How does the BarnDealer inventory system work?
When you log into your Admin Dashboard for the first time, you will enter your dealer code and business name. For more information on setting up your site, check out: Getting Started. Our system retrieves all inventory associated with your dealer code from the Old Hickory database and uploads it to the "Buildings" section of your Admin Dashboard. Our system updates every 24 hours, so any new buildings added to your inventory will automatically be uploaded to the "Buildings" section on your Admin Dashboard.
Please note, although the buildings of your inventory will appear in "Buildings" on your Admin Dashboard, those buildings will not be displayed on your BarnDealer website until a corresponding photo is added.
To add photos of your buildings, click "Edit" in the right most column to view the building edit page.
Once you are on the Edit Building page, you can edit the different attributes of your building. When you scroll all the way to the bottom, you will be able to choose photos to showcase the features of your building.
You must have a featured photo (yellow box around image) in order for a building to show on your site.
Here are some key things you need to know about managing your buildings' photos:
- Main Image - You must have a main image for each building. By default, this is the first image that is Featured
- Featured Image - You can tell which images are featured by the yellow box around the image. The first image you upload will automatically become a featured image. If you have more than one Featured Image, images after the first one will 'go first' in the Building Gallery images the customer sees
- Gallery Image - These are all the other images that aren't a Featured image
Here are some key things you will want to know how to do in order to effectively manage your Buildings' photos.
Upload Image - To upload an image, click the "Upload Image" button and you will have the option to choose an image from your device. If you are uploading images from a smartphone, you will typically be able to take a photo directly from your phone rather than taking it earlier
- If the building doesn't have any images, the first image you upload will automatically become the Main Image and Featured Image
- If you upload more than one image at a time, the first one you select will be marked Featured
Change Main Image - There may be times when you want to change the Main Image. Do do so there are two steps
- Click the "Make Featured" button under the photo that you want to be the Main Image. If you don't see a yellow box around it after you click "Make Featured", refresh the page and click it again if necessary.
- Click the "Make Gallery" button under the image you no longer want to be the Main Image. If you still see a yellow box around it after you click "Make Gallery", refresh the page and click it again if necessary
Clicking Delete on a photo permanently deletes a photo from your BarnDealer site AND the Old Hickory site. Do so carefully
Deleting Photos - Once you delete a photo, it is permanent and you cannot recover the photo. Make sure that you are deleting the correct photo before click Delete.
What if my photo doesn't show after I upload it?
If your pictures look like they upload and show as white or nothing it all, there could be an issue with your image type. Most browsers don't allow for .HEIC image files. HEIC images are a photo type that Apple devices can take. However, they are not compatible with almost any web browser that works. You can check out this WikiHow article to change the format to a version that your customers' browsers can use: https://www.wikihow.com/Convert-iPhone-Photos-to-JPG
How is SOLD inventory managed?
Every 24 hours, when the new inventory is added, the BarnDealer system checks the Old Hickory database to see if any buildings have been sold. If a building is no longer in the database, the system will mark it as sold. Once a building is marked as sold, it will remain listed as "SOLD" on your BarnDealer website for one week before being automatically removed. You have the option to remove sold inventory from your Admin Dashboard by going to the "Buildings" section, and under the "Actions" column, you can click "Delete" on the corresponding building you wish to delete. This will remove it from your inventory.
What if a shed is not automatically added to my inventory?
If a building is not automatically added to your inventory, it could be because that building's inventory number is not yet associated with your dealer code. You have the option to manually add buildings using the "+ Add Building'' button at the top right of the "Buildings" page. This will direct you to a page where you can manually add the inventory number and additional building information. If you enter the inventory number exactly as it appears in the Old Hickory database, and that piece of inventory is later assigned to you, our system will recognize it and be able to automatically mark it as sold on your BarnDealer website when it is sold.
NOTE: If you have manually added a building using the "+ Add Building'' button, and that building's inventory number isn't matched to existing inventory numbers assigned to your dealer code, you will have to manually mark that item as sold when it is sold. To do this, in the "Buildings" section, find the building you want to mark as sold, and click on the corresponding drop arrow of the box under the "Status" column. Change the status from "Active" to "Sold."
Search Feature
You can use the "Search Inventory" feature on the "Buildings" section to quickly pull up buildings you are interested in viewing/editing. To do this, simply input the inventory number, part of the inventory number, or building name into the "Search Inventory" box and hit enter on your keyboard.
Status
The status feature allows you to manage the visibility of your inventory on your BarnDealer website. For example, if you have added a photo of your building, its status will automatically update to "Active" which means that building is viewable by potential customers on your BarnDealer website.
If you prefer not to display a building on your BarnDealer website, you have the option to place that building "On Hold." You can do this by clicking the drop down arrow of the corresponding box in the "Status" column and select "On Hold."
On Sale
If you have an inventory item on sale, you can click the corresponding box in the "On Sale" column. When clicked, this will cause a field to appear next to the On Sale checkbox where you can quickly input the discounted sales price for the on sale inventory item.
Featured Checkbox
If you have particular pieces of inventory you want to showcase on your homepage, you can do so by clicking the corresponding box under the "Featured" column. When you click it, a checkmark will appear, indicating that inventory is now featured. You can "Feature" multiple pieces of inventory. These will be showcased on your homepage in a product carousel display which helps let potential customers quickly browse your best inventory!
Facebook Share Button
If you are logged into a Facebook account you can also quickly share your inventory to facebook via post! Simply click the "Share" icon on the corresponding building you want to share a post about on your Facebook.
NOTE: For more info on the Facebook Share Feature visit this article!
Marketplace Export Button
The marketplace export tool enables you to download information for easier inventory management on Facebook marketplace. While Facebook does not support automatic updates to marketplace listings, this tool can help you expedite the process!
What’s Next?
In the next section of our guide, we'll dive into how to your Leads system works!
Learn more about your Leads System (Click Here!)
For support reach out to us with detailed information on how we can help at support@barndealer.freshdesk.com!
