Time for action - logging in to your PrestaShop control panel

Here is how to get there.

1. 1. In your web browser type www.yourdomain.com/youradminfoldername, where youradminfoldername is the same name that you chose for your admin folder previously.

2. 2. Enter the e-mail address you registered with and the password you gave on the last configuration page when you installed PrestaShop.

3. 3. Hit enter and you're in.

4. 4. Why don't you have a look at the PrestaShop live feed? This contains topical news and information about PrestaShop direct from the creators. If there is an update available for PrestaShop, you will hear about it here.

What just happened?

You took your first look inside your store control panel. Now let's click some buttons.

Control panel guided tour

Here I will quickly run through some of the general functions contained within each tab and drop-down box and mention when, approximately, we will cover them in more detail. Why not explore as we run through them? A full control panel reference is contained in Appendix 1. From left to right, we have:

• Catalog: On this tab we have everything we need to manage our product range and all related aspects. For example, as well as creating the products Chapter 3 themselves, we can give our customers manufacturer and supplier information to aid their buying decision Chapter 2. We can assign advanced features to our catalog such as attributes, features, customizations, and attachments Chapter 3. We can also assign product tags to help customers and search engines easily find what they want Chapter 4.

• Customers: The Customers tab allows us to view and edit our list of customers as well as creating groups of different types of customers. This as we see can be very useful Chapter 8.

• Orders: Here we can manage every aspect of post-purchase communication. Things like notifying customers of dispatch or a problem and making invoices available and printing packing slips. All of this will be covered Chapter 8.

• Payment: This tab lets us connect to payment providers like Google and PayPal as well as offering options such as cash on delivery and bank transfer Chapter 7. We can also add and configure the currencies we allow for payment, and create and manage gift vouchers that can be purchased Chapter 7 or given away as a promotion Chapter 8.

• Shipping: Unfortunately, this tab can't actually deliver stuff for you. It does just about everything else that is related to delivering your customers' orders. You can configure shipping types, costs, and durations in just about any combination to suit your business Chapter 7.

• Stats: This topic is crucial. And it is a very significant area where PrestaShop stands head and shoulders above its competitors. Capturing and using statistics Chapter 5 will allow you to measure success and decide how to change and improve your shop Chapter 9.

• Modules: Just about everything in PrestaShop is a module. If you put a shopping basket here, it's a module; if you put a menu there, it's a module. We will be in and out of the module tab all the time. We will also go into greater depth about modules Chapter 2 and Chapter 5.

• Employees: If you have someone else helping to run your business, the employees tab will help you manage your staff and how they interact with PrestaShop Chapter 6.

• Preferences: The second-most varied tab in the whole of PrestaShop. There are many things you can do here. We will be popping in here from time to time and then covering everything we missed Chapter 5.

• Tools: The most varied tab in the whole of PrestaShop. There are several things you can do here. We will be popping in here from time to time and then covering everything we missed as well Chapter 5.

• Search box and drop-down: Select a PrestaShop aspect, type a related word, and hit Search. When you can't quite remember which tab is hiding the function you need, the Search box and drop-down menu in the top left is a life saver.

• Quick access drop-down: Know exactly where you want to go but don't want to click multiple buttons to get there? Select your destination from the quick access drop-down. This handy feature is in your control panel at the top-right corner.

Have a go hero - hunt the PrestaShop thimble

Here is a little challenge for you. Nothing very technical but a sort of PrestaShop 'hunt the thimble'. What if you wanted to temporarily disable your shop? Maybe you wanted to close it for maintenance. Perhaps you want to close it down during development when you're not actually viewing it. Can you find where to do it?

I promise you the solution is simple but can you work out where it is hiding?

Solution: Click on the Preferences tab. Scroll down to Enable Shop and select No. The Maintenance IP box even enables you to enter your unique Internet (IP) address so that only you can see the shop. This is a perfect, secure manner to develop your store. To get your IP address visit http://www.whatsmyip.org/. Enter it in the box on your preferences tab and press Save.