[iSenseLabs Weekly 54] New OpenCart Features & Fixes, Video Tutorials and Latest E-Commerce News
We’ve been working on some very big updates with NitroPack, AbandonedCarts and many of our other modules. It’s time to share them with you and let you know what’s new.
Due to the recent optimization rules that the Google PageSpeed team pushed in their Insights tool, we reacted accordingly and pushed a new version of NitroPack that conforms with these new rules. The new NitroPack 2.5.5 and 1.8.5 versions also have other improvements and bug fixes. If you are getting lower score reports with image optimization reason, please update.
NitroPack 2.5.5 (OC 2.0.x to 2.3.x) & NitroPack 1.8.5 (OC 1.5.2.x to 1.5.6.x)
New Feature: Add recommended settings button
New Feature: NitroSmush now supports lossy compression
Bug fix: Header detection no longer throws errors
Bug fix: get_headers warnings are now suppressed
Bug fix: Fix the image optimizer log width
Bug fix: Scripts in assets now properly generate a target only when source exists
Bug fix: Fixed small typo in help text
Bug fix: Resolve issues in the exclude functionality
Bug fix: Getter of image dimensions now suppresses page cache with a cookie
Bug fix: Fix an issue with detecting URLs which do not include hostname
Bug fix: Image quality override bug fix
Bug fix: Do not save cookie headers when making headers cache
Bug fix: The HTML minification setting in the admin panel was not working
Bug fix: Handle unescaped HTML sequences like <<
Bug fix: Load jQuery from Google CDN now works properly for the theme Beamstore
Bug fix: Better file names for the minified and combined resources, to resolve browser cache issues
Bug fix: Settings don’t need to be saved twice in order for the .htaccess modifications to be applied anymore.
Improvement: Better detection for the exec() function availability
Improvement: clearstatcache(true) now used in assets scripts for better file detection
Improvement: Do a better select of an active category for image dimensions scan
Improvement: Introduce constant NITRO_FORCE_STANDARD_MAIL to force use the mail() function when sending e-mails via NitroPack. Useful for CRON jobs.
Improvement: Allow noscript in the <head> section
Improvement: Support for multi-byte URLs in the browser class
Improvement: Support for POST requests in the browser class
Improvement: Better cookie support in the browser class
Improvement: More accurate results when selecting items by class in the DOM parser
Improvement: Better database cache storage driver detection
Improvement: Clear category cache on product edit, for categories to which the product is assigned
Improvement: Faster PNG compression
Improvement: Clear image cache when JPEG quality override is changed
Improvement: Clear page cache and journal cache if the image cache is cleared
AbandonedCarts 5.4 (OC 2.0.x to 2.3.x)
New Feature: 'View Cart' functionality - A link in the email template, which when clicked will restore customers' cart in the store just like it was in the abandoned cart record in the module
New Feature: Since 5.4, we started shipping modification files for the most popular third-party checkout modules. More information regarding that you will find in the file "I Use Custom Checkout Module!.txt".
Improvement: Better server CRON detection algorithm in the admin panel
Improvement: Added "SERVER_NAME" variable check and declaration for better CRON support
Improvement: The support link in the support tab now links to an actual contact form
Improvement: Updated Installation Instructions.txt file with information for the custom checkout modifications
Bug fix: Fixed cart doubling products issue when the Taxes option is enabled and the emails are sent manually
Bug fix: Fixed wrong unsubscribe link on OpenCart 2.3.x
Bug fix: Fixed issue with wrong customer edit link in the abandoned cart listing view on OpenCart 2.1.0.0 and lower versions
Bug fix: Fixed minor security issue with the unsubscribe functionality
AbandonedCarts 2.5 (OC 1.5.x)
Improvement: Added "SERVER_NAME" variable check and declaration for better CRON support.
Promotions 2.1.2 (OC 2.0.x to 2.3.x)
Bug fix: Several issues with version compatibilities
Bug fix: Inability to enter the license code without enabling the order total
Bug fix: The WYSIWYG editor in the administration of the module is correctly showed now
Improvement: Added max quantity fields in Actions tab
iCustomFooter 3.4.1 (OC 2.0.x to 2.3.x)
Bug fixes related to Newsletter subscription form
Bug fixes related to CAPTCHA
OCMOD+ 1.6 (OC 2.0.x to 2.3.x)
Bug fix: Locate changed files with code diff bug
Bug fix: Notification messages on Save bug
TwitterPics 2.1.3 (OC 2.0.x to 2.3.x)
Bug fix: Module not saved in OpenCart 2.3.x+
BirthdayReminder 1.1.8 (OC 2.0.x to 2.3.x)
Bug fix: Related to opening of the calendar popup
OrderReviews 1.8.7 (OC 1.5.4.x to 1.5.6.x)
Bug fix: Base64 encoded order_id in the mail.
OrderReviews (OC 2.0.x to 2.3.x)
Bug fix: Fixed an issue related with the statistics functionality
Improvement: Added "SERVER_NAME" variable check and declaration for better cron support.
Bonus Section: Our Favorite Articles of the Week
5 Tips to Creating an Unbeatable Facebook Ad Campaign
By Kissmetrics
Kissmetrics talk about the process of building Facebook ads and give examples of which ones are better than others and why they work. They explain key points about the importance of copy, optimization, tracking sales and not metrics, as well as setting clear goals. If you’re into Facebook ads, but not making real progress - check if this article helps.
SEO Mythbusters: Top Marketers Share the Most Counterintuitive SEO Truths
By Ahrefs
Optimizing your site for search engines is currently one of the most excessively discussed topics where all manner of experts try to give their “unique tips” and “globally working practices”. Ahrefs have made a collection of counterintuitive facts about SEO shared by the most respected experts in the field. A post that can give you a clear idea of what works and what’s false.
9 YouTube Marketing Predictions for 2017 From the Pros
By SocialMediaExaminer
Recently, YouTube has undergone a lot of changes, mainly due to the overflow of content and the multiple purposes it’s being used for. For marketers, YouTube is a great place to publish educational content and engage with their audience and subscribers. Here are 9 predictions to take into account if you’re planning to invest some time and budget for YouTube content during 2017.
15 E-Commerce Sites with Contemporary Design Running on OpenCart
By iSenseLabs
We did a collection of OpenCart sites that impressed us with their modern design and unique ideas for building beautiful stores. We hope you like them as much as we do and get inspired to work on making your store design better and better and keep improving the experience you offer to your customers.
Pick of the Week
TETHR is a free Invision app for creating gorgeous UI designs. It’s an iOS design kit that enables you to create fantastic mobile experiences.
