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A Guide On How You Can Bring Automation To Your Online Business Part I

Category: Ecommerce

A Guide On How You Can Bring Automation To Your Online Business Part I
Mohab Ecommerce 0

A Guide On How You Can Bring Automation To Your Online Business Part I

Image credit: Flickr

Do you NEVER seem to have enough time to deal with the important stuff in your business? Struggling to keep up with the demands of becoming a brand publisher?

Wouldn’t it be great to have more time to focus on the strategic elements of your business…?

Well, automation can help you achieve that.

Here are some online automation hacks to help inspire your business strategy reboot — read part I in our blog series now.

Fintech innovations

Let’s start with the financials: after all, every business in the world needs money to keep the wheels turning.

From managing supplier payments to keeping up with the demands of bookkeeping — financial tasks and admin can massively eat into your profit margins.

The trouble with financial tasks is that if they are not done correctly, it could spell disaster.

  1. Financial technology has seen some exciting developments these recent years — from blockchain to cloud accounting, there are so many ways to improve and simplify your financial operations.
  2. Even simple choices like what payment gateway you go for will determine your business’s financial ecosystem. Opt for a system that’s smart and integrates with other services and platforms so that you don’t have to rely on expensive workarounds.
  3. Accounting is a big business overhead, especially when it comes to expenses and taxes. Invest in a smart system that allows you to automatically sync paper receipts into your online finance system.

Martech leads the way

Marketing technology is another ally of automation. Nowadays, there are enough tools and platforms to automate pretty much any marketing task under the sun.

Martech scales up and down, and can be leveraged by organizations large and small. From simple things like automated proofreading to automating your content strategy with HubSpot, there are tools out there that can help you create, launch, and share better content.

Key areas where you need to embrace automation:

  1. Remarketing is a great way to target interested parties — whether that’s website visitors who haven’t converted, or people who’ve engaged with your content. The beauty of remarketing automation is that once you put in the work to create a funnel and populate it with ads, you can just click ‘play’ and let the system do the rest!
  2. Email is a big marketing channel, whether you are in B2C or B2B. Create funnels using services like Pardot (a Salesforce tool) and run your lead generation campaigns more cost-efficiently.A Guide On How You Can Bring Automation To Your Online Business Part I
  3. Social media can be a massive time sinkhole, so be more efficient about it and embrace automated content creation, mass scheduling, and social listening to help you do more. Social media tools aren’t just about saving time — they will actually bring you better results by optimizing posting times, lengths, and formats.

A Guide On How You Can Bring Automation To Your Online Business Part I

About the author

Victoria Greene is a branding consultant and freelance writer. Big fan of automation when it comes to content marketing. Helping ecommerce brands and startups scale faster and better.

7 years ago
How to Quickly Create an Online Store and Integrate a Payment Gateway
Mohab Ecommerce 0

How to Quickly Create an Online Store and Integrate a Payment Gateway

Your ambitious entrepreneurial journey starts with launching an eStore. Before you do that, you need to contemplate which e-commerce platform to choose.  As far as integration of a payment gateway is concerned, you have many choices. We’ll discuss these aspects of setting up and launching an eStore in this article.

While choosing an eCommerce platform, you have the following three options available:

A. Open source software

B. Dedicated platform

C. Software as a Service (SaaS)

Each one of these platforms has different features and you can choose the one that matches your needs.

A. Open source software

The most cost-effective solution for you is to go for open source software, where you don’t need to pay for any license or subscription fee. However, it requires you to have the knowledge of software development in order to install and manage the platform.

If you are not trained in IT skills, you will have to hire someone for all of your updates and changes required to be made on the website.  But, this can be a costly affair as you would have to pay certain charges for hosting, server and certificates.

The other drawbacks with open source platforms include security concerns involved and lack of customer support.

The popular open-source platforms include Shopify, WooCommerce, OpenCart and Magento. These platforms have different features in terms of user-friendliness, price, security, and integration.

