2023.3: Introducing the e-commerce of your dreams

Okay, I'll admit - it was the genie lamp from Aladdin! But think about how nice it would be if each of your customers' wishes actually resulted in an order from your online store. Surely, you'd no longer need to dream of riches from the Cave of Wonders.

Going back to reality, what you can actually do is give your e-commerce users an opportunity to create their own Wishlists and optimise your store in order for them to complete their purchases.

With the new 2023.3 version of WebSite X5, we've worked hard to make your e-commerce even more "magical" or - if you prefer - more "comprehensive and high-performing". Maybe we're genies as well! 😊

When it comes to e-commerce, a Wishlist is a virtual list where users can add all the products they don't want to purchase right now but may be interested in purchasing in the future.

Activating this new feature in your online store is really easy. When defining the composition of the Cards or the Product Pages, all you need to do is ensure that the "Add to Wishlist" button is set to "Visible".

This button appears as a heart-shaped icon and can be found next to the "Purchase" button. While browsing, viewers can use it to add all the products they're interested in to their Personal Wishlist. Then, whenever they want, they can access their Wishlist, add or remove items and, in the best case scenario, move them to the cart to make a purchase.

In summary: Because Wishlists help make customers happy, and happy customers are the best guarantee of success.

With e-commerce, Product Sheets are essential. They must be clear, comprehensive and well-organised because it falls on them to provide customers with all the necessary information and convince them to complete the purchase.

In WebSite X5, pages containing Product Pages are created automatically based on the information you enter. They follow a structure that's similar to the one we're all accustomed to with Amazon.

In version 2023.3, we've added the ability to work with the elements they contain in the same way you're already used to doing with Cards. You can select various elements, decide whether to keep them visible (or not) and define some graphical properties.

In this way, not only can you add the “Add to Wishlist” button but you can also decide to remove the “Add to Cart” button. Yes, you've read that right: Remove the Purchase Button! It may seem strange, but there are cases in which e-commerce is only used to show which items are available, even if you don't actually want to put them for sale online. Now you can do this as well.

For many, discounts are irresistible. The thought of taking advantage of an opportunity to get a deal is often what tips the scales in favour of a purchase.

It's up to you to figure out which discounts to offer, how to activate them, and how often to give them. It all depends on how much of a margin you have in your prices and the strategy you've chosen to follow. What we can do is provide you with the tools to get it done.

So, we've added the option to configure variable discounts based on the purchase amount. If, for example, you want to offer a €15 or 10% discount for orders over €150, you can now do so.

An e-commerce store that sells to international customers has a bit more complexity to manage. Sometimes, for example, people's preferred shipping and payment services change according to country. For this reason, there's no point in offering a particular service if you already know that it won't be used in that country.

To help you offer your customers only the services that are actually intended for them, we've added an option to specify, for each payment and shipping method available in your e-commerce store, a list of countries in which to offer it. Everything will be easier and more orderly for your customers.

Okay, so the customer has placed an order but is now late with the payment. It might be time to send a reminder.

As you know, you can manage your e-commerce orders through the Online Control Panel. Here, you can see a list of orders still to be processed and now, thanks to the new feature we've introduced, you can also decide which ones to send a reminder for by send a confirmation email again with the payment details.

Sending a reminder can be done in just one click. You have a history of all the reminders sent, so you can decide how much to insist on closing the order.

Talking about the Online Control Panel, we added another function that you will find very interesting: the possibility of activating and managing push notifications.

It’s really easy: you get notified in real time when, for instance, a user places an order on your e-commerce, leaves a comment on your Blog or registers on your website. In this way, you can reply quickly and always offer a top service.

Of course, you can decide what kind of notifications you want to receive, and you can install the dashboard as an App on your smartphone to keep everything under control even when you’re not in the store or office.

So, what do you think about the new functions available in WebSite X5 2023.3?

We’re sure they’ll be useful for you to take your e-commerce to the next level. You just have to implement them all.

Meanwhile, we are already working on other projects for the upcoming version. Stay tuned and keep following us to find out more.

You'll no doubt notice that all features introduced in the 2023.3 version are centred around e-commerce and are, in fact, included only in the Pro edition of WebSite X5.

However, this doesn't mean we've forgotten about everything else or about the Evo edition.

You'll see some exciting news in the next update that will not only center around e-commerce but will concern both Evo and Pro. Keep following us!

If you already have an active WebSite X5 license, you can install this new version right away. Just launch the program, and you'll find instructions for doing so in just a few clicks.

If your WebSite X5 license has expired, renew it today to receive the new 2023.3 version.

And finally, if you don't have WebSite X5, take this opportunity to purchase it now. The user license includes the Hosting service, a 12-month guarantee of receiving updates and new versions as we release them as well as access to our Priority Assistance service.