Sneha Das

Lack of considerations in selecting a payment gateway adversely affects the conversion rate of ecommerce portals. In fact, the average cart abandonment rate stands at 69.57%, as per the Baymard Institute. They have calculated this value after analyzing 40+ studies. With digital commerce ruling the world, there’s no shortage of advance payment gateways. However, choosing the most potent ones plays a crucial role in making the most of it. Here you will find the following to clear your doubts and confusion regarding payment gateways: What exactly is a Payment Gateway? The working process of Payment gateways. How do Payment Gateways secure information? Top 7 factors to keep in mind while selecting a Payment Gateway. Discussing first things first; What is a Payment Gateway? Payment Gateway is the technology that allows businesses to collect digital payments from clients. It works by connecting the client’s bank account to the business platform to transfer the amount smoothly. The standard payment modes include credit cards, debit cards, net banking, wallets, QR code, UPI, etc. How does a Payment Gateway work? To keep it lucid, I have explained the entire process in simple steps: Step-1: The process starts when the user selects the check-out button/payment option or any other equivalent. Step-2: The user then lands on the Payment gateway page. Step-3: He/She fills all the debit or credit card data and clicks the submit or ok option. Step-4: The Payment Gateway then lands the user on the secured page of the issuing bank and asks for transaction authorization. Step-5: Once the user authorizes the transaction, the Gateway checks the availability of the transaction amount in the user account. Step-6: When the balance is sufficient, the bank settles the amount to the Payment gateway and the user’s account. That was a concise explanation of how a Payment gateway works. The entire mechanism is secured by ensuring encryption, hash function, etc. Here’s how the Payment Gateway secures the entire transaction process The transaction gets carried out through an HTTPS server where the letter S stands for Secure. The server develops an encrypting link between the browser and the webserver. The system relies on a signed request which remains confined between the user and the Payment Gateway only. The IP of the server gets checked for any malicious activity, spam, etc. To ensure an additional layer of security Virtual Payer authentication is employed in the Payment Gateway. Having gained sufficient knowledge about Payment Gateway, let’s have a look at the crucial factors that must be taken care of while choosing one for your eCommerce platform. Here are the top 7 factors for choosing an ideal Payment Gateway 1. Track And Integrate The Popular Payment Modes When catering to eCommerce clients, you don’t want to lose potent sales due to the lack of popular payment options. So, it is essential to analyze the most preferred modes of payment. The Infographic below presents an idea of the preferred payment options worldwide. Source: Statista The infographic clearly illustrates that the cards, vouchers, and mobile payment options are preferred modes of Payment. The preferred payment option also depends upon the target audience of the Commerce platform. For example, an eCommerce platform catering to senior citizens witness higher transactions using credit and debit cards while catering to younger generation witnesses’ transactions using e-Wallets, QR code, etc. Once you have found them, it is necessary to ensure that the Payment gateway you choose is compatible with all of them. 2. Consider Integrating International Services Retail eCommerce solutions that aim to reach a high target audience must consider integrating international payment services. Opting for integration of Payment Gateway that supports international transactions is costlier but proves worthy in the long run of the enterprise. While selecting an international Payment Gateway, look for buyer’s protection besides accepting all kinds of credit and debit cards. 3. Ensure Quicker Onboarding Payment Gateway service activation requires you to go through document verification, authorization, etc. You can also hire top ecommerce developers to ensure planned integration of the Payment Gateway to minimize the risk of delay on the project. 4. Look For Consistent Support Inefficient performance of the Payment Gateways due to technical glitches, a high number of users, etc., adversely impact the conversion rate of the eCommerce platform. It is essential to go for standard Payment Gateways that offer continuous support to your eCommerce platforms to tackle minor and major issues. Client support in the form of emails, live chats, calls, etc., facilitates quicker resolving of problems and errors. 5. Availability of Smart Analytics Ecommerce growth can be effectively analyzed by looking at the smart analytics offered by Payment Gateways. The analytics will help you realize the frequency of transactions done by clients, the preferred mode of payments, whether cards, net banking, or mobile wallets. 6. Consult Overall Charges The majority of the eCommerce Payment Gateways charges around 2% to 6% and a processing fee of $0.30. Before selecting any of them, it is essential to look whether the Payment Gateway is also charging a setup fee, annual fee, etc. Payment Gateways like PayPal and Amazon Pay don’t charge a setup fee for the investing eCommerce platforms. Overall, the Payment Gateway services may require you to pay for the following: Registration Fee/ Setup Fee Monthly charges Charges on each transaction either fixed or dependent upon the sum Charges for making refunds 7. The level of Security Offered According to Software Development Stats, 21% of data breaches are done on credentials. The level of security offered builds trust among the consumers of the eCommerce platforms. While choosing any standard Payment Gateway, you can check whether they offer 3D security, measures for fraud prevention, two-factor authentications, etc . Standard measures employed for enhancing the security level of the Payment Gateways include the following: Secure Socket Layer (SSL) certifications Secure Electronic Transaction (SST) Payment Card Industry (PCI) compliance Final Words That was all about the essential things you should consider while choosing an eCommerce Payment Gateway. The eCommerce website development company in India offers integration of safe and secure Payment Gateways to develop a smooth functioning platform.

