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Ecommerce Templates > Newsletter > July 2015
Welcome to the July edition of the Ecommerce Templates Newsletter where we preview all the exciting new features available in the forthcoming Version 6.5.
Version 6.5 (Beta) will soon be released. It’s packed full of goodies based on feedback received from ECT users and features we think will help speed up the creation, management and sale of your products. We've tested everything thoroughly but do bear in mind it is still a Beta so we don't recommend installing on a live site as yet.
Here’s an overview of some of the great new additions which will be available…
We’ve been listening and the cart checkout pages are now 100% css based – no more tables in any of the checkout steps!
Removing all the tables and replacing them with css has resulted in meaner leaner code. It has also added a huge amount of flexibility to the layout with numerous css classes available so you can really personalize your checkout. Naturally it’s responsive ready so will work great on responsive designs and we’ve even provided a full sample css file to get you started.
Please note, this does require downloading the ectcart.css file our downloads page.
The ability to set the order of the elements on the detail page proved hugely popular so we have extended this to the product page. You can choose which items you want to show and in which order they should appear. Another great way to add the personal touch to your store.
Sometimes it’s just not possible to give enough information in the product option labels so the customer can make the right choice. With a click on an icon you show a window with text and / or images to better explain or visualize the choices available.
You can now bundle products together and create custom packages to offer your customer. The software will take care of the package prices, weight and stock so all you need to do is choose the products you want to have in the package and start offering them on your store.
We have streamlined the process of setting up new Alt Prod Ids (options that can have their own product reference). You can access the Alt ID Multiplier from the product admin page and once you do so you will be given the choice of automatically creating at the click of a button, all options that could result from the combination of product options. Also, once created you can set stock levels, weight and other attributes in an easy to manage list.
At the moment for shipping purposes you can choose to pack products separately or together but now you can select products which need to be packed separately from the others in the order. It may be you have a large or bulky item that just won't fit in a box with the others – mark it as Pack Together Exempt to pack it separately and have the shipping calculated accordingly.
You can now allow customers to enter gift certificates and coupons on the first checkout screen. The system now permits the use of either or both if required.
The new PayPal Express Checkout helps improve conversion rates with an easier, more mobile friendly way to pay online. The simplified design speeds buyers through payment in as few as 1 or 2 clicks, and features better integration with the Ecommerce Plus Templates now that shipping options can be changed on the final checkout page. A consistent experience for computers, tablets, and smartphones gives customers a trusted way to pay across different devices.
You already get an email when a sale goes through so we thought you might like to be emailed when a new affiliate signs up, somebody create a client account or when a new review comes in. These are all optional so you can choose which ones you’d like to receive.
When a customer uses the Ask A Question feature you might need more information from them so you can use this feature to provide more details on their query.
Updaters as always are available from our updaters page - it doesn't matter which version you are currently running, you can always update to the latest and greatest without going through all previous versions first. We strongly recommend subscribing to our updaters forum so you’ll get notification as soon as an updater is released. If you’re not already following us on Facebook, twitter or Google + please join us there for all the latest ECT news and developments.