NetSuite Web Site Customization
If you have, or are considering using NetSuite then you have come to the right place. We are NetSuite Web Site set up and customization experts.
This page provides a wealth of information about setting up a NetSuite Web Site; how to choose which way to use NetSuite Web Presence and some pitfalls to avoid. It also provides a complete understanding of what we can do for you; how we can take over your NetSuite Web Site work and customize your site for your particular business. Give us a call.
You'll love using NetSuite to run your business, but that doesn't mean you have to learn how to set up and code the web site sections. You're only going to do it once, so give that job to us.
If you are currently using NetSuite we can update your look or add additional features. We can join your team on a project basis and get your site live quickly and efficiently. We can re-code your existing web site to use NetSuite for shopping cart, inventory control and customer service.
Normally we have a few weeks waiting list. That will be just the time you need to get your look & feel mock-ups made and your items and content into NetSuite so give us a call, you're right on time. Contact MVL Design by calling 
at 805.409.4300. Click to call MVL Design at 805.409.4300.
Continue below to read more about how we can make NetSuite sing. (Many sections have additional content that goes into greater detail when expanded.)
NetSuite Web Site setup
NetSuite is the world's most popular on-demand, integrated, CRM/ERP (customer relation management /enterprise resource planning) solution for growing and mid-sized companies. NetSuite enables companies to manage all key business operations in a single, integrated system. It is feature-rich and can be easy to use, once you get the hang of it. (Netsuite demo) To be contacted by NetSuite for pricing and feature list fill in this form or if you need more personalized service call my associates at InnoVergent.
We can help by doing the initial set-up for your internal web presence or external catalog site. We set-up NetSuite themes, layouts and templates for those who have NetSuite Advanced Site Customization and can include our exclusive, in-house-developed and supported features or any desired customization. (see how to tell if you have NetSuite Advanced Site Customization)
A NetSuite web site is template driven. That means, each piece of a web page (content, structure and look) is controlled by various forms and templates that can be customized. The default NetSuite store templates provide you with the ability to get a web site up quickly but have limited customization possibilities. When it is time to move past these default NetSuite themes it is time to call MVL Design.
If you have looked within your NetSuite account you've seen the vast array of customization possible. Why learn everything about all those forms, templates and layout screens? You only need to set them up once. We're experts, let us set it up for you.
We are experts with HTML, CSS and JavaScript and we've carefully determined the exact structure NetSuite uses to code web pages. Add our creativity and experience and very advanced customization & styles are now available. So, if you have a design or feature that is looks difficult, or even impossible, give us a call. You'll be surprised at what we can accomplish.
Call at the number on the right. But first consider the two main ways to use NetSuite for your web site.
Two Types of NetSuite Web Sites
There are two types of NetSuite Web Sites: Internal site and External Catalog Site. Each has different features. Internal is used most often. Both use the database for product information and shopping cart/checkout process. The main difference is where the product and informational pages are hosted and how content for the page is generated. Internal and external are mutually exclusive.
Which is right for you depends on your situation. If you have a lot of products and add more all the time then an internal site may be the best for you. Web Site Hosing Files (WSHF) can be used in an internal site for additional content or to make a very fancy home page. (Like the one we did for Motif Modern Living or AuditMatic) If you have tons of pages currently on your site that are well placed on search engines and that placement is crucial for your business AND your pages do not end in .html then an External Catalog Site would be best as the URLs will stay as they are.
NetSuite Advanced Site Customization (ASC) allows for a great deal of web customization. Some NetSuite versions or packages have it built-in and with others it is an extra-cost option. ALL customization and setup we provide assume you have ASC. (how to tell if you have NetSuite Advanced Site Customization)
Most Popular Customizations
The most requested job for us is to have multiple items added to the cart at once while still maintaining the use of the 'Related Items' section. (Examples: external site, internal site) Some sites use this to add no-cost components to the cart, which we then hide from view on the shopping cart. Others use it to allow their customers to add the main item and related items to the cart at the same time. Others use it to add options to items to create a "kit" on-the-fly. Sometimes these extra added items are to be shown in the cart and other times they need to be hidden. We custom-write code for the shopping cart page that manages this as needed.
