New Features, Module Fixes and Latest News. iSenseLabs Weekly #3

February started with a lot of new features for our modules and we are happily announcing all of the releases the team has made the past week. There was a lot of intense work especially for iSearch, iSearch Corporate and NitroPack.

NitroPack 2.3.5 (OC 2.0.x) and 1.6.5 (OC 1.5.2.x to 1.5.6.x)

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New feature: Add option to choose whether to exclude resources from minification/combination if they reside on third party servers

New feature: Add support for special {{NitroPack}} tags in the fields for CSS and JavaScript minification excludes. This allows for further control over the system which optimizes these resources

Improvement: Rework all "goto" calls for better PHP 5.2.x compatibility

Improvement: Lower the timeout when optimizing images to prevent the connection from being terminated before the job is done

Improvement: Switch to timeout based logic when clearing the cache to prevent the connection from being terminated before the job is done

Improvement: Regard the different media attribute values when combining the CSS files

Improvement: Regard Suhosin when checking whether the exec() function is enabled

Bug fix: Fix an issue with the DOM parser when uppercase tags are present

Bug fix: Fix an issue with the DOM parser when comments in inline <style> tags are present

FacebookLogin 2.3.3 (OC 2.x)

Bug fix: Changed the way we compare OpenCart versions in order to include the new 2.1.0.2 release.

NotifyWhenAvailable 2.4.2

Bug fix: Added a check for the email method corresponding to the different OpenCart versions.

Bug fix: Improved the function responsible for testing the scheduled task functionality.

EmailVerification 1.1 (OC 2.x) and 1.0 (OC 1.5.x)

Bug fix: Fixed an issue which prevented sending emails from OpenCart 2.0.3.1

Initial release for OpenCart 1.5.x

iSearch 3.4.5 (OC 1.5.1.3 to 1.5.6.x)

Improvement: Search results exclusion has a new operator - "not equals". You can use it, for example, to exclude all products except products with a specific Stock Status ID.

Improvement: Search results are now regarding quotes in the search keywords.

Bug fix: Better compatibility with the Journal2 theme for OpenCart 1.5.x. The instant search suggestion box now does not break the search bar in the header.

Bug fix: Standard results (after pressing enter) are now automatically in "description search" mode whenever "Description" is selected as a search field.

Bug fix: Option Name and Option Value searches are working once again.

Bug fix: Search result URLs now regard the HTTP/HTTPS protocol of the current page.

Bug fix: Discounted prices are now showing up properly.

iSearch 4.1.5 (OC 2.x)

Improvement: Search results exclusion has a new operator - "not equals". You can use it, for example, to exclude all products except products with a specific Stock Status ID.

Improvement: Search results are now regarding quotes in the search keywords.

Bug fix: Some iSearch settings were not regarded as a result of "$this->config->get('iSearch')". This is now properly used as "$this->config->get('isearch')".

Bug fix: Standard results (after pressing enter) are now automatically in "description search" mode whenever "Description" is selected as a search field.

Bug fix: Option Name and Option Value searches are working once again.

Bug fix: Better compatibility with the Journal2 theme for OpenCart 2.x. Standard search results page (after hitting Enter) is now compatible with the theme.

Bug fix: Discounted prices are now showing up properly.

Bug fix: Search result URLs now regard the HTTP/HTTPS protocol of the current page.

iSearchCorporate 2.4 (OC 1.5.4.x to 1.5.6.x)

New feature: Category search results can be now configured to lead either to the category page, or a search results page for this category.

Improvement: Compatible with the "not equals" exclude operator in iSearch 3.4.5+

Improvement: Caching process for slower servers is now more stable.

Bug fix: Product Copy of cached products is now working fine.

Bug fix: CRON job command is now refreshing properly.

Bug fix: During order creation on checkout iSearchCorporate now regards the order status when it increments the "sales_amount" database field.

Bug fix: Display of category search results now depends on the setting "Use Caching"

Bug fix: Standard results (after pressing enter) are now automatically in "description search" mode whenever "Description" is selected as a search field.

Bug fix: Search result URLs now regard the HTTP/HTTPS protocol of the current page.

iSearchCorporate 3.1 (OC 2.x)

New feature: Category search results can be now configured to lead either to the category page, or a search results page for this category. Changed version.

Improvement: Compatible with the "not equals" exclude operator in iSearch 4.1.5+

Bug fix: Product Copy of cached products is now working fine.

Bug fix: During order creation on checkout iSearchCorporate now regards the order status when it increments the "sales_amount" database field.

Bug fix: Display of category search results now depends on the setting "Use Caching"

Bug fix: Standard results (after pressing enter) are now automatically in "description search" mode whenever "Description" is selected as a search field.

Bug fix: Search result URLs now regard the HTTP/HTTPS protocol of the current page.

WaterMark 2.0.6 (OC 2.x) and 1.4.3 (OC 1.5.4.x to 1.5.6.x)

Bug fix: It is now possible to watermark products, which are not assigned to any category.

OrderReviews 2.7.1

Bug fix: Fixed the issue with the misplaced {image} short-tag when the review type is set to "Per Purchase".

NotifyWhenAvailable 2.4.3 (OC 2.x) and 1.7.2 (OC 1.5.x)

New feature: Option to choose whether to notify the customer that they have used NotifyWhenAvailable.

Bug fix: Improved compatibility with iSenseLabs PreOrder extension.

Bonus: Our favorite articles of the week.

Snapchat Marketing: The Key to Discovering and Engaging Your Most Loyal Fans

by Shopify

Major social media channels like Facebook and Twitter are already known for their marketing impact, but other emerging platforms are also worth checking out. Snapchat is something between a social network and a messaging app, and it might not be that great for marketing, at least not for everyone. However, it might actually prove to be very useful for attracting your most loyal fans and customers.

Why High Conversion Rates Are Bad For You

by UsabilityTools

Conversion rates can become misleading if you only focus on them, relying on a single metric. Instead, you should not sway from your main goal, which is to grow your business. Changing CTA colors and a few text phrases around your website might raise conversion, but that does not equal more money.

Missing These Principles in Your Ecommerce Optimization Will Be a Huge Loss

by Shane Barker

Ecommerce optimization is all about getting the most of the massive opportunity for profit and conversions that digital marketing offers. Of course, nothing that sounds so good is as easy, and this article talks about many fundamental practices such as brand awareness and interest, as well as other key aspects like social proof and authority. When every part of your website and marketing strategy work in coherence, success is bound to come.

Top 6 Small-Business Trends on the Rise

by Entrepreneur

Millennials are revolutionising business and Ecommerce with their domination over web presence and new technology. Today’s workplace takes a new form with more comprehensive management and growth opportunities. Social media reinvented the way brands approach their audiences and millennial entrepreneurs are constantly pushing for the transformation of global business and economic models. There has never been a better time for small businesses to thrive and startups to shape the future.