Since OpenSRS launched back in 1999, we’ve offered a couple of ways for our resellers to sell domain names and related services. First, there is the Reseller Web Interface (RWI) which provides a browser-based sales and management interface. Second, there is our Application Programming Interface (API) that allows resellers to integrate domain sales and management into their own systems.
Starting today, we’re ready to tell you about a third way to sell through OpenSRS – a hosted storefront.
We’re rolling out our new OpenSRS Storefront solution as a “technology preview” in advance of its official launch in a few weeks. If you want to roll up your sleeves and try it out, later today, there will be a link in the RWI for you that will provision a ‘live’ working Storefront interface. You can also try Storefront in the Horizon Test Environment – it’s there already.
We’ve put together a list of frequently asked questions that will, we hope, answer most of the questions you might have about how Storefront works.
There are a few things that distinguish the OpenSRS Storefront from competing hosted reseller-in-a-box offerings. The Internet has changed dramatically over the past few years with the arrival of what has become known as “Web 2.0.” Our Storefront really reflects those changes.
Back in 1999, people looking to buy domain names were generally fairly tech-savvy individuals who knew how to code HTML or manage their own server. Or they were companies with IT departments that could make sure that the website that new domain name was pointing to worked properly.
Today, anyone and everyone wants to be online. Tools like hosted blogs, photo sharing sites and MySpace deliver on the promise of making it easy to establish and maintain an online identity. Our Storefront further extends this and makes it easy for everyone to find, buy, own and manage their own domain name, regardless of technical experience.
It’s really a domain name sales site for the Web 2.0 age and we think it represents the way domain names will be sold in the coming years.
Here’s a look at the end-user experience:
For current Resellers, there’s no fee to pay, or contract to sign. Just click the link in the RWI, when it appears later today, and your storefront will be created and you’ll be able to start customizing it right away.
We expect that many of you will want to see for yourself what Storefront looks like on the back end. To get you started, we have a screencast showing how to get your Storefront provisioned, and what you’ll find once you log into the Storefront Manager.
We’ll have more information on Storefront in the coming weeks.
Tags: OpenSRS Storefront
@Dave – we’ll be in touch via email to look into the purchase issue you raise. As for migrating users, yes, that is something that is very much on the horizon.
Very nice but the setup is not allowing me to edit the pricing saying i must wait 24 hours and it has now been more than 48.
I also am getting the ‘Wait 24 hours” message a couple of days after setting this up.
ALSO: please allow access to the CSS file for customizing the site – this would be a quick and dirty way to get better integration with our own sites at little cost.
@Tim and @John – both support and development have been made aware of this issue. Thanks for bringing it to our attention.
Ok, so if I’m getting this right my existing customers wont be able to manage their accounts from the storefront, they will have to use the manage dot opensrs site, is that correct?
And a second question, will I be able to manage the accounts registered through the storefront in the existing RWI or will I have to use the storefront or that?
@Terry, your first point is correct in that you will still need to manage your existing customers in the RWI.
Accounts registered through Storefront are basically self-serve accounts and you can’t really “manage” them since they are paying directly for their own services. You can manage accounts in the RWI because you are paying for services on their behalf.
@Terry @55. Further to James McNally’s response, while in “Preview” mode, OpenSRS Storefront supports new registrations only.
We will allow you to pull in existing domains registered through our API or the RWI before the end of January 2009.
-Liam
Well, I for one am happy with this move. No, I didn’t ask for it . . . but I like it! You are right, there’s more to domain name registration than price.
I would only add my voice to those calling for a way to migrate existing clients over. In connection, the ability for us resellers to manage these accounts (as currently in the RWI) should be a simple matter of setting us up as some kind of superusers, where we simply have more authoritative access than the domain owner.
One other suggested feature. Let us set an amount to remain in our account as a balance for reseller-managed purchases.
Get these things knocked out (migration, management, and reseller balances) and I think I could ditch the RWI altogether.
Thanks
Fred
@Fred @58. Thanks for the feedback on Storefront.
“migrating existing clients over…”
As mentioned above, we’ll introduce this functionality by the end of January 2009.
“setting us up as some kind of superusers…”
Storefront’s Domain Manager is an easy-to-use end-user tool that you provide to your customers, complete with in line help. This as a *big* improvement over the current manage domain tool we provide. The end goal here is to give non-technical (and tech savvy) users an interface that they can use to manage and renew the domain services you provide them.
“maintaining a balance for reseller-managed purchase…”
You can do this today. Using Storefront does not prohibit you from keeping funds on balance for RWI or API managed domains.
-Liam
When purchasing a domain it doesn’t show the currency of the purcahse price anywhere.
I assume it is in US$, but it should state that somewhere.
We are a Canadian reseller and our clients will assume our prices are in Canadian dollars.
Ther seems to be no option on the store front manager to state that the price is in US$
I love you. This is great. I would express just how great but no one wants to hear that much praise.
You rock and roll.