The second most requested customization is to have the site change when a wholesale users logs in. We can customize your site so it works perfectly as a retail site and also as a site where your distributors and wholesalers can get the special services they need: special pricing, add multiple items to the cart at once, see wholesale-only sections and items, have different add-to-cart and order total rules, etc. See the video on our help page for one company's requests.
The rest of this page details the standard set-up and custom features we can add to your site.
All our NetSuite work uses Advanced Site Customization so be sure your version of NetSuite has it activated. (see how to tell if you have NetSuite Advanced Site Customization)
NetSuite Internal Web Site
If you choose to go with an internal site you now have a dizzying array of templates and layouts to customize. We can take care of the ones that deal with Web Presence. Just provide us with look and feel ideas or mock-ups and a "role" in your NetSuite account and we take care of the rest. How long it will take and how much it will cost depends on what you need to have done and how prepared you are with site mock-ups.
Here is a list of the standard services we provide for NetSuite Internal Web Sites. Read through this, and the next section which covers additional customization, to get a full picture of what we offer. Then give us a call.
Expand the below executive summary into a more detailed explanation, with samples.
Fill in all templates - we know where they are and what to put where, so you don't have to.
Implement desired look and feel - we can implement even the most complicated designs.
Improved Add To Cart button - the standard code doesn't look right in all browsers.
Customized home page - don't want to use a NetSuite generated template for your home page?
Set up DNS - we take the pain out of "going live."
Fill in all templates - we know where they are and what to put where to get your site up and running. This saves you time and aggravation and you get a better job by letting a pro do it. Site templates control the <head> tag, header, active tab, inactive tab, footer, <body> tag, content area, add to cart button, right and left sidebars and portlets, plus a few other minor items. The item page has a whole other set of templates that you can use. You also get areas on each page that need to be filled in.
Each area works differently. What works in one doesn't on another. Knowing what goes where helps us get your job done efficiently.
Implement desired look and feel - we can make it look like anything you wish. NetSuite makes it easy to change a few simple color themes, but with our experience the sky is the limit. NetSuite allows web designers to add Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) and custom JavaScript to the head or body of each document and provides for the addition of custom coding and images. With these tools we can make NetSuite look like anything you can dream of, even harmonize it's look with your current web site.
If your look is important to you then you'll need an expert with HTML, CSS, images, and NetSuite. Here we are. Give us a call.
Improved Add To Cart button - the standard code doesn't look right in all browsers. The "add to cart" button doesn't line up with the quantity. This is due to how NetSuite has coded that section. Fortunately they provide a template area to add custom code and we've come up with a solution that looks great in all currently known browsers.
Customized home page - if you don't want to use a NetSuite generated template for you home page we can help. Though there is a lot of customization available with NetSuite templates and layouts, sometimes you want your home page to be a bit special. If you do, give us a call.
Set up DNS - we take the pain out of "going live." As you know, NetSuite does not "host" your site. Not the way a normal web host that you may be used to using does. You do not place two Name Servers pointing to your NetSuite web site in your account at your Domain Name Registrar. NetSuite prefers Canonical Name (CNAME) and you need to use a registrar that allows you to add them.
Plus, you need your own email host. But be careful, if you don't set things up "just so" you can either break your ability to receive email or lose the use of http://yourcompany.com/ as a URL. After all that is set up you need to go into NetSuite and make a few changes. Then, after one to three days, your site will be live. Finally.
GoDaddy Total DNS
Click the image above to see GoDaddy Total DNS and the changes needed to create the CNAME needed to connect to NetSuite.
For instance, if you are using GoDaddy.com as the registrar for your domain name you will have to do the following: Figure out how you can get orders from your old site after you go live and test that process. (may have to FTP into an IP Address.) "Park" your domain name within your GoDaddy account. Wait a bit. click on the site you want to point to NetSuite. When Total DNS Control (Available) shows up click on that. Don't do what NetSuite has instructed and make a CNAME with www.yourcompany.com pointing to shopping.netsuite.com INSTEAD change the CNAME that is already there for www from @ to shopping.netsuite.com.
