New: The Most Secure Checkout in The Industry

To further protect your winery from fraudulent bot attacks, we've automatically added a new, invisible layer of security known as reCAPTCHA to your V2 website checkout. WineDirect is deeply committed to the highest standards of security while ensuring your conversion rates stay high and this enhanced fraud protection does just that.

Key Benefits: Google’s reCAPTCHA 

This invisible and frictionless version works to detect bots in the background and returns a risk score that tells the WineDirect system if the interaction is suspicious and could indicate a bot user. It scores traffic with its Adaptive Risk Analysis Engine and does not force your consumers to click anything extra. Your checkout experience will look exactly the same to your consumer, and you will be protected from bot attacks. Win-win. >>Read full documentation here.

Implementation details:

The reCAPTCHA feature from Google is automatically deployed on your checkout if you're using the current V2 checkout tools and no action is required by you. If you are currently using legacy checkout tools, learn why you should upgrade and how to implement the current checkout tools.

If you have any questions, please read through the documentation and then reach out to support@winedirect.com with any questions. We hope you enjoy the most secure checkout in the industry as we move into this busy holiday shopping season!

 

Now: Corporate Order Importer Expanded

Good news! You can now take advantage of the expanded Corporate Order Importer extension to 36 SKUs. As some corporate customers expressed interest in having the gift extended to pick between a library of wines that pass the 12 SKUs total previously allowed.

The Corporate Order Importer allows you to create multiple orders, with multiple shipping addresses for one single billing customer. The billing customer who is paying for all the orders will only see one charge for the total amount. This update allows you to add more columns as needed to get the required number of SKUs in the importer (up to 36 SKUs). Simply download the latest sample file for compatibility in 3 easy steps:

1. Navigate to Settings > Import/Export > Corp. Order Importer
2. Click Import Corporate Orders from the left navigation
3. Click Download Sample File to download the spreadsheet needed

>>Read the full documentation here.

This update was a direct result of an idea in the Idea Forum. Thank you for submitting and voting to get current features functionality improved!

All-New WineDirect: FAQs

As we start off September, we want to take a moment to update you on the latest developments with our All-New WineDirect platform.

We are well into the discovery stage of this important project – doing the deep research necessary to fully scope the work to ensure that the All-New WineDirect platform will be everything our customers want it to be, and more.

In addition to research, we are upgrading and scaling up the team so we are properly resourced to meet the challenge of building an All-New WineDirect.

For example, we’ve hired a new VP of Engineering, Dan Mills, who has 15+ years’ experience building teams and has successfully been through several SaaS replatforming projects. We are continuing to add other senior Engineering and Product team members to our existing team who will be fully focused on building the All-New WineDirect. We have also restructured our team to allow the majority to focus 100% on replatforming, while another group takes care of our existing platform.

We’ll provide another update later in September, but in the meantime, here are some FAQs and answers that will provide more information.

1. What is WineDirect building? 

We are building the All-New WineDirect Ecommerce Platform an all-in-one platform with support for Ecommerce, Wine Club, Retail (POS), and omni-channel sales with beautiful store experiences, fast check out, powerful analytics, marketing automation and customization through flexible APIs and third-party apps.

2. What features will be included in the new platform? 

The major core functionality of the WineDirect platform will be included in the All-New Platform.  Rebuilding the platform also provides the opportunity to evaluate what is most impactful for our clients and what is no longer necessary. One thing is guaranteed, while the All-New platform will be familiar, it will be a tremendous upgrade across the board.   

3. Why should I be excited about this change?

There are so many reasons to be excited about the All New WineDirect, including:

• Flexible, website design tools that support exciting features including 1:1 personalization of content, product customer benefits such as pricing.
• A content management system (CMS)  you update and A/B test changes on your own; with no programming knowledge required.
• Intuitive and flexible, WineClub, User Choice Clubs and Subscriptions.
• Fast, customer-focused and reliable POS.
• Dashboards and reporting that provides intelligence into trends, status and health of your DTC business.
• One of a kind omni-channel sales opportunities to help you find and attract new clients.
• Improved and expanded capabilities for Webservices to connect with external systems and third-party applications.

4. What new APIs will be available on the All-New WineDirect and what will happen to existing APIs?

New APIs will support a backwards compatibility with SOAP for existing APIs (so existing APIs will still function) and more robust REST services and GraphQL will also be supported.

