E-commerce is a fast-paced and highly competitive industry in which success hinges upon more than just the quality of the products that businesses offer. To stand out in a sea of potential competitors, many e-commerce businesses focus on fine-tuning the customer experience they provide—and such a move is especially critical for startups and small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) with limited resources. For such businesses, quality customer service for ecommerce businesses can become the swing factor that allows them to go toe-to-toe with more established operations.

Top-notch customer service for ecommerce businesses becomes especially important considering that the expectations of today’s online shoppers are higher than ever for the businesses they support. They don’t just demand quality products; most will be looking for a shopping experience that is seamless, responsive, and above all, customer-centric. These expectations have set a new standard for customer service for ecommerce businesses, which now serves as a critical differentiator in the crowded digital marketplace. 

In light of this major shift, startups and SMEs must craft their every touchpoint, from the initial website visit to the post-purchase follow-up, to enhance the customer experience. Here are five best practices they can utilize to achieve this:

1) Optimize the Checkout Process

An efficient checkout process is the culmination of a customer’s online shopping experience, so it’s important for you to make sure that your checkout operates smoothly and securely. Excessively complex or time-consuming checkout processes will only frustrate customers, which in turn may lead to abandoned carts and lost sales. 

In the Philippines, more and more e-commerce businesses have come to recognize Maya Business’s Maya Checkout as one of the best online payment processing solutions. Maya Checkout readily takes all currently available forms of digital payment in the country, from e-wallet transfers to QR payments to traditional debit and credit card transactions. Integrating online payment platforms that offer customers multiple ways to pay allows businesses to accommodate the preferences of a wider consumer base. Doing so, in turn, helps eliminate any friction at the most critical point in the sales process.

Moreover, when it comes to e-commerce and online payment, Philippines-based consumers have become increasingly particular about cybersecurity, and it’s in businesses’ best interest to respond accordingly. Cutting-edge internet payment solutions like Maya Checkout cut out cash handling risks and provide customers with the assurance of 24/7 fraud protection. This security helps build trust with customers by demonstrating that the business is vigilant in safeguarding their money and information. 

2) Offer Multi-Channel Support

The modern customer appreciates the convenience of reaching out and receiving support through various channels, whether via social media, email, live chat, or phone. To offer quality support across all these channels, businesses need to do more than simply make themselves available. They must focus on crafting a cohesive customer service for ecommerce businesses experience that is consistent in quality and message, regardless of how the customer chooses to communicate. For startups and SMEs, this means both establishing a presence on multiple platforms and also training their customer service teams to deliver the same level of service across all of them.

A multi-channel support system can guide customers through their journey, provide timely assistance, and strengthen the connection between the customer and the brand. If businesses can meet customers on their preferred platforms, they’ll be able to validate customers’ preferences and adapt to their habits, which is a subtle yet powerful way to communicate customer appreciation. This approach helps in resolving issues efficiently and in collecting valuable feedback that can inform and improve all areas of business operations.

3) Maximize Responsiveness

The prevalence of digital communication technology today means that customer service for ecommerce businesses responses must be both quick and thorough in order to be impactful. Customers expect immediate attention when they come to an e-commerce business with a query, so these businesses should strive to be as responsive as possible. This entails being both available and also effectively present.

Implementing automated systems like chatbots for instant replies to common queries and concerns can significantly cut down wait times and improve customer satisfaction. However, it’s also important to balance automation with a personal touch—particularly for concerns that are too complicated for chatbots to resolve. Having a dedicated team ready to address more complex issues in real time reflects a commitment to customer care that won’t go unnoticed.

Furthermore, responsiveness extends beyond simply addressing concerns; it also means acknowledging customer feedback, which can serve as a prompt for continuous improvement in service and product offerings. When customers share their opinions and experiences, they’re communicating their needs and expectations directly to the business. E-commerce businesses that actively solicit, monitor, and respond to customer feedback can fine-tune their service, address gaps in their product offerings, and make informed decisions that will further drive up their business development. 

4) Personalize Interactions with Customers

Personalization is the key to making each customer feel valued and understood. E-commerce platforms that go the extra mile to recognize return customers, remember their preferences, and make recommendations based on past purchases are highly likely to make a positive impression. Businesses can, for instance, utilize customer relationship management (CRM) tools to collect customer data that they can subsequently utilize to tailor interactions. However, they likewise must handle this personalization with care and balance it with respect for consumer privacy.

Your own approach to personalizing your customer interactions can increase both your chances of customer retention and your average order value. When customers feel a business understands their needs, they’re likely to feel confident in their purchases. This level of service transforms customer support from a cost center into a revenue driver.

5) Communicate Clearly

Clear communication is the backbone of effective customer service for any kind of company. E-commerce businesses must ensure that their policies on customer-relevant processes, such as shipping and returns, are easy for customers to find on their website. They also need to put effort into articulating these policies in simple, accessible language, with minimal technical jargon. This minimizes any ambiguities that might lead to misunderstandings and impaired customer trust down the line.

For your own e-commerce venture, remember that clear communication involves actively listening to customer concerns and providing concise, accurate responses. This can prevent any reported issues from escalating and build a more trustworthy relationship between the customer and the business. Provide comprehensive FAQs, detailed product descriptions, and easy-to-follow instructions to preemptively address customer questions, which will reduce the need for direct contact and allow your customer service team to focus on more complex queries.

Given how quickly the digital marketplace is sure to evolve, a startup or SME like yours should also continuously fine-tune its customer service strategies. For sure, this commitment to continuous improvement and customer satisfaction will drive the growth of your e-commerce business well into the future.

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WooCommerce VS. Shopify VS. Wix: Which One Is Better for You?

Setting up an online shop has become necessary for businesses to keep up with the modern world. Luckily, they have plenty of options to start operating on the World Wide Web. Shopify, WordPress’s WooCommerce, and Wix E-Commerce are popular and satisfactory options for many small businesses. But which one is better for you if you want to start a new e-commerce venture or take your existing shop online? This article compares WooCommerce vs. Shopify vs. Wix to help you tell which is a better fit.

