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Designing your Ceres online store

Have you already booked stock? Not yet? Return to Booking stock.

This page will now teach you how to set up your Ceres online store. After you have set up a catalogue of items and categories, you will now learn how to set up the necessary online store plugins and how you can customise your store’s appearance.
This chapter is divided into three sections: In a first step, you will carry out important preparations, so that your online store will work properly. In the next step, you need to carry out relevant settings in the Ceres configuration. Lastly, you will design the appearance of your online store with the ShopBuilder, the plentymarkets construction kit system for online stores.

1. Preparations

Here you will find information about the most important preliminary tasks for setting up your Ceres online store. This section also specifies the data required for initial setup.

1.1. Saving legal information

Ceres provides pages for displaying your legal texts. In the Legal information menu, you can save your terms and conditions, cancellation rights, the cancellation form, privacy policy and legal disclosure for your online store.

Entering your terms and conditions as text:

  1. Go to Setup » Client » Select client » Online store » Legal information.

  2. Expand the desired language.

  3. The tab Terms and conditions is preselected.

  4. The tab Text is preselected.

  5. Enter the text for your terms and conditions. The plugin Ceres does not use the tab HTML.

  6. Save the settings.

Enter the texts for the cancellation rights, the cancellation form, the privacy policy and the legal disclosure of your online store in the same way for the desired languages. These texts will be displayed on the respective pages in your *Ceres online store.

1.2. Creating default profiles

Set up a default country of delivery, a default shipping method, a default shipping profile and a default payment method. These are preselected for non-registered visitors of your online store. You can only use plugin payment methods in your Ceres online store, which you can download from the plentyMarketplace .

Setting up the default country of delivery

  1. Go to Setup » Client » Select client » Orders.

  2. Select a default shipping method.

  3. Select a default shipping profile.

  4. Select a default payment method.
    → You have to select a payment plugin for the Ceres online store.

  5. Select a country of delivery for each language from the respective Standard country of delivery drop-down lists.

  6. Save the settings.

1.3. Setting up automatic emails

The Setup » Client » Select client » Email » Automatic menu contains various events you can link with an email template. Select the email template that you have previously created in the Setup » Client » Select client » Email » Templates menu from the drop-down list. This ensures that the email template is automatically sent to your customer once the event occurs.

Setting up automatic emails:

  1. Go to Setup » Client » Select client » Email » Automatic.

  2. In the row of the event, select the email template that you previously set up from the drop-down list. Pay attention to the information given in [tabelle-ereignisse-automatischer-e-mail-versand].

  3. Save the settings.

Table 1. Explanations for several events in the Setup » Client » Select client » Email » Automatic menu
Setting Explanation

New order from the online store

The contacts receive an email including the order confirmation after they have completed the purchase in the online store.

Send customer email to change password

The contacts receive an email with a link to the new password, which they have to confirm. The email template must include the {% Link_ChangePassword() %} function.

**Customer registration

The contacts receive a confirmation email after they have registered in the online store.

1.3.1. Editing the name of the online store

You can enter and edit a name for your online store in the CMS » Multilingualism menu, which is displayed as the title of the browser tab.

Editing the name of the online store:

  1. Go to CMS » Multilingualism.

  2. Select a language in the Target language area, for which you want to edit the name of the online store.

  3. Click on Header in the Ceres section.
    → The header section expands.

  4. Enter a name in the Name of the online store field.

  5. Save the settings.

2. Setting up online store plugins

We have already created a plugin-set in your plentymarkets system that contains all plugins you need for a successful launch. The plugin IO contains the logic of the online store. You don’t have to carry out any settings in IO at this point. The plugin Ceres contains the default design of the online store and can be customised to meet your needs. The 2 payment plugins Cash in advance and PayPal are already installed, so that your customers can place orders in your online store as soon as possible.

2.1. Setting up the Ceres plugin

Your online store comes with a fully functional test design. You can change the test design and add to it according to your needs. You will carry out basic settings of your online store in the following chapters. We will therefore not describe every single option in the Ceres configuration. At the end of the page, you can find further reading material that provides a more detailed description of the settings.

2.1.1. Setting up the contact page

You set up the contact page in the Contact form tab of the Ceres plugin configuration. First, select the contact data you want to display on your contact page. Your customers can send you a message via the contact form on your contact page. Save an email address for this purpose.

Setting up the contact page:

  1. Go to *Plugins » Plugin overview.
    → The plugin overview will open.

  2. Click on your plugin set.

  3. Click on Ceres.
    → The plugin opens.
    → The configuration is preselected in the navigation tree on the left.
    Click on the the Contact form.

  4. Enter the *Contact form email address.

  5. Under Show contact data, activate the checkboxes for the contact information you want to display on your contact page.

  6. Save the settings.

2.1.2. Customising the item view

You can modify the design of the item pages of your online store in the tab Item view of the Ceres configuration. You can determine, for instance, which item data is displayed and whether you want to include a category description.

Customising the item view:

  1. Go to *Plugins » Plugin overview.
    → The plugin overview will open.

  2. Click on Ceres.
    → The plugin opens. → The configuration is preselected in the navigation tree on the left.

  3. Click on the tab Item view.

  4. Carry out the settings. Pay attention to the information given in [tabelle-artikelansicht-anpassen].

  5. Save the settings.

Table 2. Customising the item view
Setting Explanation

Name of an item to display

Select the name of an item to display in the online store.

Item name = Select to display the configured item name.
Variation name = Select to display the configured variation name. If no variation name has been saved, the item name will be displayed.
Item and variation name = Display a combination of item name and variation name.

Item name

*

Select Name 1*, Name 2 or Name 3. Texts for these fields are saved in the Texts tab of the item. If you select Name 2 or Name 3, but did not save a name in the text field, Name 1 will be used as item name.

Show item information

Select one, multiple or ALL item information options to be displayed in the Further details tab of the item view in the online store.

