Archive for month: March, 2022

Original Source: https://ecommerce-platforms.com/articles/best-mobile-pos-systems

Mobile POS systems are all the rage right now, and as we head into 2022, their adoption rate is only going to increase. The pandemic laid bare the problems with the conventional checkout process, and companies began looking at more efficient, and more hygienic, ways to process payments.

Mobile POS systems aren’t new, but they have grown in popularity considerably in the past couple of years. Square is widely considered by many as the best mobile POS system available today.

However, other players have entered the market, and business owners are spoilt for choice. A mobile POS system is one of the best investments that you can make for your business this year.

Customers prioritize experience above all else when they visit brick-and-mortar establishments. With a mPOS system, you can make their checkout experience smoother and more efficient. Upgrading to a mobile point of sale system offers various advantages.

Firstly, you should know that it reduces the checkout time dramatically. All mobile POS systems require a mobile device, and an app to work. The best mobile POS systems also integrate seamlessly with existing POS software.

The rising average transaction value per user underlines the importance of upgrading to a mobile POS system, especially for small business owners. A streamlined checkout experience, such as accepting contactless payments via credit card or taking payments from customers using Apple Pay, can increase profitability.

In this article, we shall talk about the 6 best mPOS systems available to you, compare their main features, pros and cons, and then select a winner, a runner-up, and our budget pick!

Our Pick

Sqiuare POS

Features
10/10

Ease of use
10/10

Pricing
9/10

Hardware
10/10

Try Sqiuare POS

Sqiuare POS Review

Square is the best mobile POS solution for businesses. Square comes with a slew of features that simplify business management, including inventory tracking, comprehensive reporting, and elaborate labor management solutions.

Integrate it with Square’s online platform, and you can start selling on the web in no time too. It’s a fantastic choice for businesses of all sizes and in different industries.

Best runner-up

Shopify POS

Features
10/10

Ease of Use
10/10

Pricing
9/10

Hardware
9/10

Try Shopify POS

Shopify POS Review

Shopify POS comes a close second to Square’s mPOS solutions. Shopify is one of the biggest names in the ecommerce world, and it’s one of the best mPOS providers in the world right now. It’s no mean feat to have more than a million businesses using your devices after all.

With features like Shopify Payments, the platform makes it very easy for businesses to manage transactions and finances with relative ease.

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The 6 Best Mobile POS Systems For Businesses Going Into 2022

With so many options to choose from, we understand things can get a bit confusing. Here’s our comprehensive comparison of the 6 best mobile POS systems that you should consider.

The Best Mobile POS System: Square POS

Square has been at the forefront of mobile POS technology for more than a decade. The company offered an innovative payment solution to businesses in 2009, allowing an average employee to accept payments by plugging the Square Reader into their mobile device via the 3.5 mm headphone jack.

The plug-in card reader was an instant hit, replacing the bulky cash register and allowing businesses to accept payments efficiently via Square’s app. Fast forward to today, and Square POS offers a slew of hardware devices, including a barcode scanner, NFC readers, and several others.

More than 2 million businesses use Square mPOS solutions across the globe, making it the best mobile POS system hands down. It works smoothly with both iOS and Android devices, and you can also link it with your ecommerce store.

Features

Payment Management – fast payment processing with support for all EMV compliant cards, as well as Apple Pay, Google Pay, and Cash App. Integration for gift cards, refunds, loyalty programs. Square is PCI compliant, and offers fraud protection and monitoring too.Operations Management – Get access to interesting insights about business performance with Square Analytics. Manage inventory with in-built integrations for Stitch Labs, SKU IQ, Shopventory, and others. Square also offers low-stock alerts and reports for tracking employee performance.eCommerce Integrations – Connect with Square Online to sell your goods online and sync sales and inventory in a single dashboard. Send checkout links to customers or offer digital gift cards, allowing you to sell through another channel altogether.Extensive customization – There are a bunch of add-ons available, including CRM tools for email marketing, payroll processing with Square Payroll, team management and access control with Square Team Management, and the ability to create a custom loyalty program.

Hardware

Square offers a full suite of POS hardware, including:

POS terminal ($299 or $27/mo for 12 months)Reader ($49)POS register ($799 or $39/mo for 24 months)Stand ($169 or $16/mo for 12 months)Reader (magstripe) (First Reader is free)

They also offer fully integrated iPad compatible kits for restaurants, retail stores and other businesses, with prices starting from $526.

Pricing

Square offers free POS software – you only pay for the hardware and a transaction processing fee. The company charges 1.75% for processing chip or contactless payments. Invoices and customer orders are charged 2.5%. For enterprise businesses, custom pricing is also available.

Pros

Unparalleled support – Owing to its widespread adoption, Square offers fantastic support to its customers around the globe.Phenomenal dashboard – Review reports and get insights into business performance and key areas for growth.Range of POS hardware – Take payments with maximum flexibility thanks to the company’s range of POS hardware.

Cons

Limited printer options -You’ll need to invest in a separate receipt printer to start printing receipts.Increasing prices – The system is not modular, so in order to tailor it according to your business needs, you will need to spend extra. The right fit may cost considerably extra.

Who is it best for?

