Channel Survival Guide

Channels are a type of data communication that allows information from your Zoovy store to be securely transmitted to a marketplace. A marketplace is a website where commerce is performed, or a service is rendered. By creating a channel to a marketplace you are giving the marketplace permission to create one or more incomplete sales in your store. Incomplete sales are special types of products that have a designated purchaser (such as an auction winner) and a unique price (such as a high bid). By creating a channel to a marketplace you also agree to pay the marketplaces fee structure, and abide by their acceptable use policy. The goal of the channel system is to provide a common interface for managing many types of listings (not just auctions). By understanding channel management you can quickly take advantage of new marketplaces as they come online without needing to learn a new interface.

In the Zoovy system there are two types of channels. Some channels deal only with the contents of your store, such as the Zoovy shops registration channel these are called �Global Channels�. Other channels, such as eBay Auction interact with a specific product in your store; so it is called a �Product Channels�. Global channels are typically more service oriented, and will not create incomplete items in your store, whereas product channels are explicitly designed to sell products. You can create global channels online by going to Products | Create Global Channel, or by double clicking on any blue ball in Channel list inside the Zoovy Product Manager. You can create a product channel online by going to Products | selecting a product | and clicking the �Create Channel� button, or in the Zoovy Product Manager by simply dragging and dropping a product to any of the green arrows. In the Zoovy Product Manager you will also see icons that appear to be a blue ball, with a green arrow going through them, these channels can be used as either a product or a global channel.

Each channel has a unique definition. The definition is an XML file that tells the Zoovy website, and the product manager how to create the input form. Each definition has a �Details� link that describes the operational details of the channel, and how it will behave. Before using a channel it is always a good idea to read the channel details. The following is a list of ways to access channel definition details: �From the website go to Help | Channel Definitions �From the website go to launch a channel on the website, then click the �Details� link next to the channel name. �Using product manager simply right click on a channel name in the Channel/Product creation window and select �View Details�.

When a channel is submitted to the Zoovy server it is assigned a unique number called the Channel ID. Each channel also has a state that tells you what is going on with the channel. Table 1 has is a list of possible channel states, which will be discussed in more detail later in this document. Table 1: Summary of Channel States

Code/Purpose	What it means
(S) Scheduled	The system is waiting for a time in the future. When the appropriate time is reached the system will create a copy of the channel and will dispatch the new channel to the marketplace.
(H) Hold	The system is holding the channel for a time in the future, which it will then dispatch to the marketplace. Unlike (S) Scheduled, the original channel ID will be used.
(P) Pending	The channel has just been created or has just been taken off hold, and is in the process of being dispatched to the marketplace.
(A) Active	The marketplace has already received the channel and is processing it. In this state the channel is locked, to make changes you will need to go directly to the marketplaces website.
(X) Existing	The marketplace has received the channel and is processing it, but will allow you to make changes to the channel while it is running. (Check the marketplace documentation for specific details)
(C) Complete	This listing has finished processing.
(E) Error	This listing encountered an error, it may still be running � or it may have been cancelled. Read the status message for specifics.
(R) Revoked	The merchant has requested that the marketplace cease any new listings, or relistings, and gracefully complete the channel.
(N) Ending	The merchant has requested that the marketplace cease any new listings, or relistings and attempt to remove any currently running listings, by selecting the high bidder if applicable.
(M) Removed	The merchant has requested that the marketplace cease any new listings, or relistings, and attempt to remove any currently running listings, without creating any incomplete items if possible.
(Z) Zombie	The merchant has requested the listing end but per marketplace rules this is not possible. (The channel state between R/N/M and C).

Once a channel is saved, it must be transmitted to the marketplace, this occurs through a process called dispatching. During the dispatch process the marketplace receives the channel and updates the channel state and sets the channel status. Channels that are in the process of being dispatched will show a state of (P) Pending. Dispatching generally takes a few minutes, although it can take as long as one week for some slower channels, always check the definition documentation for information on how a specific channel operates. Once a channel has been transmitted to a marketplace, the marketplace will update the channels state to either (A) Active, or (X) Existing. The only difference between (A) Active and (X) Existing is that Active channels can not be edited because there are now two copies of the channel (one on the marketplace, and one in the Zoovy channel database). (X) Existing channels actually use the Zoovy database, rather than their own database and since there is only one copy it can be safely edited while running.