5. I want to integrate current WD APIs with third party tools. Should I wait for new APIs or should I spend money to integrate current systems?

This really depends on the specifics of your situation. If you are looking at something that will help to grow your business right now, you may want to pursue it. Because the All-New WineDirect won’t be generally available for at least a year, you may want to act now for time-sensitive integrations that will increase your ROI in the short-term. 

6. Should I wait to redesign my website, or can I do it now? Can I still use WineDirect templates?

If you are in need of a new website immediately, WordPress is a great option as it has a lot of flexibility and will integrate seamlessly with the All-New WineDirect. You can also continue to use the current WineDirect templates and we will transition accordingly when the time comes.

7. How will we transition to the All-New WineDirect Platform?

As of now, we are planning to roll out in 3 phases, built around the major sales channels: 

Phase 1: Ecommerce Only 
Phase 2: Ecommerce + Wine Club 
Phase 3: Ecommerce + Wine Club + POS

When the time comes, WineDirect will ensure that your transition to the new platform is seamless, with all your data and key configuration remaining intact.

There won’t be incremental costs to migrate to the new platform. Winery clients may choose to build a new site using the many tools available, which may require use of an WineDirect certified designer, which will be a separate engagement.

8. What is the timing for Canada and Australia?

The rollout of the All-New WineDirect will be based on what services a winery client is using, not where they are located, so wineries in Canada and Australia will most likely be on the same timeline as their counterparts in the U.S.

9. What should I do to prepare for the transition? 

Nothing! A member of our team will reach out when we are ready to get you started and answer any specific questions you may have.

10. What is expected as an Early Adopter for the All-New WineDirect? 

The Early Adopter Program gives you access to new products and features before they're released. Joining the program is a commitment - we need you to test feature functionality and provide feedback to our team. You’ll play an important role in ensuring the features we roll out will help you and other wineries like you. Signing up to be an Early Adopter does not guarantee access to the Early Adopters group, but we will do our best to involve all interested clients. 

As an All-New WineDirect Early Adopter, you’ll be called on to help test specific sections based on tools you’re already actively using. This project is complex, with a lot of turning wheels, so please be patient while we create a detailed project plan for upcoming features that will be ready to test. We will reach out when your winery meets the criteria – at that time you can choose to participate or not.

11. When is the timeline for me to be an Early Adopter?

Because of the different phases and the complexity of the project, there will be several chances to test and give feedback on the new tools over the next year. We will let you know when your opportunity to test comes closer.

Your timeline for being an Early Adopter participant completely depends on your current feature set. If you are a full-stack WineDirect customer using ecommerce, wine club and POS, your environment is complex. It will take us time to ensure that the All-New WineDirect can match the complexity of your DTC tools. We are creating new business logic and workflows from scratch, and we want to ensure it flows beautifully.

12. Have you stopped development on the current WineDirect platform?

Absolutely not. Although most of our team is laser-focused on planning for the All-New WineDirect and enhanced wine club tools, we also have a dedicated team working exclusively on the current platform. In addition to updating features, we are keeping performance, availability and security top-of-mind. We have proactively upgraded all of our databases to improve performance, became PCI DSS Level 1 compliant,  and increased fraud protection by adding reCAPTCHA Enterprise security heading into the busy holiday shopping season.

 

New: Delivering Industry-Leading Data Security

WineDirect achieves PCI DSS Service Provider Level 1 Compliance – Highest Level of Security in the Protection of Credit Card and Cardholder Data. >>Read the Press Release here.

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With the massive growth in ecommerce last year, the number of online credit card transactions skyrocketed. Hand-in-hand with this growth comes increased security risks to credit card data. That's why at WineDirect, we took the necessary steps to ensure we continue to protect you and your customers' data.

At WineDirect, we take security very seriously and are pleased to announce the achievement of Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) Service Provider Level 1 Compliance. Level 1 demonstrates the most stringent compliance standard for the safe handling of credit cardholder data. The Attestation of Compliance was granted by Certified Auditor 360 Advanced Inc., after a rigorous 8 month audit process. You can rest easy knowing WineDirect has satisfied adherence to the same expectations as platforms such as Shopify and BigCommerce.