Square’s mPOS solutions were designed for small business owners. If you are a retail store owner or a restaurateur, Square’s POS app and accompanying hardware will make things easier for you.

Further reading 📚

Square Reviews (Mar 2022): Square’s Top Features, Pros and Cons

Square POS Reviews: Everything You Need to Know (Mar 2022)

Square Pricing and Fees: The Ultimate Guide for 2022

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Best Runner Up: Shopify POS

Shopify POS is a close second on this list, and is an excellent choice for businesses that want convenient mPOS solutions without breaking the bank. Shopify offers one of the best mobile POS solutions to businesses in many parts of the world.

It’s one of the world’s largest ecommerce platforms, and more than 1 million businesses use its mobile POS solutions. If you already have an ecommerce store built on Shopify, adopting Shopify POS is a logical choice; it’ll help you unify sales from multiple channels together in a seamless manner.

There are two options available to you: Shopify POS Lite and Shopify POS Pro. Apart from simply offering POS solutions, Shopify also offers personalized marketing solutions to increase your sales and get more recurring customers.

Features

Omnichannel sales- If you have a Shopify store, Shopify POS is a logical solution to help you sell using multiple channels. You can get QR codes for your products, manage sales, and track sales performance through Shopify’s centralized dashboard.Smart inventory tracking- If you are on the Shopify POS Pro plan, Shopify allows you to make smarter decisions related to your inventory management thanks to Stocky.Shopify Payments– You don’t need to worry about discrete payment processors. With Shopify Payments, you can accept all sorts of payments, including Interac Flash, Apple Pay, Google Pay, and a lot more.Effective employee management- Shopify POS offers staff management solutions, letting you assign unique PINs to each member and grant them access to an admin account. This allows you to track commissions and sales for each staff member.

Hardware

Shopify is one of the best mobile POS systems on this list, primarily because of its intuitive mPOS hardware options. These include:

Card readers (starting from $29)Barcode scanners, cash drawers, and receipt printersiPad Retail bundles ($219)Retail Stand for iPad ($149)

Pricing

To benefit from Shopify’s POS systems, you need to first choose a Shopify plan. The Shopify POS Lite is included with all Shopify plans, starting from the basic at $29/mo. Credit card rates start from 2.4% (in-person transactions).

Shopify POS Pro costs $89 monthly fee per location, excluding the costs of your Shopify plan.

Pros 👍
Cons 👎

Pros 👍

Works offline – you can process some transactions with limited functionality without a connection.
Very easy to set up – just log into your Shopify account, and set it up. It takes hardly a few clicks.

Cons 👎

You need a Shopify plan – If you don’t have a Shopify plan, the mPOS system doesn’t work.

Who is it best for?

If you already have a Shopify store and are looking to expand functionality into your brick-and-mortar establishment, this is a fantastic option for you.

Further reading 📚

Shopify Review (Mar 2022): Is Shopify the Best Ecommerce Platform? Shopify Pros and Cons

Shopify POS Review (Mar 2022): Is it the Best Point of Sale System & Retail POS?

Shopify POS Hardware: What to Get and How to Set It Up

Shopify Pricing Plans (Mar 2022): Which Shopify Plan is Best for You? Basic Shopify vs Shopify vs Advanced Shopify

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Toast POS

Toast POS is another fantastic mPOS system that you should consider for your restaurant. Unlike most others, Toast was designed with restaurants in mind. Toast was launched in 2012, as a POS company focusing towards restaurants.

It even won the 2016 NEVY award for the hottest startup, primarily due to the bevy of features that it came with. Finally, restaurateurs had a service that simplified order taking and payment processing by a considerable margin.

The key difference between Toast POS and other mPOS providers on this list is that Toast provides its own tablet. It’s based on the Android operating system, with the company choosing to leverage the flexibility of Android instead of sticking with Apple’s ecosystem.

If you are deeply embedded in the Apple ecosystem, this might make it difficult for you to make the switch. However, if you don’t have a Mac or aren’t using an iPhone or iPad to accept payments yet, opting for Toast POS is an excellent idea. This is the best mPOS system for restaurants, hands down.

Features

Menu creation – Divide items in the Toast POS menu just like you would in your restaurant. Separate items into categories, and delve deep into costing to curate a fantastic menu in Toast.Sales reports – Toast POS offers comprehensive sales reports about your restaurant performance. You can get a wide range of reports, including tip reports, sales, and labor efficiency. All reports are generated in real-time.Data collection: Toast has an integrated system for collecting customer information. You can improve relationships by offering discounts or loyalty programs to frequent customers.Ideal for small restaurants – Toast mPOS is great for food trucks and smaller restaurants because of its convenient credit card processing and management features.

Hardware

Toast offers a full range of hardware for restaurants. However, their mPOS offering is the Toast Go 2. It’s an Android-based mobile device that servers can use for processing mobile payments and taking orders tableside. The Toast Go 2 is also spill-proof rated, so it can withstand the rigors of a restaurant.

Pricing

Toast offers three payment plans:

Pay-as-You-Go (from $0/mo)Essentials (from $165/mo)Growth (from $272/mo)

Pros 👍
Cons 👎

Pros 👍

Affordable pricing – their base package starts from $0/mo, so you just need the hardware to get started.
Cloud-based menu – you can update your menu in real-time, without ever refreshing your entire POS system.
Inventory tracking – ideal for restaurant owners as it improves staff accountability and allows for efficient business performance.

