Best Payment Options For Businesses

Good old fashioned cash is nice but customers are always looking for new ways to pay for purchases. Credit cards and debit cards are normal but that’s not the only option for today’s online shoppers. From e-wallets to crypto, let’s take a look at some of the best payment gateway options to make your life easier.

Digital Wallets

Digital wallets like Apple Pay, Google Pay and PayPal give consumers a secure way to store their sensitive financial information like bank account numbers and credit card numbers on devices. ‘Aside from this, these payment systems can also store other information like their names and address which makes them a convenient option for buyers when paying.

There are 2 main benefits for digital wallets. First, it allows consumers to pay their bills using their credit card or bank using their smartphones or computers. Second, it makes the payment process seamless and easier because all it needs is just 1 click to complete.

Digital wallets reduce friction during the payment process for consumers. According to a Baymard Institute study, 26% of respondents said that a long checkout process was one of the main reasons they abandoned their cart.

So which digital wallet is best? Paypal still leads the way as the 60% conversion rate in the western world. However, in China, Alipay and WeChat are the leaders with over 1 billion users, more than other digital wallets combined.

Buy-now Pay-later (BNPL)

Buy products immediately with Buy-now Pay-later (BNPL) schemes. Afterpay and zipPay offer this kind of payment structure where consumers buy a product and then pay by installment plans. According to Inside Australian Online Shopping report by Australia Post, BNPL services accounted for up to 7.7% of online spend or $1.6 billion and have a big appeal on the 18—39-year-old demographic.

Buyers like BNPL because it provides instant gratification which lowers barriers to entry. It also has a big impact on buying rate and behavior which increases conversion. An ASIC study found that 55% of customers spend more when given the BNPL option.

Cryptocurrency

Bitcoin and Litecoin are a form of electronic currency verified using a technology called Blockchain. While many of us feel uncertain using crypto due to uncertainties it raises, the fact is that there is an increasing number of shoppers who prefer this form of payment. CNN reveals in one of their studies that crypto users use will grow to 200 million by 2024.

Ecommerce platforms like  Woocommerce, Shopify and Magento all offer crypto payment options. Just like other currencies, crypto can be received and withdrawn in real-time.

Payment Gateways

Payment gateways are ecommerce services that process payments. Here are some of the most popular options.

Stripe

Stripe offers payment processing software for ecommerce stores and applications. It works by transferring money from your customer’s bank to yours using a credit or debit card. As of 2019, Stripe accepts Alipay, Apple Pay, Credit cards, Google Pay, Microsoft Pay, Masterpass, Visa Checkout, and WeChat Pay.

eWay

Australia’s eWay process 25% of Australia’s online market. They are accessible to local Australian businesses with 24/7 support, over 250 integrations and over 20 years experience. They accept payment forms like AMEX Express Checkout, Apple Pay, Credit cards, MasterPass, Visa Checkout, and PayPal.

Braintree

Braintree started in Chicago but is now owned by Paypal. They offer a unique access to funding and data other payment gateways focusing on innovative payments technology and scalable solutions. They accept Credit cards, Apple Pay, Google Pay, Samsung Pay, PayPal, Masterpass and Visa Checkout.

BitPay

BitPay brings Bitcoin payments to the mainstream. It can process cryptocurrency in real time and deposit funds into merchant’s accounts, without the need for a cryto wallet. They work with Bitcoin & Bitcoin Cash, Ethereum with more cryptocurrencies to be added.

Bottom Line

There are so many options available for ecommerce stores it can be hard to choose between all of them. However, your customer’s preferences should always come first. There are many ways to find this out. You can ask them to take a short survey or take a look at your Google’s analytics. For example, if you’re receiving a lot of traffic from iPhones then offering Apple Pay should be a priority.

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Cool Ways To Improve Buyer Experience

Online stores are seeing a boom as many people around the world are turning to online shops to fulfill their needs. This is why ecommerce stores are always looking for ways to improve their customer experience.