What is WooCommerce?

WooCommerce is a free and adaptable e-commerce plugin developed specifically for WordPress sites. It is widely used in the creation of virtual stores.

WooCommerce also makes it simple for users to control their online shops. Everything from creating product pages and handling customer orders to integrating with various payment gateways is possible.

The WooCommerce plugin is readily available for download from the WordPress plugin directory.

WooCommerce has a simple user interface, ideal for newcomers. You don’t have to be a computer scientist or expert programmer to get started. That’s why a lot of companies opt to use it.

According to Barn2, 3.8 million online stores are currently using WooCommerce, anywhere from a department store to a bed and breakfast to a charity.

WooThemes, the company that created this platform, released it for the first time in 2011. Then, in 2015, Automattic, the company behind WordPress, bought them out.

The integration of WordPress and WooCommerce was a game-changer for both companies. To this day, Automattic has remained a committed contributor to WooCommerce and its add-ons.

What is Shopify?

Shopify is an e-commerce platform that allows businesses of all sizes to set up an online storefront and sell their products with a single, unified control panel.

To sell on social media, seller marketplaces, other blogs and websites, and via email, text, and chat, set up a Shopify store and get started on the same day.

Shopify’s integrated POS makes selling in person at retail stores, pop-up shops, farmers’ markets, and other venues a breeze.

Shopify is effective because it allows you to manage your inventory, customers, and administrative duties from a single interface linked to your various sales channels.

After getting the basics down, Shopify makes it simple to branch out into untapped markets and sell via unconventional mediums.

What is Wix?

Wix eCommerce, a new version of Wix for online stores, brands, and merchants of all sizes, was released on June 30, 2020. Specifically, Wix has made a significant step with this release toward joining the growing eCommerce market trend.

Because of this, Wix eCommerce introduces a plethora of cutting-edge capabilities, such as advanced business and financial management tools, streamlined customer shopping and payment processes, and much more.

WooCommerce VS. Shopify VS. Wix 

1.) Use

As a business owner, your time is valuable. You need to devote the bulk of it to things like responding to customer comments and questions, fulfilling orders, and communicating with suppliers. You’ll need a user- and maintenance-friendly e-commerce platform to achieve that goal seamlessly,

WooCommerce

When you install WooCommerce, your WordPress dashboard will expand to include new sections for managing things like inventory, orders, discounts, and more. Easily add new products or alter the look with just a few clicks from the dashboard.

But keep in mind that WooCommerce, being a plugin for WordPress, can be more complicated and will necessitate some familiarity with WordPress for optimal use. Since both WordPress and the WooCommerce plugin need to be installed and configured initially, more work is involved. You would need basic programming knowledge to get started with WooCommerce.

Shopify

Shopify’s user interface is so straightforward that even inexperienced users can easily set up a store.

We want to be clear that Shopify’s backend is still quite powerful, so don’t expect to have your site live in five minutes. We are impressed by how well-designed and intuitive its editor is.

Users have nothing to stress over in terms of technicalities. With just a few mouse clicks, they can accomplish almost anything. Shopify has excellent documentation and guides for new users. You can even set up and publish a shop within a week.

Wix

Like Shopify, Wix caters to users who lack technical expertise. So, it goes without saying that this cloud-based service is far more intuitive to use than its open-source counterparts.

Wix’s main strength, in my opinion, is its ease of use when it comes to creating a storefront. Wix eCommerce not only takes after its parent platform in terms of ease of use, but also adds exciting new capabilities like Wix Multilingual, Wix ADI, and Wix Editor.

2.) Designing Your Shop

Both WooCommerce’s, Wix’s, and Shopify’s stylish themes give your store a professional look and feel. However, there are slight differences in how they operate. In WooCommerce, you have more control to customize, but it has a technical learning curve. Let’s take a look at these distinctions.

WooCommerce

Storefront, WooCommerce’s starter theme, is mobile-friendly and adapts to any screen size. It also has a modern design that is easy on the eyes.

The quality of your WooCommerce design is directly proportional to the amount of time and effort you put into it and your technical expertise.

When creative minds get to work on new WooCommerce themes, the possibilities are truly endless. For instance, you can choose from more than a thousand unique e-commerce themes on ThemeForest.

Shopify

There are more than 70 different free and paid themes available in the Shopify theme store. However, if you account for combinations, the actual number is well over 100. Shopify is a dedicated e-commerce platform, so its themes are polished to help you make more money.

Start at $140 for a premium theme. This may seem like a lot, but think of it as an investment in your shop rather than a one-time cost. Many free options are also available if you’re on a tight budget.

Wix

Wix has more than 700 beautiful templates available that can be customized for any kind of online store, whether it sells accessories, clothing, arts and crafts supplies, or anything else. It is also an excellent platform for creating portfolios or wedding websites that place an emphasis on visuals.

You won’t have to worry about spending any money on a template because all of Wix’s themes are free. However, an eCommerce plan is required to access all of the tools available in Wix’s eCommerce templates. Each and every one of the layouts is fresh, neat, and enticing.

3.) Cost

One of the primary considerations before opening an online shop is the budget. What are the pricing ranges for WooCommerce, Shopify, and Wix E-Commerce?

WooCommerce

WooCommerce’s base level of service is free. Domain registration, SSL certificates, and the use of any of the many WordPress hosting services are all extras and cost money.

The prices for such services may change from one provider to another. Depending on your needs, hosting can cost anywhere from $5 to $30 per month. On average, a domain name will cost $9 a year to maintain. (SSL) certificates range in price from zero dollars per year to hundreds of dollars. We recommend investing in SSL to protect your website. It is essential, and the money is well spent.