Item condition = Activate to display the item condition.
Manufacturer = Activate to display the item manufacturer. The external name of the manufacturer will be displayed.
Manufacturing country = Activate to display the manufacturing country.
Age rating = Activate to display the item’s age rating.
Item ID = Activate to display the item’s ID.
External variation ID = Activate to display the external variation ID.
Model = Activate to display the model.
Dimensions = Activate to display the item’s dimensions.
Customs tariff number = Activate to display the item’s customs tariff number.
Net weight = Activate to display the net weight.
Gross weight = Activate to display the gross weight.
Content = Activate to display the content.

The 5 options Description, Technical data, Strikethrough price, Variation name and Preview text are displayed at other locations in the item view.

Description = Activate to display the Description tab. The Description tab will not be displayed for items for which you did not enter a text in the Texts tab.
Technical data = Activate to display the Technical data tab. The Technical data tab will not be displayed for items for which you did not enter a text in the Texts tab.
Strikethrough price = Activate to show the strikethrough price next to the item price. You need to save at least one recommended retail price and another price in order to display the strikethrough price.
Variation name = Activate to display the variation name next to the item name. You must also select Item and variation name from the Name of an item to display drop-down list.
Preview text = Activate to display the preview text below the item name.

Enable selection of variations without stock in variation drop-down list

Activate to display variations without stock in the variation drop-down list in the category view. Variations without stock can be selected and will not be greyed out in the drop-down list. When selecting a variation without stock, the customer will be forwarded to the single item view of the item.

Show variations by type

Display variations by type in the item list of a category.

ALL = Select to display active main variations and sub-variations of items. Inactive main variations and child-variations will not be displayed.
Only main variations = Select to only display active main variations.
Only child variations = Select to only display active child variations of an item. Active main variations will not be displayed. Child variations of inactive main variations will not be displayed.
Dynamically = Select to display variations dynamically. The listed variations include both active main and active child variations. The order of variations in the item list is dependent on the selected sorting option in the front end.

Enable image carousel for category item list

Activate to display the image carousel in the category view.

Show image carousel dots in category item list

Activate to display navigation dots below the image carousel of an item in the category view.

Enable image carousel navigation arrows in category item list

Activate to display navigational arrows in the image carousel in the category view, with which users can navigate through the image carousel.

Loading animation

Select a loading animation for the category view.

Bars = When loading the category view, a loading animation with bars will be displayed.
Spinner = When loading the category view, a loading animation with a spinner will be displayed.

Show category preview image in the category view

Activate to display a preview image in the category view. The preview image can be uploaded in the Documents tab of the category and must be set as image 1.

Show category description above item list

Select the item description that is displayed above the item list. The respective description can be edited in the Item » Categories menu in the tabs Description 1 or Description 2.

None = No category description is displayed. Description 1 = Description 1 is displayed above the item list. Description 2 = Description 2 is displayed above the item list. Description 1 and 2 = Description 1 and description 2 are both displayed.

Show category description below item list

Select the item description that is displayed below the item list. The respective description can be edited in the Item » Categories menu in the tabs Description 1 or Description 2.

None = No category description is displayed. Description 1 = Description 1 is displayed below the item list. Description 2 = Description 2 is displayed below the item list. Description 1 and 2 = Description 1 and description 2 are both displayed.

Show category description in category view (obsolete)

Activate to display a description of the category in the category view. You can enter the description in the Description 1 tab of the category.

Show categories as filter options for search results

2.1.3. Setting up item lists

You can group items with the help of item lists and highlight them that way in the single item view of an item. Ceres supports the following item lists:

  • Cross-selling: The online store displays cross-selling items via Relations. You can use item lists consisting of similar items, accessories, replacement parts and item packages.

  • Store specials: lists with new items, special offers, etc. are integrated into Ceres via tags. For further information, refer to the Adding tags to items chapter of the manual.

  • Last seen items: A list of the customer’s last seen items is displayed.

You can link item lists to the location you want to display them in via layout containers. First, set up an item list for last seen items.

Setting up a last seen list:

  1. Go to *Plugins » Plugin overview.
    → The plugin overview will open.

  2. Click on Ceres.
    → The plugin opens. → The configuration is preselected in the navigation tree on the left.

  3. Click on the Item lists tab.

  4. Under First item list, select the option Last seen from the drop-down list.

  5. Save the settings.

Then link the item list with a container in the single item view of the item in the online store.

Linking an item list:

Selecting container links:

  1. Go to Plugins » Plugin set overview.

  2. Open () the plugin set you want to edit.
    → The plugin set opens.

  3. Open the settings () of the plugin you want to link.
    → The plugin settings open.

  4. Click on Container links.

  5. Select a data provider from the drop-down list.

  6. Select the links you want to add.

  7. Repeat steps 5 and 6 for all data providers you want to link to containers.

  8. Save () the settings.

  9. The option First item list is already pre-selected in the drop-down list.

  10. Activate the container Single item: Container for item lists.

  11. Save the settings.
    → The item list is displayed in the single item view of an item in the online store.

2.1.4. Customising the shopping cart

Customise the display options of the shopping cart in the Shopping cart tab. Select item and price information to be displayed in the shopping cart and customise the shopping cart preview.

Customising the shopping cart:

  1. Go to *Plugins » Plugin overview.
    → The plugin overview will open.

  2. Click on Ceres.
    → The plugin opens. → The configuration is preselected in the navigation tree on the left.

  3. Click on the tab Shopping cart.

  4. Carry out the settings. Pay attention to the information given in [tabelle-warenkorb-anpassen].

  5. Save the settings.

Table 3. Customising the shopping cart
Setting Explanation

Show item information

Select one, multiple or ALL item information options to be displayed in the item overview of the shopping cart.

Item ID = Activate to display the item’s ID.
Item text = Activate to display the item description. The item description will not be displayed if you did not enter an item text in the item’s texts tab.
Preview text = Activate to display the preview text of the item.
Availability = Activate to display the item’s availability.
Variation number = Activate to display the item’s variation number.
Item condition = Activate to display the item condition.

Add to shopping cart: Show information

Select whether to show the overlay of the shopping cart, toggle the shopping cart preview or display no information after clicking on the Add to shopping cart button.

Type of shopping cart preview

Select whether the shopping cart preview is displayed on the right or toggled when moving the mouse over the shopping cart symbol.