Coming up with a million-dollar business strategy today is a bit critical in this super-competitive digital market. Now, it’s a battle between your success or your competitors. The right marketing strategies will secure your business’s future in the market. It will keep your business way ahead of the curve. The digital market has evolved now. It’s no longer a funnel but a fluid cycle with multiple stakeholders, overlapping touchpoints, and prospects involved in the marketing research. Online products and services are also typically more complex and need solutions geared towards rational decision-making versus spur-of-the-moment shopping. Take a look at the top 9 key strategies for making your marketing campaigns strong as well as profit-yielding. So, let’s begin. 1. Social Media Marketing A different form of marketing that exploded in the past few years is social media marketing. It has changed the whole landscape and will be going to stay forever. It's leading-edge and in-demand for various good reasons. It is a new and innovative way for businesses to reach people. At the same time, it's different from traditional marketing, and one thing that we must understand is that there is a 2-way Conversation in Social Media Marketing. Companies have created their business accounts on platforms like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest, and more. Here, they share their blog posts, connect with their fans and followers, and reach interested people. Typically it's done via posting on the social networks and monitoring the company's mentions to respond to customer queries and issues. 2. Content Marketing Content marketing is an essential method that brings your company to online listings. Yes, the SEO-friendly blogs and web content inserted with the perfect keywords ranks well in the search engines like Bing and Google. Typically, it's done via blogging, where companies used to add new content regularly with blog posts targeting specific topics, keywords, and keyword phrases. Often it comes in the form of a "Resource Center" where the posts are informative plus offer help. It can be like "How to" the market's new update, Google's new algorithm, and anyone else that seems informative as well helpful to users. Such type of content helps and addresses questions that your potential customers may ask. 3. SEO What's more potent in driving organic traffic to the website than social media marketing? It's SEO. Though it won't bring results in one day, marketing strategies are not children's play where products start appearing within a day. It's all about planning for your business's future growth. Most online retailers concentrate on immediate satisfaction when building their online stores, so they'll run Facebook ads and call it a day. But if you want to keep your acquisition costs low, SEO is your best bet. Though SEO is not about picking keywords for your particular niche, it's much more than that. For example, if you have an online grocery store, the keywords will not only be the grocery; they should contain fruits, vegetables, food, and everything that comes to grocery. In this way, you can target more customers. 4. Public Relations Public relations (PR) includes everything from media coverage to branding. It is about maintaining a positive public image and building brand awareness. On the one hand, PR is about blocking and putting out fires that can harm a brand’s name. And on the other, it’s about showcasing the good things your company provides, like corporate social responsibility. You should hire indian developers at a low cost to build a functional website that perfectly matches your Brand as social media marketing may not work if you don’t have an online entity for branding. You should always include marketing strategies like PR. The reality is your brand’s reputation can be magic like Disney’s, or it can be as tarnished as other flop brands. 5. Collaboration There is a popular trend of brand collaboration or partnership in the market. It can skyrocket your business too. You might have heard about it where all you have to do is jump into another brand's audience. All you can do is find a company of a similar niche; you may call them your competitors, but at the same time, they can be your allies too. The two brands have the same niche, but they have different product lines; they can aid each other in growth by co-creating content, contest hosting, or joint product launch. With this, you can increase your audience reach and success rate as well. There are two types of collaborative marketing practices prevalent in the market today: Influencer marketing- It allows you to leverage influencers to grow your brand in the market. This works incredibly well if you have a small following and wish to make a big splash in the market. While choosing an influencer, remember that they should have a great audience reach to showcase your products and positively represent your brand. It’s not just like selecting a random attractive person having a high fan following; good research is always required here. Get tagged or shared by a social media fan page- It’s also a kind of influencer