One of the best ways to improve customer experience is by improving the buying process. If you want to increase your conversion rate and sales, you’re in the right place because we have some innovative ideas on how you can improve buyer experience.

Digital Wallets

Digital wallet solutions such as PayPal, Google Pay, Apple Pay and Alipay store buyer’s information like address and payment information online and in a secure place. Offering these types of payments for your ecommerce store can reduce friction during the checkout process because customers can buy in 1 click.

Say goodbye to the days of manually inputting your address and other information every time you order from an online shop. Studies by Big Commerce show that ecommerce stores with digital wallets were able to increase their mobile conversion rates threefold.

Real-Time Credit Card Validation

28% of people who abandon shopping carts were because of the long checkout process with 4% stating that their credit card was declined. This is fairly understandable because it can be frustrating to fill up information only to see the whole process fail or reset due to 1 missing credit card number.

Luckily, online payment processors like Stripe have real-time credit card validation for users. It will check any credit card type, number, expiry date and CVC as they type and tell them if something has been incorrectly entered.

Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL)

In the old days you can buy a product through lay-by. However, it does not give the purchaser instant gratification. In fact, they can’t take the item home until it has been fully paid off. This is where BNPL comes in. During the last few years providers like AfterPay, OpenPay and zipPay have been offering buy now pay later schemes to drive conversions up.

According to Australia Post BNPL accounted to 7.7% or $1.6 billion of total online goods sold in 2017. After offering BNPL, average order value increased by 53% and another saw a 10% increase in conversion rate.

Click and Collect

Click and collect has been available for a while now but many ecommerce stores failed to take advantage of this innovative idea. Nowadays, many retailers and physical shops are offering click and collect option due to social distancing rules observed during the Covid-19 pandemic. Click and collect is very convenient for buyers because not all of them will want items to be delivered. It allows them to shop online and then pick up the items at a more convenient time.

Click and collect is popular in major Australian supermarkets like Woolworth’s because customers can shop without walking the aisles. They also have a pick-up and drive-thru option so you can just head to the parking lot and an employee will deliver your groceries to you rather than walking into the store.

Convenient Delivery With Parcel Lockers

People live busy lives and are not always available for deliveries. Aside from pick-up and collect, Australia Post is offering parcel lockers for customers who want to access their deliveries on their own terms.

Australia Post is also offering online businesses more choices for delivery so that customers can decide when and where their online shopping gets delivered. Parcel Lockers are not just offered by Australia Post with other retailers offering their own versions.

Fast Delivery

We now live in a world obsessed with instant fulfillment. Delivery speed is now a growing factor for many buyers. This is why online stores are offering speedier delivery options with next day, same day and even 3-hour delivery within the a certain radius.

Still unsure? Studies show that 63% of shoppers reporting that they would definitely buy an item if it offered next-day delivery.

Social Registration And Checkout

Remembering all those usernames, emails and passwords for different online stores can be a pain. Providing users with easy social login is a good way to reduce registration friction. According to LoginRadius, there is a 52% increase in conversion rate when social login is available.

Aside from reducing friction, offering social login also helps ecommerce store to capture verified data from your customers.

Bottom Line

The ecommerce space is getting more crowded as many brick and mortar stores as well as aspiring entrepreneurs find it easier to set up online shops. Finding innovative ways to make you stand out against the competition can help improve conversion rates and sales.

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Best Dashboard Design Principles For Designers

Dashboards can make or break a digital product. The purpose of a dashboard is to provide a solution for organizing and presenting data in an efficient manner. Web developers should design a dashboard that can meet its purpose so that it can fulfill its mission of providing relevant data that users can analyze and interpret quickly.

Many dashboard designs clearly use data visualization to represent important data and track important indicators. Dashboards should also display information in a scannable format, with the most important data available immediately.

If dashboards cannot display data in a useful way, users will find it difficult to gain insights, which mean that it has poor design.

 But how do you design dashboards that can help users come to an informed decision? Here are dashboard design principles designers should be aware and follow.