2.1.5. Customising the pagination and sorting

Customise the pagination, i.e. the numbering of pages, of the item overview and the online store’s item sorting in the *Pagination and sorting tab.

Customising the pagination and sorting:

  1. Go to *Plugins » Plugin overview.
    → The plugin overview will open.

  2. Click on Ceres.
    → The plugin opens. → The configuration is preselected in the navigation tree on the left.

  3. Click on the Pagination and sorting tab.

  4. Carry out the settings. Pay attention to the information given in [tabelle-paginierung-sortierung].

  5. Save the settings.

Table 4. Customising the pagination and sorting
Setting Explanation

Position of the pagination

Select whether the pagination is displayed above, below, or above and below the item list.

Always show first page

Activate to always display the first page in the pagination.

Always show last page

Activate to always display the last page in the pagination.

Enter the number of columns per page

Select 3, 4, or 5 columns per page from the drop-down list. This number is used for calculating the values in the Items per page drop-down list.

Enter the number of rows per page

Activate one, multiple or all number values. The activated values are multiplied with the number of columns and displayed in the Items per page drop-down list in the item overview.

SEO: Set the value noindex beginning at page

Enter a page number. Beginning with this page, search engines and webcrawlers no longer index the search results.

Enable item sorting by

Activate one, several or ALL sorting options for item sorting.

Default sorting value for category view

Select the option that is selected by default for item sorting in the category view.

Recommended item sorting: First/second/third sorting value

Select the option for recommended item sorting in the category view. You can enter up to 3 sorting options, the first of which has the hightest priority.

Default sorting value for search results Select the default sorting value for item search results.

Recommended search results: First/second/third search value Select values for the recommended item search. You can enter up to 3 sorting options, the first of which has the hightest priority.

Sorting values

2.1.6. Setting up online store languages

Carry out language settings in the tab Languages. By default Ceres will be available in German and English. Your customers can select these languages in the header area of your online store. Ceres supports all languages available in plentymarkets. You can translate your online store and your items into additional languages.

Setting up online store languages:

  1. Go to *Plugins » Plugin overview.
    → The plugin overview will open.

  2. Click on Ceres.
    → The plugin opens. → The configuration is preselected in the navigation tree on the left.

  3. Click on the tab Languages.

  4. Activate additional languages under Active languages.

  5. Save the settings.
    → The selected languages will be displayed in the language selection of your online store.

2.1.7. Carrying out currency settings

In the Currencies tab, you carry out settings for the availability and display of currencies in your online store. Here, you specify whether your customers are allowed to change the currency in the online store, activate the available currencies and determine how these currencies are displayed.

Carrying out currency settings

  1. Go to *Plugins » Plugin overview.
    → The plugin overview will open.

  2. Click on Ceres.
    → The plugin opens. → The configuration is preselected in the navigation tree on the left.

  3. Click on the tab Currencies.

  4. Carry out the settings. Pay attention to the information given in [tabelle-waehrung-einstellungen].

  5. Save the settings.

Table 5. Carrying out currency settings
Setting Explanation

Format of currencies

Select the format of currencies. The selected currency format will be used globally in the online store.

ISO code = The online store displays the currency as ISO code. For the currency Euro the ISO code EUR will be displayed.
Symbol = The online store displays the currency as a symbol. For the currency Euro the symbol € will be displayed.

Allow customers to change the currency

Activate to allow customers to select a different currency in the header of the online store. Select the available currencies below.

Format of currencies in the header

Select the format of currencies for the header.

ISO code = The online store displays the currency as ISO code in the header.
Symbol = The online store displays the currency as a symbol in the header.
ISO code and symbol = The online store displays the currency as ISO code and as a symbol in the header. The currency symbol will be displayed in brackets next to the ISO code.

Available currencies

Activate currencies available to customers in the header of the online store.

2.1.8. Entering SEO meta data

In the SEO tab you carry out settings for optimising your online store for search engines. Here, you control robot access to your static online store pages.

Carrying out settings for search engine optimisation:

  1. Go to *Plugins » Plugin overview.
    → The plugin overview will open.

  2. Click on Ceres.
    → The plugin opens.

  3. Click on Configuration in the directory tree on the left.

  4. Click on the tab SEO.

  5. Carry out the settings. Pay attention to the information given in [tabelle-seo-einstellungen].

  6. Save the settings.

Table 6. Carrying out settings for search engine optimisation
Setting Explanation

Robots settings for homepage

Select All, index, nofollow, noindex or nofollow, noindex to control access to the homepage of your online store by robots. Search engine crawlers analyse the values of the meta element Robots. These values tell the crawler how to deal with the page and any links on that page.

ALL = Include the homepage of the online store in the search engine index and follow links on the page.
Index = Add to search engine index.
nofollow = Do not follow links on the page.
noindex = Do not include in search engine index.
nofollow, noindex = Do not follow links and do not include the homepage of the online store in the search index.

Now that you have successfully carried out these basic settings in the Ceres configuration, you can begin setting up your online store with the ShopBuilder construction kit.

3. Setting up the online store using the ShopBuilder

The ShopBuilder is plentymarkets' modular construction kit. You can use it to set up your online store pages intuitively. You can access the ShopBuilder in the CMS » ShopBuilder menu.
The ShopBuilder is divided into 2 user interfaces: the content manager and the editor. In the content manager, you manage ShopBuilder categories and create new contents for your categories. In the editor view, you create individual store pages via Drag&Drop.

Requirements for using the ShopBuilder

In order to use the ShopBuilder you must have a valid SSL certificate.

3.1. Creating your homepage with the ShopBuilder

The homepage is usually the first page that customers will see when they enter your online store. It gives them a first impression. That is why you should take your time to design the homepage.
First, create a content for the homepage:

Creating a content for the homepage:

  1. Go to CMS » ShopBuilder.
    → The content manager of the ShopBuilder opens.

  2. Click on Homepage (Ceres) in the category tree on the left side.
    → The category opens.

  3. Under Content for Homepage (Ceres), click on New.
    → The window Create new page opens.

  4. Select the type Content.

  5. Enter a name for your homepage and select the Standard homepage (Ceres) preset.

  6. Click on Save.

After you have created a new content, you can open it in the editor by clicking the content tile. There, you can design it according to your needs. The ShopBuilder provides structure widgets and content widgets. Structure widgets are elements that structure your page design and that can be filled with other widgets.
All other widgets are content elements with a specific purpose, for instance providing an item list. You can open the widget settings by clicking the cog button on the widget.
Below, you will find a list of available widgets and their settings.