Cons 👎

Poor customer support – long wait times on the website’s chat feature. Same for their live Customer Care number. Long wait times in a fast restaurant setting are a strict no-no.
Plain product design – if you want flashy mPOS hardware, you might want to look elsewhere.

Who is it best for?

Toast is best for small restaurants, kiosks, food trucks, and pop-up stores.

Further reading 📚

Toast POS Reviews (Mar 2022): The Complete Guide

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Clover POS

Clover POS is easily one of the most flexible mPOS systems on the market. It can integrate with any accounting software such as Quickbooks and many others. Clover was designed for retail businesses, restaurants, and businesses that prioritize ease of use above all else.

Clover’s biggest advantage is its adaptability. Unlike Toast and others, it allows you to integrate hundreds of apps to customize your system. Certain apps are free, while others come at a price. If you need a retail POS solution that’s highly mobile and customizable, this is your best choice.

Features

Online ordering – you can easily connect your online store to enable online orders and receive contactless payments in a safer and faster fashion.One-touch tipping – Clover allows you to accept one-touch tips, process refunds, exchanges, and refunds very quickly. You can also provide digital receipts to customers.Vast payment options – accept payments using gift, debit, or credit cards. NFC and mobile wallet payments are also accepted.

Hardware

Clover’s mobile POS hardware includes:

Flex ($499 or $166/mo for 3 months)Clover Go ($99)Mini POS system ($749)

Pricing

Clover’s basic pricing starts from 2.3% + 10 cents per transaction. Essentially, you pay for the software and the hardware. For a custom quote, you might want to get in touch with their sales departments.

Pros 👍
Cons 👎

Pros 👍

Stylish – Clover’s devices look elegant and sleek, a far cry from the clunky mPOS hardware offered by several other s.
Ease of use – Very easy to set up Clover’s mPOS for use on one or multiple locations.
Highly adaptable – Choose from more than 300 apps and integrations. You don’t even need their hardware – they have a basic plan that lets you access their software on your mobile device.
Choose from more than 300 apps and integrations. You don’t even need their hardware – they have a basic plan that lets you access their software on your mobile device.

Cons 👎

High pricing – especially when compared with other competitors.
Complicated initial setup – Small businesses might find the vast array of options too complicated to understand.

Who is it best for?

Clover works well with smaller restaurants, though it was primarily designed with retail stores and service-based businesses in mind.

Further reading 📚

Clover POS System Review: Transactions Made Easy (Mar 2022)

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Zettle POS

Zettle is a fantastic choice if you want a mobile POS solution. They offer a full scale of mPOS solutions, including a credit card reader that supports chip cards and payments via debit cards. The company is owned by PayPal, so it has the might of one of the largest finance companies in the world.

You can also use Zettle for building your online store, as it is a discrete ecommerce platform as well. It’s one of the best mobile POS solutions due to its online integrations and flexibility. The company also offers a wide range of accessories including receipt printers, barcode scanners, and a host of other accessories.

Zettle was bought out by PayPal after a drawn-out battle with the Competition and Markets Authority in the UK. Like other mPOS solutions, Zettle also gives you standard inventory management features and real-time sales tracking.

Features

Quickly create product libraries – add images and create libraries to categorize products efficiently.Export data via Excel – you can easily export reports in .csv or .xls file formats.Automatic backups – Zettle automatically backs up all your data, including customer information.Create separate staff accounts – manage administrator access by keeping staff accounts separate.

Hardware

Zettle offers ready-made store kits as well as standalone components. Their mobile POS solutions include the Zettle Reader 2, which retails for $79. The first card reader costs $29 only.

Pricing

Zettle charges a flat rate transaction fee of 2.29% and an additional $0.09 per transaction. Manual card entry transactions are charged at 3.49% + $0.09 per transaction. Custom pricing is also available for enterprise customers.

Pros 👍
Cons 👎

Pros 👍

Funds are deposited quickly – Zettle takes 1-2 business days to deposit funds in your account.
Flat rates – Zettle charges a fixed 2.29% for processing basic transactions.
Compatible with accounting software – You can seamlessly connect Zettle with your accounting software or other POS software like Vend.

Cons 👎

No integration with CRM platforms
Monthly fee for setting up an ecommerce store
No customer support on weekends or in the evening

Who is it best for?

Zettle is great for small businesses, retail stores, and pop-up stores. It’s a nifty credit card processor that’s ideal for efficiently processing payments.

Further reading 📚

Zettle Review (Mar 2022) The Ultimate Guide

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Verifone mPOS

Verifone is one of the best mobile POS solutions out there. Verifone is a big name in the financial services sector, offering a plethora of e-transactional services as well as value-added offerings to retailers and other businesses.

At its core, Verifone is a flexible mobile payments solution that’s highly adaptable and can be customized according to a business’ needs. The company offers solutions designed to reduce checkout lines and increase customer satisfaction.

They offer highly safe and secure mobile POS hardware (with encryption) to help businesses process payments on the go. You don’t need to worry about maintaining a cash drawer if you switch to Verifone, as it allows customers to make payments very quickly.

