Categories
Business Website

Choosing payment processing for your business

Choosing and setting up payment processing or a payment processor for your e-commerce online business is a very important step. Often times business owners will opt for the easy and quick solution for this task. However the unforeseen and possible future repercussions from this quick decision can slow the overall growth of your business. Here are a few pro tips to consider when choosing your payment processing partner.

  1. What are you selling? The products you sell and where you are selling them can be a deciding factor on your payment processing options. For instance, CBD product sales can pose problems when searching for a payment processing option. Contact us for help with finding a processor for CBD sales.
  2. Understand your Limitations. Some processors will limit the countries you are allow to sell to and as mentioned above they can also dictate the products you are allowed to sell. Be sure to know all of the limitations with your processor before implementing with your online store. Frozen funds during suspicious activity or chargeback errors, that will come out of your pocket, is common when signing up for a provided payment processor like Shopify Payments.
  3. Processing Fees. This seems like a big one but for some reason it is never scrutinized well enough during the review process. Your processing fees will most likely always go up in one fashion or another. Having multiple or stacked fees is the most common tactic used today. Shopify will charge you an additional transaction fee if you are NOT using their preferred in-house processing option.

If you are searching for alternative payment processing options for your online business please review our affiliate option at Payment Cloud. They have free cost comparisons, free gateway setup and no application or setup fees. We can help fill in the gaps as needed to help get your payment processing under your control.

We have another article posted with more information to consider for your payment processing – see the full article here.

 

Categories
Development Technology Website

Shopify or WordPress WooCommerce?

The most common question most people looking to start an e-commerce site is: Which platform do I use? Shopify or WooCommerce?

Choosing the platform is the first and most daunting part of this process. On the flip side there are people currently on one platform and looking to make a switch to another. Skynet Solutions can assist you in either of these situations as well as advise on which platform to use for your business. In this write up I want to explore some reasons why Shopify might be your better bet over a WordPress WooCommerce website.

There are many variables to consider when starting this process. Many of which I might not shed light on, but I hope to touch on some of the more common instances. Shopify, to me, is like the Apple of e-commerce websites; everything is all there inside the walled garden. Unlike WordPress, creating a Shopify store is a fairly streamlined process that doesn’t require a checklist or reliance on previous web experience. Many of the tedious setup items associated with a WordPress WooCommerce website like, Analytics, Credit Card Processing, SSL, Hosting, Security and Design elements are presented to you in a much more simple selection process. You won’t need to hunt down how to do something or realize something should have been done in the beginning with Shopify. All of the standardized e-commerce web store items are available and more easily set up with a Shopify store.

The Shopify platform is designed to help raise you up with built in support and tools. This platform will grow with your business and allow for expansion all while keeping you within industry standards. Start your FREE, no credit card required, account today for 14 days.

Support

Shopify offers live chat support and help within its developer community for advice on how to improve your store. Plenty of people have documented their processes so that you can fully take charge for your next store upgrade.

Integrations

Shopify has many built in integrations that can easily be implemented in your store. Things like email marketing, abandoned cart marketing, Social media and custom applications are all readily available for setup. If you have a brick and mortar store with a POS system Shopify has you covered with their Point-of-sale integration option. With WordPress WooCommerce you will need to find, purchase/sign-up and setup individual providers for each of the items that I mentioned.

Mobile

Shopify works great with mobile in mind. All available designs are built to work out of the box with mobile applications. Now this is the same as WordPress WooCommerce. However, this story changes if you are looking to run your store via a mobile device. Shopify has much better mobile usability when it comes to administrator access.

Hosting and SSL

Hosting and annual SSL certificates are all taken care of under the Shopify umbrella when you sign up. One less stress and additional cost to be concerned with is annual SSL and Hosting renewals as Shopify has these items built into their packages.

Security

Google reCAPTCHA and other standard security measures are automatically included and setup with your Shopify store. Where as each and every one of these items will need to be sourced and setup with a WordPress WooCommerce website.

Choose Skynet Solutions as your Shopify Partner!

Skynet Solutions is a Shopify Partner that can help you setup a new Shopify store or help migrate you from an existing WordPress WooCommerce site. Contact us if you are needing to migrate an existing website or start your new Shopify account with a FREE 14 day trial (no credit card needed) by clicking the link above. Explore the available account options, see how things work and you could even start an initial store mock up.