Setting up the homepage:

  1. Click on the content you just created for the homepage.
    → The ShopBuilder editor opens.

  2. Expand a widget category in the widget tree on the left, e.g. Image.

  3. Place the widget you want to include on your homepage by dragging it onto the preview area of the editor. Pay attention to the information given in [tabelle-elemente-shop-builder].

  4. Save the settings.

Table 7. ShopBuilder Widgets
Widget Explanation

Structure

Grid with 4 columns

Provides a structure widget with 4 columns that can be filled with other widgets. The size ratio of the columns cannot be adjusted. You can also drag other structure widgets into this widget to enable additional formatting options.

Grid with 3 columns

Provides a structure widget with 3 columns that can be filled with other widgets. Click Edit to change the layout of the element. Select a size ratio for the columns from the Layout drop-down list. Stacked options display 2 columns on top of each other. You can also drag other structure widgets into this widget to enable additional formatting options.

Grid with 2 columns

Provides a structure widget with 2 columns that can be filled with other widgets. Click Edit to change the layout of the element. Select a size ratio for the columns from the Layout drop-down list. You can also drag other structure widgets into this widget to enable additional formatting options.

Sticky Container

Provides a structure element which has a fixed position and is thereby always visible when scrolling the page. The sticky container can be filled with other structure elements or widgets. The sticky container itself has no further settings.

Tabs

Provides a structure widget for grouping widgets as tabs. Click Edit to change the colour of the widget, add new tabs to the widget and to change the titles of the tabs.

*Separator line

Provides a separating line that serves as placeholder. Click Edit to adjust the paddings and margins of the separator line.

Text

*Title bar

Provides a title box. Click Edit to enter text and determine the colour of the title bar via the appearance drop-down list. You can only enter plain text. Entering HTML is not possible.

Code

Provides a text widget for entering HTML and Javascript. In the widget, click on the </> icon to open the code editor. Click Edit to change the paddings and margins of the widget and the appearance of the background colour.

List

Provides a list that serves as placeholder. Click Edit to add list entries and icons. You can define a target link for each list entry, so that you can link to external web pages or files.

Text

Provides a text box. Click Edit to open the text editor. You can select the colour for the text widget from the Appearance drop-down list. Activating the checkboxes Paddings and Margins provides additional formatting options for the widget.

FAQ

Provides text boxes for displaying frequently asked questions in the online store. The corresponding answer is displayed after clicking the question. Click Edit to open the settings. You can select the colour for the questions from the appearance drop-down list. Add additional questions and answers by clicking the plus button.

Image

Image carousel

Provides an image carousel. Click Edit to open the widget settings.
Via the appearance drop-down list, you can determine the colour of the navigational dots and arrows.
Via the ratio drop-down list, you can determine the image ratio of the images. Your images should conform to the selected ratio. If you select the option Automatic, the images’ ratio automatically adapts the the screen size.
Click Select file under Select image to open your webspace and select an image for the slide.
You can specify a link target under Source. When clicking on the image, users are redirected to the link target. You can choose between external link, category, variation ID, and file (webspace). If you select category as the link target, the first image from the documents tab of the category is used per default. If you select variation ID as the link target, the variation image is used per default. If you save an image under Image selection, the image of the category or the variation is overwritten.
You can select the type of title for each slide individually, so that you can, for instance, specify the category name as the title of the image.

Image box

Provides a container for images. Click Edit to open the widget settings.
Via the appearance drop-down list, you can determine the colour of the image box.
Via the ratio drop-down list, you can determine the image ratio of the images. Your images should conform to the selected ratio. If you select the option Automatic, the images’ ratio automatically adapts the the screen size.
Click Select file under Select image to open your webspace and select an image for the image box.
You can specify a link target under Source. When clicking on the image, users are redirected to the link target. You can choose between external link, category, variation ID, and file (webspace). If you select category as the link target, the first image from the documents tab of the category is used per default. If you select variation ID as the link target, the variation image is used per default. If you save an image under Image selection, the image of the category or the variation is overwritten.
Via Image box style, you can determine how image and text should interact with one another.

Item

Item list

Provides an item list. Click Edit to open the widget settings.
Via the appearance drop-down list, you can determine the colour of the item list.
You can select the type of title, so that you can, for instance, specify the category name as the title of the item list.
Select the Type of item list from the drop-down list. You can display category items, last seen items, items with tags, and items of a manufacturer. Depending on the type of item list, you can generate the list in different ways by either specifying a category, entering a list of tags (separated by commas), or entering a manufacturer.
Additionally, you can determine the maximum number of items, and the number of visible items via the item sorting.

Customer data

Welcome

Provides a text box for greeting your customers in the online store. Click Edit to select the Type of address. The type of address depends on the data provided by registered customers.

Other widgets

Newsletter

Provides a newsletter registration for customers. Click Edit to carry out the settings.

Appearance = Select the colour for the Subscribe button.
Title = Enter the title for the newsletter registration, e.g. “Our Newsletter”
Description = Enter a description for the newsletter registration. The description is displayed below the title.
Input fields for first and last name = Activate to display the input fields for first and last name in the newsletter registration.
Display checkbox for accepting the privacy policy = Activate to display a checkbox customers can select to accept your privacy policy.
Email folder ID = Enter the ID of the email folder used for storing your customers' email addresses. You create email folders in the CRM » Newsletter » plentymarkets » Email folder menu.

3.1.1. Removing widgets from the homepage

You can remove any widgets you added to the homepage just as easily.

Removing elements from the preview area:

  1. Go to CMS » ShopBuilder.

  2. Click on the content you want to edit.
    → The ShopBuilder editor opens.

  3. Move the cursor over the element you want to remove.
    → The context menu opens.

  4. Click on the red Delete symbol to delete the widget.
    → The widget is removed and surrounding widgets are arranged accordingly.

