From that idea, in terms of a business-to-business (B2B) model, we suggest setting up a supplier store for your corporation clients.   With internet access and user authentication feature, the internal store can be interpreted as a broader sense, and not limited to a office LAN, or WAN.  And, thanks to internet, the supplier store can readily serve the corporation with branch offices and franchising networks nationwide.

Since 2008, DCS has delivered internet-based B2B online supplier stores for 3 of their clients, providing items or services.  Each client needs only one store admin back-end.  Their corporate-labeled supplier stores can be unlimited.  From the admin back-end, our client is able to set up a new store in minutes, as long as they are accepted as the supplier–exclusive or not–of the business corporate.

DCS was founded in 2001 and began using X-cart as its e-Commerce engine since 2004.   We choose to use X-cart–in particular, the x-cart GOLD version–as the base to initiate development.   Because X-cart PRO is designed for the Shopping Mall business model, it is more limiting than convenient for the idea of B2B supplier store.

In the cases that we delivered, we have experienced different demands, such as:

Case 1: A sign store offers the supplier store solutions to real estate franchises.  One of their supplier stores provides brand marketing signs and accessories to 50+ branch offices and over 1500 agents.

Case 2: A brand marketing brokerage.  Their customers are nationwide chain stores.  The supplier store provides the branded store furniture and wall decoration to customer’s offices and store located nationwide.

Case 3: A Dry Clean service provider.  They offer pickup services from their corporate office buildings.   They also offer a variety of ordering process and payment options based on the customer’s location or company.

Our DCS development team is ready to adapt to any demands that cater to your specific condition.  Please feel free to contact us

by phone: 408-929-4888

or online

http://www.dcsproduction.com/contact

Your online store sells items with similar looks but different details, and their differences can be described in fixed patterns. Say your store also has a long list of stock items with similar needs. DCS has come up with a new approach and recently delivered a case of this nature. As evidenced by traffic reports and online sales, we think our approach is noteworthy.

Google search: site:weneedsigns.com.  You will get  6,420 results. Within 1 to 2 month after the new Safety Sign department been introduced online, online shopper google for ANSI, OSHA, or bilingual safety signs, they should always see the item listings from WeNeedSigns on the 1st page of search results.

Similar demands are found in automobile after-market parts and accessories. Most of these parts have only one look, but there are minor differences for different years and models.

Also, many industrial suppliers have similar needs. Their products all look the same in picture, but each item varies by size, material, or functional specification. In our case, the client is providing Safety Signs in the store. Any Safety Sign Face, i.e. icon + text message (eg. Danger: High Voltage) needs 16 types of size and material combination. If the store carries 500+ safety sign faces, its stock item could easily goes up to 8,000 items.

Many stores use the X-cart option and the variant feature to answer the above needs. DCS has different approaches to this issue. Here is why:
1) The X-cart user manual, in the variant section, tells you that heavily reliance on the variant feature in your online store dramatically impacts and slows down server performance. As we have about, 500 sets of products, use of the variant option would be inefficient.

2) Considering search engine optimization (SEO). The closer the match the greater the chance and specific search will be found. That is, when we use the product title “Danger – High Voltage , Safety Aluminum Sign, 08″ x 12″”, the product has a much higher chance to be directly located than if it were named “Danger – High Voltage Safety Sign.”

3) To support this SEO design, DCS has developed a mass item production and management tool.  With A few simply clicks, store managers can generate hundreds of products, and afterward, adjust hundreds of product prices based on changes in materials and other details of the product.  It is an efficient tool in handling mass quantities of products.
Feel free to call Alex Hu for a special SEO design that catering your need.
(408) 929-4888

Search engine optimized design makes online shopper get the exactly item that they are looking for with the least clicking.

The growing demand of Online design tool has never slowed since we launched our 1st online design tool: Online Drawing Board.   The application of online customer design tools has been widely implemented in industries of name cards, greeting cards, printed brochures, signs, banners, apparel, hats, aprons, T-shirts, engraved awards, plaques, trophies, bags, buttons, key chains, mugs, and any personal gift or collectible item.

The basic idea is to give the power of design and expression to any item.   It’s no wonder that so many online stores equip the Custom Design tool.  The Custom design tool is vital to the complete shopping experience.   We promote this idea in our slogan: Get personal with your shoppers and their orders.

DCS ONLINE CANVAS has an online custom design feature list.   Because its core code is cross-platform, it is ready to be quickly adapted by online stores from all industries over all kinds of platform.

Feel Free to contact us to arrange an online demo: (408) 929-4888

Design Supporting Tool Feature List:

(refer to: Design Tool)

* A borderless design Space.  The limit is the width and resolution of your screen.  i.e. your full screen space is your Canvas.

* All detail panels can be positioned anywhere on the screen. They can also be minimized.

Or, When you have a portrait oriented computer display, you could see the Canvas like this (click to see full size)

* A set of 3 visualization supporting tools: 1.) ZOOM in/out   2.) Move the item as one piece  3.) Fit view (auto-zoom the item to best fit size in available space).

* Keyboard (Shift -) is ZOOM OUT, (Shift =) is ZOOM IN

* Guidelines will work together with the alignment feature.  i.e. You can dynamically define a left margin, or right margin of a couple of objects by moving a vertical guideline.

* An optional ruler assists with the dimensions of the item.

* Unlimited times of UNDO or REDO;  There are shortcut key for undo/redo. On Mac system , use command+z for Undo, command+y for Redo;  On Windows, use control+z for Undo, control+y for Redo.

* Use your keyboard (Delete) to delete design objects

* Layering is integrated and managed by a “LAYER” panel. Click on an object in the LAYER panel, and the object become the active object on the CANVAS.

Design Object Transformer

* Scale, stretch, flip, rotate, or move any design object ( e.g. TEXT, CLIPART, IMAGE) without searching for tools or buttons.

* Multiple objects can be selected, and considered as a temporary group. All transforming actions (scale, stretch, flip, rotate, move) can be implemented to the group.

(refer to: Design Object Transformer)

Design Object Feature List:

*Assign a single color or a gradient color  to text objects, clip-art objects, or item background

* Add one-line texts or paragraphs

* A stand-alone font styles selection panel is available.

* Directly edit text contents by double-clicking on the text object

* Add/Access a large clip-art library by browsing icons page-by-page

* Add/ Upload picture images up to 6MB in file size

Below are several new site features. The  DCS team is currently working on a few enhanced features to be released before wintertime.

1. Corporate Service Block: meets the increasing demand of franchise brand signs

2. Mousing-over to preview an image provides more detailed information

3.  Intuitive sign-making system; see preview instantly

4. Large sign preview available at any stage of the ordering process

5. Clear statement at the Shopping Cart

6. Easy re-ordering process.

Background Introduction:

WeNeedSigns.com was first introduced in 2008.  It began the novel idea of an online sign store with full-blown online designing and ordering features.  Shoppers choose their template first, then create with their own design with an online drawing board.

Over the same period of time, DCS worked on a parallel project for the sign vendor of the Alain Pinel Real Estate company.  Designed for 1500+ agents from 30+ offices,  it used a less flexible online sign ordering system.  Still, it delivered what our client expected in terms of productivity and profitability.

By early June 2010, the DCS team started developing the new version of WeNeedSigns.com.  Our goal: to leverage the existing assets and to bring in higher quality user experience in an Online Custom Sign Order system.