Frequently Asked Questions

Here are answers to frequently asked questions. If you don't find the question and answer here, please inquire at the help desk.

General Information
Shopkeeper' browser-based management system can be accessed from anywhere in the world. This is nice for a home business who might take the family on vacation… and still operate their business when away from home.

1. Shopkeepers have the ability to earn referral income from a special offer affiliate link at the foot of their ShopkeeperUSA website. This provides web owners with a way to make money in addition to the sales revenue generated by their site's ecommerce shop. Pretty unique and profitable. No other ecommerce software offers this feature. (50% share of sale including the monthly recurring fee, which provides long-term income)

2. There's no increase in price based on the number of items that web owners want to offer in their ShopkeeperUSA store, which is a substantial savings for sellers.

3. The administrative layout is user-friendly, which makes it easy for startups who have no experience selling online. The intent is to remove typical frustration a novice web owner might experience when they want to add products, product pictures and pricing to their ecommerce store. Shopkeeper's layout and navigation in the admin zone is easy to understand and use for the "do it yourself" business owner.

4. ShopkeeperUSA is still one of the only ecommerce shopping cart solutions that provides web owners with the option to sell services as well as products. This puts a business such as accountants, home inspectors, maid services, lawn care services and pet groomer services on a level playing field with people who sell products on the Internet. Services can be sold for a flat fee or by the hour, day, month, year -- which opens up a world wide web of opportunities for service providers.

5. There is an option to offer downloadables, such as ebooks.

6. Each product generates source code the admin can copy and paste on Ebay, if desired.

1. What is Shopkeeper?
Shopkeeper is an all-in-one website with online store and nine built-in ready-to-use design themes that are instantly interchangeable.

2. After issuing payment, how soon do I get Shopkeeper?
Shopkeeper is available for download in your account immediately after you submit payment.

3. Can I have my logo on my Shopkeeper website?
Yes. You can have your existing or new logo embedded in the standard Shopkeeper banners and you can order a completely customized design theme. Shopkeeper comes with instructions on how to create new design themes including adding your logo to one or more of the design theme banners. You can do it yourself, hire a design or engage our services.

4. How much does a custom design theme cost?
It depends on the time it takes to create the design you want. Some custom designs have been $30. Request an estimate at ContactUsHelpDesk.com

5. Does Shopkeeper support PayPal?
Yes, Shopkeeper does support PayPal. You can use your credit card, debit card or check with Paypal.

7. Where do I get a domain name?
We suggest a recognized ICANN domain name registrar. You get a FREE domain name with any level web hosting plan you choose at www.vSuperHost.com

There are many qualified domain name service providers or domain name registrars. We recommend ones that includes an option for automatic renewal payments and also sends reminders to help you avoid letting your domain name lapse due to nonpayment. We can help change your dns, but we accept no responsibility for the upkeep of your domain name. No matter who your domain name provider is, your domain name is your property and your responsibility. You need to know who your domain name provider is and maintain your account with them in good standing. We may offer counsel on slamming, which is when other domain services attempt to move your domain name to their service - but under no circumstances do we accept any responsibility or liability for the ownership or renewal of your domain name. We suggest you keep a record of when to renew, and/or set an automatic reminder when renewal is due if your domain name registrar offers one. You alone should own and control your domain name.

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12. Is it possible to add options to my products (ie. sizes, colors, etc. other)?
Yes, you can add product options to items for sale. Supported product option types are drop-down menus and text areas. Drop-down options can be assigned a price modifier (flat-fee or percent of original product cost). Text area options can be used to allow your customers to add text information to accompany their order.

13. I already have a website. It is possible to modify the Shopkeeper design to match the look and feel of my existing HTML website?
Shopkeeper is developed as a stand-alone product as it includes a dynamic website with access and ability to add unlimited business pages, as well as the online store and shopping cart. That said, you could modify Shopkeeper to match and existing website, if desired.

14. How will my Shopkeeper look when I get it?
After Shopkeeper is installed on the server, you can instantly change the design theme from within the admin panel by selecting theme 1-9 from the pull-down menu. You add your own home page and business page pictures using the WYSIWYG editor.

15. My products need to have a larger picture in addition to the thumbnail. Does Shopkeeper support both thumbnails and larger pictures?
Yes. In fact, with Shopkeeper, every product thumbnail can be automatically generated, so you only need to upload one main picture in the larger size you want to display. You can also upload an unlimited number of additional product images.

16. I already have a merchant account. Is it possible to use it with Shopkeeper?
Shopkeeper supports major merchant accounts associated with the gateway. We recommend Paymerica or E-Online Data. Find the free applications is in your account.

17. Which payment gateways does Shopkeeper support?
Shopkeeper currently supports 2 gateways: Paypal and Authorizenet. In your account is the application to open an AuthorizeNet account quickly and easily.

18. What are the fees associated with the gateway?
You pay transaction fees with any online merchant account and gateway for credit card processing directly to the financial institution (not to us). Please check with these 3rd party services. Find associated links in your account.

19. I already have a credit card processing gateway and it is not AuthorizeNet. What can I do to make Shopkeeper support my CC processing gateway?
Contact us or request a quote to integrate your gateway into Shopkeeper.

