Shopify is one of the biggest and fastest-growing eCommerce platforms on the Internet. It is straightforward to start an online store using Shopify, even more so if using a drop-shipping model.
Starting an online store on Shopify doesn’t need any technical or coding skills. You can set up one in minutes and use drop shipping extensions to find the products to sell.
Even if you don’t know anything about eCommerce, by following this guide on starting your first Shopify store, you will be up and running in the next 24 hours.
What is dropshipping?
Unlike a traditional online store model where a retailer must purchase stock before selling it, a drop shipping business uses a warehouse to receive products after they are purchased.
The retailer only purchases the item to be sold when ordered, so there is no need to carry any stock or warehouses for storage. This makes drop shipping incredibly efficient and scalable. You can consider a training program like H-Com 3030 if you want to learn how to use dropshippers to start selling on Shopify. Check this review of h-com 3030 for more details.
How does Shopify work?
Shopify is cloud-based software that runs on a web browser via an internet connection. You can sell anything from fashion clothes to home appliances and everything in between.
Shopify is highly secure and reliable as it is hosted on Google Cloud servers worldwide, ensuring your website will be up 99.99% of the time.
Your products are visible to all customers using a regular web browser or mobile app (which Shopify offers) – all you need to do is sign up for an account and follow the steps below.
What do I need to start a Shopify store?
To set up your first Shopify store, you will need a domain name (website address). You can purchase one for less than 15 dollars a year. A hosting provider – Bluehost is a popular one and the pricing starts from $2.95 a month, including a free domain name for the first year ($15 value). You will also need a payment gateway (a way of collecting money) such as Paypal or Shopify payments.
Choose a theme:
You can easily find several free and premium themes. It is better to go for premium ones because they can offer better speed and performance, crucial for conversion optimization. Browse through the themes and add the one you like to your Shopify account by clicking ‘Add new theme.’
Then you can use Shopify apps for additional features like email marketing, product feeds, and more. Next, you need to choose a plugin like Oberlo that can help with finding the best products, deals, or suppliers.
How do Dropshipping plugins work?
Over (overtime) is an app that helps you find the best deals on AliExpress. Just search for the keyword related to your product, filter by price, minimum order quantity, and fulfillment method (dropshipping or shipping from china), then click ‘add’ when you find a good deal for your Shopify store.
Oberlo is another excellent option. You can create an Oberlo account. When your item sells on Shopify, Oberlo will automatically purchase it from AliExpress for a small fee, and then they will send it directly to your customer!
How much does it cost?
Shopify offers a 14-days free trial, but you can use Bluehost for hosting web service for one year ($3.95/month) and take advantage of their 1-click app installation process – all you need to do is sign up for a trial here.
Shopify also offers a Shopify pricing plan starting from $29/month that includes 100 SKUs and unlimited bandwidth. You can get discounts when you purchase more than one year in advance.
If you are not sure whether Shopify is the right platform for your business, you should consider giving it a try.
How to get your first few sales?
Setting up a store on Shopify will take a couple of days, but getting sales and becoming profitable is not that easy. You will need to try many different marketing channels. Google shopping ads or Facebook ads are probably the best ones. You can also work on SEO or email marketing.
If you are struggling to get your first orders, don’t worry! Shopify has a great knowledge base and an online community where you can ask questions and get help from other entrepreneurs. You can also sign up for webinars or watch on-demand video training that will teach you everything about dropshipping and eCommerce.
As a business owner, you want to make sure that your product is of good quality and has good packaging. Consumers will judge your product based on what they see at first glance, so it’s important that the package looks good as well as the actual product inside. This blog post will be discussing why good packaging is key for any company trying to expand its customer base.
Safe Products
Quality packaging is important because it’s what keeps your product safe. The packaging design professionals behind Idea Dolls suggest that you invest in quality packaging to ensure that your customers will be free from any risks or hazards brought about by poorly packaged products. In this case, what you can do is to talk to the company that you’re planning on having to design your good quality packaging and find out what kind of materials they would recommend using.
Your product’s packaging should be of good quality and protect the contents from damage during shipping or while on display in retail stores. You want to ensure that you can prevent water and other minor hazards from harming your products because even a small tear could cause it to spill out onto other items surrounding it – and that’s the last thing you want to happen.