I’ve reviewed most of the features that Shopify has and how those can help you create a great eCommerce web store. Going this route can be less complicated, more secure and great for mobile and social media. The Shopify process can potentially cost you more than a WordPress WooCommerce store but it might be worth it to you. I hope this helps you to determine your path and we look forward to helping with your journey!

Categories
Business Development Website

eCommerce Subscription Website Launch

eCommerce websites are our most valued product that we produce here at Skynet Solutions. We take great pride in providing people the means to start or grow their online business. And what a powerful thing it is to have and run and eCommerce Subscription website!

Recently Skynet Solutions helped another business get their boots on the ground with an eCommerce Subscription website for their CBD products. This model is a perfect fit for an audience looking to have a turn-key recurring purchase that is automated.

Skynet helped KAO Naturals develop and manage their new eCommerce Subscription website on a Woocommerce and WordPress platform. Coming from a shopify environment where every little thing costs another monthly fee, or doesn’t exist, they are now set up for sustainable financial growth. Taking control of their payment processing and being able to have the freedom to have specific software developed are only some of the benefits they were looking for. Shopify is great for a starting company or a small one person operation but not great for growing companies with continuous or growing revenue streams. Our custom website design allows KAO Naturals the ability to expand where they see fit.

If you currently use or looking into using CBD products please consider KAO Naturals for your next purchase. They are an American based company that also manufactures their products here in the USA. Its also great to do business with nice people – and KAO Naturals are a good bunch of people. Check their website out for more info and order today!

If you are needing eCommerce website design, creation or management please give us a call or contact us today. You can also view some of our previous work on our examples page.

Categories
Development Digital Marketing News Website

Checkout Styling for WooCommerce and Elementor

As eCommerce experts, the team at Skynet Solutions is always working with small businesses to determine what needs they have they can’t be addressed by the current plugins available for WordPress. One of the most common issues we experienced is that eCommerce stores will often become frustrated with the inability to customize their cart and checkout pages with WooCommerce to make them reflect the rest of the website theme. Checkout Styling for WooCommerce and Elementor adds two new widgets to Elementor PRO to allow you to style your WooCommerce Cart and Checkout with the Elementor page builder.

Following the installation of the plugin, the standard WooCommerce Cart and Checkout pages are extremely limited by design. This creates a cohesive look for businesses that use the plugin but doesn’t allow for the individuality needed to shine against other eCommerce competitors. Historically, the only way to change this was through the use of custom coding or leveraging a plugin that may not be compatible with your existing template or page builder of choice. To combine the best of both worlds, Checkout Styling for WooCommerce and Elementor unites the power and popularity of Elementor PRO with WooCommerce to provide expanded functionality and extra styling options for WooCommerce Cart and Checkout pages.

Unlike other plugins that may completely override your existing theme or template options to provide customization, Checkout Styling for WooCommerce and Elementor adds two new widget options to further improve your store design options. After installing the WordPress plugin, just remove the WooCommerce short code that is currently in use and add the designated CSWE widget through Elementor Pro to match the page you are editing. Once done, you will have new and extensive options to easily customize your WooCommerce Cart and Checkout page.

| ELEMENTOR PRO IS REQUIRED FOR THIS PLUGIN

What Features do the CSWE Widgets Add?

CSWE Cart

CSWE Cart is a custom-designed widget for Elementor Pro that allows an eCommerce store to customize their WooCommerce Cart page using existing Elementor functionality. The goal of this widget is to ensure anyone can personalize their WooCommerce cart page with Elementor PRO as long as they have a basic understanding of the existing functionality the page builder provides. Some of the features you can expect when using CSWE Cart include:

  • Custom Button Text for Coupons and Checkout Buttons
  • Header Text Modifications for Font, Color, Border and More
  • Comprehensive Button Styling Options
  • Responsive Options To Hide Forms Based on Device
  • Custom Background Options and Motion Effects

CSWE Checkout

CSWE Checkout was developed to allow for increased styling options on the WooCommerce Checkout Page that were previously unavailable. By integrating the widget with existing Elementor functionality, eCommerce stores can quickly and easily personalize their checkout page to make it unique. Some of the features that you can expect when using CSWE Checkout include:

  • Custom Field Headers for Billing and Shipping Details
  • Individual Control of What Fields are Required
  • Typography Control for Buttons, Headers and Labels
  • Comprehensive Button Styling Options
  • Responsive Options To Hide Forms Based on Device
  • Custom Background Options and Motion Effects

DOWNLOAD PLUGIN NOW

How Can Skynet Solutions Help?

