Forrager

Today we released a number of new features for CFO Pro members, including a product ordering system and advanced product editing capabilities. Here are some of the highlights:

Advanced Editor

With a CFO Pro membership, you now get a new button on your product pages called “Advanced Editor”. This gives you backend access to the site and allows you to do more with your listings. For instance, you can now temporarily deactivate (unpublish) your CFO and/or products, and you have the ability to permanently delete them. You can also customize the URL of your listings: for example, you could change it from “…/cfo/amazing-cupcakes-by-cameron” to “…/cfo/amazing-cupcakes”.

Product Ordering System

It is now much easier for a website visitor to request a product from you. You can now add prices to products, which will add an “Add To Cart” button on your product. When a visitor clicks it, they will be guided through a checkout process, eventually resulting in you receiving an email with their name, contact info, and order.

For now, we’re keeping the ordering system very simple. It is local only, meaning that orders are expected to be fulfilled in-person. In addition, we don’t transact any money over this site, and payment is also expected to happen in-person. Before they place an order, buyers are notified that they should only order from you if you are in their area. Once you have their order, you can contact them to arrange the rest of the fulfillment details.

You will notice a new tab on your account page, which lets you view orders, get sales reports, and mark orders as complete. You can disable this system completely or on a per-product basis, which can be useful if you run out of stock or are going on vacation. Although it’s very basic, this ordering system is an easy way to allow visitors on your page to confirm their interest in your product.

Product Attributes

Although they are called “attributes” in the advanced editor, it’s easier to think of them as “product options”. You can now inform visitors of different options you offer, like sizes or flavors. For example, if you have a product called “Grandma’s Cupcakes”, you could advertise different flavors, like chocolate, red velvet, yellow, etc. We already have 5 attribute categories for you to use: Sizes, Flavors, Diets, Themes, and Colors. You can also add your own custom attributes, and you can add as many as you want.

Looking Ahead

We’ve been advertising “more features coming soon” before we officially launch the CFO Pro tier and remove it from beta, and most of those features were launched today. We still have a lot more we want to add to CFO Pro (as well as the other membership tiers), but we think it’s almost ready to leave beta. We will be testing and likely starting charging for Pro within the next month, which will cost $5/month. For now, it’s still free to try!