Hello, and thank you for your interest in assisting us with our web development needs. I would like to take a few moments to give you more information on what we would like to accomplish, so that you may better understand the scale and scope of the work involved. The goal is for us to understand each other completely, so that we are both satisfied that we are getting what we expect out of our relationship. Please, treat this communication with the utmost confidentiality. I will be sharing information with you that is sensitive to our company, so your discretion is appreciated.
We are a scientific manufacturer and reseller. We have a nationwide (USA) dealer network (21) and an international dealer network (52). Our primary product line is telescopes, but we also sell microscopes, binoculars, photographic equipment and accessories. In addition to our dealer network, we also market to schools & universities, medical facilities and science labs on a retail or discounted basis, as applicable. Our expectation is that our website will be able to accept and process orders from our dealers, both domestic and international, and retail consumers. The ordering process shall be seamless and accurate, and we shall be instantly notified of each completed order. Credit card processing shall be done through a merchant provider of our choosing. We should be able to print the invoice, packing lists and shipping labels from within the application. We should also be able to offer special ordering codes.
We expect that our entire inventory (~1,000 SKUs) will be available online with photos, complete descriptions, and pricing based on whether the user is a retail customer, scientific professional, educator/school or dealer (separate pricing levels, based on user ID). We will provide a database with SKUs, part names, descriptions, prices and photos. Retail pricing shall be shown by default for users without a login or without special credentials, and special pricing shall be shown based on user ID.