  5. Save the settings.

3.1.2. Activating the homepage

When you are done setting up your homepage, you need to activate the content in the content manager interface of the ShopBuilder to display it in your online store.

Activating the homepage:

  1. Go to CMS » ShopBuilder.
    → The content manager of the ShopBuilder opens.

  2. Click on Homepage (Ceres) in the category navigation on the left.

  3. Hover over the homepage content that you created earlier.

  4. Click Activate.
    → The homepage content is activated and the tile is highlighted in blue.

Now that you have designed the body of your homepage according to your wishes, it is time to set up the header (the upper area of the page) and the footer (the lower area of the page).

3.2. Editing the header and footer with the ShopBuilder

You can create new contents for the header and footer in the content manager interface of the ShopBuilder. All header and footer settings apply globally, i.e. to your entire online store. This means that changes to the header and footer affect your homepage as well as all other pages that you create.
In the future, it will be possible to create and manage different headers and footers for individual categories or pages.

3.2.1. Editing the header with the ShopBuilder:

In order to edit the header of your online store, you first need to create a new content. You create a content in the same way you created a content for the homepage. We advise you to use the preset for the default Ceres header. You can customise the preset according to your needs.

Editing the header with the ShopBuilder:

  1. Go to CMS » ShopBuilder.
    → The content manager view of the ShopBuilder opens.

  2. Click on Homepage (Ceres) in the category navigation on the left.

  3. Click Header elements in the line above your homepage content.
    → The contents for header elements are expanded.

  4. Create a new header under Header elements.
    → The window Create new page opens.

  5. Enter a name for your header and select the preset Standard header (Ceres).

  6. Save the header.

  7. Click on the header you created.
    → The ShopBuilder editor opens.

  8. Move elements from the left side into the preview area via drag & drop. Pay attention to the information given in Table 8.

  9. Save the settings.

Table 8. Setting up the header with the ShopBuilder
Setting Explanation

Breadcrumbs (Header)

Provides a breadcrumb navigation. Customers can use it to navigate the different category levels of your online store. Click Edit to carry out the settings.

Fix when scrolling page = Activate to always show the breadcrumb navigation when the user scrolls on the page.
Display on homepage = Activate to always show the breadcrumb navigation on the homepage.
Display in My account area = Activate to always show the breadcrumb navigation in the My Account area.
Display in checkout = Activate to always show the breadcrumb navigation in the checkout area.
Display in content categories = Activate to display the breadcrumb navigation on category pages of the type Content.

Category navigation (Header)

Provides the category navigation in the header. Click Edit to carry out the settings and determine the style of the category navigation, the category levels as well as the number of categories. You can also add a logo of your company.

Fix when scrolling page = Activate to always show the category navigation when users scroll through your pages.
Style of the category navigation = Select whether the category navigation uses a normal layout or a mega menu.
Category levels of the mega menu = Select the number of category levels in the mega menu. This setting is only applicable if Mega menu has been selected as the Style of the category navigation.
Number of categories = Enter the number of categories you want to display in the individual levels of the mega menu. This setting is only applicable if Mega menu has been selected as the Style of the category navigation.
Company logo = Select the image file that you want to display as your company logo in the upper left corner of the online store. The common image formats (PNG, JPG, etc.) are applicable.

Top Bar (Header)

Provides a top bar for the header, that includes the options for changing the country of delivery and the currency. Click on Edit to carry out the settings and determine which elements to include in the top bar and how to display the item search and shopping cart information.

Fix when scrolling page = Activate to always show the top bar when users are scrolling through your pages.
Display of the search = Select whether the search is always visible, displayed as a fold-in search, or is not shown at all.
Display item images in search suggestions = Activate to show item images in the suggested items of a search query.
Item search: forward to item view = Activate to forward customers to the single item view after clicking a search suggestion.
Display elements in the top bar = Activate the relevant checkboxes to display the customer login, the customer registration, language and currency selection, selection of the country of delivery, wish list, and shopping cart preview in the top bar.
Show shopping cart information = Select whether the shopping cart preview displays the value of items, their quantity or a combination of both."

The standard header preset includes these three header widgets. However, you can also use all other widgets that are available for content pages to design your header. This way, you can integrate a list with relevant information about your online store or display an image box in the global header of your pages.

When you are happy with the design of your header, you need to activate the content by clicking the eye icon on the tile of the header content in the content manager interface. See also the instruction on activating the homepage.

3.2.2. Editing the footer using the ShopBuilder

In order to edit the footer of your online store, you first need to create a new content. You create a content in the same way you created a content for the header. We advise you to use the preset for the default Ceres footer. You can customise the preset according to your needs.

Editing the footer using the ShopBuilder:

  1. Go to CMS » ShopBuilder.
    → The content manager view of the ShopBuilder opens.

  2. Click on Homepage (Ceres) in the category navigation on the left.

  3. Click Footer elements in the line below your homepage content.
    → The contents for footer elements are expanded.

  4. Create a new footer under Footer elements.
    → The window Create new page opens.

  5. Enter a name for your footer and select the preset Standard footer (Ceres).

  6. Save the footer.

  7. Click on the footer you created.
    → The ShopBuilder editor opens.

  8. Move elements from the left side into the preview area via drag & drop. Pay attention to the information given in Table 9.

  9. Save the settings.

The legal information widget is the only widget that can exclusively be used in the footer. You can integrate all other widgets that are available on content pages. The preset for the Ceres standard footer also uses structure widgets and list widgets for highlighting store specials.

When you are happy with the design of your footer, you need to activate the content by clicking the eye icon on the tile of the footer content in the content manager interface. See also the instruction on activating the homepage.

You have now set up the header, homepage and footer of your online store and familiarised yourself with the functions of the ShopBuilder. In the next step, you will set up the checkout and the My Account area and link a category for displaying shipping cost information.

3.3. Setting up the checkout using the ShopBuilder

You can create and edit the checkout of your online store directly in the ShopBuilder. In Ceres, checkout is the term that is used to describe the customer’s order process. For this purpose, you will create a new category, link this category with the Ceres plugin and then create a new checkout content.

