetwork.com you mean?

Johan - 02 September 2007 05:51 PM

- Ability to use product templates when creating products with prefilled values such as default tax, ability to specify a default template and a list to choose from

AMEN! For my own use : All Brake Rotors need product dimensions and ABS/NON-ABS markings so this will save me hours of work.

NEXT PAGE -> Character Limit :(

Johan - 02 September 2007 05:51 PM

- Admin notes tab for each customer for use with things such as RMA, order/customer issues, notekeeping etc.

Would be very useful in tracking customers who get on a PC once a week/fortnight. Simple reminders on the customer’s profile should be used, but not accessible.

Johan - 02 September 2007 05:51 PM

- Perhaps display a semi-large image on Product information General tab just to help admins recognize a product faster in the backend

That would be used by me, thumbnail would be good enough. Issue being I work with a lot of spare parts, most looking alike so it’s a pain having to click back on the detailed information screen (before I add more data to a different tab) only to read the part number and go back to the tab I was working on

Johan - 02 September 2007 05:51 PM

- Recommended price for each product, display in frontend RRP price, “you save %” etc.

‘My competitors price(s) and it sucks! See : $x (going overboard here, but someone will use it :D)

Johan - 02 September 2007 05:51 PM

- Specific shipping cost and checkbox for free shipping per product

Will be used greatly my be. Astra TS ‘99 brake rotors weight 9Kg each and post no less then $10 per unit (factored for 4 to a car) and I’ld prefer to charge $40 for the rotors to be sent on a per product basis.

Johan - 02 September 2007 05:51 PM

- Ability to specify custom page title for each product, category etc.

I’ld use this, mainly for ‘free shipping’ products to be highlighted.

Johan - 02 September 2007 05:51 PM

- Ability to have custom landing pages for manufacturers and brands (landing page per attribute?)

Not sure how this works mate, gotta link?

Johan - 02 September 2007 05:51 PM

- Ability to pre-add products, hide them and have them published on a certain date, also hide products on a certain date (this could be used for seasonal products for lazy ecommerce admins)

WOOT! Free keyrings for Christmas, maybe an email notification stating expected release date, 2/3 days prior to product listing?

Johan - 02 September 2007 05:51 PM

- Add lightbox into core, have admin choose in configuration if lightbox should be enabled or disabled

I’m currently using the Thickbox Modification (jquery.org) and love it. Havn’t used lightbox but understand it have the same effects.

Johan - 02 September 2007 05:51 PM

- A log with IP-number of the last 30, 100? logins for each user, including admin for added security

I don’t want spammers scanning my website for vunerabilities, sure the log ain’t going to do much but show me some info so I can ban them.

Johan - 02 September 2007 05:51 PM

- Add custom fields to customer profile.

Must be included. Ie ‘Vehicle Model, Year of Manufacturer, VIN (Vehicle Identification Number)’ which is needed for me to process orders.

Johan - 02 September 2007 05:51 PM

- Display payment and shipping methods depending on destination (country, state etc.) in checkout

ie No Cash for overseas transactions.

Jesse-Lee Stringer

Johan - 02 September 2007 05:51 PM

Allright, lets brainstorm in this thread of features that you would like to see in Magento. I’ll start.

- Completely customizeable and unlimited order statuses with different e-mail body text

- Ability to have custom landing pages for manufacturers and brands (landing page per attribute?)

- Add custom fields to customer profile

- Display payment and shipping methods depending on destination (country, state etc.) in checkout

It was a great list of the really important features, and here our contribution:
self explanatory Order Status extension, Improved Navigation for landing pages, Customer Attributes for adding new fields to customers profile, Shipping & Payment By Customer Groups for show/hide some methods depending on the customer group.

Hope the extensions help the Magento to be the top-notch e-commerce solution.

Effectively use Magento for Link Building or use magento as a Link Directory

http://www.magentocommerce.com/magento-connect/catalog/product/view/id/12154/