Their devices contain state-of the art features, including 3G, USB-C connectivity, and a powerful battery that can last upwards of 11 hours!

Features

Range of mobile POS devices – Verifone gives you several choices based on your business needs.Tokenization – customer data is fully encrypted and never passes through the device.Automate processes – avoid manual entry with in-built automation to save both time and money and avoid costly errors.Easy integrations – Verifone’s devices work with both current and next-gen smart accessories. You don’t need to worry about upgrading to another solution anytime soon.Accept crypto payments – Verifone works with BitPay, so you can accept crypto payments on your store.

Hardware

Verifone offers four mobile POS devices, including:

Carbon Mobile 5 (built using a locked version of Android 7)e280s (mobile credit card processor)e285 (mobile POS device)e355 (modular, highly programmable POS device)

Pricing

Verifone offers enterprise pricing, so you have to get in touch with them to get a custom quote regarding their prices.

Pros 👍
Cons 👎

Pros 👍

Highly secure devices – Verifone’s devices are incredibly secure. They are PCI PTS 5.x approved, SRED. Some are also Linux-based.
Excellent support – Verifone is primarily known for its POS solutions. They offer fantastic support to their customers.
Highly flexible – Verifone’s devices can be customized to fit the needs of any kind of business, from retail to hospitality businesses.

Cons 👎

Highly secure devices – Verifone’s devices are incredibly secure. They are PCI PTS 5.x approved, SRED. Some are also Linux-based.
Excellent support – Verifone is primarily known for its POS solutions. They offer fantastic support to their customers.
Highly flexible – Verifone’s devices can be customized to fit the needs of any kind of business, from retail to hospitality businesses.

Who is it best for?

Verifone mPOS devices are great for established businesses that want to streamline the checkout process and increase customer satisfaction. Small businesses might find it difficult to adopt Verifone’s hardware and software.

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There’s No One-Size-Fits-All Solution

Despite the fact that there are plenty of players in the mobile POS industry, there’s no single solution that is great for all kinds of businesses. Instead, you need to evaluate your needs carefully before you decide.

For instance, in some cases, a cloud-based POS software like Vend might be a good choice. Apart from these six options, you also have other choices like Shopkeep (now owned by Lightspeed).

It’s important to identify your needs before you start looking for the best mobile POS solution for your business. Is immediate support important for you? Do you want to minimize transaction fees as much as possible? These are all important questions that you must answer before making a decision.

The post The 6 Best Mobile POS Systems For 2022 appeared first on Ecommerce Platforms.

Original Source: https://www.webdesignerdepot.com/2022/03/how-to-scale-your-design-process-and-improve-handoff/

It’s something every design team dreams about – a better design process and handoff procedure. Your design team is not alone if you are looking for a better solution.

Imagine what your workflow would look like if you could forgo the struggles of image-based technology, design and handoff with accurate components that have interactive features. Projects in the design phase will look more like final products and, most importantly, interact like final products. 

Let’s imagine a new design process together.

Challenges of an Image-Based Design Process

Here’s what we all know – image-based design tools provide pictures of components in the visual form but lack the interactivity and conditions that exist in the end-product. There’s not a high level of functional fidelity there, and it can cause confusion among design teams and rework.

These tools require you to redraw the fundamental components and design with boxes and rectangles, which takes too much time and can create a disconnect between the design and development teams. 

Further, you don’t fully maximize the potential of a design system because of inconsistencies between code-powered systems that developers use and these image-based systems for designers. There’s an innate gap between maintaining the environments and creating consistency in components. 

The final and maybe most difficult challenge with an image-based design process is in usability testing. You just can’t test an image the way you can working components. If the prototype is not interactive enough, you lose valuable feedback in the testing process. Functional fidelity is a must-have design and development tool in 2022. 

Iress, market-leading financial software, had many of these same problems in its design system process. You can probably relate to its story, which includes a designer and engineer who aren’t entirely on the same page, hit the deadline and have to deliver, and then get customer feedback. The result was a lot of extra headaches and work. 

But there is a better way: Import all user interface components into a code-powered design system in sync with a design tool so that your team can work in harmony to build, scale, and handoff projects with ease. 

Scale Design With Accurate Components

Here’s what most design and development teams want en route to building products: Accurate components with built-in interactivity, states, and conditions. No redrawing boxes and rectangles; no trying to figure out what states and interaction should be.

And if you can do it with ten times the speed and agility? Now you’re really in business. 

“It used to take us two to three months just to do the design. Now, with UXPin Merge, teams can design, test, and deliver products in the same timeframe,” said Erica Rider, Senior Manager for UX at PayPal. “Faster time to market is one of the most significant changes we’ve experienced using Merge.”

The time and workflow savings come from the ability to maintain only one environment as a product team. Rather than image-based tools, a code-powered design system that will push updates to components as the design evolves is the modern way to work. This workflow can also eliminate duplicate documentation so that your team has a single source of truth for whole product teams. 

Now you can be more agile in the design process and scale. And as Rider hinted at, there is a solution already available in UXPin Merge. 

Scalability with accurate design components has other benefits as well. 