A good package will also help you meet legal requirements for food, cosmetics, or pharmaceutical products and can even provide valuable information to consumers about how a product should be used. For example, medical packages often include usage instructions as well as diagrams showing where the medicine should be applied to the body.
Regular Market Research
Another reason why a product needs to have good quality packaging is that if people see your product, but don’t want to buy it due to poor presentation, then there’s no point in having good packaging in the first place. A good example of this is when you see a product on display, but it’s covered with dust or other contaminants because no one has touched it for months and nobody wants to touch something that dirty just to check out what kind of product it is.
Good quality packaging is important because people will judge your product by its good quality packaging. If the good quality of the package isn’t good enough, then what you can do to get more sales is have a professional company help design new good quality packaging for your products.
Customer Satisfaction
Poor quality packaging can lead to costly returns and customer dissatisfaction, which is a good reason to make sure you have good quality packaging for your product. A good package will help your products stand out on the shelves, increasing sales.
A good product package will look good on the shelf, in the car, and at home. It should also be made to last for years if not decades. There are many different types of packaging including hard-shell plastic cases, boxes with lids, bags, or pouches that can have zippers or other closure mechanisms. Quality packaging helps make sure that the customer gets what they want each time they buy something from you!
However good quality packaging is good for your customers, it’s also good for you. Good quality packaging will help protect the product from damage caused by rough handling or exposure to moisture and dirt during transport.
Packaging is just one of many aspects of good quality, and it’s also one of the easiest factors to control. If you want good quality then make sure that all aspects of your product meet good standards and include good packaging as part of that process.
For a good packaging design, it is best to put yourself in your customers’ shoes and think about what they will be looking for when buying a product like yours. You also need to make sure that you can allow them easy access (but not too much) into the package so that they can access what’s inside.
It’s also important to consider sustainability issues when designing your packages – use materials that are recyclable or made from renewable sources whenever possible. In this way, you will be able to help the environment as well as your sales.
Marketing Tool
Packaging can be used as a marketing tool to promote a company’s brand identity. If the package looks good on shelves then that reflects well on the product inside. In addition, good packaging can be used as an information tool to assist with consumer decision-making. If a product has good quality packaging then it probably means that the products inside will have been made well and therefore good quality too which may make the customer more likely to buy it.
For example, if you want your customers to know exactly what they are buying, good quality packaging could be used to display the product in the best possible light. This can help customers make an informed decision about what they are purchasing and ensure that you get good reviews from your buyers too. The packaging doesn’t have to be expensive – there are plenty of ways that you can keep costs down while still providing a top-notch product for customers.
A good example of good quality packaging is the Star Wars Franchise. The films have been so successful in part due to their good use of marketing and promotional tools like good quality packaging, which has increased demand for products related to the films such as figurines, costumes, etc. This package design makes it easier for consumers to find what they are looking for.
Now that you know all the good reasons why good quality packaging is important, it should be easy to come up with ideas for any new products or services! Now get out there and make great product packages. When you’re designing your packaging, keep in mind that quality is important. Poor quality can lead to costly returns and unhappy customers.
Your package should help make your product stand out on the shelves so it will sell more easily – a good package won’t break the bank either! Consider sustainability issues when choosing materials for your packages too; use recyclable or renewable resources whenever possible. A well-designed package will go a long way towards increasing sales of both new products and current best sellers. Keep these tips in mind for any future packaging design projects.
While most court cases are indeed settled out of court, the devil is truly in the details. Both parties can end up back in court if the proper legal controls aren’t in place. This underscores the importance of having a proper corporate settlement agreement that adequately covers the necessary terms and understandings of both parties.
Notwithstanding, the best of agreements are often still subject to future debate or party misalignment. In these cases, the court will intervene in the enforcement of one of the parties that may move to cancel the agreement.
What Is a Corporate Settlement Agreement?
Strictly speaking, a corporate settlement agreement enables two or more corporate parties to resolve their civil dispute via a legal contract. In this agreement, all involved parties are in alignment and agree to accept the outcome of any judgment made by the court. Of course, the challenge then becomes defining agreeable terms for bilateral acceptance. This is usually accomplished through mediation, with a judge making the final approval of the finalized settlement agreement.