Skynet Solutions is committed to providing the best web design services possible. If you are ready to expand your web presence, refresh your website design, start your eCommerce website or enhance your digital marketing, we are here to help. You can fill out our online contact form on our website or connect with us on FacebookTwitter and LinkedIn.

Categories
Business Support Website

Search Engine Optimization

Search engine optimization (SEO) is fundamental and essential for any ecommerce or mobile website design. Properly created and executed SEO will help position your website properly on search results; allowing it to be found at the most critical times.

A professional website design service company like Skynet Solutions can build your website in a way that will please both your visitors/customers, as well as Google, Bing, and other search engines. More importantly understanding how SEO can help your web presence become more relevant and profitable is our job as website design professionals. Skipping the basics of SEO will only leave your site’s foundation a mess and prevent you from fully maximizing revenue opportunities.

During the Introduction to SEO session at SES New York, Carolyn Shelby (@CShel), Director of SEO, Chicago Tribune/435 Digital, fully explained the extreme value SEO can deliver to a site, and stressed the importance of basic SEO using the following analogy: “Skipping the basics and spending all your time and money on social and ‘fancy stuff’ is the same as skipping brushing your teeth and showering, by buying white strips and wearing expensive cologne.”

Although the Introduction to SEO session was intended for industry newcomers, Shelby’s tips offer important reminders for even experienced website design companies who have been optimizing websites for years.

What is SEO and its purpose?

We will start with the purpose of Search Engine Optimization and move into what it actually is next. So, what’s the purpose of having good SEO?

  • To create an informative and seamless user experience for your visitors.
  • To communicate to the search engines your intentions so they can recommend your website for relevant searches.

Think of your website like a cake. Who doesnt like a good analogy? Your links, paid search, and social media act like the icing, but your content, content management system, and infrastructure act as the sugar in the cake. Without these items your cake it would be tasteless, boring, not eaten and would grow stale. A professional website design company like Skynet Solutions can help explain and maintain your website so that it never gets stale.

What are search engines looking for:

Search engines want to do their job as best as possible by referring users to websites and content that is the most relevant to what the user is looking for. So how is relevancy determined?

  • Content. Is determined by the theme that is being given, the text on the page, and the titles and descriptions that are given.
  • Performance. How fast is your site and does it work properly?
  • Authority. Does your site have good enough content to link to or do other authoritative sites use your website as a reference or cite the information that’s available?
  • User Experience. How does the site look? Is it easy to navigate around? Does it look safe? Does it have a high bounce rate?

What search engines are NOT looking for:

Search engine spiders only have a certain amount of data storage, so if you’re performing shady tactics or trying to trick them, chances are you’re going to hurt your website’s performance in the long run. Getting a website design service company to develop specific tactics catered for your needs will help you hit the ground running straight!

  • Keyword Stuffing. Overuse of keywords on your pages.
  • Purchased Links. Buying links will get you nowhere when it comes to SEO, so be warned.
  • Poor User Experience. Make it easy for the user to get around on your website. Too many ads or a confusing navigation can make it too difficult for people to find content they’re looking for and will result in an increased bounce rate.
  • Images. Images are not indexable or readable by search engine bots. If the most important information about your service is listed in an image then you are omitting this information from being visible to the search engines.

Knowing, understanding, and reviewing your website bounce rate is an important element for any business. Discussing and reviewing our clients bounce rate is a regular tactic practiced by Skynet Solutions that has proven to increase overall performance. These are some of the items that are provided for our clients in our monthly reports. If your business is need any of the items mentioned above please contact us today!

 

Categories
Digital Marketing News Support Website

Why Are Website Backups Important?

There’s a good chance that you have invested a lot of time and money into your website. And, if something were to happen to it and you lost that data, you would likely be devastated. This is, unfortunately, a reality for many small business owners that haven’t invested in a proper way to create backups of their website and associated data. But why exactly are website backups and important and how can you ensure they are being done?