B. Dedicated platform

Another option which is probably not so ideal for startups and small store owners is a dedicated platform. Usually an IT company will provide you a dedicated platform according to your specific requirements and offer tailored solutions for those who are aware of the different functions and features that they would like to have on their website.

It is both expensive and time-consuming and not ideal for startups and businesses on a shoe-string budget. If you have a highly unconventional system of sales and storage, then it’s for you. It’s an ideal solution for big corporations that are keen to offer the best user experience.

C. Software as a service (SaaS)

If you like a platform which you can manage anytime, then SaaS is the right option for you. SaaS has a lower initial setup cost. When you choose this option, you can pay according to the number of transactions.  You can also be charged according to the number of users.
As compared to an open source platform, SaaS offers you the desired freedom. It allows you to conveniently make changes as and when you want.
SaaS is also good for branding and building long term relationship with your customers.

Using an online marketplace to sell your products

If branding and customer service is not on your mind and all you need is to start selling online, then instead of using the platforms and creating your own eStore, use the established marketplaces such as Amazon, eBay, or other regional players.

It is extremely convenient and you do not need to invest in marketing, technology and tools. However, there is high competition on these platforms and you need to pay some commission plus the listing fees.

Moreover, you will not be able to provide sufficient customer service, so it’s a bad option for branding.  However, if earning revenue on your online sales is your sole objective, this can be the best option.

Integrating a payment gateway

If you want to integrate a payment gateway into your online store, you can use the plug-ins such as Zen Cart, Magento, OpenCart, osCommerce, Prestashop and WordPress, etc.  When you integrate a payment gateway, it will automate the payment transaction between the merchant and the customers.
It will also enable the customers to use their credit cards and other modes of payment methods so that they have a variety of payment options. Integration should be easy and payment gateway should provide a robust customer support so that the issues are resolved within a specific time frame without affecting your business.

Choose PayTabs as your payment gateway as it comes with great customer support and standard technologies to quickly and conveniently integrate into your eStore.

7 years ago
Tips To Choose the Right Payment Integration Method for Your Ecommerce Site
Mohab Ecommerce 0

Tips To Choose the Right Payment Integration Method for Your Ecommerce Site

Advancement in technology is gradually making payment integration easier and simpler. However, as new entrants to the world of eCommerce, you may find it a little difficult to choose the right integration method for your eCommerce business. At present, there are three popular integration methods and in this article, we are going to discuss these options in order to help you choose the right option for your business.

  1. Hosted checkout pages

As a matter of fact, this option can be used by any type of merchant, whether small or big.

There are many reasons why small merchants should choose this as their checkout solution. First of all, there is no need to hire a software developer when you integrate it with your website. It also works well when your website is not PCI compliant.

Hosted checkout pages are also beneficial for medium to large-sized merchants, who have already designed and created their checkout pages. This is the quickest way to supplement your alternative payment method. Almost 60% of the shopping cart abandonment incidents take place because people are not able to use their preferred mode of payment. It is more prevalent in the countries where cards are not used frequently.

The benefit of hosted checkout pages for merchants:

It has the following benefits for the merchants:

  • PCI compliance is not complicated
  • No need to store card information
  • Ideal for quick global outreach
  • Supports all major credit cards and major currencies
  • Supports local payment options
  • Offers easy integration

  2. Payment API

If you are among the perfectionists who would like to exercise extreme control as far as design and user experience of checkout pages is concerned, a payment API is the right solution for you.

For card processing, payment API is the ideal solution whereas if you need both card processing and value added services such as coupons and catalogs, currencies and subscription billing, Payment Plus API should be tried.

It doesn’t require customers to leave the site in order to check out and makes checkout a simple process with minimum steps to complete.