A website can be made for a reasonable sum using WooCommerce and various free and paid add-ons available on the WordPress plugin’s official plugin directory. It’s important to remember that you may need to purchase multiple extensions or plugins, such as those intended to improve your site’s search engine rankings.

When comparing platforms, the price is not always what matters most, but the features.

Shopify

Users can try Shopify for free for 14 days before having to pay the service’s regular monthly fee. When paid annually, the cheapest plan costs $24 per month, the middle plan costs $69 per month, and the most expensive plan costs $299 per month.

Hosting and SSL are included in each of these packages. Having your own domain name, rather than using Shopify.com as the URL, costs an additional $14 per year.

While the basic plan’s product and storage space limits are unlimited, it allows two users per account. However, this does not include external integration.

Remember that there is a tiered pricing structure for financial transactions. Transactions cost a flat fee of 2.0% with the most basic plan and a fee of just 0.5% with the most expensive plan.

Wix

If you need a professional website but don’t want to accept payments online, one of Wix’s four starter plans is for you. All of these packages provide between 3 and 35 GB of storage space, in addition to a free custom domain and SSL certificate. The VIP and Pro plans feature a custom logo and an integrated events calendar. The cost breakdown for these entry-level website packages can be found below:

• Combo $16 per month
• Unlimited $22 per month
• Pro $27 per month
• VIP $45 per month

Choose from three different Wix e-commerce and business plans if you want to accept online payments through your website. These packages are offered at the following prices:

• Business Basic $27 per month
• Business Unlimited $32 per month
• Business VIP $59 per month

SEO

The success of your online store relies heavily on your SEO efforts. The single most important factor is a high ranking in Google’s search results for your online shop’s name. You want to come up when potential customers search for your product using keywords.

WooCommerce

WooCommerce incorporates a wide variety of WordPress’s SEO plugins and is built with search engine optimization in mind from the ground up. You can tell Google exactly what your pages are about by giving them descriptive meta titles and descriptions.

Favorite SEO features include rewriting page URLs for improved search engine visibility and excellent SEO guidance and prompts at every stage of the site creation process.

Shopify

Conversely, Shopify’s App Store includes various search engine optimization extensions. We recommend using the free SEO Booster, which analyzes your shop and suggests improvements in areas where performance may be suffering.

Basic SEO data can also be easily added to your Shopify store. Images, products, and pages can all have titles and descriptions added.

Wix

Using the Wix eCommerce platform, testers found that it excelled in the following areas in terms of SEO:

• Comprehensive Set of Search Engine Optimization Tools
• Managing Facebook and Instagram advertising directly from the store’s admin dashboard.

Concluding the Comparison

WooCommerce vs. Shopify vs. Wix

WooCommerce, Shopify, and Wix are strong contenders in the battle of the best online e-commerce platforms. Each makes an excellent choice, depending on your use and needs. WooCommerce is great for someone who is seasoned in using WordPress and has coding knowledge, which will help create a custom, unique shop. Shopify and Wix are perfect if you don’t have an IT technician on hand. Pricing is another factor; each has a different price scheme, and it helps to make some calculations before choosing.

Want to build an e-commerce app for your business? You can create a customizable shop with plenty of features with the nandbox app builder. Sign up for the 14-day free trial and build a unique e-store today!

The post WooCommerce VS. Shopify VS. Wix: Which One Is Better For You? appeared first on nandbox Native App Builder.

Ecommerce’s dramatic evolution has reshaped the business landscape, bringing both opportunities and challenges. To remain competitive and thrive, businesses must keep pace with these changes by creating a powerful ecommerce marketing funnel.

A ecommerce marketing funnel is a tool that helps entrepreneurs visualize the journey a customer takes from first hearing about a product to making a purchase. At the top of the funnel, potential customers are unaware of a business and its products. As they move down the funnel, they become aware of the business, consider their offerings, and decide to make a purchase.

A well-designed funnel can help you attract new customers, convert them into buyers, and retain them as long-term customers. To achieve this, here’s a step-by-step guide to building an effective marketing funnel regardless of your ecom budget plan:

Step 1: Identify Your Target Audience

Commencing the process of constructing a marketing funnel necessitates the initial step of identifying your target audience. Understandably, it’s crucial to recognize that your marketing efforts are not intended for everyone, but specifically for those who are most likely to purchase your products. Consequently, your target audience, or ideal customers, are those individuals who view your product or service as the perfect resolution for their needs.

To effectively identify your target audience, you need to ask a series of specific questions:

• What demographic factors characterize your ideal customer? Consider elements including age, location, gender, income level, education level, or marital status.
• What kind of behaviors do they display? Are they frequent online shoppers? Do they prefer quality over price?
• What are their interests and hobbies? What social media platforms do they use the most?
• What are their challenges or pain points? How does your product alleviate these issues?

Conducting market research and analyzing your existing customer data can provide answers to these questions. This deep understanding of your target audience allows you to craft marketing messages that resonate on a personal level, making them more likely to engage with your business.

Step 2: Create A Catchy, Optimized Website

Your website is not just an online storefront—it’s an integral component of your marketing funnel. A high-performing site attracts, engages, and converts potential customers. Here are key aspects to focus on:

• Design And Usability: Ensure your website design is clean and professional. Prioritize usability by making it easy for visitors to find what they’re looking for. A confusing or cluttered site can deter potential customers.
• Mobile Responsiveness: With more people shopping on mobile devices, it’s imperative your site is mobile-friendly. If your site doesn’t display or function well on mobile devices, you may risk losing potential customers.
• Speed: Site loading time affects user experience and search engine ranking. Compress images, minimize CSS, and leverage browser caching to increase site speed.
• Search Engine Optimization (SEO): Use keywords in your content and meta descriptions to help improve search engine visibility. An SEO-optimized site will attract more organic traffic.
• Calls-to-Action (CTAs): CTAs guide visitors toward making a purchase. They should be clear, concise, and compelling. An example could be “Buy Now” or “Add to Cart.”