Here are the components of a well-designed dashboard:

• Access to Relevant Data
• Simplifies Complex Data
• Can Express The Meaning of Data
• Provide a Clear User Interface

Include the following components in your dashboard design.

Consider The Needs of Your User

This is the most basic dashboard design principle. The design of a dashboard should revolve around the needs of end user. Before designing a dashboard, the designer should determine what kind of data or information the user wants to analyze.

Communicating and working with stakeholders, users and clients to select relevant key performance indicators (KPI) will enable you to begin selecting the right kind of dashboard tools.

KPIs come from a wide range of data sources. During the design process you will need to connect these sources with APIs. The more data sources, the more time it will take or you to finish the design.

Select The Right Type Of Dashboard

Selecting the right kind of dashboard is also important during the design process. If the dashboard is intended for high level executive-use or decision makers, you need a KPI dashboard. Supervisors who are monitoring employee performance on the other hand will need an operational type of dashboard.

These 2 types are different. KPI dashboard offers an overhead view of exiting business metrics. It allows executives to understand the data in terms of strategies and the health of the company. This kind of dashboard can be configured to receive data weekly, monthly, quarterly or annually.

Operational dashboards on the other hand give users a real-time view of business operations. This is a good choice for supervisors and managers because it allows them to act quickly on setbacks that impact daily operations while giving them insights about employee productivity.

Immediate Access To Relevant Information

Another important dashboard design principle is to give users immediate access to important information. This is called the “5 second rule”. This means that all important information should be available within 5 seconds after the dashboard loads.

It is important to work with shareholders in order to determine which data is most important to them. You can then display this data on a prominent spot on the dashboard. After this, you can display remaining data in a logical order.

Select The Right Kind Of Visualization

The right visualization tool has a big impact on how data is presented. Designers usually get carried away with charts, maps and graphs.

When selecting a method, avoid cluttering the screen with different visualization tools. Select one or two types to maintain simplicity and consistency.

Line charts are good choices for showcasing data patterns but pie charts are usually ineffective because many users struggle to decipher the size of each slice. Tables are good for displaying data. However, if there is too much users will find it harder to scan.

Some of the best dashboard do not include charts or visualization tools for KPI. The top KPI is usually displayed as plain text in a prominent position – usually on top of the screen – to make them stand out against other data.

Keep It Simple and Easy To Understand

Above all, designers should strive to keep dashboard design simple and easy to understand. This will make it easier for users to analyze the information on the screen.

Group data into categories and then separate each category with a box or line. Users will then be able to separate essential data from the less relevant. Use simple fonts and minimal colors. A minimalist design will showcase the most important aspect in a dashboard: the information.

Conclusion

These dashboard tips should be able to help designers deliver a winning UX. Always remember to set goals for your dashboard design based on the needs of the user or your client. This will make it easier for you to design metrics and keep track of KPIs on the dashboard. Every dashboard addresses a different need. However, the principles above will help you focus on the needs of your end user.

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Avoid These Common Software Development Project Pitfalls

Software development can be a challenging task. Seeing it through from start to finish can give even veteran developers a big headache. This is why many software projects fall through. Aside from complicated process and challenges, many software development projects also go over budget.

There are many pitfalls to watch out for when you’re developing software. Here are some of the most common reasons why software projects fail.

Unclear Goals

Ideas do not always translate into goals. When you have an idea you want to run with it and see what works, but it is not always measurable or doable. In some cases, ideas are just great as ideas. Software developers know that this is one of the biggest risks in the industry. If a project does not have clear goals, it will not have direction and project engineers and developers will not understand why they are doing the work.

While it is true that necessity is the mother of invention, every software developer should first understand what the goals are, what problems are going to be solved and what the mechanisms are in order to measure the success of the project.

Not Enough Documentation

Coders and programmers know how important documentation is. Proper documentation is needed in order to keep track of all the aspects of an application and it improves on the quality of the software product. Most importantly, documentation is needed for development, maintenance and knowledge transfer to other developers. Software documentation reduces support requirements while improving quality and productivity.

