WHY CAN'T I SEE MY STORE?
Though it might seem unlikely, you may be using the wrong URL, or you may need to (re)publish. See http://www.freemerchant.com/tutorial/ydomain.htm for information on your URL, or http://www.freemerchant.com/tutorial/builder.htm#pub for information on when it's important to republish.

WHY ISN'T MY SHIPPING SHOWING UP CORRECTLY?
Make sure you've followed all 5 steps at http://www.freemerchant.com/tutorial/commerce.htm#cs, and make sure you have the product details set correctly. See http://www.freemerchant.com/tutorial/builder.htm#newitem for more on product details.

WHY AREN'T IMAGES UPLOADING?
Make sure you are uploading a jpg or gif. FreeMerchant does not support other image types.

WHY DID MY TEXT DISAPPEAR?
When you change templates, the new background color may be the same as your old text color, and your text will not be visible (e.g. white text on a white background). You will have to Change Text Color for the text to be visible again.

HOW DO I DELETE MY ACCOUNT?
To delete your account send an email to freemerchantsupport@freemerchant.com with your username, storename, and password. Make sure you have completed any outstanding orders before asking to have your account deleted.

I FORGOT MY PASSWORD
If you've forgotten your password, log in with your user name and a blank password.
You will be re-directed to the Error! Invalid Password screen.
Click on the Forgotten Password link.
Answer your password question correctly and you will receive your password.

If you've forgotten the answer to your password question, or for some reason did not include one when you registered, get a Hushmail.com account and use it to send an encrypted message to fmsupport@hushmail.com with the following information:

• First and Last Name:
• Address:
• Phone number:
• email address:
• User name:
• Store name:
• New Password (this must be between 4 and 10 characters, with letters and numbers only):
• New Password Question:
• New Password Answer:

HOW CAN I CHANGE MY PASSWORD?
To change your password, get a Hushmail.com account and use it to send an encrypted message to fmsupport@hushmail.com with the following information:

• First and Last Name:
• Address:
• Phone number:
• email address:
• User name:
• Store name:
• Old Password:
• Old Password Question:
• Old Password Answer:
• New Password (this must be between 4 and 10 characters, with letters and numbers only):
• New Password Question:
• New Password Answer:

HOW CAN I CHANGE MY USERNAME?
It is not possible to change your username.

HOW CAN I CHANGE MY ACCOUNT INFORMATION (EMAIL, PHONE NUMBER, ETC.)?
See http://www.freemerchant.com/tutorial/buspro.htm. You will probably also need to change your email notification address at Commerce Settings > Transaction.

WHAT DATABASE FORMATS DOES FM SUPPORT?
FM allows catalog uploads using the following database formats:

• Microsoft Excel 5.0
• Microsoft Excel 2.0,3.0,4.0
• dBase or FoxPro
• Paradox 3.5,4.0
• Lotus 1-2-3 rev. 2.x (.wk1)
• Lotus 1-2-3 rev 3.x (.wk3)
• Lotus 1-2-3 rev. 1-A (.wks)

HOW CAN I EDIT MY SITE METATAGS?
There isn't a way to add/edit metatags other than through the text fields provided at Webstore Promotion > AutoSubmit. Attempts to upload any coding through these areas will only result in freezing your site.

CAN I BUILD MY FM STORE WITH OTHER PROGRAMS?
Currently all FM stores must be designed with the FM online Store Builder. You can add your own graphics and backgrounds, but it is currently not possible to upload sites or pages created in other programs to FM.
Products must be created with the FM builder to be enabled in the FM shopping cart. If your products are in a database/spreadsheet, you can upload them with our Catalog Importer after setting up your category structure in FM. For more information, see the Catalog Importer Tutorial. If you already have a website, or if you want to design the bulk of your site using a different program, you can have your custom pages hosted elsewhere and then link to your FM store for the shopping cart. This gives you the flexibility of designing your own pages (or of keeping existing pages) while having the functionality of the FM shopping cart.
There are several sites that do this including:

www.farmerspick.com
www.yarnxpress.com
www.2cooltek.com

HOW DO I ADD A MAIL LINK?
HOW DO I BUILD A LINK BACK TO MY MAIN SITE?
You can use the following HTML in the headers and footers of your FM store pages.

example:	Contact freemerchantsupport@freemerchant.com
code:	Contact <a href=mailto:freemerchantsupport@freemerchant.com>freemerchantsupport@freemerchant.com</a>
example:	Go to FreeMerchant
code:	Go to <a target=_blank href="http://www.freemerchant.com">FreeMerchant</a>

Before adding any links, make sure to read our Link Policy.

LINK POLICY
FM only allows the following:

• e-mail links
• links back to main sites where FM is being used as a shopping cart
• one web ring or link exchange
• links to external sites for informational purposes ONLY in reference to products being sold in your FM store

HOW DO I CLEAR MY BROWSER CACHE?
To clear cache from IE 5,

1. Select Tools on your browser menu, then select Internet Options
2. Select the General tab and go to the section labeled "Temporary Internet Files" and press the "Delete Files" button
3. Check the Delete all offline content box, then press OK.

1. Click on Edit along the grey bar, then click on Preferences
2. Click on the + sign next to Advanced, then click on Cache
3. Click on Clear Memory Cache and Clear Disk Cache, and then click on OK.

HOW DO I KNOW WHEN I'M USING THE SECURE SERVER?
Merchants and customers are on secure servers when the nature of the transaction necessitates it. Customers enter the secure server when they enter their e-mail address and password (and just prior to entering their shipping and billing information). Merchants enter the secure server when they Check Orders (after having logged in to FM).

Users can tell when they are on the secured server because the http will become an https in the browser URL field, and depending on the browser that you're using either a highlighted key, lock, or browser icon will appear.

MY STORE IS ONLINE, BUT I DON'T HAVE MANY (OR ANY) CUSTOMERS. WHY?
Running an on-line store is just like running a normal business. You can own a store, but unless you advertise, you won't have very many customers. Make sure you're taking full advantage of the tools we're providing, and don't forget that there are plenty of things you can do on your own as well:

• Often a good place to start is with your current customers. Let them know you are on-line and they're sure to tell a friend. Use your Mailing List (under Community) to get in touch with old customers and current ones, and ask them to pass on the word, and maybe forward your newsletter. If your newsletter features info about great deals, you're sure to get a boost in your hits.
• Use our AutoSubmit function (under Webstore Promotion) to automatically submit your sites to five major search engines. Manually submit yourself to others.
• Coming soon is the Safeshopper Exchange, a site where shoppers looking for a product will be referred to you. Fulfill the application requirements (under Webstore Promotion) and apply now!
• Surprisingly effective in advertising web sites are ads in magazines and newspapers. You may want to include a coupon code in your ads to further entice people to visit you.
• Use our Partners! Many of our partners are free or inexpensive, and using them can lead to increased traffic and sales. Keep an eye out for links throughout our site to partners who can help you increase traffic.
• Join a link exchange or web ring. These are ways to pool your resources with similar web sites. To find one that meets your needs, do a web search -- they're easy to find.
• Join the FM Banner Exchange (under Community) and trade banners with other members.
• Update your store frequently with new products or specials/sales. This will encourage customers to check back often.
• Make sure your store is visually appealing and looks trustworthy. Try to think from the customer's point of view -- what are they looking for in a shopping experience? Include contact information and business credentials to boost their confidence. Have friends look at your store and give you honest criticism, and work on improving the look and feel of your store all the time. Look at a web store you like ordering from and emulate what you like about it.