The intent of reaching a corporate settlement agreement is to avoid expensive and time-consuming litigation activity on behalf of all parties involved. In general, no definitive judgment regarding winners or losers must be defined, but one side must nonetheless agree to carry out a restitutive action or compensate the other financially.
In some corporate scenarios, the defending party will agree to settle only if no wrongdoing or fault is admitted. Conditions like deadlines for restitutive actions and timeframes may also be incorporated into the agreement. In exchange, the plaintiff party agrees to halt legal proceedings for the out-of-court settlement.
How Are Corporate Settlement Agreements Enforced?
In a perfect world, out-of-court settlements would remain there and contracts would enforce themselves. The reality is that courts often must intervene as the enforcement authority to compel a non-compliant or breaching party to comply, as the signed settlement agreement is itself a legally binding contract.
However, it’s important to make the distinction between enforcing the agreement terms and actually having a hand in creating them—the courts will have no part in the latter. That is to say, the court’s main focus is to interpret, clarify (if necessary), and enforce the contractual obligations, not actually create them. The court may not add new terms to the corporate settlement agreement, nor can it enforce the contract terms after a case has been dismissed.
If all parties accept the terms of the settlement, the court must defer to the collective wishes of the firms involved. For example, in the 2015 Fortinet settlement with Sophos, neither company admitted any liability, while in the recent Google settlement of an antitrust case filed by French regulators, Google did not dispute the charges but proposed interoperability commitments that France’s competition watchdog accepted.
The court may consider enforcement activities such as an evidentiary hearing if a party disputes the terms due to an issue with previously stated facts (e.g., one party was found to be coercive or dishonest) or if new facts are brought to light.
When Might the Court Refuse to Enforce a Corporate Settlement Agreement?
Courts typically do their best to uphold corporate settlement agreements. That said, at the end of the day, the legal process defers to their discretion. Certainly, in cases of injustice, they can and will refuse to enforce an agreement. Examples include cases that involve one party’s lack of understanding or knowledge during term negotiations, an extreme imbalance of power, grossly imbalanced or unfair transactions, and the like.
The case must be made that the suspect party exploited the unfair arrangement to its advantage during the creation and signing of the agreement.
Can a Corporate Settlement Agreement Be Cancelled?
The courts may decide to void the contract in certain cases—for example, when fraud is involved during the creation and signing of the settlement agreement. Additionally, if both parties are in agreement to void the contract and it hasn’t been made part of a court order, the court may allow the agreement to be nullified.
Generally speaking, canceling a settlement agreement is a complicated affair, with courts hesitant to take action unless there are extenuating circumstances.
Can a Corporate Settlement Agreement Be Modified?
Similarly, if one party can demonstrate that the circumstances surrounding the initial settlement agreement have changed substantially, the court may be moved to allow it to be modified. For example, if activity outlined in the agreement has become illegal or if one party entered the contract incorrectly believing certain actions were authorized constitutionally.
Since the modification requestor must file a motion for modification with the court, the onus is on them to provide proper justification for the modification request.
Breach of Corporate Settlement Agreement
If one party determines that the other has breached the settlement agreement, a mediation or arbitration clause may be triggered, if it exists. Typically created as part of the corporate settlement agreement, a mediation or arbitration clause helps to resolve the dispute by prescribing a dispute resolution process to follow. A consent to judgment outlining the financial penalty for breach of the contract follows. This helps streamline enforcement by laying out the terms of enforcement and any related penalties before bringing a motion to enforce the consent to judgment.
Regardless of the nature of the case, all parties are—to a greater or lesser degree—averse to lengthy court proceedings and drawn-out legal battles. Corporate settlement agreements enable corporates to find a resolution to their disputes out of court, away from the scrutiny of the public eye. And under certain circumstances, enforcement or cancellation is certainly possible, albeit at the discretion of the court.
A POS system is an excellent way for businesses to streamline their inventory management, increase sales, and manage customer loyalty. POS systems are designed to do what they say- process your orders. POS stands for point of sale, which means that this software is used in the store when you’re checking out at the register. They can be used by retail stores or restaurants to keep track of all inventory on hand, where it’s located in the store/restaurant, who ordered what from whom, and more!
Why do you need a POS system?
A POS system can help you save money, time, and resources. You’ll be able to monitor your inventory with ease so that when it’s running low on something, like toilet paper in the bathroom or milk at the deli counter, you’re ready for a quick restock.
