Using MailChimp as an email manager
MailChimp is a 3rd party service provider that allows stores to manage email lists of clients. This allows WebStore owners to issue email communications to signed-up customers.
Where does the email information come from?
Your WebStore requires customers to sign up in order to buy items. As part of this signing up process they are required to give an email address (the little red asterix on the image below indicated required information) as shown on the image below.
At the bottom of the registration form is a checkbox ‘Join the MailingListName Mailing List’. As long as a customer doesn’t unselect the box their email is automatically added to your email manager - in this case MailChimp.
Setting up your MailChimp Account
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Browse to MailChimp and have a good look around;
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Press the sign up button, give MailChimp your email, a username and a password;
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MailChimp emails you a confirmation that you use to activate your account;
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MailChimp asks you for further details;
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In the MailChimp Dashboard create a subscriber list - the big ‘create list’ button;
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You need to give the list a name, this is the name that your customers will see when they sign up (MailingListname in the image above). It is also the list name that you will enter into WebStoreManager, so write it down;
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You need to select an email that the customers will see the email coming from, perhaps something such as newsletter@yourcompanyname.com and another email that will get the responses they send. Of course you could simply use your own email for both;
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At the top of the Dashboard is menu with Account in it. Mousing over account will open a menu with ‘Api Keys and Authorisized Apps’. Select this option. In the next page presented you will an ‘add a key’ button. This generates an API key. Write this down as this is the other bit of information that you need to enter into WebStore Manager;
http://www.nitrosell.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/MailChimp_API-Screen-300x248.png
9 . You’re done with MailChimp for now, their site is a mine of information and well worth spending an hour or so browsing for information on good practice.
Setting up your WebStore Manager
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Open up your WebStore Manager;
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Select Configuration/ Webstore on left-hand-side menu;
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Select Customer from the tabs presented to you;
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The fourth option down is Enable MailChimp Integration (API key based);
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Tick the checkbox and enter the two bits of information that your wrote down earlier into the text box exactly as shown here: api-key/list name
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Save!
NB When you enable MailChimp it is VERY important to check that Constant Contact (The option above MailChimp) is disabled. If Constant Contact is enabled, your MailChimp integration will NOT work (and Constant Contact will be wondering why you keep sending them MailChimp stuff!
Information on MailChimp
If you followed the steps above (Setting up your MailChimp Account) you will have started a free plan. This has quite generous limits to the amount of people on your lists and how many emails you can send out.
They do check that you are not spamming, and if you are found to be breaking their rules, your account will be suspended until you reply to their support email.
Why an API Key? What was wrong with the old method of giving NSc your account details?
The beauty of MailChimp’s new API security arrangement is that you and ONLY you have access details to your MailChimp account. The API key that you have given to NSc will only work as long as you allow it.
NitroSell email servers
This service is a third party service and is provided by MailChimp allowing you to mass mail your customers in a responsible manner.
The emails that you issue to customers (say when you ship an item to them) are dealt with seperately through the NitroSell Email Server.
The two types of email are distinct, losing your MailChimp account will not effect the emails that are issued to customers for buying items. However, we would recommend that you carefully read the MailChimp terms of use, particularly parts 10 and 11.