Then go into Manage Domains and set forwarding; make yourcompany.com be forwarded to http://www.yourcompany.com. Now go into your godaddy email accounts and set them up or change the MX Records in Total DNS Control. When that is done log into your NetSuite account and navigate to the Set Up Domains page. Make the appropriate changes to that page listing your URL and your home page. On the Web Site Setup page make sure your Primary Web Site URL is set to the proper URL. Now wait, you'll soon be live.
Or better yet, just call us at the number on the right, and let us do all the work for you. We're good at it.
Additional Set-up and Customization Services
We are always expanding the NetSuite set-up and customizations services we offer. Here is a short list of some of our most requested customizations.
- Custom forms. (sample)
- Links custom forms that pre-populate fields based on who is logged in or clicking a particular link.
- Show wholesale users slightly different content and categories than regular users. (sample)
- Select color option using images, but still use matrix items (sample - cool!)
- Item "kit" on-the-fly configurator. (sample - select features and click continue to add text)
- Matrix child item changes image on color selection (sample 1, sample 2)
- Matrix child item showing model number or other data upon selection (sample)
- Use a video as an alternate image view. (sample)
- Shopping cart portlet displays items in cart. (sample - add a few items to the cart to see)
- Customize the shopping cart to show left navigation (sample 1, sample 2)
- Alternate and extra large views on the item detail page (sample, sample 2, sample 3 or watch the video)
- Printable data sheets based on item detail page information. (sample - click on the Printable Date Sheet link and see how the item detail page is rearranged for printing)
- Item detail page automatically changing based on item features. (sample - see other pages on same site or watch the video)
- Latent Semantic Indexing (LSI). Category navigation using current SEO LSI techniques. (sample)
- Automatically assign a promotional code, shipping methods or items to an order at the Review & Submit screen based upon various 'events'. (cart amount, zip code, items in cart, etc)
- Displaying "As low as" price on the item list page to replace price grid. (sample)
- Special help for Canadian NetSuite users selling mainly in USA.
- Customize functionality of custom search. (sample - click on any Parts Search)
- Show or change image and item elements based on person logged-in category status.
- Show categories and image elements based on financial price level.
- Show different descriptions based on which multi-site is viewed.
- Style checkout and my account areas to work with dark or black backgrounds (sample)
- All types of shipping method manipulations.
- Various messages on shopping cart, shipping method or Review and Submit page.
Exclusive Customization for an Internal Web Site
We are particularly expert at making a NetSuite internal web site look and function in very specific or custom ways. Basically, (just about) anything you can think of — look & feel or functionality —we can put into a NetSuite internal site. Read more details about what we've accomplished on our portfolio page or see the short list above.
External Catalog Site
What NetSuite calls an External Catalog Site is a regularly hosted web site with NetSuite inventory, price, shopping cart and other back-end features. Special NetSuite code (externally called JavaScript) is added to your existing pages that "call" your NetSuite account to get price and inventory information as the page is being drawn. When a shopping cart view or checkout is desired only then do your users go to NetSuite generated pages.
If you have a large web site or only a few products and want to get started using NetSuite as soon as possible, then an External Catalog Site is the way to go. If your existing web site has good search engine placement for many different pages and that placement is important to you then an External Catalog Site could be a good solution, too.
With an external catalog site you have control over how your site is hosted and maintained. If you wish to continue to maintain your site in the way you are now, then this would be how to add NetSuite to your site.
Expand the below executive summary into a more detailed explanation.
Standard items we add to your External Catalog Site are:
Product purchasing code - sell products on any page of your site. We'll provide the code.
Standard inventory message - typically "in stock" or "out of stock."
Out of Stock Message/Functionality - custom stock message or change functionality.
Shopping cart look and feel - make it look like the rest of your site.
Multiple web sites/multiple carts/one NetSuite - one NetSuite account for multiple sites.
Standard items we add to your External Catalog Site are:
Product purchasing code - sell products on any page of your site. We'll provide the code. NetSuite offers external JavaScript calls that return either a number or text. Each product has a slightly different code. We can help you determine the correct code to use, install it on your pages and get your site live in a short time.