3.3.1. Creating a category for the checkout

First, create a new category in which you can create checkout contents.

Creating a checkout category:

  1. Go to CMS » ShopBuilder.
    → The content manager of the ShopBuilder opens.

  2. Click on New category on the left. → The Create new category window opens.

  3. Enter a name for the category, e.g. "Checkout”. → The option Main category is preselected.

  4. Click Create. → The new category is created and the Edit category “CategoryName” window opens.

  5. Carry out the settings. Pay attention to the information given in Table 10.

  6. Save the settings.

Table 10. Editing a category
Setting Explanation

General settings

Client (store)

Select the client for which you want to create the category. You can activate a single category for multiple clients at once. Categories that are activated for one client are highlighted in yellow for this client. If a category for the selected client is inactive, it is displayed grey in the category tree.

Show sitemap

Activate to add the category to the sitemap.

Show in link list

Activate to show category in the link list.

Client (store) specific settings

Client (store)

Select a client from the drop-down list, for which you want to carry out client-specific settings.

Name

Enter a name for the category. If no name is specified for a category, the category is displayed in italics.

* URL*

Enter a URL for the category. Every category requires a unique URL.

Canonical

If necessary, enter the URL of a category with the same content to prevent SEO-relevant duplicate content.

position

Enter a number to specify the order in which the categories and subcategories of the same level should be displayed.

Meta title

Enter a meta title. SEO tip: Pay attention to the length of the title.

Meta description

Enter a meta description (max. 350 characters). Search engines analyse the meta description. This makes it particularly important for the homepage. SEO tip: The meta description should contain the most important content in one sentence.

Meta-Keywords

Enter key words that potential customers are likely to enter into search engines and that relate to the content of the category.

Meta robots

Choose between all, index, nofollow, noindex and nofollow, noindex. Search engine crawlers analyse the robot values. The values determine how the crawler deals with the page and any links on that page.
all = Include the website of the category in the search engine index and follow links on the page.
index = Add to search engine index.
nofollow = Do not follow links on the page.
noindex = Do not include in search engine index.
nofollow, noindex = Do not follow links and do not include webpage in the search index.

3.3.2. Linking the checkout category:

You have now successfully created a new category for your checkout contents. In order for the checkout to work properly in your online store, you need to link the category with the Ceres plugin:

Linking the checkout category:

  1. Go to CMS » ShopBuilder.
    → The content manager of the ShopBuilder opens.

  2. Click on Open settings on the left in the toolbar.
    → The interface for linking categories with Ceres is opened.

  3. Click on the line Category for checkout.
    → The category selection opens.

  4. Select the category you created for the checkout.
    → The line of the category is highlighted in blue.

  5. Click on Select at the lower end of the category selection.
    → The category selection is closed.

  6. Save the settings.

You have now successfully linked the checkout category with the Ceres plugin.

3.3.3. Creating contents for the checkout

You can now create contents for the checkout in the same way you created contents for the homepage.

Creating contents for your checkout:

  1. Go to CMS » ShopBuilder.
    → The content manager of the ShopBuilder opens.

  2. Click on the checkout category you created in the category navigation tree on the left.
    → The category opens.

  3. Under Content for CategoryName, click on New.
    → The window Create new page opens.

  4. Select the type Checkout.

  5. Enter a name for your checkout and select the Standard checkout (Ceres) preset.

  6. Click on Save.

After you have created a new content, you can open it in the editor by clicking the content tile. There, you can design it according to your needs. A number of widgets are available for the checkout that cannot be used on other pages. These are detailed below:

Table 11. Checkout widgets
Widget Explanation

Customer data

Address selection

Provides the address selection. Via this widget, customers can enter a delivery and/or invoice address in the checkout. Click Edit to carry out the settings.

Address type = Add an invoice or shipping address.
Address format = Select DE or UK. Depending on which address format you select, different address fields can be displayed and configured as required fields.
Show invoice and shipping address fields = Activate the address input fields customers fill out.
Required fields for invoice and shipping address = Activate address input fields that customers are required to fill out before they can place an order. If these fields are not filled in when the customer clicks the purchase button, they cannot place the order.

The following address fields are available for the address selection:
Company: Provides the input field Company.
Contact person: Provides the input field Contact person. This field is only used for B2B customers.
VAT Nr.: Provides the input field for the value added tax number.
Form of address: Provides the input field Form of address. You can choose between Mr, Ms and Mx. You can edit these entries in the CMS » Multilingualism menu.
Title: Provides the input field Title.
Date of birth: Provides the input field Date of birth.
Name affix: Provides the input field Name affix.
Telephone: Provides the input field Telephone.
Additional address 1: Provides the input field Additional address 1.
Additional address 2: Provides the input field Additional address 2.
State: Provides the input field State.
Address 2: Provides the input field Address 2. This field is used for the address format UK.
Address 3: Provides the input field Address 3. This field is used for the address format UK.
Address 4: Provides the input field Address 4. This field is used for the address format UK.

Shopping cart

Shopping cart content

Provides an overview over the items in the shopping cart. Click Edit to select the appearance of the widget.

Coupon input

Provides the input field for customers to redeem their coupon codes. Click Edit to select the appearance of the widget.

Totals

Provides an overview over the totals. Click Edit to open the settings and select which Price information is displayed in the totals overview.

Available price information:
Value of items (net)
Value of items (gross)
Discount
Shipping costs (net)
Shipping costs (gross)
Promotional coupon
Gift card
VAT
Totals (net)
Totals (gross)
Outstanding amount

Checkout

Shipping profile selection

Provides a selection of the configured and active shipping profiles. Click Edit to carry out the settings. This widget is limited to 1 per page.

Text = Enter text you want to display between the headline and the selection of shipping profiles.

Payment method selection

Provides a selection of payment methods. The payment plugins have to be downloaded from link:www. marketplace and activate them for the client, country of delivery and customer class. Click Edit to carry out the settings. This widget is limited to 1 per page.

Text = Enter text you want to display between the headline and the selection of payment methods.

