Release Notes November 2022
The NextChapter eCommerce platform is continuously updated and innovated. In these Release Notes of November, we will give you an overview of the most important improvements & optimizations.
In addition to this, we are constantly working on further product development. So keep an eye on our blog, LinkedIn page and newsletter and you’ll won’t miss anything. Would you like to know more about the release notes or their implementation onto your webshop(s) and channels? Please contact us.
We have recently made important innovations in various areas, such as:
1. Marketing and Frontend functionalities
2. NextChapter Core
3. NextChapter backoffice
4. New Customer case
1. Marketing and frontend functionalities
1.1 Content Personalization
Providing your customers with a personal approach and service is becoming more and more important. One of the ways you can do this is to offer personalized content in your webshop. NextChapter has created features that allow you to link specific content to user accounts. This means that you can offer your customer content that is custom tailored to his or her account after logging in.
1.1.1 Whether or not show prices to logged in customers
In some cases you only want to show the prices of products to logged in customers. For example, with special offers, or because someone has to be a customer of your webshop.
This functionality has been available in the NextChapter platform for quite some time.
A new feature though is that you can now distinguish between which customers are and which customers are not allowed to see prices when logged in.
1.1.2 Content in categories: show behind login
As a webshop owner, you can now manage whether the content of categories is visible to everyone or exclusively for logged in customers.
1.1.3 Content on product page: show behind login
As a webshop owner, you can now manage whether the content of product detail pages is is visible to everyone or exclusively for logged in customers.
By default, all content is visible to every webshop visitor. For each part of the product detail page (description, specifications, manuals, etc.) you can determine whether a customer must be logged in to view this content.
1.2 Payment methods exclusive for certain customers
With this new feature you can give certain customers or customer groups exclusive access to specific payment methods. For example: "Pay on account" will only be available to your most loyal customers.
Or “order now pay later” only becomes available for customers who return rarely.
1.3 Productsets (e.g. Shop the look) on product detail pages
The Productsets feature is used by webshops to offer pre-assembled sets, which inspire and provide suggestions to style items together to make it more convenient for a buyer. Fashion webshops often use the feature as "Shop the look". However, productsets are also an ideal way to stimulate your sales for almost all other types of webshops.
Productsets can now also be actively promoted on the product detail page of products that are part of a set. This increases the chance that a buyer will buy more than just that one product.
1.4 Video play button in image on product page
Often only the first product image is visible on mobile product pages. To see other images and videos, the visitor has to swipe. It is often not immediately clear that video(s) are also available.
That's why you can now show a video button in the first product image. This indicates that videos are also present. Moreover, by clicking on the button, the visitor will be taken directly to the first available product video.
1.5 New marketplaces integrations
Zalando.nl, Fonq.be, VTWonen.nl, VTWonen.be, Inno.be
NextChapter adds new marketplaces on regular basis. We are continuously expanding the number of channels on which you can sell. All channels use the central platform modules such as PIM, OMS and the technical connections with your systems. With NextChapter you have one centralized platform for your entire e-commerce process.
From now on you can also sell on Zalando.nl, Fonq.be, VTWonen.nl, VTWonen.be and Inno.be.
1.6 Show the original price at customer-specific prices
NextChapter already supports customer-specific prices for products, whereby each customer (group) sees its own personal price.
In addition to the personal price and the discount percentage, you can now also show the original price. This is the price from which the customer-specific price is calculated.
1.7 Extension of the bulk table on product detail pages
With the bulk table on the product detail page, your customer can easily and quickly add multiple variants of a product to the shopping cart in one click. This allows the customer to make a large(r) purchase quickly and efficiently.
With a very diverse assortment, the table may not be relevant for all products. That is why in this release an extension has been added to the feature, so that the bulk table is not shown with a small number of variants.
1.8 Update at the AfterPay/Riverty integration
From October 2022, the payment provider AfterPay has continued under the name Riverty. NextChapter has automatically arranged all necessary technical matters regarding this. The AfterPay/Riverty integrations have been updated whereby, among other things, the logo has been changed on all our webshops that offer this payment method. Of course your webshop(s) and customers have had no inconvenience from this.
2. NextChapter Core
A healthy platform
For NextChapter a healthy platform does not only contain working on new functionalities, integrations and good technology. It also means that the platform must remain 'clean' and thus not consume unnecessary resources. That is why we are constantly working behind the scenes to update or remove old features and code. We also continuously clean up data. This way we keep the platform clean and the performance optimal.
3. NextChapter backoffice
3.1 Servicepoints in the order reports
With the “service points in the checkout” feature, your customer can choose a specific store or location via a dropdown in the checkout. For example, to specify a favorite location.
The customer's chosen preference can now also be found in the order report.
3.2 Barcode in the Shipments email
The e-mail which customers receive when their package is on its way contains, among other things, a URL with the Track & Trace code to track their shipment. In some cases the Track & Trace URL is unknown, however a personal code is known ("barcode"). With this, the customer can now track his shipment via the carrier's website.
The consumer can be informed about the barcode via the Shipments e-mail.
4. New Client case
Platform performance and pagespeed
NextChapter is continuously working on new customer projects. The NextChapter platform consists of modules that can be used headless, or as a total Suite.
Houtmarkt.nl
Last October, NextChapter launched the new Houtmarkt webshop (www.houtmarkt.nl). Houtmarkt is a specialized webshop for the direct sale of wood products to consumers and companies. Houtmarkt uses the full NextChapter Suite and hence benefits from the central backbone with the PIM, OMS, CMS and a completely renewed, responsive storefront among other things.
A new functionality has also been created especially for these and similar industries: ordering products in bulk. Sometimes customers buy multiple variants of the product and/or buy large numbers of (multiple) variants. In the wood industry, buying in bulk is very common and this is a new feature that directly promotes sales.
No bugs
Issues and bugs in the platform are always directly fixed by us. Therefore the NextChapter Platform is completely bug free.
Contact
Do you have any questions about the Release Notes of May 2022 or their implementation on your webshop(s) and channels? Let us know. Check our previous Release Notes here.