Monthly Archives: November 2013

E-Commerce: Upgrading to 3.0

November 25, 2013 - E-Commerce

E-сommerce is gradually updating to version 3.0. What does it mean? What were the previous versions? And what are the features of the new one? In this post, we will try give the answers to these questions. The formation of e-commerce can be conditionally divided into three stages. The process itself is still unfinished, and e-commerce is going to get a lot of new forms and updates in the next couple of years. Some of them are obvious (like appearance of gamification and integration into mobile devices) while others are still unpredictable, but we can state with the confidence that all this changes are key elements of e-commerce 3.0 and further versions. For the better understanding of the stage as a particular and the phenomena as a whole, let’s start with versions 1.0 and 2.0.

What is “Game”?

November 25, 2013 - E-Commerce

Games have become an integral part of human culture. They are often distinct from work or art, but this distinction is rather conditional as you can see professional players of different games or video games which gave a rise to different art directions like pixel art or 8-bit music.Key roles performed by games are psychological, educational or simulational. The major components are goals, tools, rules, interaction and challenge. The combination of tools and rules affects the way you interact with a game environment trying to achieve a goal. As for the challenge there are two kinds of games: with multiple players and single-player games. In the first case challenge appears within the group of players or between several teams. In the second – between the player and element of the environment, time, chance or one’s own skills.

What is E-Commerce in end of 2013

November 25, 2013 - E-Commerce

Today you hear a lot about electronic commerce (or just E-Commerce) and even use this term in your everyday conversations, but do you know its full meaning? Chances that you know only a part of it are high, so get ready for the deeper study – in this post you will find information about the essence of e-commerce.

Magento product import from scratch (detailed guide, tips, tricks, errors & solutions, tools)

November 25, 2013 - Magento tips & tricks

In this article we describe and clarify one of the most advanced tasks in Magento store management – products import. Below, you will find the structure of a csv file with the description of every column, and detailed information about product attributes related to import. We’ll describe products import within the default Magento DataFlow profile. Enjoy!

And don’t forget to check The Best Improved Import/Export Magento Extensions!

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What is Gamification?

November 18, 2013 - E-Commerce

Gamification is a new trend which has its roots far back in history. Over the centuries, the role of games in teaching children was very important. This process had a plethora of forms, but it is hard to imagine that its essence will change. The term “gamification” first appeared in 2002. The authorship belongs to Nick Pelling – a British-born computer programmer and inventor. But what is gamification actually? It is the use of design techniques, game mechanics, and other attributes in non-game contexts in order to drive game-like player behavior. Besides mechanics and design techniques, the other game attributes include gaming psychology, scripts and storytelling, social activities and other aspects of games. In their turn, social activities consist of public statuses, titles, leaderboards and other similar stuff. The term “non-game contexts” includes education, customer engagement, work, volunteerism, fitness and health, community participation, E-Commerce, etc. In its turn “game-like player behavior” implies such things as interaction, engagement, competition, learning, collaboration, addiction, awareness, etc.

Gamification in Magento

November 18, 2013 - E-Commerce

Gamification is a new trend with the long history. The role of games in teaching children was always very important, but the term “gamification” first appeared only in 2002. It means the use of game mechanics, design techniques, and other attributes in non-game environment in order to drive game-like player behavior. Besides mechanics and design techniques, the other game attributes are: gaming psychology, social activities, scripts and storytelling, and other aspects of games. In their turn, social activities consist of titles, leaderboards, public statuses, and other similar stuff. The term “non-game environment” includes customer engagement, work, e-commerce, volunteerism, education, fitness and health, community participation, etc. In its turn “game-like player behavior” implies such things as competition, interaction, engagement, learning, addiction, collaboration, awareness, etc.