Notes and requests

Provides a text box with which customers can add notes and requests to their order. Click Edit to carry out the settings.

Text = Enter text you want to display between headline and the text box.

Terms and conditions checkbox

Provides a checkbox with which customers can agree to your general terms and conditions. Click Edit to carry out the settings. This widget is limited to 1 per page.

Hide checkbox = Activate to hide the checkbox in the online store. The checkbox is checked by default.
Preselect checkbox = Activate to preselect the checkbox by default.
Required field = Activate to make the checkbox mandatory before customers can place an order.

Shipping information checkbox

Provides a checkbox with which customers can confirm that their shipping information is forwarded to the shipping service provider. Whether the checkbox is displayed in the online store depends on the selected shipping profile. The option Agreement upon data transfer has to be activated for the shipping profile.

Newsletter checkbox

Provides a checkbox with which customers can subscribe to your newsletter. Click Edit to enter the ID of your email folder, to overwrite the text that is displayed next to the checkbox and to carry out further settings:

Hide checkbox = Activate to hide the checkbox in the online store. The checkbox is checked by default.
Preselect checkbox = Activate to preselect the checkbox by default.
Required field = Activate to make the checkbox mandatory before customers can place an order.

Purchase button

Provides the button with which your customers place orders in your online store. Click Edit to carry out the settings.

Appearance = Select the colour of the button.
Button size = Choose whether the size of the purchase button is small, standard, or*large*.

Cancel payment button

Provides a button with which customers can cancel a verified purchase done via a payment plugin (e.g. PayPal). Click Edit to carry out the settings.

Appearance = Select the colour of the button.
Button size = Choose whether the size of the purchase button is small, standard, or*large*.
Address fields “Company” and “Contact person”

The address input fields now contain the option Contact person. The field Contact person is only relevant for B2B customers. The fields Company and Contact person interact as follows:

  1. If the field Company is active, the fields Company and First and last name are displayed.

  2. If the fields Company and Contact person are active, both of these fields are displayed. In this case, First and last name is not displayed.

  3. If the field Form of address is active in addition to Company, the address input reacts dynamically to the selected form of address and hides or shows corresponding input fields accordingly.

  4. If the field Contact person is inactive, but set to be a required field, Contact person is not displayed in the address input. First and last name is displayed instead.

  5. If the field Company is inactive while the field Contact person is active, Contact person is not displayed.

When you are happy with the design of your checkout, you need to activate the content by clicking the eye icon on the tile of the checkout content in the content manager interface.

3.4. Setting up the My Account area with the ShopBuilder

You can create and edit the My Account area, i.e. the customer section of your online store, directly in the ShopBuilder. For this purpose, you will create a new category, link this category with the Ceres plugin and then create a new My Account content.

3.4.1. Creating a category for the My Account area

First, create a new category for your My Account contents.

Creating a category for the My Account area:

  1. Go to CMS » ShopBuilder.
    → The content manager of the ShopBuilder opens.

  2. Click on New category on the left.
    → The Create new category window opens.

  3. Enter a name for the category, e.g. "My Account”.
    → The option Main category is preselected.

  4. Click Create.
    → The new category is created and the Edit category “CategoryName” window opens.

  5. Carry out the settings. Pay attention to the information given in Table 10.

  6. Save the settings.

3.4.2. Linking the My Account area with the Ceres plugin:

You have now successfully created a new category for your My Account contents. In order for the My Account area to work properly in your online store, you need to link the category with the Ceres plugin:

Linking the My Account area with the Ceres plugin:

  1. Go to CMS » ShopBuilder.
    → The content manager of the ShopBuilder opens.

  2. Click on Open settings on the left in the toolbar.
    → The interface for linking categories with Ceres is opened.

  3. Click on the line Category for My Account.
    → The category selection opens.

  4. Select the category you created for the My Account area.
    → The line of the category is highlighted in blue.

  5. Click on Select at the lower end of the category selection.
    → The category selection is closed.

  6. Save the settings.

You have now successfully linked the My Account category with the Ceres plugin.

3.4.3. Creating contents for the My Account area

You can now create contents for the My Account area in the same way you created contents for the homepage and the checkout.

Creating contents for the My Account area:

  1. Go to CMS » ShopBuilder.
    → The content manager of the ShopBuilder opens.

  2. Click on the My Account category you created in the category navigation tree on the left.
    → The category opens.

  3. Under Content for CategoryName, click on New.
    → The window Create new page opens.

  4. Select the type My Account.

  5. Enter a name for your My Account area and select the Standard My Account (Ceres) preset.

  6. Click on Save.

After you have created a new content, you can open it in the editor by clicking the content tile. There, you can design it according to your needs. A number of widgets are available for the My Account pages that cannot be used on other pages. These are detailed below:

Table 12. Widgets for the My Account area
Widget Explanation

Customer data

Welcome

Provides a text box for greeting your customers in the online store. Click Edit to select the Type of address.

. First and last name: Displays the text “Hello, John Doe”.
. First name: Displays the text “Hello, John”.
. Address and last name: Displays the text “Hello, Mr/Ms/Mx Doe”.
. Email: Displays the text “Hello, John@Doe.de”.

My account

Account settings

Provides a widget with which customers can change their email address and their password. Click Edit to change the appearance of the buttons and enter Text you want to display between the widget title and the account settings.

Bank details

Provides a widget with which customers can add and edit their bank details. Click Edit to change the appearance of the button and enter a Text you want to display between the widget title and the bank details.

Order history

Provides a list of past orders of your customers. The order history contains information pertaining to the order ID, the totals, the order date, the shipping date, and the status. Click Edit to change the appearance of the widget and enter a Text you want to display between the widget title and the order history. You can also determine how many orders per page are displayed, if you want to allow customers to change the payment method and if you want to allow returns. This widget is limited to 1 per page.

Return history

Provides a list of past returns of your customers. The return history includes information pertaining to the return ID, the order ID, the return date and the payment method. Customers can download relevant files, such as the order confirmation, in the column return documents. Click Edit to change the appearance of the widget and enter a Text you want to display between the widget title and the return history. This widget is limited to 1 per page.