Writing software without a clear User Stories & Acceptance Criteria is like building a house without a blueprint. Are you building a house for a family of 3 or a family of 8? Is it for a young family or for your grandparents?

Poor Communication

A big factor in failed software development projects is poor communication. It is common for a single project to involve a lot of people. In the end it all boils down to how well people in a team communicate with each other. This is because communication is the glue that holds the whole project.

While documentation is important in software development, team dynamics plays a big part in how well information is communicated and understood. Managing expectations is also important in order to ensure that everybody is on the same page.

Communication should be easy to access. All team members should be able to access task management and reporting tools without having to ask other members.

Agile Project Management

Research shows that teams that follow agile project management are more likely to succeed. Agile framework promotes flexible and sustainable environment for software development. It is also responsive to change and allow for more complicated projects to be broken down into smaller tasks and achievable milestones.

This is very important for teams because hitches and changes can happen during the development process which can significantly impact the outcome.

Lack Of Shareholder Feedback

According to studies, lack of engagement from stakeholders is the reason why many projects fail. Keeping stakeholders informed and involved during the process minimizes ensures that the project continues because everybody is aligned with what’s important.

Actively seek feedback for improvement from stakeholders. Make sure that they know what’s going on during the development process and find out which areas they like, dislike or need improvement. Communicate these changes to the team clearly not only to boost morale but also to make sure that changes are acted upon.

Wrap Up

Software projects usually face delays, setbacks and cost blowouts. They also sometimes lose their initial purpose. Teams lose interest when their goals are unmet, communication breaks down and projects come to a halt.

Luckily, these projects can be rescued. Whether it’s fixing poor quality code or improving communication and facing other software development problems, developers can face these challenges if there is a clear and actionable path ahead. This is why clear goals should be set for every software development project.

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How To Keep Pets Quiet When Working From Home

According to PIAA statistics, more than 62% of Australian households have pets, with 38% owning dogs and 29% having cats. With coronavirus disease (Covid-19) cases still rising in the country and worldwide, many people are being urged to work from home in a bid to slow down the spread of infection. Pets, especially dogs are probably happy with this news.

However, this can be a problem for employees who struggle with noisy pets when they are working. Unlike children, making pets understand that you need to work is tougher. Also your dog’s constant barking during video calls or your cat’s sleeping on your keyboard can make it more challenging to stay focused on the task at hand. Here are some ways you can keep pets quiet while you work at home.

Walk Before And After Work

Taking your dog for a walk before and after you start work has many health benefits for both you and your pooch. Walking is a good way to keep weight down and keep fit and healthy. Dogs are naturally outdoor creatures so staying indoors for long periods of time cause anxiety and depression which leads to destructive behavior. Take your dog for a walk before work to release pent up energy and to calm them down.

Aside from exercise, walks also stimulate them mentally. Seeing new stuff, smelling new smells and being able to socialize with other dogs will make them happier and teach them how to behave in public.

Walk them after work too. This will further release any pent up energy so both you and your dog can have a good night’s sleep.

Keep Them Engaged With Food Puzzles and Interactive Toys

Keep your pets engaged and quiet by giving them food puzzles and interactive toys. A good example is the Kong. Dogs and cats will have a great time figuring out how to get the food out of the Kong. It is literally hours of quiet and fun as they try to get every bit of food out.

Start by packing the Kong with a few bits of food. Pack tighter as they get the hang of it. Try to buy different pet food puzzle feeders and food balls to engage them mentally and to keep them quiet.

Cats are easier to entertain. Cat furniture, boxes and pieces of paper lying around are usually enough to keep them entertained for hours.

Frozen Food Treats During Video Calls

Now that you have a pet food puzzle feeder, pack them with a frozen homemade treat 5 minutes before a video call. If you have multiple pets, the trick here is to give each pet a frozen treat and to separate them so that they can lick and solve without squabbling and you can get to your conference in peace.

Get The Family Involved

Your housemates should also share in pet care. Create a schedule where somebody is in charge of a particular chore. For example, your spouse can be in charge of walking and feeding the dog. Kids can be in charge of feeding or playtime.

