Time flies doesn’t it?! It seems like it was just yesterday when we announced new updates for the 2018 new year. Our team here at AmeriCommerce weren’t the only ones keeping busy. When it comes to e-commerce, the industry was as booming as ever. In 2018, E-commerce sales comprised of 11.9% of total retail sales globally (up from 10.2% in 2017). Experts predict that by 2021 we’ll hit 17.5% of all total retail sales. It’s amazing how many people worldwide are turning to shopping online versus in retail stores.
With the rise of e-commerce right at our doorstep the AmeriCommerce team has been working tirelessly to meet the needs of requests from customers and even potential customers. Before announcing what’s in store for 2019, let’s look back on where we’ve come with a year-end review of 2018.
2018 Year-End Review
Domain and SSL Features:
- Ability to upload cert and private key for custom SSL
- Auto SSL launched enabling users to opt-in to SSL certificates that you’ll never need to renew
- Automated the Go-Live process for self-service within admin
- Add new store (multi-store) is now a self-service function available in admin
- Name Your Store – Now you can create your own store URL during signup and within admin
- Migrate your own store from free shared SSL to Auto SSL
Products/Categories:
- Products can now be set to inactive in store based on customer type
- Variant Inventory items can now have their own images
- Added a redirect URL option to category picker
- Added a prepaid feature for subscriptions
- Add ItemNr filter to Subscriptions List
Cart/Checkout:
- Setting added for "Declined payments redirect back to one-page checkout"
- Disable credit card payment type for a customer
- Added new Wishlist features
- Added option to disable Reward Point payments when item in cart
- User "Product Manager" can now access tax rates
Theme/Front End:
- New "Backup Restore" feature for Theme CSS, HTML files, and Widgets
- Quotes now have their own dedicated layout page
- Updated WYSIWYG editor to Redactor V3
- Enhanced front-end password options and requirements
Exports/Imports:
- Added a store option for scheduled import and export
- Warehouse ID, Customer Type ID, and Shipping Rule ID now included in shipping rule import
- Created a new Shipping Rules Export Tool with Shipping Rule ID
- SFTP introduced for scheduled exports
API Upgrades:
- Added TaxRate field for customers on REST API
- Added REST API endpoint to lookup state by postal codes
- Updated Microstore API
- Added default shipping country to Microstore API
New Partnerships:
- Cloudflare introduced Auto SSL, CDN, Auto Go-Live, Argo Routing, Self-Service SSL, enhanced security and much more
- WePay powers the gears of AmeriCommerce Payments
- FedEx Freight LTL integration was introduced
- Stripe now a featured partner
- Shipping Easy now a featured partner
- POWr introduces slideshows, tickets, popups, and other javascript tools
- WorldPay is now an accepted gateway
- CartStack partnership helps with abandoned cart emails
Customer Service Improvements:
- Introduced AmeriCommerce Payments with big incentives for customers on higher tiered plans
- Live chat added to reach the AmeriCommerce technical support team
- Redesign Support Portal for better ease of use (work in progress!)
- Rehauled in-app notification system for better communication and alerts
- Content Delivery Network boosting customer site speed and performance while reducing bandwidth usage
- Introduced new email communications for SSL expirations, Domain expirations, Collections, New trial members, and more.
- Created a new and less intrusive getting started dashboard to assist new customers
Looking ahead to 2019
The introduction of My Account will be coming very soon in 2019 and will introduce several new elements to your AmeriCommerce account.
My Account features will include:
- Manage all past and current AmeriCommerce invoices
- Pay an invoice any time in your own admin
- Manage your own payment methods and saved cards on file
- See real time account usage
- Upgrade and downgrade plan level
- Manage account contacts
- Manage support tickets
- Manage all of your multi stores in one area
- Improved customer signup flow
- + much more
Not to mention we’re working on a bunch of new features and integrations requested by our awesome customers so make sure you’re voting in our feature voting/request area on what you want to see on your next update!
With what we’ve planned for this year, 2019 is slated to be the busiest we’ve ever been. So be on the lookout for more updates throughout the year.
Happy Selling!
-AmeriCommerce Team