If you have several employees who are all managing separate registers (and sometimes taking stock of their own inventories) then using POS software will allow them to sync up their data instead of wasting time counting out each other’s cash drawers every night. Everything should be much easier if you start with harbortouchpossoftware.com which gives a flat monthly fee that covers service and support. It also ensures they don’t accidentally short-change customers because now there’s only one place where that transaction is logged- which reduces errors and keeps everyone accountable!
POS gives more than just information to your business, POS also gives you the opportunity for marketing and promotions.
You can use POS systems to give coupons or discounts based on how customers are shopping with you- either by selling a certain number of items in one transaction or meeting an ordering requirement before they get their free gift!
How it benefits your business POS
POS terminals can be used to take orders, process payments in a flash, and print out receipts in seconds. You’ll save money because there’s no need for employees manning the register 24/ hours – as soon as one cashier is clocked out they can go home!
Plus POS software takes up less space than having multiple registers on-site and it saves you from hiring new staff or paying hefty fees to an outside company that manages all of this technology for you. POS systems also increase customer satisfaction by making transactions smoother and faster which means people leave happy (and more likely to come back!).
The other benefit of POS systems is they can be used to increase your sales. Retail stores and restaurants love POS software because it allows you to take orders from more than one person at a time – meaning faster service for everyone! You’ll also have access to information like customer loyalty history, which means you could give them discounts or free items based on the frequency and size of their purchases.
What to look for in a POS system
There are many POS systems out there, but only some of them can help your business. You need to ask yourself what you want and expect from a POS system before choosing one- think about how many employees will be using it, if customers will have the option to pay by credit or cash (or both!), do you need any extra hardware like scanners?
Will this POS software integrate with other programs/software that your company uses? If you’re not sure where to start, speak with an IT expert who knows their stuff so they can recommend a POS system that works for your specific needs!
You should also ask about POS system support. Some POS terminals come with long-term customer service options while others only have access to phone or email support, which can leave you hanging when something goes wrong and there’s no one around to help. You don’t want that kind of downtime!
You’ll be able to find a POS system that covers all your bases but it may take some time looking through endless lists of companies who sell POS systems until you find the perfect match for your company. It might seem like a lot of trouble now (and maybe even expensive) but in the end, having efficient POS software will save time, money, and resources so everyone wins!
FAQs about different types of point of sale systems and how they work
POS systems are not just for retail stores. Restaurants, cafes, bars, and other businesses that have a high volume of customers can benefit from POS software in the same ways as larger department or big box store chains.
Retail POS systems use barcode scanners along with wireless devices to scan items quickly at checkout time so you don’t waste any time when it comes to ringing up orders. It’s also important for employees who work behind the scenes like stockers and merchandisers (who restock shelves) because they’re able to keep track of where each product is located on their assigned floor/aisle without having to ask someone else what aisle something might be down!
POS terminals can usually handle cash payments but most restaurants opt to use POS software that allows cash, credit card, and debit card transactions.
POS systems are secure but there should be multiple levels of security in place between your store location and your online site as well as any other applications used with this system (like inventory management) just in case something does happen while data transfers back and forth from one device to another!
Concluding thoughts and tips on choosing the right type for your business needs POS
POS systems are fast, efficient, cost-effective for businesses large and small (especially when compared with expensive cashiers), easy to use so there won’t be a steep learning curve for employees who’ve never used this type of technology before, and POS terminals can usually handle multiple languages which means no language barriers while conducting business!
POS systems also give companies an advantage over their competition because they allow customers to pay quickly without having to wait for change or fumble through their wallets/purses looking for exact bills.
We hope this article has helped you understand why your business needs a POS system and how it can help. Remember that no matter which POS system you choose, be sure to carefully consider its compatibility with other software programs like inventory management or online ordering systems. This will make managing your company much easier down the line. Good luck!
When building an eCommerce store, a business owner must first understand the importance of getting the right type of server.
Servers are high-powered computers that store and serve information to other computers. In website development, choosing the best server means providing an ideal environment for a website.
Without a good server, a website may load slowly, have unstable online availability, and experience frequent server crashes.
In this article, we’ve compiled seven easy tips for selecting the perfect server for your eCommerce business. Let’s dive right in.