Just remember that chores should be age appropriate. Young children should never be left unsupervised when they are doing pet chores. Also, don’t forget to pencil in some personal time with your pet.

Be Patient And Consistent

Pets will find it harder to understand why you don’t play with them even if you’re home all the time. They will result to barking and other means to get your attention. In this case, try you very best to ignore them especially if you don’t have a home office. If you keep ignoring them despite the barking, whining and howling they will learn that such behavior is not tolerated and will get them nowhere. In time they will learn to keep quiet and to entertain themselves.

The key here is to be consistent. Don’t keep shushing them because it only works temporarily. We know how hard it is to ignore pets but you need to be patient and consistent so that you and your pet can work and live hand in hand at home in peace and harmony.

Bottom Line

It looks like Covid-19 is here to stay for the time being. While Australia is doing a good job in containing the virus, local spread can still sometimes shut down communities and cities. Many companies will ask employees to work at home in order to mitigate risks so finding ways to keep pets happy and entertained while you work is important.

Work from home can be challenging especially during the transition period. However, finding creative ways to stay focused while keeping pets entertained is important in order to keep up your work efficiency and productivity.

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6 Ways Covid-19 Is Changing The Workplace

It’s now more than 6 months and the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) is still wreaking havoc around the world. Some countries like Australia and New Zealand are faring better than others at containing the virus but breakouts and surges are still happening in both countries.

It looks like finding ways to cope with Covid-19 will still be a daily struggle for many individuals, businesses and countries. It has had a huge impact on our daily lives and on the workforce. Although it is hard to imagine right now, but this pandemic will end and some things will go back to normal. For others, there will be a new normal.

Some of these changes will be temporary, others permanent. Here are a few ways Covid-19 is changing the workplace.

Corporate Flexibility

When Covid-19 hit Australia, many businesses were forced to shut down or to minimize the physical appearance of staff on the workplace. This is why many employees were quick to figure out how they could work from home efficiently.

Work from home was an alien concept before but many employees and companies are now embracing this practice because it provides flexibility. Now that many companies and employees realize that they can work at home and stay productive, it will be hard to let go of this practice even if the pandemic is over.

Headquarters 2.0

According to Apple CEO Tim Cook, temperature checks and social distancing guidelines will likely be followed even if infection rates go down and they will persist until such time that advances in medicine and health bring breakthroughs. However, once the pandemic is over offices will become more about community and interaction rather than individual productivity.

Conference rooms, video studios and meeting places will dominate offices of the future and offices will become a social environment rather than a “lock me in the office” scenario. Offices will be designed for better socialization and communication in an effort to take advantage of talent when they are in 1 location. Pandemic or not, humans are not robot and thrive on human interaction which leads to productivity and innovation.

Work Ready Homes  

Many remote workers did not find working from home difficult because they felt isolated; rather they were ill prepared for the sudden change in their working life. At the start, many of them did not have a work ready home or Zoom installed in their personal computers.

One of the biggest challenges remote workers had was internet performance. Many of them commented on how weak internet was at home which caused drops in productivity. Fortunately, internet for homes will improve quickly.

Home offices will also become a priority for people who are buying or renting homes. The ability to work from home will become an important factor for employees when moving.

Online Learning For All

Online learning will not just be for students anymore. Many companies are quickly learning that seminars can easily become webinars which makes it more convenient for everyone involved. It cuts down travelling accommodation expense and is more flexible for both parties.

Person-to-person learning, trainings and workshops won’t go away but they will be reserved for certain functions or personnel in the company.

Good-Bye To Business Attire

You likely dressed up for the office before Covid-19 but you don’t have to be dressed in business attire every day for remote working. Many work from home employees usually wear a smart blouse or shirt for their tops but wear comfortable bottoms with slippers. This way they are presentable enough for video calls but comfortable in their PJ bottoms, short or sweat pants.