Your website is the foundation of your online presence. It’s essential to make it as compelling and user-friendly as possible to maximize conversions.

Step 3: Engage And Nurture With Content Marketing

Initiating the process of engaging and nurturing potential customers with valuable content is critical to their progression through the funnel. This can incorporate a diverse array of mediums, such as blog posts, infographics, videos, ebooks, flip books and more.

Every individual piece of content should impart value to your audience, contributing towards the resolution of a problem or answering a question they might have. Furthermore, this strategy serves to build trust with your audience, position your business as a thought leader in the field, and inspires potential customers to proceed further down the funnel.

Step 4: Implement Email Marketing Strategies

Indeed, email marketing acts as a significant catalyst, guiding potential customers from the contemplation phase to the decisive stage of the sales funnel. Moreover, it’s recommended to leverage personalized emails as a means of maintaining connection, delivering valuable content, and endorsing products. Despite these efforts, it’s essential to keep in mind that the primary objective is to cultivate a relationship with your audience, rather than relentlessly pursuing sales. In addition to email, you could also try sending sale messages via SMS, since everyone reads their texts.

Step 5: Leverage Social Media Platforms

Social media platforms are a treasure trove for reaching and engaging with your target audience. They provide the opportunity to foster a personal connection with customers, which can boost brand loyalty.

Regular posting, prompt response to comments, and sharing of your valuable content are crucial to maintaining an active and effective social media presence. Furthermore, don’t overlook the power of paid social ads. Several social media platforms offer targeted advertising options that can be tailored to reach your specific demographic and drive more traffic to your website.

Step 6: Optimize For Search Engines

SEO is fundamental to gaining visibility in the digital landscape. This strategic approach enhances your website’s position in organic search results, thereby driving more traffic. Some key elements of SEO include:

• Keyword Research: Identify the keywords your target audience uses when searching for products or services similar to yours. Integrate these keywords thoughtfully into your content or URLs. Remember, relevance is essential, and keyword stuffing can harm your rankings.
• Technical SEO: This encompasses aspects such as site speed, mobile-friendliness, and secure connections (HTTPS). Search engines favor websites that offer users a seamless, secure browsing experience.
• Link Building: Quality backlinks from reputable sites signal to search engines that your content is credible and valuable, improving your site’s authority and rankings.

Besides, managed SEO services is a long-term strategy that requires patience and persistence but yields significant rewards.

Step 7: Monitor And Adjust Your Funnel

In summary, it’s paramount to persistently monitor and adjust your sales funnel. This is not a set-and-forget tool; instead, it necessitates continuous refinement for effective customer engagement and conversions.

This process typically entails identifying the weak spots or areas where potential customers are exiting the funnel without making a purchase. For example, these could be social media posts with lower engagement rates or unopened emails. Accordingly, actions must be taken to enhance these underperforming elements.

By regularly evaluating your funnel’s performance, you can pinpoint these issues, determine the priorities for revamping, and implement necessary changes. This might involve revising your email subject lines, refreshing your social media strategy, or even reevaluating your target audience.

Conclusion

Building a powerful ecommerce marketing funnel entails understanding your audience, creating an optimized website, engaging with content marketing, leveraging email marketing, using social media, improving SEO, and continuously monitoring and adjusting your strategy. With these steps, you can create an e-commerce marketing funnel that drives growth and propels your business towards success.

The post Building A Powerful Ecommerce Marketing Funnel: A Step-By-Step Guide appeared first on nandbox Native App Builder.

How The No Code Movement Is Changing the ECommerce Industry

The re-emergence of the no-code movement is making waves in the tech scene as we speak. With everything going digital after the covid19 pandemic, industries either jump on the wagon or stay behind. Many of them benefited from the no-code movement, including healthcare and finance. However, no-code especially changed the e-commerce industry. We’ll show you why and how in this article.

What is the No-Code Movement?

As the name suggests, no coding involves carrying out functions that traditionally incorporate programming but without coding. For example, making an app definitely includes writing code, but now there are platforms where users, known as citizen developers, can create apps without having to write code.

No-code app builders often incorporate a graphical user interface (GUI) and drag-and-drop methods.

The same applies to creating websites and automating tasks. In fact, spreadsheets like Excel are considered no-coding tools, unknowingly to many people. Software made with no coding is all around us, and most users are none the wiser.

It’s worth mentioning that no coding doesn’t eliminate the role of professional developers. On the contrary, it creates job opportunities for them, as they create no-coding tools for non-technical users.

Does ECommerce Need No-Code?

Before Covid19, going digital was somewhat of a choice for businesses, but afterward the global lockdown, they had to get creative. E-commerce companies of all scales had to solve the problem of people not going to offline shops anymore. The ones who adapted to the situation won, and others lost their businesses due to a lack of flexibility. The question here is; do they still need to run their businesses online and do they need no-coding tools to do that? We believe the answer is yes, and here’s why.

Everything is Online Now

Recently, there’s been a joke that some people need to ‘touch grass.’ It means they have been online too long and should go outside to get a grip on reality. Indeed, people don’t go out as much as they used to. It doesn’t matter why; it’s still a fact, unfortunately. People who don’t go out still need to buy goods, and the way to do that is by ordering online. It is also convenient for people who want to get products from another city to order them online instead of traveling.

No-Coding Is An Inexpensive Solution

We’ve mentioned the need for businesses to go online, but why choose no coding tools? Simply, no coding saves companies money. There are two types of no-coding tools:

• Software creation tools: The most common examples are website builders like WebFlow and WordPress and app builders like Appy Pie and nandbox. Additionally, there are some tools specifically for e-commerce, like Shopify and WooCommerce. Companies can use these tools to set up shop on a website and/or an app, allowing customers to find and order products. Most no-coding platforms cost an affordable monthly or annual fee.
• Workflow enhancement tools: These streamline the workflow by automating tasks. For example, Zapier is a popular task automation tool, and Google Sheets is an online spreadsheet. These tools save companies the trouble of hiring extra staff to handle repetitive tasks.