One thing you need to know, these JavaScript calls can be a little slow at times. NetSuite suggests that you place as few as possible on a page if it has a lot of items. You can get pricing and inventory information for dozens of products on a page, with little noticeable difference, if you make description information static.
Standard inventory message - typically "in stock" or "out of stock." See below for great custom uses of the inventory message.
Out of Stock Message/Functionality - An External Catalog Site is limited in how the out of stock messages appears. One of our clients wanted to have the Add to Cart button disappear and a custom message to appear when an item was out of stock. We did it for them, we can do it for your external site. (internal sites have a similar feature built-in.)
Same customer set up their products as one item per color and size. Five colors, four sizes and suddenly the page is huge with 20 different items and 20 Add to Cart buttons. Using the in-stock/out-of-stock message in a unique way we were able to make displaying and purchasing these items much more manageable .Check it out here
Finally, we can add a bit of functionality to the Add to Cart button. Use the above link and add and item to the cart. You'll know right away the item is being added. So in case it is a "slow day" over the Internet your customers will not double order.
Shopping cart look and feel - make it look like the rest of your site. If you have a look you want to bring on to the shopping cart/checkout pages then give us a call. We are experts at this. We've been handed "impossible" designs and have made them work.
Multiple web sites/multiple carts/one NetSuite - use your one NetSuite cart for multiple sites. If you are willing to have a purchaser stay on the page (instead of showing the cart each time) so we can control the view cart button, you can have multiple sites use one NetSuite account. The look of the shopping cart can change based on the site accessing the cart.
For instance, www.MyCompany.com can have a sister site; www.AlsoMyCompany.com sell the same products but to a different audience or in a different language (literal or figurative) and both use your same NetSuite account. When users of www.AlsoMyCompany.com view their shopping cart they see the logo or look designed for AlsoMyCompany.com.
"Simply Brilliant"
MAPI.com needed a way to purchase their organic cotton clothing line. See the way we handled it using the in stock / out of stock code. Check it out here.
Out of Stock Message/Functionality - An External Catalog Site is limited in how the out of stock messages appears. One of our clients wanted to have the Add to Cart button disappear and a custom message to appear when an item was out of stock. We did it for them, we can do it for your external site. (internal sites have a similar feature built-in.)
Same customer set up their products as one item per color and size. Five colors, four sizes and suddenly the page is huge with 20 different items and 20 Add to Cart buttons. Using the in-stock/out-of-stock message in a unique way we were able to make displaying and purchasing these items much more manageable .Check it out here
Finally, we can add a bit of functionality to the Add to Cart button. Use the above link and add and item to the cart. You'll know right away the item is being added. So in case it is a "slow day" over the Internet your customers will not double order.
Shopping cart look and feel - make it look like the rest of your site. If you have a look you want to bring on to the shopping cart/checkout pages then give us a call. We are experts at this. We've been handed "impossible" designs and have made them work.
Continue shopping: for real - NetSuite provides for an External Catalog site to have the Continue Shopping button on the view shopping cart page to return to the page you recently visited with the addition of a few coding elements.
Multiple web sites/multiple carts/one NetSuite - use your one NetSuite cart for multiple sites. If you are willing to have a purchaser stay on the page (instead of showing the cart each time) so we can control the view cart button, you can have multiple sites use one NetSuite account. The look of the shopping cart can change based on the site accessing the cart.
For instance, www.MyCompany.com can have a sister site; www.AlsoMyCompany.com sell the same products but to a different audience or in a different language (literal or figurative) and both use your same NetSuite account. When users of www.AlsoMyCompany.com view their shopping cart they see the logo or look designed for AlsoMyCompany.com.
Give us your challenge
By now you get the idea: we make NetSuite sing. What song do you want us to have it sing for you?
We can help make your NetSuite project a reality, get your current NetSuite project back on track, take you live, and provide custom training videos describing how to use our added features for your staff to view on their computers. Give us a call.
Contact MVL Design by calling at 805.409.4300. Click to call MVL Design at 805.409.4300.