Video Expert

Speaking of videos, many remote workers quickly became video virtuosos during the pandemic. Since video calls and meetings have become the norm; setting up video, looking good and sounding better have become important.

Remote workers had to learn to operate video apps like Zoom in order to interact and socialize with co-workers and in order to replace face-to-face meetings.

Bottom Line

According to a survey by Building20, Most Australians believed that working from home allowed them to be more productive or had minimal effect on their productivity. 45%of responders think that they were more productive while 32% thought their productivity remained the same. Overall, 51% said they prefer remote working compared to the 23% who preferred working at the office.

However, the survey also revealed a significant find: workers don’t want to go back to the inflexible working arrangements of before Covid-19. This means companies and businesses have to find ways to make a new office culture where remote work and traditional work can co-exist.

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How Covid-19 is Affecting Small Businesses and Marketers

It seems like despite the world’s best efforts, the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) is still hanging in there. Millions of people have been infected worldwide and thousands have died since the virus was first detected late last year. As a result, many businesses have been forced to permanently or temporarily shut down.

The Covid-19 pandemic is affecting public health and economies around the world. According to Google, search interest for the virus has increased +260% globally. While spikes in search trends are common during large scale events, there has also been a surge in traffic for related products and topics as a direct response to the pandemic.

How Google And Facebook Are Responding

As a response to fake news and information circulating around the internet regarding Covid-19, both Google and Facebook are removing anyone running ads to exploit the situation. Google for example has removed content on YouTube that claims to prevent infection in place of medical treatment and is blocking all ads exploiting the coronavirus disease.

How does it affect small businessmen like you? It doesn’t.  Unless you copy this type of messaging in your ads that claims to cure or prevent Covid-19 then these changes implemented by Facebook and Google will have minimal effect on your marketing.

These platform policies will most likely not impact your account. However, the pandemic and the resulting market changes will. Here are some strategies to prepare and adjust your accounts.

Review Accounts

It is always important to stay on top of marketing changes because the trends can impact your strategies. For example, it might affect your paid search and paid social accounts, from changing click and impression volumes to changing costs.

Staying on top of changes and current trends can help you to get a more accurate picture of where you stand in terms of your metrics. Monitor comments within your post too to prevent the spread of disinformation and fear-based comments can detract potential customers.

Communicate Changes With Customers

Communicating effectively with customers is a key factor in maintaining relationships. For example, your office or store might need to postpone operations temporarily and customers and suppliers will need to know the changes in your schedule in terms of office hours, delivery etc.

You need to communicate changes as soon as possible especially online. Google recommends changing business hours and description on Google My Business profile. Your description can be updated to reflect any changes in terms of precautions and any changes to your services.

Adjust Strategy

A lot of changes have happened due to the coronavirus disease pandemic. For example, hand sanitizers have been in short supply and social distancing is now the new normal. Remote working is also becoming popular while non-essential travels are banned by some countries in a bid to help prevent infections. These changes are stressful which is why marketers need to have a concise and clear messaging strategy.

For example, if you have products advertised that are flying off the shelves make sure that you’re still not advertising them when they become out of stock. Exclude out of stock products from store campaigns to prevent advertising products you no longer have.

For Travel Agencies

The travel and tourism business is perhaps one of the hardest hits sector due to Covid-19. In Australia for example, you can’t leave the country unless you get an exemption from the Department of Home Affairs and other nations have instituted similar bans on non-essential travel.

Despite the ban, there is still interest on “cheap flights right now” and “cheap flights due to coronavirus”. This means that while many people can’t travel beyond their countries right now, there is still interest for travel in the future. For the travel industry, this means focusing on the future. Advertise trips or activities in low-risk areas, and provide additional content about what trips and activities are still safe.

Bottom Line

While coronavirus disease pandemic has affected the livelihood and economies of millions of people and countries worldwide, keeping ourselves and our communities should be our first priority. Many businesses are feeling the effects of the business and staying up to date with the correct information is a key.

Businessmen and marketers should continue to monitor the situation as more industry experts, data, analysis and resources will come to light in the coming weeks.

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