Questions about the Specialty Toys Network system
Questions about the Shopping Cart
Questions about the STN Database of Toys
Manufacturer’s questions about the STN database
…about the Specialty Toys Network system
In most cases, we can have your new website up and working for you within 3 to 5 weeks. As each site is a custom design, the timeline also depends on how available you are to work with your designer and how quickly you add content to your site.
It all starts with the Design Meeting. Then, the steps and time frame are laid out in an e-mail sent to you from your project manager.
Your store’s logo, slogan or tagline, colors, and examples of your advertising help the design process a lot. Here’s a checklist of helpful assets. We also send a design checklist to prepare for the design meeting.
We have a “ticket system” on our web site for you to submit a query or point out an issue. We try to email you an answer within a few hours. You can also call or email your project manager.
No, your success is our goal and we want you to keep all your sales.
No. STN does not sell toys – we make it easier for you to sell toys.
No, each site is custom. If you are seeing repeating layouts, it is because our sites are designed to be user friendly. Many online consumers have come to expect certain features to be located in specific places. We encourage creativity and want your site to have its own look.
Hey, that’s two questions, with ten answers!
- The STN system was built exclusively for the specialty toy industry.
- Membership costs are a tiny fraction of what it would cost to build a similar web system.
- Save hundreds of hours by using the STN product database.
- Network with other like-minded specialty toy owners.
- WYSWYG admin tools make updating content a breeze.
- Exclusive cart automation tools.
- Use the Calendar of Events to remind customers about upcoming events.
- The STN staff works with you, 1-on-1, to make sure your needs are met.
- STN is the fastest path to selling toys online.
- STN makes it EASY for you to have your own professional web site!
…about the Shopping Cart System
FUNdamentals are icons that show the developmental attributes of each toy, such as “Motor Skills,” “Language,” “Music,” “Cooperative Play,” etc. They appear below each toy in your shopping cart.
Yes. Simply choose the ones you want from the dropdown menu. You can do it when you import or create a product, and then you can change it at any time by opening up that product in the back end of the site.
Yes. We recommend that you do make subcategories. You can make as many levels as you like, and products can be assigned to unlimited categories.
Yes. Many of our clients find this to be a great time saver.
They can be imported into the proper categories, but that field has to be set up carefully. Simple typos can create duplicate or extra categories. We have a help page on how to set that up. Our in-line editing process is one of the fastest methods for working with products anywhere.
No. We supply you with 20 GB of monthly bandwidth. This is more than enough to support the average toy store. If you need more, we can always upgrade your bandwidth.
We have many solutions for syncing data from your POS system to your STN ecommerce website. Contact us for details on your specific setup, or read our help page on POS-to-website sync options.
You have three options. 1. You can unpublish the item and then republish it once it is available. 2. You can show the item to be out of stock on your site. 3. You can also send an email to the customer after they’ve ordered, notifying them that the item is out of stock.
You will be notified by an email that a customer made a purchase. You will then need to log into the back end of your site to complete the order.
Available shipping modules vary from Rate Tables, Cart Percentages, Local Pick-up, Local Delivery, or API connections to live carrier rates such as UPS or USPS.
…about the Database of Toys
It only takes a few quick clicks to add a toy to your cart system. You don’t have to find an image, upload it, write a description, categorize the toy, or assign a SKU. You can always edit the item to your preferences.
Yes, through our PDBHub (Product Database Hub) system, data from your POS feed can be set to automatically match-up products and add them to your website. All you need to do is review the items and publish them.
Yes. When you import a toy, a window opens that lets you change everything about it: Price, Description, Categories, Age, Images, etc.
The current list is on our Manufacturer List page. We upload new products on a daily basis.
If you tell us who you want, we’ll make that manufacturer a top priority. We also have a web-form you can use to ask any manufacturer to send us their product data on your behalf.
Again, let us know, and we’ll get the newest info and images from that manufacturer. We prioritize updates for the manufacturers you request, so our database stays as useful as possible.
Yes. You can have this done automatically via our PDBHub platform, or you can change the SKU as you import each product. If you plan to update inventory from your POS system, you should either change the imported SKU, or add it to your POS system as an “alternate SKU.”
Yes. Creating a new product is easy. If there is a manufacturer you’d like to carry, please let us know, and we’ll do our best to add them to the database. Our first priority is adding the manufacturers that you’ve requested.
Do you have more questions? Please send an email to support@stoysnet.com , or call (503) 434-9706 during normal business hours (Pacific Time). Someone here will be happy to answer your questions.