I recently sat down with Ken Escueta, Director of Platform Engineering at WineDirect, to have a coffee chat about some of WineDirect's recent security upgrades. You can watch it below:

 

It’s important that we do everything possible to safeguard customer data as a key part of our promise to be The Winery’s Champion. We will continue to diligently review and evolve security policies, practices and infrastructure frequently. Thank you for your continuing partnership!

New Offer: Enolytics Helps Turn Data into Action

What should Wineries be doing post COVID-19 closures? Embrace Data!

Here we are in May, over a year since COVID-19 shut everything down and finally, in most areas, the world seems to be slowly opening up. For wineries, this is excellent news as guests once again venture out to enjoy the in-person winery experience. And what’s really exciting is that many wineries are entering spring/summer 2021 with a whole new set of tools learned over the past year. Wineries are embracing digital marketing in so many forms – social media, email marketing, paid search, online advertising – all designed to engage with consumers and drive them to websites (or into tasting rooms) to buy wine. The next few months we’re going to see wineries perform a delicate balancing act as we return to the land of in-person visitation while working hard not to forget about our new-found digital friends who have been supporting us over the past year.

One thing that will help wineries continue to thrive both in ecommerce and on-site activities is data. Acquiring new consumers is getting to be increasingly expensive as competition increases. Using your own existing data to understand and engage with consumers is an incredibly effective way to maximize your winery marketing efforts. Think of it from your own perspective as a consumer. What is more effective at driving you to purchase something? A generic email showcasing wines that you’re unfamiliar with or clearly don’t appeal to you? Or a personalized email that is addressed to you (properly!) and features wines that you know and love? Maybe the email even references a recent purchase you’ve made and provides a recipe for an appetizer that pairs amazingly with the wine. Or perhaps it’s a note from the Winemaker just to check in to see how you enjoyed the wine? To be able to do these things you need good data and you need to know what to do with it.

I know what you’re thinking – who has the time? Resources? Knowledge? We are all out here trying to sell wine. Completely understandable. This is why Cathy Huyghe and the team at Enolytics, have been working to solve for this problem. Enolytics takes your winery data from within the WineDirect system and creates simple to navigate (as Cathy says “It’s designed for wine people, not just data people!”) reports and dashboards from which wineries can find the data that is most important to them to help guide decision-making. The ability to perform customer segmentation and data cleansing is just the beginning. With Enolytics, wineries benefit from advanced reporting for immediate results, and support resources available 24/7. 

Enolytics are generously offering a special incentive for WineDirect clients: a 30-day free trial and zero set up fees along with a 15% discount on the first year’s subscription. This offer is good through September 6, 2021. Set up is fast and easy and the team at Enolytics will walk you through the whole thing. Click here for more information.

Exploring the WineDirect Academy

Just over a month ago, you got access to the WineDirect Academy - a free online training portal to master WineDirect's robust toolset. With a new 'Mastering Emails' course recently added, I sat down with Ben Kraemer to chat about the Academy and dive into what you need to know to get the most out of this exciting new offering.

 

To get started, simply create an account for free, choose which courses benefit you and then complete the modules. If you've already signed up, you can continue learning from where you left off. We think you'll love the new Academy, but don't take our word for it:

"I am loving it! I think the Academy is so great. This is fresh and in real time and feels very current. They segments are short and to the point. I know I will get a ton of use out of it." - Nancy Dunsmore, Ex Nihilo Vineyards

We are excited to support you on your journey of mastering WineDirect's robust tools. Stay tuned for even more new modules soon!

New: Live Chat for DTC Pro and DTC Advanced

If your U.S.-based winery is on the new DTC Pro or DTC Advanced plan, you now have access to enhanced support with live chat functionality and help from our senior Support Specialists. This team is made up of the people who know WineDirect best, and are dedicated to giving you a quick and thorough response, leveraging their collective knowledge and new tools like live chat. 

Haven't used our chat feature yet? Check out our Resource Kit with steps for accessing chat, as well as other tips for reaching WineDirect and our partners. Of course, you can always connect with us by emailing support@winedirect.com or calling 800-819-0325 too.

We’ve also launched WineDirect Academy, an on-demand educational resource that you can access for free - anytime, anywhere. We encourage you to check it out so you and your team can take full advantage of the platform’s robust toolset.