marketing, but it's about reaching a person with a huge fan following like in thousands and millions. In my opinion, it's much better than influence marketing, as people have different types of fan following like fitness, pets, entertainment, and more. When your brand gets promoted here, you'll get an exciting set of audiences. All these pages have their email id or contact details mentioned in their bio. Well, the direct DM option is always there. Final Words All the points that I have shared above are common but still not in proper practice. If one is following SEO, then ignoring collaborations or public relations, they have to understand that everything is essential to extend their business growth. Whether it’s SEO, content writing, social media, or anything else, you have to focus on making yourself stand out in the market. All these are interrelated with each other, and desirable results are only achieved with the right approach. So, to follow these strategies properly you must have a robust website and if you don’t have one then go ahead and hire an expert or connect with an ecommerce development company in India at a fractional cost. Go Ahead, Good Luck & Grow Your Business By Leaps & Bounds

Are you looking for the best web development company for your next web project? Great, I have some tips to share with you that you should consider while hiring any web development company. According to web development stat, millions of companies are out there in the market claiming to provide the best web development services. This makes it incredibly challenging for web service seekers to find a reliable partner. With some past experience, I have prepared a list of a few major things that one should look for in a web development company. This will help you in making the right choice. So, let’s begin. Below are the tips for choosing the right web development company: . 1. Check the Previous Project It's always good to check out the past projects of the company. It will give you a better idea. Look at the websites they have designed earlier and check whether they are responsive with different platforms or not. Because nowadays, people browse sites generally on mobile devices. Therefore, it is essential to confirm that the past project designs are responsive. If the designs are not cross-platform responsive, then that company is probably not the right choice. 2. Knowledge in web technologies Before choosing any web development company, check what web design and development technologies they use. Make sure they are updated with the latest trends and technologies prevailing in the market. If it is, then go ahead with that particular company. Technology is evolving, and being an online entrepreneur, you have to make sure that your website is abiding by the latest trends and methodologies prevailing in the market. Thus, considering the company's technical expertise is essential; it will secure your business’s future in the market. 3. Internet marketing knowledge or services A website is a business face. It’s a robust platform that converts the visitor into potential customers. So, make sure the company you are hiring possesses good digital marketing knowledge because it’s equally important as developing a website. Thus, test the company’s digital marketing knowledge too while hiring its service. 4. Company’s Work Portfolio While selecting a web development company, always check its portfolio. It will give you an idea of their service quality. Also, check the relevant samples related to your niche. It will guide you better in making the right choice. 5. Web hosting service When you select a web development company, make sure they provide a hosting web service. If they are providing hosting services, the company can handle your business’s complete web hosting. By considering this point, you can avoid many future problems like server issues, web speed, etc. 6. Evaluate the quality of the company’s official website When selecting the best web development company, the first thing to consider is whether its website is impressive or not. Is it up to date? Are they following digital marketing rules? If they follow all the rules and the website design is impressive and responsive, then you can easily hire that web development company for your project. 7. Interaction with customers When you choose the web development company for your business, you must first check how they interact or communicate with their customers. Try to meet with the previous clients if they are satisfied with your work and communication and express how they behave while discussing the projects. If their behavior and communication with clients are good, then you can trust that company. 8. Strict NDA The foremost thing that you never forget is the Non-Disclosure Agreement. Make sure the company signs the NDA contracts. It’s essential to safeguard the project’s confidentiality. 9. Problem-solving ability Suppose you are done with decisions and signing the web development company for your business. Then lastly just, check the troubleshooting ability of the company. Are they capable of solving clients' problems during the development period? Before you hire web developers you must cross check whether they can solve the problem positively and adequately, if you are convinced enough then you can go ahead with that web development company. It's the right choice. 