As you can tell, no-code tools are a cheaper alternative to hiring a development or design team. And it saves staff time and effort wasted on mundane daily tasks, which increases productivity and eliminates frustrations.

Less Time Spent on Development

In 2020, e-commerce needed a quick solution; and traditional development wasn’t fast enough. It takes months to years to develop a complex e-commerce app or website with an e-store. Alternatively, building an app using no-coding tools takes days, if not less.

This distinction stems from traditional or custom development calling for extensive preplanning, design, and programming, which necessitate different skill sets.

Contrarily, no-code building consists of visual elements that are easily understood and used. Companies can finalize the whole process and start selling in less than a week, focusing their effort on management, sales, and marketing.

Other No-Code Use Cases in the ECommerce Sector

Acquiring and Retaining Customers

Having an app and website is one way to get new customers with optimization strategies like ASO for apps and SEO for websites. This is the first step of the way. If they log in to your website and it’s sleek and well-maintained, they are likely to use the service.

As for retention, businesses now exert an effort to stay in the competition, including discounts, loyalty programs, and engagement campaigns.

Inventory Management

Remember when a manager had to go through the warehouse supplies to manage the inventory? The future generation won’t go through that tiresome part. When a customer purchases an item from a website or mobile app, the number of available units is updated in real-time. This lightens the load, increases efficiency, and it eliminates human error. It also makes it faster to detect any shortages and restock them.

Accounting

Many tools, like Airtable and Jotform, turn databases and spreadsheets into apps that help keep track of numbers without outraging your accountant. These tools decrease the chance of human error, increase productivity, and save money.

In conclusion, the no-code movement is helping the ecommerce sector. Everyone in the industry can benefit from no-code. Business owners can build e-stores without losing most of their capital. Managers and accountants can finalize their tasks with automation tools. Even customers benefit from getting their products delivered to their doorsteps without exerting effort. In the upcoming year, experts predict that the no-code movement will continue to hit milestones in many sectors, including e-commerce. More tools will be developed, and the online shopping experience will significantly change for the better.

You can build your online e-store with the nandbox native no-code app builder. Sign up now.

The post How The No Code Movement Is Changing the Ecommerce Industry appeared first on nandbox Native App Builder.

Start an E-Commerce Business App with These Unique Ideas

In 2022, the e-commerce industry is worth trillions of dollars. Now, people think it’s more convenient to order from anywhere in the world and have their products reach their doorsteps for a small fee. The businesses are winning, too, selling goods without paying the price of setting up shop. If you decide to start an e-commerce business, this article helps you with some unique ideas in addition to some industry tips.

What is the E-Commerce Business Model?

An e-commerce business is basically an online shopping business where vendors sell items to consumers without physical contact. The products can be from businesses to other businesses, also known as B2B, or from vendors to consumers, known as B2C.

Consider This Before Starting the E-Commerce Business

• Online shopping is distinctive from offline shopping, mainly because you provide the customer with the product and deliver it to their address. Before you launch the product, you should have delivery in mind. Can you fulfill the order safely and without hassle anywhere in the delivery parameter? If you plan to expand the parameter of the delivery area, would that affect the product’s quality, and is it possible at first? Bear in mind that operation scalability when it comes to delivery too.
• Another thing to consider is the platform where you will sell the products. Do you want to develop the app yourself? It’s doable for a small fee with no-code platforms like the nandbox native no-code app builder. What will be the online selling channels? It’s something to pick carefully to avoid jumping between different platforms.
• You have two options with the product itself; manufacture or procure it from other manufacturers. Which option is more suitable financially? If you produce it, can you maintain quality standards? Is it better to use a known brand that consumers already love?
• The final thing is the product idea. The product should be in demand and meet a customer’s need. The following section contains some ideas that might inspire you.

Unique E-Commerce Ideas

 Idea #1: Pet Accessories

Pet items aren’t always easy to come by. It’s true, nowadays, more shops sell pet sweaters, but some products are less accessible. Think big. What if customers want their cats to wear sunglasses, jewelry, caps, or band T-shirts? Your shop can provide all of that, in different sizes—to account for all the adorable “chunky” cats. You could also sell props for customers to recreate iconic scenes from movies and tv shows with their pets. You can do so many cool things with a pet accessories shop. With your pet advice and a wide range of fashionable options, your shop will be the go-to destination for pet owners looking to express their pet’s individual style and create memorable moments.

Idea #2: “Cottagecore” or “Faerie” Clothes Shop

Some people never grow out of Tumblr, and no shame in that. Many people on Instagram are adopting the cottage-core or the faerie lifestyle. Never mind that both are different; you can combine or choose one. Cottage core is an aesthetic centered around rural life in Europe and England. Faerie-core goes further into the woods, where enchanting creatures are.

Both have their clothing style and props that you can provide. People can use them at Halloween parties in their daily lives if they like. No rule in any book says you can’t dress like a fairy every day of the week.

Idea #3: Action Figures

Funko toys are proof that action figures are still trendy. They revolutionized the industry by creating figures for many iconic characters, not superheroes only. You can manufacture new types of action figures and sell them in your store. You could even center your business around action figures for underrated side characters that no one usually cares about. Or you can create figures for other niches, like famous scientists or renowned musicians. Moreover, you can include a section for customized action figures for anyone who wants to gift their loved ones but can’t afford a wax figure.

Idea #4: Sustainable Products

Although there are many stores for a sustainable lifestyle, there’s still quite a lot of demand. People keep realizing that we need alternatives to harmful products, and they look for them. However, not every type of product is available in a sustainable version, which is something you can work with. Talk with potential customers who care about sustainability and ask them what items they buy the most and what other products they can’t find anywhere. You would be helping those people and saving the future for new generations while making a profit. : A perfect example of this is eco-friendly lab-grown diamonds, which do virtually no harm to the environment, unlike mined diamonds. Who would have thought that a luxury item like diamonds would have an eco-friendly alternative? However, Fortunately in the modern world it is possible.