The Client Success Team is here for you seven days a week, with ample coverage during business hours, ready to assist when it's convenient for you. We are always happy to help!

New: Billing Contact Changes on Packing Slips

The California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) is a state statute intended to enhance privacy rights and consumer protection for residents of California. Based on this legislation, WineDirect has removed date of birth (DOB) and some Billing Address information from Packing Slip PDFs globally to ensure compliance and consumer privacy. 

This update means removing DOB from Packing Slips PDF printouts. In addition, all Purchaser Billing Address information - except for the City and State/Province, which is required by regulators to determine the purchaser's origin, has been removed.

Below is an example of the updated Packing Slip PDFs will display Billing Address going forward:

No action is needed from you, we have already made this change in the backend on your behalf to ensure you continue to protect your consumer's privacy. Thank you for your understanding as we move quickly to uphold compliance.

 

Now: Temecula Valley Wine & Agricultural Heritage District Assessment Levy

If your winery is within the Temecula Valley Wine & Agricultural Heritage District (TVWAHD), you may have heard that on April 1, 2021 a hybrid tax was implemented for all wineries in the region. This five year term stipulates that 1% of all gross sales be funnelled into advertising for the valley.

The good news is that lead trainer, Ben Kraemer, has created a video detailing everything you need to know about the change and your WineDirect setup. Watch the video below:

 

If you intend to pass this assessment on to your customers, you should retroactively collect it starting April 1, 2021. The amount of assessment, if passed on to each customer, shall be disclosed in advance and be separately stated from the amount charged and any other applicable taxes, and each customer shall receive a receipt for payment from the business. Please identify this assessment as the “TVWAHD Assmt” in a separate line item on the customer’s receipt. In order to disclose the fee in advance, a simple note of “All sales are subject to a 1% Temecula Valley Wine & Agricultural Heritage District fee” should either be printed on tasting menus and/or restaurant menus or on a sign at the register.

Additionally, it must be disclosed in any special events and wedding estimates and contracts. Please note that if a customer refuses to pay the assessment, your business is still liable for paying it.

We've also created some FAQs to help your migrate through this change:

FAQs

1) What should we call the assessment on the sales receipt?
Per the District’s Management Plan, the assessment will be called “TVWAHD Assmt.”

2) The 1% assessment is charged on gross sales revenue. What does that include?
All direct to consumer sales of for wine, wine club shipments (whether shipped or picked up), ticket sales, tasting fees, tours and private and public special events, merchandise, prepared foods for on-premise or off-premise consumption (whether sold in a tasting room or a stand-alone restaurant on-premise), orders placed via telemarketing, telephone, online, email, whether carried out at the time of purchase, shipped or picked up at a later date (pre-sales). Gross sales revenue shall not include any federal, state or local taxes collected, including but not limited to sales and use taxes.

3) Does the assessment apply to any non-taxable items? (e.g. Shipping, Gratuity, Non-taxable pre-packaged food, etc.?)
No, it only applies to items that you would charge California sales tax on.

4) Would refunded transactions refund the assessment fee previously collected on the order?
Yes, just as you would refund sales tax, you would also refund any assessment collected.

5) Are fees collected for wholesale transactions?
No, there are no assessments collected on wholesale transactions.

6) Our tasting fee includes sales tax and we “back out” the sales tax when it comes time to pay the state. Can we include the assessment in the tasting fee as well and use the same procedure?
Yes, you can, however, it is highly recommended that you line item both the sales tax and the assessment separately, as it will make your accounting much easier and will lessen questions from customers if they see other wineries charging both the tax and assessment and you’re not. In doing a bit of research, many of the wineries in the area do charge sales tax on their tastings as a separate line item.

New: Smart Product Search

With WineDirect's brand-new search functionality, it's now easier for your customers to search and find your wine. By implementing a smart search bar within your website, consumers can quickly search your products to find their favorite wines. 

Here's what one of our beta testers had to say about the new product search functionality:

"The new update for WineDirect search tools works great! The speed is what I'm most impressed by." - Mark Kubas, Ellement Wine & Spirits

We recommend working with your designer to add search to your website. Steps can be found on our Documentation site. If you have any questions, please email support@winedirect.com.

Don't have a designer? Check out our network of Certified Designers.