10. Check Business Listing Sites Another best thing you can do is to find the right website development services in india at affordable rates and check its rating on the business listing websites like GoodFirms and Clutch. You can check the reviews given there by the company's previous clients. All these business listing websites specialize in collecting feedback from the IT company’s clients across the globe. These reviews will provide you with a better idea about the company that whether its past competency favors your project type or not. Also, you can check if the company's team has any awards and is recognized by their peers. This research will help you in knowing the company's rank in the global market. 11. Ask for client references All established web development companies have past clients. It’ll be helpful if you connect with some of the company’s past clients to know their experience. If you find the clients satisfied with the service quality and everything, then you can trust this company for your project. A short interview with its clients will give you a clear idea about your future web development company. So, always ask for past client references from the company. Final Words While starting any new online business, finding a reliable technology partner is a must. If you skip this or fail in doing this then your website will never get launched in the market. But all the above 11 points are not just the end of the research, try to gather as much as you can, it will be helpful and guarantee your success as well. All these are the essential things that you should consider while hiring any web development company. If the company passes all the significant areas, then go ahead; it’s the right choice. The only thing that you have to do is research and invest time before making any decision. Just think, shortlist, decide and contact the best web development company in India. I hope this guide will help you in finding the best company for your business. Go Ahead & Hire The Best Web Development Company

E-commerce industries are continually booming at break-neck speed. Retailers are putting all their efforts to gain a competitive edge with their million-dollar business strategy and, most importantly, their market-ready website. These people are always seen confused when it comes to choosing the best open-source ecommerce platform. The popular platforms that come to mind here are generally OpenCart and WooCommerce. Both hold a strong place in the market. According to the recent web development stats, “OpenCart and WooCommerce are ranked among the top eCommerce platforms 2021”. To help out these aspiring retailers, I have highlighted the detailed comparison of OpenCart Vs WooCommerce 2021. In this article, I’ll help you discuss the three major areas: A brief understanding of OpenCart & WooCommerce Key differences between the two platforms Final Verdict So, let’s begin. Brief Understanding Of Opencart & WooCommerce OpenCart In 2008, OpenCart was launched in the market as an open-source platform. It was designed to make the store management process easier irrespective of the size. It’s free and provides different themes and extensions. The platform mainly targets newcomers as it’s user-friendly and packed with many advanced features. Unlike WooCommerce, here you don't need to have any website before its installation, and well-enough too if you are not planning for any sort of blog. WooCommerce WooThemes launched WooCommerce in 2011. It’s a WordPress plugin designed to convert an exciting WordPress website into a full-fledged e-commerce store with ease. It’s powerful plus comparatively easy to use with excellent integrations for your desired tools. The platform is running successfully, as the graph is growing day by day. Let’s take a look at its stats once: Around 3,317,205 live websites are currently using WooCommerce. 19% of all e-stores are WooCommerce-powered. 22% of the top 1 million eCommerce sites are using WooCommerce. 9% of all websites use WooCommerce. Now, let’s begin the comparison between OpenCart and WooCommerce: #1. WooCommerce Vs OpenCart – Ease Of Installation & Usage WooCommerce is WordPress’s plug-in and can be installed easily like other plugins available in the web store. As it’s open-source, you don’t have to pay any recurring monthly charges. It’s simple to install WooCommerce! Just head to “Plugins” in the left sidebar, find“WooCommerce”, and click “Install Now.” To activate the plug-in, you have to go to the setup wizard to fill in some necessary store details. Once you are done, it will direct to your store. Whereas in OpenCart, you will get two options to set up your store. First, the easy set-up option is a one-click installer with the hosting providers. It costs you around $3-$15. Second, install an OpenCart store manually. Though it’s a complicated process as compared to WooCommerce, it needs technical skills. Here you should know