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Why "Online Shop"?

I often get asked why I often refer to to e-Commerce Web Sites as "Online Shops". The reason is simple really. By referring to them as shops, it keeps the focus on the business, rather than the technology.

Shops, as everyone knows, are for selling. And if we think about what a "bricks and mortar" shop has to do to ensure their business remains attractive to customers, it gives immediate pointers as to what we should be doing with our online shops. The processes and disciplines are remarkably similar.

In a "bricks and mortar" shop you wouldn't ...

- present customers with exactly the same view of your product range every time they visited

- have items on display that couldn't be bought

- have a store arrangement that was difficult for them to move around

- have incorrect or no prices on items

- supply items in a different size or colour to the display model

- offer home delivery without telling the customer how much it would cost

- have a sign up referring to a sale that ended last month

... and yet we have all seen examples of these things online.

Online, more than in any other situation, details matter. Why? Because the only means a visitor to your site has of judging your offering is the detail on the screen in front of them.

With an Online Shop from TOSD you have the means to control your content down to the last detail. Freshen up your site, do regular maintenance and you will reap the benefits.


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osCommerce Custom Designs

osCommerce solutions from TOSD provide very comprehensive and flexible e-commerce platforms for retailers and wholesalers alike. The many thousands of businesses both large and small who rely on osCommerce as the mainstay of their e-commerce operations is a solid testimony to its stability and reliability.

Variations exist in every e-commerce solution designed by TOSD, simply because the functional specification and theme of each one is carefully tailored to meet the specific needs individual clients, however the following feature list provides a good indication.

Features common to osCommerce Solutions from TOSD

Shop Features

  • Shopping basket with stored facility.
  • Secure server facilities for ordering.
  • Multiple billing/delivery addresses.
  • Three product image sizes: thumbnail, regular and closeup.
  • Best sellers sidebar feature box.
  • What's New sidebar feature box.
  • Specials sidebar feature box.
  • Tell-a-Friend sidebar feature box.
  • Customer order history sidebar feature box.
  • Customer personal account management.
  • Advanced search
  • Nested categories/sub-categories

Administration Features

  • Set up retail or wholesale access (or both).
  • Create specials that time out at a set date.
  • Set multiple order price breaks
  • Setup freight and payment options.
  • Prices can be flagged as inc or ex GST
  • Create, delete and edit categories and products.
  • Links to manufacturers product information.
  • Upload images directly from your own PC.
  • Edit general information (about us, contact us, terms etc)
  • Manage customer information.
  • Manage orders.
  • Print invoices and packing slips.
  • Access activity and order reports.

Wholesale and General Notes

  • Wholesale shops can either display RRP to the public or no price.
  • Wholesale access requires customers to complete an application that includes their ABN. Approval is manually controlled.
  • Configurations are even available that cater for combined retail and wholesale operations on the one site.
  • Minimum order values can be set up and enforced at checkout.
  • Printed catalogues and other information in pdf format can be made available for customer download.
  • Currency selector, configurable to any currencies required, is available for customer use. One click sets all prices storewide to display the new currency.
  • Domain name re-delegations and email account creation are included.
  • Search Engine Optimisation is available.
And the possibilities are certainly not limited by the above abbreviated list. Many variations exist that enable TOSD osCommerce implementations to be carefully tailored to meet individual requirements.


Speak to us now about your e-commerce requirements. You will be pleasantly surprised at both the comprehensive and cost effective nature of our osCommerce solutions!