Getting Started

I’M READY TO JOIN INDIECOMMERCE, WHAT DO I DO NOW?

1. Sign Up

Interested in joining the IndieCommerce family of websites? Contact your Member Relationship Manager with questions, or get started now by completing the forms below.

IndieCommerce Letter of Agreement & ACH Authorization for Direct Payments

• While You’re Waiting For Your New Site

It can be helpful to brainstorm ideas so you're prepared to begin working on the site as soon as you receive it. To start, get an idea of the pages you'll want to put together, create a 'family tree' with different pages, and how you want to link them.  

If you'd like to write some of the content in advance, a store history, for example, be sure to type it in a plain text editor such as Notepad, to ensure a clean text transfer.

• I Just Received My Site, What’s Next?

The email sent to you by the IndieCommerce team will have your login credentials for your site.  You have been given administrator access to your site and should now be able to begin working on your site.

Then, there are a number of different approaches to starting to build your site.  We've put together some suggestions for how to get started, but you can feel free to move some of the steps around if you prefer to tackle a different item first.

• Check Your Store Information: Configuration > System > Site Information: Verify that the information listed is correct, and feel free to add a slogan and/or mission statement. Then visit Store > Configuration > Store and check the information under Basic Information and Store address as well.
• Select the ‘Appearance’ tab: Choose a theme (IndieLite members will have their theme set for them), upload a logo, alter settings etc.
• Create a ‘Welcome Block’: Structure > Blocks > Add Block: It’s important to make it easy for customers to find your contact information. Be sure to include your address, phone number, email, and store hours, and place the block in a highly visible spot. Tip: The top left corner is the first place people generally look when they visit a site. This location is a great place to display the most important information on your site.
• Create Your First ‘Node’: Content > Add Content > Content of Choice: A ‘node’ is any type of content that has an associated web address: a ‘page,' ‘event,’ or ‘product’ has an URL that you can visit, and are nodes.  A ‘block’ on the other hand, is displayed on different ‘nodes.' Put together a page that you would like your customer to see when they first arrive on your site, then select ‘Promote to front page’ in the publishing options. This will remove the ‘Welcome to Drupal’ message displayed by default.
• Add More Nodes: Content > Add Content > Content of Choice: Refer back to your ‘Family Tree’ you created during step 2 and start adding more content.  As you add new pages, make sure they are added to the ‘Primary Links’ menu (or a new one you have created.)  The pages don’t have to be totally finished and can be left up as placeholders so you can visually see how your site is coming together.
• Add Events: Content > Add Content > Event: Keep your visitors up-to-date on what’s happening in the store. If you’re hosting an author signing, be sure to add some of the author's titles using the Book tool. Tip: Do you take photos at special events?  If so, upload them after the event is over, share them on Facebook or Twitter, etc., to drive traffic over to your site.
• Add Blocks: Structure > Blocks or Structure > Blocks > Add Block: Review existing blocks and create new ones for your store. There are a lot of ‘Blocks’ already loaded in the ‘Disabled’ section such as the ‘Indie Next List’ and ‘Calendar of Events’. Tip: Blocks don’t have to display on every page. Use the ‘path’ of a page to set the display settings on individual blocks to create a dynamic website.
• Add Custom Products (IndieCommerce Members Only): Use these instructions to create custom products for sale through your site.
• Add Social Media: Use these instructions to add social network buttons and feeds to your site.

• Is Your Site Just About Ready?

Email staff@bookweb.org, and we’ll get you started with some changes for your domain name.  We’ll also set up a training session that will cover store pricing, shipping methods, and order processing. Keep in mind, you don’t need EVERYTHING on the site before you launch -- just enough to make it look presentable to your customer.  You can always add new items later. The key to having a successful website is updating it regularly to keep it fresh.