Logout button

Provides the button with which your customers can log out from your online store. Click Edit to determine the colour of the logout *button and the *button size.

3.5. Setting up the category for displaying shipping cost information

Create a new category and content in the content manager to inform your customers about shipping costs in you online store. Your shipping cost information is, for instance, linked on the item tiles in the category view or the single item view. When customers click the link, a pop-up will display the content you design with the ShopBuilder.

3.5.1. Creating a category for shipping cost information

First, create a new category for displaying information about your shipping costs.

Creating the shipping cost information category:

  1. Go to CMS » ShopBuilder.
    → The content manager of the ShopBuilder opens.

  2. Click on New category on the left.
    → The Create new category window opens.

  3. Enter a name for the category, e.g. "Shipping costs”. → The option Main category is preselected.

  4. Click Create.
    → The new category is created and the Edit category “CategoryName” window opens.

  5. Carry out the settings. Pay attention to the information given in Table 10.

  6. Save the settings.

3.5.2. Linking the shipping cost information category:

You have now successfully created a new category for your shipping cost information. In order for the shipping cost information to be displayed properly in your online store, you need to link the category with the Ceres plugin:

Linking the shipping cost information category:

  1. Go to CMS » ShopBuilder.
    → The content manager of the ShopBuilder opens.

  2. Click on Open settings on the left in the toolbar.
    → The interface for linking categories with Ceres is opened.

  3. Click the line Category for displaying shipping cost information.
    → The category selection opens.

  4. Select the category you created for the shipping cost information.
    → The line of the category is highlighted in blue.

  5. Click on Select at the lower end of the category selection.
    → The category selection is closed.

  6. Save the settings.

You have now successfully linked the category for shipping cost information with the Ceres plugin.

3.5.3. Creating contents for the shipping cost information

You can now create contents for your shipping cost information in the same way you created contents for the homepage and the checkout.

Creating a content for your shipping cost information:

  1. Go to CMS » ShopBuilder.
    → The content manager of the ShopBuilder opens.

  2. Click on the shipping cost information category you created in the category navigation tree on the left.
    → The category opens.

  3. Under Content for CategoryName, click on New.
    → The window Create new page opens.

  4. Select the type Content.

  5. Enter a name for your shipping cost information. There is no preset for this content.

  6. Click on Save.

Click on the content and design the page the way you want to present it to customers in your online store. You can use the same widgets that are available for the homepage. We advise you to use a text or list widget for the shipping cost information.

You can create further content categories in the same way, e.g. to create an About our company page. You do not need to link additional content categories with the Ceres plugin. Instead, you can use image or list widgets to link to the content categories.

3.6. Carrying out design settings

The ShopBuilder provides you with several settings pertaining to the colour scheme and the fonts of your online store. These settings are globally active, meaning that they affect your entire online store. The ShopBuilder provides 6 different fields for selecting colours that can be used by widgets. Please note that changes to the colour scheme are only adapted by the live online store after you have saved & published the online store plugin set.

Editing colour settings in the ShopBuilder:

  1. Go to CMS » ShopBuilder.
    → The content manager view of the ShopBuilder opens.

  2. Click on any category, e.g. homepage.

  3. Click on any content you created.
    → The editor view of the ShopBuilder opens.

  4. Click on Design in the toolbar above the editor.
    → The Design menu opens.

  5. Change the colour via the colour picker or enter a hex value for the individual colour fields.

  6. Save the settings.

The ShopBuilder also offers the possibility of selecting individual fonts for the online store. You can either enter the URL of a font or upload a font file from your computer.

Editing fonts:

  1. Go to CMS » ShopBuilder.
    → The content manager view of the ShopBuilder opens.

  2. Click on any category, e.g. homepage.

  3. Click on any content you created.
    → The editor view of the ShopBuilder opens.

  4. Click on Design in the toolbar above the editor.
    → The Design menu opens.

  5. Carry out the settings in the Fonts section. Pay attention to the information given in Table 13.

  6. Save the settings.

Table 13. Editing fonts in the ShopBuilder
Option Explanation

Enter font URL

Enter a URL in the respective fields (regular, bold, italic or bold-italic).

Upload font

You need to have a font file available on your computer. Select the font file you want to use in the respective fields (regular, bold, *italic_ or *_bold-italic).

4. Saving and publishing the plugin set

When you are done with carrying out the plugin settings and have designed the pages of your online store with the ShopBuilder, it is time to save and publish the plugin set.
Your online store will only enter its live operation when you link the plugin set with a client.

Save & publish plugin set:

  1. Go to *Plugins » Plugin overview.
    → The plugin overview will open.

  2. Make sure the the plugin set you worked in is currently selected (i.e. highlighted in blue).

  3. Click Save & deploy plugin set. → The notification Deploying plugin set…​ appears on the screen. → The progress bar indicates when the deployment process is done.

Take a look at the current state of your online store by clicking Plugin set preview in the tool bar and make sure you are happy with it. When you are ready, link the plugin set with a client:

Linking the plugin set with a client:

  1. Go to *Plugins » Plugin overview.
    → The plugin overview will open.

  2. Click on Link plugin set in the tool bar on the left.
    → The Link plugin sets window opens.

  3. Select the plugin set in which you made your changes from the drop-down list on the right side.

  4. Click on Save. → The linked plugin set is indicated with a green dot next to its name.

5. Final Check

Work through the check list in order to review your settings for the online store.

  • Did you save and deploy a plugin set that contains the plugins Ceres, IO, and Cash in advance?

  • Did you set up a default country of delivery, a default shipping method and a default shipping profile?

  • Did you set up cash in advance as default payment method?

  • Did you save your legal information?

  • Did you create a content for displaying information about your shipping costs? * [ ] Did you create a checkout with the ShopBuilder?

  • Did you create a My Account page with the ShopBuilder?

  • Did you create a homepage with the ShopBuilder?

  • Did you carry out the settings of the Ceres plugin configuration?

  • Did you save and deploy the plugin set after you carried out all of the settings?

6. Further information about your online store

If you are looking for further information on Ceres online stores, the following pages provide detailed information about various topics:

Continue to preparing order processing.
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