In this Guide: Start Building Your Storefront
Summary
This QuickGuide will step you through the process of building your online store front.
Things You Will Need
Domain Name
If you have not already registered a domain, claim your domain name now through Network Solutions, simply Click Here.
Company Logo
Your logo should be a maximum size of 700 pixels wide by 100 pixels tall and weight of 30k. If you intend to use ads on the left or right of your logo, you should subtract the width of your ads from the 700 pixels size referenced above.
Inventory List
The more complete this list is, the faster you will be able to build your store. For example, you should have at least the name, price, weight, and manufacturer for the products you wish to add. Inventory can be entered into your administration area in one of two ways - Manual entry and MonsterDataPort. Manual entry is suitable for customers with less than 100 products while Monster DataPort is a helpful tool for mass product entry and uploads for customers with more than 100 products.
Product Photos
You are not required to display photos, but it is recommended. MonsterCommerce
uses two different size photos for each product. One is a thumbnail and
the other is the main image. The thumbnail images should all be the same
width if possible. It is recommended that your thumbnail image measure
no more than 100 pixels in width and 100 pixels in height. The main image
of a product should be a larger, higher quality image. It is recommended
that your larger image measure no more than 300 pixels in width and 300
pixels in height. If you do not have thumbnail images, the MonsterCommerce
File Manger can create them automatically during image uploads. It is recommended that you keep your thumbnail images between
5-7 kb and your large images between 15-20 kb.
Suggested Sizes for Images
General Knowledge
Computer
We recommend that your computer be at least a Pentium Class machine running at least 800Mhz or better with a minimum of 128MB of RAM. If you are using a Macintosh, a G3 CPU of any speed is satisfactory. In addition, you should have at least a 15 inch monitor with a minimum of 800 by 600 screen resolution.
Internet Connection Speed
The minimum Internet connection you will need is a 56.6k modem. We recommend that you have cable, DSL or better for the best results. The faster your connection, the better!
Computer Configuration
Your MonsterCommerce Backend Administration area can only be viewed using Internet Explorer version 6.0 or higher (for Windows) and Safari (for Macintosh). If you use a Macintosh computer you may experience a few limitations. However, your customers can use almost any web browser available today to view your Frontend Storefront.
Maximum Screen Resolution
Large monitors and expansive screen resolutions are becoming more popular with today's Internet consumer. However, there are still many people who have 15 inch monitors with small resolutions. In order to ensure the viewing capabilities of your store for all audiences, assume that your visitors have their resolution set to 800 by 600 and test in accordance to this setting.
Custom HTML
Your MonsterCommerce Storefront has many places that you can insert your own custom HTML. The editable HTML areas are coupled with a state-of-the-art WYSIWYG software to help generate HTML if you do not know the language well enough to write code from scratch. However, if you plan on using custom HTML, it is suggested that you learn the basics of HTML code.
File Size And Download Speed
While it is possible to display large logo files, huge product images, or other big files, we don't recommend it! Keep in mind that people will not stick around long enough to see your site, or buy anything, if your site takes a long time to load. We recommend that you create a logo that does not exceed 30k, and that you do not put over 12 product specials on your front page.
File Naming
MonsterCommerce will allow you to create directories and file names. Keep your directory and file names short and never use spaces or special characters (i.e. !@#$%^&*). Netscape, for example, cannot read file names that have spaces, and certain special characters will cause your store to break.
File Types
It is best to use either JPEG or GIF file formats for all of your pictures. They look better, and load faster! If you need help with this, let us know! Our design team is well versed in setting images quickly and affordably.