Teams can onboard people faster because the design system is in the design tool. There’s less searching for answers with drag and drop-ready building blocks. New team members will find more success and be more valuable to the team quicker due to fewer inconsistencies and errors. 

Testing also gets a boost as you scale with a single source of truth. You can actually create better usability tests with a high-fidelity, functional version of the prototype, allowing users to leave more valuable and detailed feedback that can improve your product in the early stages. 

Better Handoffs Start Here

As you imagine a better design process, take it one step further. Better handoffs are a goal for most teams. 

An interactive component-based design tool can eliminate the need for multiple iterations of the same meeting to explain how a prototype works. Everyone can see and interact with it for themselves with accurate, true components that ensure the prototype works the same as the product. 

Designers will feel more like their vision is making it into the final product, and developers have a better idea of how to work. Everyone has the exact same components written in code. Thanks to the single source of truth, devs can speed up as they build the product because they start with components that include production-ready code.

A typical design to developer handoff might have multiple steps: Create vector design elements, create a model for interactions, and then send the prototype with documentation. Not to mention the meetings that are required to make sure everyone is on the same page.

In a model with interactive component elements, the developer handoff is fast and easy; they create a prototype with true components and all the built-in properties. The developer copies the JSX code and pastes it into his tool to build the final product. All the component properties and their coded interactions already exist in the source code. This is possible because the source of truth is the code itself, the source code.

Productivity hack, anyone?

Enter the spec mode & copy the production-ready code with a click of a button. Definitely a time saver for devs!

Discover #UXPinMerge & optimize design handoff https://t.co/HRWrIZHAeg#MergeHint #frontdev pic.twitter.com/U2vDX2GKgl

— UXPin (@uxpin) February 9, 2022

Quick Tool Solution and Technical Use

This solution to this common challenge is not somewhere in the future; it’s already here.

UXPin, a code-based design tool, has Merge technology, which allows you to bring all interactive components into UXPin. Then you can use your own, or the open-source library with the ready-made building blocks to get products ready faster.

Here are just a few of the things you can do with Merge by UXPin:

Integrate your developer’s storybook to use it as a single source of truth (works for all frameworks)
Import design system components from a dev’s Git repository, such as GitHub, Bitbucket, GitLab, or others (works with React)
Work with the built-in MUI library
Add the npm component package to UXPin on your own (no developer required)
Design with the confidence that your work can be ideally reflected by developers
Create and share a library of interactive components



Summary 

Say bye-bye to redrawing rectangles – build more accurate prototypes easier and end-products faster with Merge by UXPin.

Now is the time to solve one of your biggest design challenges while upgrading and scaling the design process and improving handoffs. 

Merge by UXPin is user-friendly and made for scalable projects of almost any size. The line between design and development blurs with quicker product release and a fully-interactive solution. Request access today.

 

[– This is a sponsored post on behalf of UXPin –]

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The post How to Scale Your Design Process and Improve Handoff first appeared on Webdesigner Depot.

Original Source: https://ecommerce-platforms.com/articles/best-shopify-experts

The Shopify Experts marketplace provides a way for you to connect with Shopify professionals from multiple categories. It’s Shopify’s way of offering a simple hiring website where merchants can seek out assistance, filter based on expert type, and check out rates and reviews. Shopify Experts makes it significantly easier to hire a developer, online marketer, or writing professional than sifting through search engine results. But there are still plenty of experts to choose from, so we decided to dig into the marketplace and showcase the 15 best Shopify Experts to hire for your store.

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What Can You Get By Hiring a Shopify Expert?

Although Shopify already includes powerful features for building an ecommerce site—and it has apps to extend your online store—sometimes you need more of a professional touch to work on Shopify development, improve conversion rates, or expand your digital marketing efforts.

Shopify Experts gives you a searchable, filterable marketplace to identify potential candidates for all types of jobs, including:

Marketing and sales: with subcategories for marketing and sales guidance, analytics and tracking, sales channel configuration, content marketing, social media marketing, search engine advertising, SEO, and email marketing. Shopify store setup: with subcategories like store setup and design guidance, point of sale setup and migration, custom visual elements, theme customization, product and collection setup, store migration, and store building or redesigning. Web development and functionality troubleshooting: with subcategories like custom app development, web design, app installation, custom domain setup, custom commerce, and site performance and speed. Visual content and branding: with subcategories such as brand strategy, 3D modeling, photo editing, product photography, video and illustrations, banner ads, and logo and visual branding.Content writing: with subcategories for product descriptions, website content, and marketing content. Expert guidance, feedback, and advice on business activities: for areas like Shopify Plus, Shopify apps, integrations, optimization, user experience, ecommerce business strategy, product sourcing, sales tax, site performance, API, custom themes, and much more.

All that’s required to use the Shopify Experts marketplace is to log into your Shopify account; then you select a service type, subcategory, and the platforms you plan to use in order to achieve your goal.

Finally, Shopify Experts asks a few questions to match you with the best results, after which, you can communicate with sellers and select one to hire.

Keep in mind that this method (of going through your Shopify account) sends a job listing to potential candidates. Experts that want to work with you then reply with their own quotes. That’s an option for getting workers to come to you, but you also have the ability to reach out to agencies and freelancers individually.