The benefit of payment API for merchants:

It has the following benefits for the merchants:

  • The XML based API doesn’t require any specific programming language
  • A native mobile checkout flow can easily be developed
  • Easier PCI compliance through client-side encryption
  • Tokenization enables the sellers to save the card information of the shoppers so that the returning shoppers need not repeat the process all over again

Payment API makes the checkout safe and secure.

 3. Shopping Cart

If you are using any shopping cart such as Magenta or Prestashop, the “shopping cart” is the ideal integration method for you. It offers users almost the same benefits as they get in hosted pages. It is comparatively easier and simpler to setup and it doesn’t require you to make any payment.

Choosing a payment processor

Your selection of the integration method is very important to offer better user experience and it decides your future success in the eCommerce space.  But, there are other factors as well that are no less important. Make sure that the payment processor you choose meets all your business needs and completely fits into your business model.

Make sure your payment processor is able to upgrade their technology and services to match your needs when you grow.  Make sure they offer the functionalities you require at present and might require in future.

When you come to PayTabs, we sincerely listen to your needs and answer your queries.  We have imbibed a culture of striving to meet your business requirements. We are also determined to resolve the issues you face during your journey to become a successful eCommerce entrepreneur.

Get in touch with PayTabs today and talk to a consultant to discuss your business needs and how to achieve higher conversion.

7 years ago
Should You Use Chatbots for Your Small Business?
Mohab Ecommerce 0

Should You Use Chatbots for Your Small Business?

Automation is the way ahead, and businesses are beginning to realize that. One way or the other, companies are trying to automate as much as possible, thus minimizing the need of human intervention. So far, it has worked well. But while the big players reap the benefits of chatbots, can small businesses enjoy some of it too?

The answer is yes. Chatbots are not grand mechanisms suitable only for big conglomerates. Innovative yet simple, even a random blogger could use chatbots to be more efficient.

Analyzing the benefits

Here is how chatbots can improve things for small businesses:

1) Improving the reach

With chatbots, you can be there for your customers 24×7. Chatbots ensure that nothing, from interaction to complaints, go unnoticed. The interactivity goes a long way in growing the reach of your business and thus, the overall growth.

2) Simple to use

Many innovative ideas came and went without making a mark. The reason chatbots stuck was their sheer simplicity. Understanding chatbots is something that even the most non-technical person could do. While it is no big deal for a business-owner, it is an even smaller deal for the customers. In other words, using a chatbot is far simpler than many other ways of interacting with a business, which is why chatbots are fast gaining popularity among users.

3) Cheaper than you guessed

Once you get a chatbot, everything else is free of cost. Chatbots do not need lunch breaks, vacations or weekends. After the initial investment, you can have chatbots working 24×7 without worrying about their salary. Compared to humans, it is both more effective and cost-efficient.

4) Customizable

When we hear the word “bots”, we imagine pre-programmed robot texts that are boring at best. However, the new-age chatbots are anything but boring. Highly customizable, chatbots could be tailored to suit the specific needs of your customers. You have to program all the responses, of course. But from the user’s perspective, chatbots appear like cool agents who have a quirky response to everything.

Few things to consider

Chatbots are great, of course. But that doesn’t mean they are the solution to all your problems. There are some reasons why chatbots may not be the best solution for your business. Here are some:

1) Alienation from the customers

One of the biggest (and perhaps rightful) concerns small businesses have is getting alienated from their customers. Chatbots are great for programmed responses, but even the Machine Learning-powered chatbots could not hope to compete with the level of personal touch human interaction provides.

2) Not everyone’s cup of tea

One thing to keep in mind is that chatbots work best with B2C businesses, where template answers to predictable questions get the job done. However, in B2B companies where complaints are raised only in serious situations, chatbots are largely ineffective. Thus, big or small, the type of business largely defines the need of chatbots.

3) Skewed demographics

As a business owner, you would prefer your audience to be diverse (until and unless you are extremely niche-specific). However, chatbots have been found to be the opposite of diversity. Majority of chatbot users are teenagers, while an overwhelming majority are Americans. Restricting your audience to a single country and age group is not the most desirable outcome you might have hoped.