Channels can be cancelled while they are running by either (R) revoking, (M) Removing, or (N) Ending the channel. (R) Revoke is the least damaging way to end a channel it tells the marketplace to cease any new listings, or relistings, and gracefully complete the channel as soon as it is convenient. (N) End tells the marketplace to cease any new listings, or relistings and attempt to remove any currently running listings, by selecting the high bidder if applicable. (M) Remove tells the marketplace to cease any new listings, or relistings, and attempt to remove any currently running listings, canceling any bids if possible, without creating an incomplete item. It is important to realize that not every marketplace supports every channel state. If you request a state that is not supported, the channel will go into error; the exact behavior differs from marketplace to marketplace. You should always review the channel definition documentation before performing an operation you have not done before.

Once a channel is done, it will be set to (C) Completed. Completed basically means that the listing is finished. Use the online �Batch Channel Tool� to safely delete completed channels.

Note: eBay sellers always get confused on the difference between the eBay Powerlister and the channel scheduler. Both tools can be used to launch auctions at specific times, and on specific days. Channel scheduler simply delays the dispatch of a standard eBay auction channel, whereas eBay Power Lister dispatches immediately and uses an intelligent expert system to monitor and tune the performance of listings on eBay. Channel scheduler is compatible with virtually every marketplace that requires re-listing on Zoovy whereas eBay Power Lister is only available to eBay.

There are two three types of integration a marketplace can do with the Zoovy system. In theory each type should result in the same user interface for you, however in reality some types of marketplaces offer better support than others. It is important to realize that Zoovy provides a service so that any marketplace can literally come and �plug in�. All a marketplace has to do to qualify is enter into a marketplace agreement with Zoovy, and then program their system to accept channels. The actual integration is accomplished in a variety of ways.

�Type 1: Native � A native integration is a marketplace that was built to support Zoovy from day #1. Typically these marketplaces are built for a specific company and supported by Zoovy. Zoovy has �plug in� marketplace programs that can easily be snapped into any type of website that wishes to offer commerce capabilities. o Examples: CraftGiftMall, BulkSeller, and Zoovy shops.

�Type 2: Direct -- A direct integration is a marketplace that has been retrofitted to support channels. This type of integration is nearly always done and supported by the marketplace. In this case Zoovy does not have direct access to the source code, or the marketplace. Zoovy simply sends the channel, and the logic for receiving and processing the channel is hosted on the marketplace. o Examples: ePier.com, and BidFields.com.

�Type 3: Broker � This is a program that is designed by Zoovy to interpret between the marketplace and Zoovy. A broker is a program that communicates with both the Zoovy and Marketplace platforms and translates the API�s (Application Programming Interfaces) of one system to that of the other. Brokers can be further divided into two subcategories of Authorized and Non-Authorized. Authorized means that Zoovy has a contractual relationship with the marketplace that it�s interface will not undergo significant changes, and that in the event something goes Zoovy can contact them to resolve problems. Unauthorized typically means that no API or support is available to Zoovy. Below are examples of each type of marketplace. o Authorized: eBay, uBid, CNet (authorized) o Unauthorized: Amazon, Yahoo Auctions, Yahoo Stores.

Understanding Incomplete Items Marketplaces such as auction sites will automatically create incomplete items in your Zoovy store. Incomplete items have at a minimum the following information: winning bidders email address, current price of the auction at close, quantity won, and other information about the product such as it�s weight, taxable status, images, and more.

Incomplete Items aren�t orders yet, because they don�t have the necessary information to be fulfilled. Incomplete items do not have the buyer�s payment information, or shipping address. The buyer needs to go through checkout before an order can be created.