Idea #5: Vegan Products

The same is true here; some vegan items, though in demand, are unavailable to purchase. Also, many stores and restaurants assume that the people who buy vegan food are well-off, which makes these items quite expensive. You can create unavailable products and sell them at reasonable prices. Everyone should be allowed to take a stance regardless of their income level. The vegan market is growing by the day, so you can acquire many customers if you supply them with good-quality products.

Idea #6: Subscription Boxes

This E-commerce idea can birth many ideas. You could:

• Create a niche subscription box to send monthly to customers. For example, makeup fans would appreciate getting a box of makeup every month.
• Create multiple stores, each specialized in a specific niche.
• Create a custom mix for people with multiple interests. Maybe she’s a makeup fan who loves movies; send her both!
• You can offer online subscriptions for users to try new software and platform.

Idea #7: Rare Music-Related Items

The world is divided into two types of people; ones who love music and others who are wrong about music. The majority of people love music, fortunately. You can send rare music-related items to music lovers. For example, you can sell rare types of musical instruments, like a copper serpent or a Zurna. Or you could sell them CDs of people who created music albums but didn’t make it in the music world and ended up in oblivion, not on Spotify.

Regardless of what your e-commerce will sell, you can build your app using the nandbox native no-code app builder. You can do it at a reasonable cost and in a few hours. You will have all the features to build an e-commerce store that you can customize every aspect of. Start now for free!

The post Start an E-Commerce Business App with These Unique Ideas appeared first on nandbox Native App Builder.

Create Android Shopping App Like Amazon With nandbox

In the last few years, online shopping has become more and more popular, and hundreds of thousands of new entrepreneurs aim to create Android shopping apps. According to Statista, retail e-commerce sales reached $5.2 trillion in 2021. By 2026, this value will reach 8.1 trillion dollars, an increase of 56%.

Why is it profitable to create an Android shopping app? Because you will be able to sell all over the world without regard to location, even without the need for a small office. According to Apptopia, the majority of the world’s eCommerce leaders do not have physical locations. Learn how conducting effective Amazon keyword research and implementing robust Amazon keyword tracking can elevate your app’s success. In the last three months of 2022.

But why Android, especially? Statista says this in their report about mobile operating systems. In the last three months of 2022, Android held a 71% share of the mobile operating systems, with iOS taking up only 28%.

And as we’re talking about the most widely used e-commerce apps, Amazon is without a doubt number one. A survey by insider intelligence says that 61% of online customers in the United States begin their product search on Amazon, and the percentage is higher in many different countries.

Which identifies Amazon as the most well-known international e-commerce platform, offering a wide selection of products and solutions to its customers all over the world.

So, now that you know these interesting facts about Amazon, do you want to build a shopping app like Amazon for your business? Even though making an app like Amazon could be hard, there are steps you can take that will help you get there.

Firstly, let’s get some motivation by knowing some highlights from the Amazon success story:

Amazon.com was founded by Jeff Bezos in 1994. He used $10,000 to get it started. In 1999, this eCommerce platform had a one-click patent and a market for third-party sellers. Amazon lost money when the dot-com bubble burst, but the company made it through.

In 2002, Amazon started selling clothes for the first time and joined forces with several clothing brands. Taking an assertive approach, they began offering a wide array of clothing, ranging from women’s leggings to tuxedo suits for men, giving them a strong foothold in the fashion retail market.

Amazon made more than $232 billion in sales in 2018, which positioned it as the largest online store in the United States. But the COVID-19 pandemic just sent Amazon’s sales through the roof.

How to Create Android Shopping App?

Most people who make apps make the mistake of thinking that coding is the most important part. But the first thing you should do is figure out what your app is about. When you have a perfect idea, it’s easier to build. Developers often charge huge hourly rates, which makes it expensive to code an app.

Depending on the quality and experience of the developer you hire, the hourly rate could be as high as hundreds of dollars.

But with the nandbox eCommerce app builder, you can create Android and iOS shopping apps. Start selling as soon as you have products to sell. The nandbox no-coding app builder eliminates the need to hire a developer.

It also enables you can start your business without any technical hassle and customize your shop and your app through one dashboard. Moreover, the platform provides robust business intelligence reporting features,

The Starting Point

It’s best to put off any coding worries and come up with an idea first. Do some research on the market and get feedback from the people you want to reach. This step will save you thousands of dollars on app development, and it will also make sure that there is a market for the app when it is finally released.

After you’ve done the initial research, you should make a list of the most important parts of your eCommerce application. Your app also needs to have features that set it apart from other apps.

In your shopping app, make sure you have:

1. A Quick and Easy Way to Checkout

Most of the time, people spend most of their time on e-commerce apps choosing the right product to buy. After spending so much time picking out the items, they should be able to enjoy a simple checkout process. If your checkout process is difficult, you may lose some buyers for good.

2. Reviews and Ratings

Your customers should also be able to write reviews about the products on your platform. This is very important, especially for an online market. Customer reviews are an essential part of any successful eCommerce site, as they help potential buyers decide if a product is right for them.

3. Social Media Integration

Businesses that deal in e-commerce are directly involved in selling. Additionally, advertising your brand and services is critical to long-term success.

The fastest way to get popular today is to use different social media platforms. You should also make sure that social media accounts can be used to log in. This makes it easier to sign in to your app by giving you access to your digital storefront with just one tap.

4. User-Friendly Interface

The user-friendliness of an application is extremely important. If the app is not intuitive enough, then users may find themselves frustrated and confused.

A good example of this would be if you were trying to use a shopping app and couldn’t figure out how to navigate around the app. You could spend hours looking at different pages and menus before finding what you’re looking for.

