Hey Ficos Merchants! Your online store’s homepage is your digital storefront. To give you complete creative control, we’ve built the powerful new Homepage Editor, a tool that lets you design a dynamic homepage that automatically showcases your best products and categories.
This guide will walk you through how to use the editor to add, remove, and reorder content blocks, and—most importantly—how to tell Ficos what to display in those blocks to create a beautiful, effective homepage that drives sales.
About the Author: This article is written by the Ficos Retail team. With years of experience building mobile-first solutions for businesses, we understand the need for powerful yet simple tools. The Homepage Editor was designed to give you the flexibility of a professional website builder without any of the complexity, right from your Ficos app. Learn more about our mission at the official Ficos website.
Understanding the Editor: How It Works #
The most important thing to understand is that the Homepage Editor works together with your individual product and category settings. It’s a simple two-part process:
- The Homepage Editor builds the “shelves.” You use the editor to add a section (like “Featured Products”) and set its rules (e.g., “Show my Bestsellers”).
- Your Product & Category settings “stock the shelves.” You then go to your individual products or categories and turn on a switch (like “Mark as Bestseller”) to make them appear in that section.
This approach is incredibly powerful because it means your homepage is always up-to-date. When you mark a new product as a “New Arrival,” it automatically appears in the right section without you having to edit your homepage again.
A Closer Look at the Homepage Editor Interface #
Once you open the editor, you’ll see a simple but powerful interface designed for easy customization:
- The Section List: This shows all the content blocks on your homepage in the order they appear.
- Drag-and-Drop Reordering: Press and hold the handle icon (☰) on any section to drag it up or down, instantly changing the layout of your live website.
- Edit (Pencil Icon): Tap this to open the configuration panel for that specific section, where you can change its title and rules.
- Delete (Trash Can Icon): Tap this to permanently remove a section from your homepage.
Step 1: Navigate to the Homepage Editor #
To get started, you’ll need to go to your Online Store Settings.
- From your main Dashboard, tap on Online Store.
- On the dashboard, find the “Management Shortcuts” card and tap on Online Store Settings.
- In the “Store Identity” section, tap on Homepage to open the HomepageEditor.
Step 2: Add, Remove, and Reorder Your Homepage Sections #
This step is where you build the structure of your page.
- Add a New Section:
- Scroll to the bottom and tap the “Add Section” button. Choose from the list, such as “Hero Banner,” “Featured Products,” or “Shop By Category.”
- Reorder Your Sections:
- Decide the best flow for your page. Want your categories at the top? Simply press and hold the handle icon (☰) and drag the section where you want it. Your changes are saved automatically in the background!
- Remove a Section:
- Don’t need a section? Just tap the trash can icon next to it to remove it.
Step 3: Tell Ficos What to Display (The Crucial Step) #
After you’ve added your sections in the editor, you need to “activate” the products and categories you want to show in them.
- For “Featured Products” Sections:
- Go to your Inventory Manager and tap on a product you want to feature.
- Tap the Edit button.
- Scroll down to the “Online Store” section.
- Turn on the switch for “Mark as Featured,” “Mark as Bestseller,” or “Mark as New Arrival.” The product will now automatically appear in any homepage section that is filtered for that flag.
- For the “Shop By Category” Section:
- Go to your Inventory Manager, tap the three dots icon, and select Manage Categories.
- Tap on a category you want to feature on your homepage.
- In the “Homepage Options,” turn on the “Feature on Homepage” switch.
- Use the “Sort Order” field to control its position (e.g., `1` appears before `2`).
- Don’t forget to upload a Category Image! This is what customers will see on your homepage.
Step 4: Configure Each Section’s Settings #
Finally, go back to the Homepage Editor and tap the pencil icon next to each section to fine-tune its settings.
Section Type | What You Can Configure |
---|---|
Hero Banner | Set the Headline, Subheading, Button Text, and the Image URL. |
Featured Products | Set the Title (e.g., “Our Top Picks”), choose what to Filter By (“Featured,” “Bestseller,” etc.), and set the Limit (how many products to show). This filter must match the flags you set on your products in Step 3. |
Shop By Category | Set the Title (e.g., “Browse Our Collections”) and the Limit (how many categories to show). This section will automatically pull in the categories you flagged in Step 3. |
Step 5: Save and Go Back #
Once you are happy with your layout, tap the “Save” button in the header. This confirms all your changes and takes you back to the settings screen. You can then visit your store’s URL to see your new, custom homepage live!
Conclusion #
The Homepage Editor is a powerful tool for creating a dynamic storefront. By combining the editor’s layout tools with the flagging system on your products and categories, you can build a professional homepage that is always up-to-date and drives sales. For more helpful tips, visit the Ficos Documentation. Happy designing!
Frequently Asked Questions #
Why did I add a 'Featured Products' section but no products are showing up? #
This is the most common issue! The section is empty because you haven’t “told” any products to appear there yet. Go to your Inventory Manager, edit the products you want to feature, scroll to the “Online Store” section, and turn on the corresponding switch (e.g., “Mark as Featured”). The section will then populate automatically.
How do I control the order of categories on my homepage? #
The order is controlled in the Manage Categories screen, not the Homepage Editor. When you edit a category, use the “Sort Order” field to assign it a number (e.g., 1, 2, 3). Ficos will automatically display your featured categories in ascending order based on this number.
Do my changes go live immediately as I drag them? #
Yes! The Homepage Editor is designed to be seamless. When you reorder a section or save its configuration, the changes are saved automatically in the background. You’ll see a small “Saving…” indicator at the top of the screen. The main “Save” button in the header is just to confirm you’re finished and wish to exit the editor.
Can I have more than one 'Featured Products' section? #
Absolutely! This is a great way to build a dynamic homepage. For example, you can add one section at the top filtered to show “New Arrivals” and another section further down filtered to show “Bestsellers.”
Will changing my homepage layout delete my products? #
No, never. The Homepage Editor only controls the appearance and order of content on your front page. It does not change any of your actual product data, inventory, or category information. You can experiment with your layout freely without any risk.