about FTP and its use to transfer the OpenCart archive to your server, then create a database via phpMyAdmin. One with non-technical skills found the process a bit critical. Result WooCommerce Wins due to its easy installation process than OpenCart. #2. WooCommerce Vs. OpenCart – Themes & Design WordPress and WooCommerce provide over 2100 free themes plus 30,000+ paid themes. Whether you are looking for magazine themes, e-commerce themes, SEO-powered themes, you'll face no trouble finding them. WooThemes (the developers behind WooCommerce) now understands the importance of design. That's why they have lots of great-looking WordPress themes available, explicitly optimized for WooCommerce. The best part about this platform is that you can integrate and use it with any WordPress theme. With WooCommerce, you will have a level of specialization and you may also need to hire woocommerce developers for assistance but that's just not possible with OpenCart. OpenCart's offering is minimal. It only offers a total of 500 free and paid themes, and their cost fluctuates around $60-70. The advanced template system allows for the quick and efficient modification of your online store. It may appear not very easy for deep customization and requires intense knowledge of HTML and CSS. Thus, for a non-technical person, OpenCart will be a tough choice Result WooCommerce wins again with its high level of customization; that’s not possible with OpenCart. #3. WooCommerce Vs. OpenCart-Pricing Both OpenCart and WooCommerce are free, open-source e-commerce solutions. However, you have to pay additional charges for add-on services like hosting, domain name, SSL certificate, and extra extensions. In WooCommerce, you don't have to pay for the installation, but later on, you have to pay for the domain charge that costs you around $15. Whereas in OpenCart, you have to pay for the plug-in, and it will cost you around $10 to $489. Also, you have to consider processing fee charges. Result It’s a tie here because both WooCommerce and OpenCart charge you for a particular service. #4. WooCommerce Vs. OpenCart-SEO SEO is vital if you want to beat the competition, and WooCommerce comes with power-packed SEO features. There are tons of plugins and extensions that you can use to add different functionalities, such as robots.txt, flexible URLs, Google Analytics, meta descriptions, blogs, and generate sitemap.xml. Yoast SEO – No.1 SEO plugin of WooCommerce, offers excellent SEO functions, for example: Metadata Editing– Changing text displayed on websites for search results. Redirects– send a unique URL while updating the slug on a current page automatically. Internal linking suggestions – Suggest tips for creating a new web page on the best websites. Here is the complete SEO optimization guidance that the plugin has to provide: Now, talking about OpenCart that also claims itself an SEO-friendly platform. The platform's limitation in SEO features restricts users' capacity to make sure essential SEO modifications. While you can make changes or update your meta keywords, titles, and descriptions, you'll have to tinker around with code. Moreover, doing 301 redirects and rel canonical can be complicated as it needs PHP coding. For newcomers or amateurs, this process will be too much of a headache. Result WooCommerce again rules with its powerful SEO-features that need no technical background. #5. Multiple Stores OpenCart allows multi-store creation with just one installation under single admin management. Once you have installed it, you can build multiple stores right from the admin panel without installing it repeatedly. To make a new store, you need to create a subdomain in your cPanel and then add the store in the admin panel's Settings section. Whereas WooCommerce doesn't provide an inbuilt multiple-store function. You have to be dependent on the paid plugins for the activation. However, in the case of OpenCart, you can straightforwardly set up multiple stores without relying on 3rd-party plugins. Result OpenCart wins here with its easy multiple-store setup processes. So, What’s Better WooCommerce or OpenCart? Final Verdict The aspects shared above clearly show that WooCommerce is better than OpenCart in terms of customization, ease of installation & usage, SEO, and more. Though this comparison is not limited to just five areas, there are a few more that make WooCommerce the better choice for non-technical people. As we have studied above, OpenCart is not for newcomers or amateurs. To make its best use, you should have a good command of technicalities like PHP, FTP, and more. But still, if you find OpenCart good, then hire an OpenCart developer first for better guidance and the right implementation. And, those having WordPress websites can quickly get started with WooCommerce. The platform has everything to offer like flexibility, SEO, customization, and more that’s required for developing a successful eCommerce website. If you still have any queries or want to know more, then hire an eCommerce development company in India. They will provide you better knowledge and help you in developing a business-ready e-store. Good Luck!