That alternative provides a page for you to browse through the primary services and view expert profiles in all categories. Feel free to contact experts directly if you find one that’s on-budget with a suitable portfolio.

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15 Best Shopify Experts

While it depends on your job requirements, we were able to analyze past performance, years of experience, and portfolios to understand which experts provide the best overall services. We’ll highlight their main services and give you information on pricing, experience, and history.

Some of the best Shopify experts are development agencies, while others are freelancers. Regardless of the setup, we’re mainly interested in finding the most proficient, affordable workers for entrepreneurs, startups, and business owners to improve their brands.

Check out our list of the best Shopify Experts below!

1. Storetasker

Storetasker is not listed on the Shopify Experts marketplace; rather, it’s a standalone service for finding the best Shopify Experts. Therefore, you can use both the marketplace and Storetasker to seek out great talent, then compare your results to choose which agencies or freelancers look ideal. Storetasker works by asking you a few questions about your project (or several projects). It then contacts the best Shopify Experts to work with you. They all send you specific quotes for you to approve. Storetasker holds funds in escrow so that all workers and merchants feel comfortable with the setup.

What’s unique about Storetasker is that they curate a group of approved experts, and they show pricing plans for specific projects, meaning you don’t have to sift through a list of experts and only make a decision based on price. Most of them stick to the general Storetasker pricing. You pick a small, medium, large, or XL project, then pick from the many services, like theme edits, slide out carts, custom Shopify apps, store setups, and more.

Pricing

Anywhere from $75 for a small project (like quick theme edits or customizing a product page) to $7,500 for an XL project (like initiating headless commerce with Contentful, or building a custom Shopify app for your ecommerce website).

Services Offered

Ecommerce platform design and developmentTheme editsFacebook tracking pixel configurationSlide out cartsProduct page customizationIn cart upsellsAdding a gift to purchasesImproved website performanceProduct bundlesShopify migrationsCustom themesWholesale site buildingCustom Shopify appsCustom product suggestion quizzesHeadless commerce with Contentful

Another advantage of Storetasker is its options to put a Shopify Expert on retainer for 30 or 60 hours per month.

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2. IT-Geeks

IT-Geeks is located in Salt Lake City, UT (USA), and they’re experts that specialize in Shopify store building and redesign. With thousands of jobs in their portfolio, IT-Geeks provide everything from store building to shipping configuration for a wide range of industries like clothing, jewelry, food, health, and beauty.

Pricing

Starting at $2,500 to build a Shopify site (rates vary for other services).

Services Offered

Store setupMarketing and salesDevelopment and troubleshootingVisual content and brandingContent writingExpert guidance

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3. Clove Code

Clovecode is an agency in India featuring reasonable rates for store building, logo designs, custom tweaks, payment gateway integration, and more. Clovecode focuses on industries like clothing and fashion, health and beauty, services, and jewelry. They have thousands of 5-star reviews online and have worked on over 2,000 jobs.

Pricing

Starting at $1,000 for building a Shopify site (rates vary for other services).

Services Offered

Store setupDevelopment and troubleshootingExpert guidance

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4. Gowebbaby

Based in Long Island City, NY, Gowebbaby touts close to 10 years of experience working with Shopify ecommerce stores. The expert has hundreds of positive reviews, a beautiful portfolio, and a rapid response time to ensure you’re always in contact with the expert. Gowebbaby works on various projects but typically focuses on industries like food and drink, health and beauty, jewelry, and clothing/fashion.

Pricing

Starting at $500 for building a Shopify store (rates vary for other services).

Services Offered

Marketing and salesStore setupDevelopment and troubleshootingVisual content and brandingExpert guidance

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5. Claudia Howard

Claudia Howard is a freelance marketing specialist with experience in the health, beauty, home and garden, jewelry, and food/drink industries. From Gibsons, Canada, Claudia is touted as one of the top email marketing experts for Shopify, mainly because of her ongoing pricing packages, automated workflows, and knowledge on how to optimize ecommerce marketing campaigns to their full effect.

Pricing

Starting at $1,895 for email marketing.

Services Offered

Email marketing

6. Suffescom Solutions Pvt. Ltd.

If you’re in need of a marketing agency for your online store, put Suffescom Solutions Pvt. Ltd. at the top of your list. The Shopify Expert boasts hundreds of 5-star reviews, almost a decade of experience, and a team of over 150 developers. Located in Los Angeles, CA, the agency has an excellent response time, and it caters to industries like home and garden, jewelry, clothing, fashion, and health/beauty. You might also consider them for your store setup and development if needed.

Pricing

Starting at $299 for SEO work. A store setup starts at $1,000, while other services have different pricing.

Services Offered

Marketing and sales (particularly SEO and conversion rate optimization)Store setupDevelopment and troubleshooting

7. CedCommerce

CedCommerce is from Sheridan, Wyoming, and we consider it one of the best Shopify experts because of its history with store setups, development, content, writing, and a myriad of other services you may need for your store. From electronics to health and beauty, the CedCommerce team works tirelessly to provide beautiful Shopify stores, while also filling sites with writing and visual content. You can hire them for a one-off job or consider an ongoing project as content needs arise. They’re also extremely well-liked for their social media marketing.

Pricing

Starting at $200 for social media marketing. A store setup costs around $600, and other services vary.