You can create new incomplete items using the online interface. Go to the incomplete tab and click �Create New�. If you sell on auctions that do not support channels, you can still send you buyers through checkout by simply going to Incomplete, and clicking �Create New� and filling in the buyers email address, the price, and the title of the item. This is also a great way to simulate an auction checkout without actually having to create and end an auction early. When an incomplete item is created it is assigned a unique number that is called the Claim Number. Using the claim number a buyer can go to http://yourname.zoovy.com/claim/### (where ### is the number assigned) to add the incomplete item to their shopping cart. If the buyer has won multiple items, even from more than one marketplace then the system will correlate all the winning items by email address and display them all together at any of the claim URLs. Note: Incomplete items are also called �External Items� and occasionally �Claims� � don�t worry, they all mean the same thing. Table 2: Summary of Incomplete Item States When an item is created it starts in the (A) Active state, if the buyer visits the website then the state of the external item is changed from (A) Active to (V) Visited. This is nothing more than an informational change to you, so you can make better business decisions about how to handle buyers who do not checkout. Once a buyer goes through checkout the incomplete item will be set to either (H) Hold or (P) Pending. The item will be set to (H) if the order has not been flagged as paid in full. Once an order is paid then the incomplete item is set to (P) Pending Processing.

Pending Processing is also called �Waiting for Server�, the marketplace that created the incomplete item can access the item and flag in its internal database that the item was paid for. If the marketplace supports feedback, then this is where the feedback will be left. Once the marketplace is done processing, then it will set the item to (C) Completed. If you have a lot of incomplete items that are (P) Pending don�t worry, many marketplaces do not process feedback from incomplete items � these items will expire normally after time.

Understanding the website interface for managing these is often a little confusing. Incomplete items are managed from the Incomplete option, under the Order tab. There are three links: which change between the processed/ unprocessed/ all view. Show all Unprocessed (which is the default) will show all incomplete items in a state of A, I, or V. Show all processed will show all incomplete items in a state of P, C, or G. At the time of writing, there was no equivalent to the �Show all processed� in the Order Manager. The �Show All� option (as you might have guessed) displays all statuses.

On the Orders | Incomplete tab you can use the �Complete w/Feedback� option to move an item in any status to (P) Pending processing. You can also use the �Complete w/o Feedback� option to set the state to (C) Completed, effectively skip the (P) Pending processing, and thereby bypassing the feedback step. If you are in business long enough you will eventually run into a customer who simply does not, or cannot go through checkout. In this situation you may find yourself having to create an order for them by hand. To do this on the web, go to Orders | Incomplete, then select the item(s) you want to place into the order, now click the Create Order button and press Go. Incomplete items are intended to be a transitional type of record. For this reason they will expire after a set period of time. The retention schedule is as follows:
Table 3: Incomplete Item retention schedule

Stage	Disposition	Description
(A) Active	Not Processed	Claim has been created, and an email has been sent but no action has been taken.
(I) Informed	Not Processed	Customer has received the email and read the email using an HTML compliant email reader.
(V) Visited	Not Processed	Customer has visited the claim URL, but not purchased the item.
(H) Hold	Processed	Customer has placed the item into the cart, gone through checkout, but the order is still unpaid.
(P) Pending	Processed	Customer has paid for the order; the system is currently waiting for the marketplace to flag the sale as completed.
(C) Complete	Processed	The sale has been completed; feedback (if applicable) has been left. This item will be purged from the system shortly.
(G) Gift	N/A	Special type of external item that does not expire � but can only be created through the WebAPI at this time.

State	Time To Live
(A) Active	75 days
(I) Informed	75 day
(V) Visited	75 days
(H) Hold	6 months
(P) Pending	Processing 20 days
(C) Completed	3 days
(G) Gift Certificate	Custom

The retention date is calculated as the last modified date of the record (except G). The last modified time is effectively the last time the record changed status, so when an item moves from (A) Active to (V) Visited it will have another 75 days to complete.