[iSenseLabs Weekly 94] New OpenCart Features & Fixes, Video Tutorials and Latest E-Commerce News

After another long week of planning and development, we’re ready to roll out our latest OpenCart module updates.

The latest version of SEO Backpack which contains tons of new features and improvements for OpenCart 3.x will bring even more usability, power and simplicity.

A few more modules have also been updated with support for OpenCart 3.x, so check them out and don’t forget to update your extensions to their latest versions!

OpenCart Extension Updates

SEO Backpack 3.6 (OC 3.0.x)

New feature: Added structured data breadcrumbs for the category pages

New feature: Added Facebook App ID as a meta property tag

Improvement: Changes in the Advanced Editor for better usability

Improvement: Changed sorting in the Advanced Editor (Showing the enabled items first, then sorting them alphabetically)

Improvement: Removed validation for the editable fields in the Advanced Editor

Improvement: Now correctly detecting Bingbot

Improvement: Improved 404 redirection tool

Improvement: URL transliteration support for Greek characters

Improvement: URL transliteration support for Bulgarian characters

Improvement: Added support for non-ASCII characters in the 'Page Crawler'

Improvement: The Crawler now has better support for stores with SSL certificates

Improvement: Better PHP 7.x support

Bug fix: Now showing correct status if the module is enabled or not in Extensiv ons > Modules

Bug fix: Now correctly escaping special characters in the 404 Detection/Redirection tools

Bug fix: Fixed 'Add redirect' form not working with special characters in the 404 redirection tool

Bug fix: Now correctly escaping the & character

Bug fix: Now correctly escaping ' and " characters in the Advanced Editor

Bug fix: Minor fixes & code refactoring

SEO Backpack 2.8 (OC 2.x.)

New feature: Added structured data breadcrumbs for the category pages

Improvement: Changes in the Advanced Editor for better usability

Improvement: Changed sorting in the Advanced Editor (Showing the enabled items first, then sorting them alphabetically)

Improvement: Removed validation for the editable fields in the Advanced Editor

Improvement: Now correctly detecting Bingbot

Improvement: Improved 404 redirection tool

Bug fix: Now correctly escaping special characters in the 404 Detection/Redirection tools

Bug fix: Fixed 'Add redirect' form not working with special characters in the 404 redirection tool

Bug fix: feed/google_base is now using the multilingual Meta Description settings

Bug fix: Now correctly escaping the & character

Bug fix: Now correctly escaping ' and " characters in the Advanced Editor

Bug fix: Minor fixes & code refactoring

AbandonedCarts 2.6 (OC 1.5.x)

New feature: Added better guest customer detection on the default OpenCart checkout

Improvement: Added compatibility with OrderSuccessPage and other custom success page extensions

Bug fix: Fixed the installation instruction text file

ComparePrices 3.0.7 (OC 3.x)

Fully compatible with OpenCart 3.x

TrendingProducts 3.1.3 (OC 3.x)

Fully compatible with OpenCart 3.x

LinkedInLogin 3.1.6 (OC 3.x)

Fully compatible with OpenCart 3.x

BrowserSupportCheck 3.0 (OC 3.x)

Fully compatible with OpenCart 3.x

Best E-Commerce Knowledge Resources of the Week

The 7 Essential Elements of Effective Social Media Marketing

By Copyblogger

The first few things you need to do for effective social media marketing are to find a way to manage your time, get your website in order, pick a social media platform to be your primary one and then create the content that will start a conversation. It’s also a great way to peak into your competitors audiences and other brands who have your customers as well.

How to Write Headlines People Can’t Help but Click [Formulas Inside]

By Neil Patel

To write a headline that people cannot resist but click is a gift, but it can also be learned if you put enough time and testing into it. This article by Neil Patel for example has been the guide that many marketers have used to forge their wordsmithing skills. Even if you’re just starting out in social media, email marketing or blogging, your headlines need to be punchy and irresistable. Start here.

How to Succeed at Content Marketing: Do It Better, or Do It Differently

By Animalz

Another content marketing advice article that may seem like more filler, but there’s actually quite more to it. It’s a great short piece that reminds a simple part of content marketing that most people in the industry tend to easily overlook - being different. If everyone follows the same advice and reads the same guides, their strategies will all have so much similarities that it would be difficult to differentiate brands. If you can’t beat them, just don’t be them.

5 New NitroPack Features to Boost Your OpenCart 3.x Site Performance

By iSenseLabs

One of the life-sustaining forces driving your web presence is the speed of your site. NitroPack is the OpenCart tool to ensure that your store is constantly and safely running at maximum speeds. Google likes that, and most importantly - your customers will like that. If your page loading speed is any slower than 2.5 seconds, NitroPack is a necessity, not just an option.

iSenseLabs Videos

How to Manage Taxes in OpenCart 3.x

Pick of the Week

Mazwai is a gorgeous resource for short video clips and various footages including natural shots, urban environments, wildlife and people. A lot of possible applications for material like that.