Services Offered

Marketing and sales (particularly social media, SEO, and content marketing)Store setupDevelopment and troubleshootingVisual content and brandingContent writingExpert guidance

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8. eCommerce Web Guru

ECommerce Web Guru features a team of dedicated development, content, and troubleshooting experts. The company is located in Delhi, India, and it offers very low prices and a solid portfolio. Some of the industries this Shopify Expert likes to work with include clothing, jewelry, sports, recreation, and health. Past clients state that the eCommerce Web Guru team offers precise work, excellent service, and great communication. It’s one of the highest rated experts if you’re looking for custom apps and integrations.

Pricing

Starting at $200 for custom apps and integrations. Other jobs vary in price.

Services Offered

Development and troubleshooting (particularly custom apps and integrations)Store setupVisual content and branding (like logo designs)

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9. Apps On Demand

The Apps On Demand expert has an excellent track record when it for troubleshooting Shopify problems, and its services are rather inexpensive if you need a one-off job. We also like it for setting up an online store, marketing products, or configuring a custom theme or app. Based in India, this expert has hundreds of 5-star reviews and past jobs, so you can take a look at the portfolio to get an idea for what to expect.

Pricing

Starting at $50 for one troubleshooting job. It’s $1,100+ for a store creation, and varying other prices for additional services.

Services Offered

Development and troubleshooting (for custom apps, general troubleshooting, custom theme development, and more)Store setupMarketing and sales (primarily conversion rate optimization)

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10. Okas Concepts

Okas Concepts is one of the best Shopify experts to choose for troubleshooting, store setup, and marketing. The team is located in Bangalore, India, and it has the experience and resources to help out with everything from custom app development to a complete store design. It’s one of the most experienced web development and troubleshooting experts on the marketplace with over 1,200 past jobs (as of this article). We definitely recommend Okas Concepts if you’re interested in a reasonably priced solution for development and troubleshooting.

Pricing

Starting at $50 for troubleshooting jobs. Standard store creation starts at $500. Other services vary in price.

Services Offered

Development and troubleshooting (most notably: general troubleshooting, app installation, custom apps, and custom domain setup)Expert guidance for store design and setupStore setupMarketing and sales (analytics and tracking)

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11. Mote

Mote is a US-based design studio with expertise in Shopify branding strategies, visual content creation, and more. You can hire them for setting up your store, custom theme development, writing your marketing content, and building visual branding elements like a logo. The agency has a focus on industries like food/drink, health/beauty, jewelry, and fashion. We enjoy their portfolio of stylish, modern designs, and it’s always nice to know that you can hire one Shopify Expert for your store design but also receive bonuses like visual content creation and writing.

Pricing

Starting at $10,000 for a brand strategy. A store setup also starts at $10,000. Other services vary in pricing; like a logo design costs $5,000+.

Services Offered

Visual content and branding (primarily brand strategy and logo design)Expert guidance for store setups and designContent writingDevelopment and troubleshootingStore setup

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12. Pictonix

Pictonix has an impressive portfolio filled with colorful ecommerce site designs, most notably from the clothing, jewelry, and pet care industries. They also cater to home and garden clients. The India-based expert provides a long list of services, so it’s possible to use them as your one stop shop. For instance, you could have them set up your an entire Shopify store, then go into marketing, visual content, custom theme development, and content writing. They even provide expert guidance for five different categories, including product sourcing, marketing, site performance, and business strategies.

Pricing

Starting at $100 for logo and visual branding services. A store setup starts at $550 per project, and the myriad of other services offered have their own prices.

Services Offered

Logo and visual brandingBanner adsPhoto editingBrand strategyDevelopment and troubleshootingContent writingExpert guidanceStore setupMarketing and sales

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13. Apolomultimedia

The folks at Apolomultimedia are based on Washington, USA, and the respected team has almost 1,000 jobs completed with over 600 excellent ratings on the Shopify Experts marketplace. The agency works with clients from the following industries: clothing, fashion, health, beauty, electronics, food and drink. We like them best for their visual design services, especially once you already have a website configured. For example, they offer reasonably priced banner ads, product page design, shopping cart development, and more. You can also hire Apolomultimedia for photo editing, videos, illustrations, logos, and other visual branding. And don’t forget to look into them if you need a complete Shopify website.

Pricing

Starting at $50 per job for a banner ad. A store design costs $500+, and the other services have their own prices.

Services Offered

Banner adsLogo and visual brandingVideo and illustrationsPhoto editingExpert guidance Development and troubleshootingStore setupMarketing and sales (mainly social media marketing and analytics)

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14. Yellow.E.Stores

Yellow.E.Stores provides business strategy guidance as one of its primary services, and it has an impressive collection of 5-star ratings for this particular offering. Located in India, Yellow.E.Stores responds quickly, has affordable pricing, and can help you out with a Shopify store setup. After that, they’re available for guidance on your store setup, design, and business strategy.

Pricing

Starting at $300 for business strategy guidance. A store build starts at $450. Other pricing varies.