Conclusion

So, chatbots are not meant for everyone. But, for the large part, they are agents of innovation and effective in most cases. Especially if you are a B2C business that needs to be in touch with your customers at all times, nothing beats chatbots. In the coming years, we will see a growing use of automated tools for customer interaction. It is your chance to be part of the future, now.

7 years ago
One-on-One interview with Abdulaziz Al Jouf – Founder of PayTabs
Mohab Ecommerce 0

One-on-One interview with Abdulaziz Al Jouf – Founder of PayTabs

Evrim Persembe from Startups Middle East interviews Abdulaziz Al Jouf

At 4AM when most of the world is still snoozing, Abdulaziz Al Jouf wakes up without an alarm. By 8AM, when everyone is just about awake, Jouf has already tackled his most pressing problems for the day and is ready to handle all that comes his way in true entrepreneurial spirit.

Entrepreneurship isn’t new for him. He founded seven companies including eCommerce ones. During this time, Jouf realized that all online companies faced a common problem when it came to payments. The market was painfully slow in its execution. It took six months just to get to the bank to set up the gateway and a year to start your first transaction.

Jouf had the idea brimming at the back of his mind since 2010. No company existed at the time to fulfil this market gap. Those who did weren’t scaling beyond limited geographies. By the beginning of 2013, Jouf became sure of his idea and started working on a prototype.

A few months later Jouf chanced upon a meeting with someone who showed a lot of interest in his product. The meeting extended to four hours and several cups of coffee. Only next day did he discover that the person he met was a part of Wa’ed Ventures.

Even though Jouf had prior entrepreneurial experience, funding was new because he had always been bootstrapped in his startups before. It was like this was a story waiting to happen. Once the funding came, new hires helped build the rudimentary system further and by December, they had their first transaction.

During the initial days, PayTabs had to hard-code every merchant who joined. They had to spend hours to convince the bank that this technology was set to disrupt the way transactions were being carried out online. By the end of the month, they had 300 requests in their hand. Jouf knew that this was good, but how scalable would the technology really be? He found his answer when in a month’s time the company processed quarter million dollars.

In fact, working with banks to execute this entire system has been PayTabs’ biggest challenge. During his initial days, Jouf met a banker with 20 years of experience. The banker outright disapproved of his idea and refused investment. He said it would either kill Jouf or take forever to execute. Jouf walked out of the meeting thinking it was probably then a good idea! Anytime you try being in disruptive technology, it is generally met with resistance as people have a comfort zone with what is currently working. It turns out that the same reason is also why PayTabs has very few competitors who can match up numbers.

The investment almost sounds like cake walk to outsiders but Jouf knows the hard work he had to put in for 13 months before he got his first investment cheque of 2.5M. If he were to do the whole thing again, the one thing he would do differently would be to raise his second and subsequent rounds of funding as quickly as possible.

Speaking about the start-up ecosystem in Saudi Arabia, he said that things are encouraging now with many more investors than before. But his advice to budding entrepreneurs is to not be greedy and push for a clean evaluation from potential investors before talking money on the table. Earlier investors would wait for the company to show proof of market, but now they are much more open to even funding the idea and the entrepreneur’s execution capabilities. Entrepreneurs, in turn, shouldn’t be avaricious, and look to work with investors who have domain expertise.

On a parting note, Jouf humbly mentions that he still has a lot to learn about finance. For a company that has changed the way transactions are done in 17 countries, we keep our fingers crossed to see how things pan out in the next few years.

Listen to the podcast on the following links:

1. iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/bh/podcast/startups-middle-east-with-evrim-persembe/id1347175812

2. Stitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/startups-middle-east-with-evrim-persembe

3. Website: http://startupsmiddleeast.com

4. Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/startupsmiddleeast/

7 years ago