20. If I purchase one Shopkeeper license, can I use it on more than one website?
No, this would be a violation of the license agreement. You will need to purchase a license for each site you build with Shopkeeper.

21. Can I remove the Shopkeeper home page picture from my site?
Yes, you can easily remove any image by logging in to your admin and deleting it using the delete button on your keyboard.

22. What is PHP?
PHP (http://www.php.net) is a popular server-side scripting language. Shopkeeper is written in PHP5 server-side scripting language.

23. What is MySQL?
MySQL (http://www.mysql.com/) is an open-source SQL database engine. Shopkeeper uses it to store product information. Contact your ISP / web host service provider in order to make sure that they support MySQL databases or order one of the Shopkeeper plans that include business web hosting.

24. What are Smarty templates?
Smarty is a free open-source template engine written in PHP. In fact, Smarty is one of the best template engines available. Shopkeeper uses it to provide access to customize the look and layout. You can get more information on Smarty at the following URL: http://smarty.php.net/faq.php

25. Which platform do you recommend for Shopkeeper (UNIX/Linux/Windows)?
We recommend you choosing a UNIX/Linux web host server with at least shared SSL, which you can order at:
https://www.vsuperhost.com

26. I have several different domain names pointing to the same site. Do I need to purchase several licenses?
If you have different domain names pointing to the site where you installed Shopkeeper with the same content, only one license will be needed.

27. What is Licensed Software?
Ecommerce solutions software is protected by copyright as it is a valuable property. When you utilize licensed software you do not own it. You have the right to use it under the terms of use. And most of the time, in cases of ecommerce solutions software, it can be configured and modified without issue if it is open source software. For those who want to own the copyright to their software, this is possible, but you will need to invest at least $10,000 but often closer to $25,000 up (depending on the features and functions you specify) for custom programming > and you will still need to pay for hosting on a secure server. Unless you have deep pockets, we suggest you consider licensed software that can be used as is, or modified to suit your business needs.

Other issues are: added waiting time to develop and install a design and ongoing technical support - which all ecommerce websites need from time to time. Ordering ecommerce solutions is generally not a one-time purchase.

28. Are the licenses offered on a per domain or per server basis?
The licenses are offered on a per domain basis. Please refer to the License agreement.

29. How many stores can I build with Shopkeeper? What does the license grant?
The Shopkeeper license grants the use of one copy of Shopkeeper software on one domain.

One Shopkeeper means having the same look and feel, using the same database of products/services/customers, etc. It means you can have several URLs pointing/referring to the same Shopkeeper, but you cannot install and run more than one Shopkeeper with each purchased license. If you need to run several stores, purchase appropriate number of licenses. We offer discounted prices for additional licenses you purchase. For more information please refer to license agreement.

30. Does Shopkeeper allow sale of e-goods such as ebooks?
Shopkeeper does support the sale of e-goods, such as pdf, jpg or MP3 files, in an instant downloadable format.

31. Can I use Microsoft FrontPage or Adobe Dreamweaver to edit my Shopkeeper pages?
No, these applications are not compatible. You use the WYSIWYG editor included with Shopkeeper. Login to your browser-based admin and edit pages anytime that's convenient for you... from anywhere in the world.

32. Can I integrate my existing database customers into Shopkeeper?
Shopkeeper does have an import feature. However, unless you are experienced, we recommend you engage a professional programmer to do this for you, especially if you have more than a few customers in your database. You need to convert your current database configuration to the Shopkeeper format. This is standard for any import/export function.

33. What are the 9 design themes?
Shopkeeper software package includes nine pre-installed design themes. Choose any of the 9 design themes from the Site Management zone within your admin panel. Click Site Appearance and choose the one you want to display. The design of your site changes instantly in real time.

New design theme... You are not limited to choosing one of the nine design themes installed with Shopkeeper. You can easily change the design theme. Your design package includes details on how to create new design themes, including backgrounds. You have step-by-step directions - included with your Shopkeeper distribution package.

The beauty of Shopkeeper is that you don't have to wait to change the design theme before you start selling. Choose one of the pre-installed design themes that best suits your site. When it's convenient, you simply replace one of the design themes and choose it from the Site Appearance pull-down menu. Changing a design theme does not affect your site or store products. Just the look of it.

Your logo... You can add your logo to any of the pre-installed design theme banners or to a new banner. Upload and it's done.

Other design elements... Shopkeeper comes with an explanation on how to modify your design themes, fonts & colors, icons and promotional signs. You can request a custom design theme from our staff anytime you choose.

Everything about Shopkeeper is easy and flexible. We are here to help you. Login to the help desk to let us know what you need.

34. Do I need an online merchant account?
Yes. In order to process credit card transactions either manually or using a shopping cart, you need an online merchant account and gateway.

Shopkeeper includes a built-in gateway to accept credit card payments from your visitors and repeat customers.

Your online merchant account is your responsibility. We offer suggestions as a convenience, but you must choose the financial institution best for you. Keep in mind that our software may not be compatible with every online merchant account bank. Please be sure to inquire at the help desk if you have questions about opening an online merchant account.