While Volusion 5 is a powerful ecommerce platform, and has many features that other shopping carts aspire to, the latest version upgrade has, in-fact, removed some of the flexibility that was available in previous versions.

In version 4 or lower, there were a set of .ASP files that a store owner could modify to customize the appearance and functionality of their Volusion. In Volusion 5 the .ASP files are all but gone -- replaced by a single template file, some CSS stylesheets and more options you can set to customize your store.

While some of the new features are nice, the awkward generated code marked up in deeply nested tables is still there -- and it makes it very difficult to modify the appearance of certain pages or sections of your store.

So, what do you do when you want to, or NEED TO add some functionality or design elements, (or remove some) ?

[READ MORE...]

The Payment screen in the Admin section of Volusion V.5 has changed from earlier versions and is not very well documented. Follow the directions below if you're not using Volusion's own SkipJack payment processing.

Make sure you sign up with a Merchant Account / Payment Gateway service that is compatible with Volusion. The majority of third party merchant account providers resell Authorize.net accounts.  These instructions assume you're using an Authorize.net account.

Once your merchant account is approved you'll need certain info to setup on the Volusion payments screen, (specifically the API ID and TRANSACTION KEY). If you're all set, follow these easy steps:

Go to: Admin > Settings > Payment

In the section Payment Gateways, select "United States", (if you're in the U.S.), then select "Other" from the two pull downs.

You will see four text input fields (below the pull-downs).

• 1st field: enter: AUTHORIZENET (all capital letters, all one word)
• 2nd field: enter: the API ID (from gateway provider / Authorize.net)
• 3rd field: (leave blank)
• 4th field: enter the TRANSACTION KEY (from gateway provider / Authorize.net)

Once you've setup the payment gateway info, you will want to test. I suggest creating a PRODUCT with the code "TEST-1" and price it at $1.00 with no shipping charge. You will then want to purchase the item, check the ORDERS section of Volusion, and if you are satisfied that it's working correctly, try issuing a credit for the order to test that capability.

If you don't know where to start or are having trouble getting approved for a merchant account -- I highly recommend checking out  www.e-onlinedata.com They have been very patient with new customers, explaining the details.  They offer a solid package and won't gouge you for setup fees and statement fees.  Their discount rate and transaction fees are competitive with other merchant account providers.

If you need any help with Volusion, feel free to contact me.

Using Volusion Coupon Codes and Promos

You had a web designer create a custom template for your Volusuion store and it looks great. You got great products. You've got great prices. You offer great service. But, you aren't getting enough traffic to your site.

What's next? You look into Adwords and other PPC advertising, and even spend a little money to buy some traffic. It works well, but after considering your narrow profit margin, and competition for keywords in your market, you think, "There has to be a better (cheaper) way to get people to the site".

One way to get traffic is to run a promotion. Sure, you could buy PPC ads to promote the special pricing, free shipping offer, or other savings -- but then you realize there [READ MORE...]