1. Server Speed and Reliability
Almost 70% of customers point out that page speed affects their decision on buying from an eCommerce website. Luckily, it only takes a 0.1-second improvement to get 9.1% more shoppers to add items to their baskets.
For the above reasons, excellent eCommerce site performance is crucial to help boost an eCommerce site’s conversion rates and improve user experience.
And the easiest way to ensure an excellent site’s speed is by choosing a server with reduced server response time. An SRT is the amount of time a server needs to respond to a query. The lower the number, the faster a website will be.
Google PageSpeed Insights suggests going for a server for which SRT is under 200 milliseconds. Furthermore, a study proves that web pages that load within 0-2 seconds have the highest conversion rates.
On top of that, checking the server’s uptime is essential to ensure a more stable online availability. Server uptime refers to the percentage of total duration for a server to be fully up and running.
A 99.5% uptime is a good number. However, going for a server that guarantees up to 99.9% uptime is even better. The downtime possibility for the former adds up to 1.83 days a year. Whereas the latter is only 8.76 hours.
2. Server Capabilities and Limitations
To ensure you get the correct server that can cater to your eCommerce requirements, take notes on what the different providers’ plans actually include. Here are some factors you should consider:
RAM. Short for random access memory, it writes and reads information for faster retrieval. However, a website’s speed may suffer if there are too many running programs in the background. Therefore, it’s vital to calculate how much RAM a website needs to help ensure excellent performance.
File storage. Hard disk and solid-state drives are two popular storage devices for website hosting. To improve performance, an SSD is the better option. As it uses a memory chip, it can process information faster than the traditional HDD.
Bandwidth. It’s the maximum quantity of data that can be transferred in a second. For this aspect, check a provider’s bandwidth limit and overuse fees to get the suitable bandwidth needed for your eCommerce site.
CPU power. Thishardware is like the server’s brain. A CPU makes it possible for a server to receive, process, and deliver information to users. With a CPU, the bigger the core number, the more queries a server can handle simultaneously.
In relation to storage space, a reliable server helps minimize Error 502. One of the most common causes for such an error is an overloaded server. It makes a website take too long to complete a request, hence the error.
Thus, consider going with a provider that offers ample storage space if you display lots of product photos and videos.
3. Server Security and Encryption
eCommerce website owners should never let their server security be compromised.
Small businesses are fitting targets for hackers as they may not have a professional security team to improve their systems. In this situation, selecting a reliable server that guarantees robust security is a top-tier prerequisite measure.
An SSL certificate is crucial for online stores. Short for a secure sockets layer, an SSL’s job is to protect all users’ data. It moves a website from the HTTP to the HTTPS environment, where all information is encrypted.
Without an SSL certificate, site owners make it easier for attackers to steal customers’ data. Incidents with data leakage can damage a brand’s reputation, resulting in customer loss and revenue drops.
For that reason, it’s advisable to check if your chosen provider offers a free SSL certificate with its plan.
4. Server Location
Server locations impact a website’s speed. If a site’s server is far from where the business’s target audience is, it’ll increase the site’s latency. With that said, the less the physical distance, the better the loading time.
That’s why it’s advisable to choose the most strategic server location for your eCommerce website.
Another tip is to look for the integration of a content delivery network. A CDN is a cluster of geographically distributed proxy servers that help boost a website’s speed. The servers will store a site’s content, bringing it closer to the target audience.
Thus, a CDN integration is a perfect feature to consider if you want to build an eCommerce website for a global audience.
5. Server Backups
Sometimes, a small, neglected error may lead to a more damaging incident, like data loss and unexpected downtime. On top of that, eCommerce sites are among the most popular targets for cybersecurity threats.
To prepare for such situations, conducting backups is the best security prerequisite for every site owner. They can help site owners recover their files and have the website back online as soon as possible.
Data backup is about duplicating any type of file into a separate location for easy retrieval. It’s one of the most vital elements in website maintenance, as it helps ensure the safety of a site’s digital information.
The negative impacts of not backing up a website include:
Loss of customers.
Prolonged downtime.
Permanent deletions of products, orders, and customer information.
A reliable host may offer regular daily, weekly, and monthly backups.
On top of that, an automated backup should be on your list, as it definitely makes the process a lot easier. Using the feature, all you need to do is set a schedule and let the server commence the backup for you based on the specified time.