5. Product Add-ons

This feature allows buyers to add extra items to a product, think of a camera as a product, and the add-ons in this case might be a camera bag, a tripod, a lens, etc.

6. Customer service

Customer service is so critical for success because it’s the first thing that comes to mind when buyers think about shopping online. They expect that products will arrive at their doorstep safely and without any hassle. If something goes wrong, buyers want someone to help them out.

Now, it’s Time to Build the App

There are two main options to create an Android shopping app:

Work with developers or use a nandbox. So, if you do not have the time to wait months or the budget to pay thousands of dollars to create the app if you want a shopping app that is totally yours, free of Shopify fees and WooCommerce complexity, nandbox eCommerce app builder is the right choice for you.

In addition, nandbox includes fully imaged documentation to help you build your shopping app step by step. Click here to check it out.

Try nandbox for free and create an Android shopping app today!

The post Create Android Shopping App Like Amazon With nandbox appeared first on nandbox Native App Builder.

5 Top E-Commerce Apps To Help You Save Money

We have all witnessed e-commerce apps skyrocketing in the last couple of years. The rapid growth and success of these apps were both unexpected and enormous. E-commerce apps generated $3.56 trillion in revenue in 2021, and experts are expecting that number to rise further in the future. E-commerce apps are now responsible for a major part of total retail sales. People have shifted their entire focus toward e-commerce apps as they are easier to access and also faster; they avoid the traditional (tiring) shopping method. With a variety of categories, they always find exactly what they are looking for—and more. So, what’s not to love? In this article, we will present the top five e-commerce apps on the market.

Amazon

Leading the e-commerce app market with over 200 million downloads worldwide, it’s really needless to introduce Amazon. Amazon is one of the first and most successful e-commerce platforms developed. It’s also the third-largest company in the world in terms of revenue. However, the app itself launched in 2011 and went on to take off. It exceeded all expectations and went on to be more successful than the website.

It’s popular among customers as it can be considered very reliable and dependable. as well as for the great quality and variety of its products. Amazon offers great variation in the products displayed, ranging from electronics, cosmetics, and fashion to even groceries. Additionally, it is well-known for having exceptional customer service that is accessible at all times. This has been enough for Amazon to introduce a subscription service under the name of Amazon Prime, which includes free delivery, movies, TV shows, exclusive deals, and even e-books. Amazon Prime went on to be a success, with many people signing up for it and giving Amazon more money.

Shein

Shien started shining and rising toward success in 2018. The clothing e-commerce app went on to overtake the most popular brands in the world; it even outperformed Amazon for the most downloaded app in 2020. Shien was initiated in 2008 and mainly focused on men’s and women’s clothing. At first, it encountered many obstacles, as it was hard to promote it in countries other than China, its origin country. 2020 was a turning point for Shein; people began discovering the app, and it gained popularity for its affordable process and variety of products. It was also popular among the younger generation, as it offered trendy clothes that were hard to find in many places and were usually very expensive. Shien is now operating as the largest online fashion app with over 43.7 million active users.

eBay

When it first operated in 1995, eBay was a one-of-a-kind platform, and it still is. It was able to achieve success from day one. eBay is considered the oldest e-commerce platform to have been founded. eBay introduced the concept of customer-to-customer commerce, as it allowed individuals to list their products on auction and sell them. eBay went on to expand a little and also allow business-to-customer commerce, also succeeding, before establishing its own marketplace. Every app and platform that came afterward was very inspired by eBay, as it was offering something very unique at the time. eBay now has over 159 million active users and generates over $10.8 billion in revenue.

Wish

Back in 2018, everyone was using Wish; even many influencers used it as content on YouTube. It was a phenomenal success. Wish became very popular among people as the app focused on one thing and one thing only: prices. Wish was able to compete with many older and more successful apps on the market by charging low and extremely affordable prices. Also, they presented great sales and offers; the sales reached 98% sometimes.

The Wish app gave users the option to create wishlists that they could share with other users. Wish started promoting and expanding its products based on these wishlists. This helped them understand their customers’ preferences and behaviors and promote the app based on those. Wish now generates over $2 billion in revenue with over 600 million registered users.

Shopee

Shopee started locally to succeed globally. It was formed as a local e-commerce app in Southeast Asia back in 2015. E-commerce wasn’t a really familiar term at that time; people were still relying on the traditional shopping method. The founders had many purposes during the app development process, but the main thing they had in mind was making a user-friendly app. In a market that appeared to be unfamiliar, they had to convince users to switch to their platform instead. Making their platform easy to use and comfortable was a very important thing to think about. It went on to pass the test and was able to become the most popular app in Southeast Asia. They proceeded with their success in many countries afterward and accomplished exceptional outcomes.

Nandbox now gives you the chance to develop your own e-commerce app. With a list of diversified features and a simple process, you can easily develop your own app! Follow this article for a step-by-step guide. who knows? Maybe you could be featured on our list in the future. Try the nandbox app builder for free right now!

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Build an eCommerce App with a Simple Drag & Drop Gesture in No Time!

Since the pandemic arrived in 2020, eCommerce app has received a lot of attention. It acted as a heroic figure; it made the process very easy in such hard times. Since then, people have been shifting completely to eCommerce apps in their daily lives, anger from purchasing clothes, home décor, furniture, and even school supplies. eCommerce apps were the beneficiaries, but not the only ones. An eCommerce app builder was a great tool that many business owners used. It contributed to this success because small and medium-sized business owners started to think about using apps to promote and use their businesses. And some were able to thrive and take off with their businesses. In this article, we’re going to guide you through how to make an eCommerce app using an app builder. Also, the steps and factors that can make it successful.

The Journey of Making a Shopping App The eCommerce apps market showed significant annual growth of over 17%; it’s expected to reach 45%, which makes it a great opportunity to consider. However, creating a shopping app doesn’t only depend on the market’s success or growth rate; there are many other steps to take in order to succeed as well.

