Advanced “Pre-order” Feature is LIVE

An important new feature: In the past, the IndieCommerce platform has allowed stores to accept pre-orders up to 90 days before a book’s publication date. Stores now are able to set the pre-order threshold for books to be published three months, four months, six months, nine months hence, or set no time limit at all, allowing pre-order purchases for any future publication date regardless of when. This is a great way for the indies to compete with Amazon and other etailers!  If you make this change be sure to promote it heavily to your customers. Pre-orders are a big part of the online business. Go to Store -> Configurations -> Account -> Information and Preferences -> Configure Book Settings to change the pre-order settings for your IndieCommerce website. If you have an IndieLite website and would like to change this setting, please contact [email protected]

Special Offer For ABA Members Interested in a New Website

IndieLite™ is the ABA’s entry level, low cost, e-commerce solution for bookstores. For the  upcoming Spring Regionals we’ve got a special offer for bookstores looking for an easy to manage yet affordable website. To that end, if your store signs up for an IndieLite website starting TODAY March 15 through April 30, the first three months of your subscription will be free (a $150 value). If you decide that you don’t like the service, you can cancel it at any time. To participate you must be a member of the ABA. For more information, please drop us an email at [email protected] or give us a call at 800-637-0037 (option 2)

Don’t Let Your Website Feel The Wrath of Google

As we’ve mentioned, the Google Chrome web browser is going to start penalizing websites that are not serving secure content. Other web browsers will probably follow. If your IndieCommerce site is not secure by July 2018, your customers are going to get a nasty warning on their sceen. This is an extremely BAD experience for people who shop online. If the web addresses (URLs) for ALL of the pages on your website are not displaying “https,” we can help you convert your site to “https everywhere.” Understandably, we are experiencing a huge demand from stores to get this feature enabled on their website. There is now an online sign up form available. Sign up today ! Note that if you have an IndieLite website, it is already "https everywhere" and it is not necessary to contact us.

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Tip Of The Week

Opportunities for booksellers who are interested in creating a HarperCollins Facebook Live video are available for every Saturday from September 15 to December 29, 2018. Click here for more information

For past editions of IndieCommunication, visit this page.