6. Technical Support
Setting up a website is relatively easy. However, errors still may occur every now and then. They can come from both the server and user sides.
When it comes to technical support, reflect on your skills in handling website development, maintenance, and optimization. If you’re new to these topics, you may need a higher support level.
To help troubleshoot issues quickly, check if your chosen host offers technical support. An excellent provider will offer it 24/7 on different communication channels, such as live web chat, phone calls, email tickets, web forms, and social media.
In addition, checking support reviews helps get clearer insights into what you can expect from a company’s customer service. Thus, research thoroughly.
7. Money-Back Guarantee
A money-back guarantee allows customers to get their money back in case they’re not happy with a company’s service. With that said, a customer may ask for a refund if they feel a product may not be what they expected it to be
Quality companies often offer a money-back guarantee to ensure service excellence, especially if the competition is tight. By providing this policy, a customer may try a business’s product themselves and confirm its claims.
In terms of the time frame, each provider has its own time period. Some offer a 30-day money-back guarantee, while others may stretch it to 45 or 60 days.
Some terms and conditions may also apply. For instance, a company that offers a 100% money-back guarantee will refund the total price of the product its customers buy. Other providers may offer a different amount.
In addition, keep in mind to check the lifetime warranty if you’ve decided on a provider. This is to ensure that you’ll get the same experience past the trial period.
Conclusion
Selecting the most suitable server for your site is one of the most crucial stages of building a website. The best kind of server will help provide a supportive environment for a website to grow.
Throughout this article, we covered seven aspects to consider when choosing the perfect server for eCommerce. Here’s a short recap:
Server speed and reliability. Go for a provider that offers an under-200-milliseconds server response time and over a 99.5% uptime guarantee.
Server capabilities and limitations. Compare one provider to another to find the perfect storage space, RAM, bandwidth, and CPU power matches for excellent eCommerce performance.
Server security and encryption. SSL certificates are a must for eCommerce websites.
Server location. Reduces latency and improves user experience.
Server backups. The most vital eCommerce security prerequisites. Automated daily backups help ensure data safety and ease data retrieval in case of an emergency.
Technical support. Ensure 24/7 assistance to help solve issues quickly.
Money-back guarantee. Let customers experience the product and confirm the company’s claims.
We hope all the above tips are insightful and help you get the best server for your eCommerce business. Good luck!
When you’re in business, especially in the early days, the thought of experimentation and risk-taking is a difficult thing to come to terms with. On the one hand, you might be aware about how such risks and ventures can lead you to the kind of success that you’re looking for, but on the other hand, you might not feel as though you’re in the right financial position to do this.
What will help you solve your conundrum is having some sort of idea about which risks are worth taking, or how to find out what could work best for you. This can vary from business to business, but acquiring more knowledge in the field means that you tackle future problems with more confidence.
Get Professionals to Help You Along
Taking risks and trying something new, often means that you’ll be working with tools or technology that you’re unfamiliar with. Ordinarily, in a personal sense, this just means that you have a period of time when you can learn how to work with this and become more confident with it. However, when you’re trying something new in business, you’re trying to meet a financial goal. Therefore, what might be your best course of action here is to acquire the help of professionals in the field that you’re delving into in order to make your debut in that regard as successful as possible.
For example, if you were thinking of expanding your marketing capabilities by trying different means through which to exercise your strategies, there will be appropriate professionals to help you along. One option that you would have if this is something you were trying to explore, would be to conduct your marketing campaigns through text message platforms, something that Tatango can help you ensure is as smooth as possible. In any case, while there can be a temptation to do everything yourself due to either pride or financial reasons, working with other professionals can broaden your perspective and lead you to achieve the results that you seek.
Follow in the Footsteps of What’s Worked
While this may not sound like an approach that should be followed when discussing taking risks, the risk is relative to your company and that doesn’t mean that you have to do something radical and new. Looking at the examples that bigger, more established names in your field of business have set can lead you to a myriad of possible options for you to follow. This is something positive and should be viewed as such.
While you might be unwilling to look to learn from your competitors, it’s important to view your dynamic with them in a positive light, and gleaning something beneficial out of being the underdog shows that you’re willing to make the most of your situation.
In any case, thanks to their success, you’ll have access to knowledge about what works and what doesn’t, and you, fortunately, don’t have to be the one to see if something new will work or not.