Steps to Take When Making a Shopping App

1. Conducting a Market Analysis

It’s an important step to study and analyze the market you’re competing in. In order to do that, you have to study the market from all angles to avoid any mistakes or pitfalls, even if you are designing an app for e-commerce wholesale, as the success of any product or service depends on how well it meets the needs and expectations of its target audience. And even before that, you need to understand the type of businesses you’re competing with. If you choose to create an LLC over a non-profit, then you have to find a way to outwit other corporations for profit instead of marketing your services purely for the greater good.

2. Listing Your Competitors and Identifying the Strengths and Weaknesses Within their Apps

It’s crucial to know who you are competing with. It’s the first step in evolving and always standing out. It’s important to know what your strengths and weaknesses are because that’s how you can be unique and different. You should give users a reason why they should use your application and not theirs.

3. Know your Consumers’ Objectives.

You have to know your target audience well and know what they aim for. What is their objective, and what do they want to gain from this shopping experience? Whether it’s quality, an easy process, or fast delivery, the options are endless, which is why you need to be sure of their objectives to be able to work accordingly.

Features of a Shopping App

There are some standardized features that any shopping app must have, which are a user login, a product catalog, and a shopping cart.

These must-have features are essential, and no shopping app can function without them. However, there are some extra features that make the user experience even better and take it to a whole new level.

Flexible Search Engine

You always go to a shopping app when you have a particular product in mind; the presence of a flexible and smart search feature is a great addition to any shopping app. It’s important that it has as many filters as possible to make it easier for people to search. To keep customers from being unhappy, it’s also important to be quick and get results quickly.

Multiple and Reliable Payment Gateways

It’s important to make users trust the app and return to it. Providing multiple payment gateways doesn’t limit users’ options and gives them the chance to choose from whatever payment gateway they like. It’s also important for it to be reliable to make the user feel safe and at ease when completing a payment.

Customer Support and In-App Chats

Customer support is one of the features that users will undoubtedly appreciate. The fact that users know that, whenever they have an inquiry or a question, they can find a solution or an answer makes a difference. Adding a customer service method that is quick, easy to use, and responsive can help the app and make it more reliable, like a virtual agent.

Create An eCommerce App in nandbox App Builder

In the nandbox app builder, you can create an eCommerce app in a matter of minutes. With a super easy process and many features, including the must-haves, additional ones, and many more,

• Our special built-in store feature there’s no need for integration with third-party applications.
• The loyalty and competition feature, where you can create campaigns and competitions to reward your customers.

You can follow this article for an in-depth, step-by-step guide to constructing your special eCommerce app.

Creating an eCommerce app for your business can be the first step to a never-ending chain of success. You only need to take the first step by learning about the factors and features that go into making the best eCommerce app.

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In-app purchases are extra content or subscriptions that users can buy inside an app, which allows you to profit from your app by offering products or services that users can buy from inside your app, in this article we will show you how to enable Google in app purchase.

How can you enable Google in-app purchase in your app?

Firstly, you need to link your account to a Google Developer Project.

1. Go to Google Play Console, and click on the settings page.

2. Open API Access tab.

3. Accept the Terms of Service.

4. Click “Create New Project”.

5. Click “Create Service Account”

6. You will be prompted with the following screen, click on Google API Console.

7. It will open the link in a new tab, you will be prompted with the following screen, click on “Create Service Account”.

8. Enter the details of the new service account and click Create.

9. Next, grant this service account access to Google Play Android Developer so it has the permission to complete specific actions.

10. In the search box, type “Android”, and select “Android Management User”

11. Click Continue.

12. Next, click on Create Key.

13. Download the file in the JSON format.

14. Next, go back to the Google Play Console page and click Done.

15. Click Grant Access.

16. Make sure to check the two boxes of the “View Financial Data” and “Manage Orders” then click Add User.

17. Next, go back to nandbox app builder to upload the JSON file.

18. Go to App settings.

19. Enable the In-app purchase feature.

20. Click on it, and you will be prompted with the following screen, click on upload Google Service JSON file, select the JSON file and click save.

Secondly, you need to enable real-time developer notifications for your app.

Enable Real-time developer notifications for your app

To enable Real-time developer notifications for your app, do the following:

1. Open the Google Play Console.
2. Select your app.
3. Go to Development tools > Services & API.
4. Scroll to the Real-time developer notifications section at the bottom of the page.

1. In the Topic name field, enter projects/nandboxdev/topics/in-app-billling-prod
2. Click Update Topic.

Configuration

After you enabled the in-app Google Purchase, you need to add subscriptions as products that users can purchase on your app, you can modify the pricing of the subscription and the duration period of the subscription.

1. Go to Google Play Console, and select your app.

2.) From the left hand side menu, scroll down until you reach “Monetize” and click on Products.

3.) Then click on Subscriptions.

4.) Click on Create subscription.

5.) Enter the Product ID, note that this product ID must be unique for each subscription that you create.

6.) Enter the subscription name and details, subscription details may be shown to users when they purchase or manage subscriptions.

7.) Enter the billing period of the subscription.

8.) Choose the pricing of the subscription and click Apply prices.

9.) Make sure that the first three options are disabled as we do not currently support these features yet, enable the Resubscribe option to give the option to users who cancelled to resubscribe once more.

10.) Finally, click save.

11.) Now open nandbox app builder.

12.) From the admin menu, click on Channels.

13.) Hover over the channel that you would like to set up a subscription plan for and click on Set Up Payments.

14.) In the SKU section, enter the Product ID that you entered in the Google Play Console website, enter the remaining information as you specified them on Google Play Console, make sure that the price that you enter is the same as the price you specified on Google Play Console. 

15.) Click Save.

Congrats! Your channel is now ready to be subscribed to.

Enabling Google In-App purchase in IOS coming soon!

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