Services Offered

Expert guidance for design, store setup, and business strategyStore setupsStore migrations

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15. MeroxIO IT Solutions

The MeroxIO IT Solutions agency has served thousands of brands around the globe, primarily for site performance and speed. However, the company also offers services for marketing guidance, store setups, sales, development, and troubleshooting. The agency is located in India, and it has low pricing but high-quality services. You’ll also notice that they respond quickly and maintain an ongoing relationship with you if needed. We consider MeroxIO IT Solutions one of the best Shopify Experts for site performance and speed optimization, but it’s a wonderful partner for other services as well.

Pricing

Starting at $149 for site performance and speed jobs. A store setup starts at $500. Other services have their own prices.

Services Offered

Site performance and speed optimizationGuidance on marketing, store setup, and designApp installation, custom theme development, and troubleshootingSearch engine optimizationStore setups, theme customization, migrations

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Which of the Best Shopify Experts is Right for you?

When compared to platforms like BigCommerce and Magento, Shopify is the only one that offers a way for entrepreneurs to find expert help for things like building Shopify themes, overall website design, custom development, and online business marketing strategies. You can even stray away from the standard ecommerce development to explore services for photography, 3D rendering, video editing, or getting a full-service expert team on-call at all times. From project management to step-by-step guidance, the marketplace for experts makes Shopify design and management significantly easier for store owners.

We recommend going through our list of the best Shopify Experts above. We made a conscience effort to include highly rated experts from all categories. This way, you can choose experts for everything from UX design to small business advice, and photo editing to theme design. Other than that, we suggest setting a budget for your job, then going through portfolios to understand which experts work best for you. It’s also worth considering the locations of experts, just in case you’d like to have them nearby.

With that said, let us know in the comments below if you have any questions or thoughts about the best Shopify experts!

The post 15 Best Shopify Experts for Web Design, Marketing, And More appeared first on Ecommerce Platforms.

Original Source: https://tympanus.net/codrops/collective/collective-702/

Inspirational Website of the Week: Jantana Hennard

Smooth and minimal with lovely typography and some playful details. Our pick this week.

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Original Source: https://www.webdesignerdepot.com/2022/03/using-micro-interactions-to-drive-ux/

Micro-interactions effectively communicate brand identity and ethos while strengthening ties with the customer. These habit-forming tools make for a fun and seamless user experience. Facebook’s ‘likes’ and Tinder’s ‘swipes’ are two classic examples. 

Micro-interactions originated with the need to guide customers who had hit a snag while using a service or a product. The goal was to ease customers into being more product-savvy via subtle reassurance and feedback. Micro-interactions are now employed by everything from washing machines, to coffee makers.

Along with feedback, prompts, and recommendations, they can also present customers with an appealing visual reward upon finishing a task. When used optimally, micro-interactions drastically enhance the navigation and simplify how users interact with sites and apps.

How Micro-Interactions Work

Here are the four structural elements to a simple micro-interaction: triggers, rules, feedback, and loops. Every micro-interaction has a significant component to organize the operational cycle. It lets you control feedback and runs, so the users understand the consequences of their performance and feel motivated to follow through.

Triggers

This feature begins micro-interactions of both the user-initiated (prompted by user) and system-initiated (driven by the system) kind. For example, a click, scroll, swipe, tap, and pull are common triggers that users carry out. So making a payment, booking a cab, and clicking or tapping on the hamburger menu all fall under this category. On the flip side, the user’s alert prompt upon entering a wrong password is a classic system-generated trigger. 

Rules

This element determines what happens after the user sets a prompt into motion via tapping, clicking, scrolling, or swiping. Rules refer to the fact that apps decide the triggers that users employ — Tinder’s ‘swipe’ feature illustrates this point. These rules gradually become a habit-forming action that users get accustomed to while regularly engaging with an app.

Feedback

During this process stage, the system informs the user via auditory, visual, or haptic cues. It engages the users and encourages them to proceed further in their process. For example, the progress bar of a download, the visual representation of steps cleared in a circle, or the visual, aural, and tactile indication upon the success or failure of payment are all a part of the feedback mechanism.

Loop/Modes

This final stage entails tiny meta-rules of the process and determines the frequency and duration. A classic example from an ecommerce app is the ‘Buy Now’ transformed to ‘Buy Another’ Before the user loses interest in the app, the app typically uses such a loop to get them to re-engage with the app. 

How to Use Micro-Interactions

We’ve established that micro-interactions are fabulous, but not every UX interaction on your app or site needs one throughout the wireframe. Overusing this tool could saturate the overall creative experience your design may want to offer. Worse, it might even end up confusing the information hierarchy. It undermines the design and unbalances the user experience of discomfort and irritability. So it’s crucial to know when exactly to use them.

Let’s find out how few quick tips on micro-interactions can elevate and humanize your mobile user experience:

Swipe right or left: A signature move made entirely on swiping micro-interaction featured in the famous Tinder app. Swiping is an easier action than clicking or tapping.
Call-to-action:  As part of the last step during payment or order, place a ‘Confirm Order’ or ‘Book Now’ prompt, which gives the task a sense of urgency. As a result, having acted on it feels like a minor achievement. 
System status: Your app user wants to know what’s happening. System status lets them know they are moving in the right direction and helps avoid confusion. Sometimes, users even run out of patience while uploading a picture, downloading a file, or filling up the registration form.
Classic notifications: Users need a quick reminder of products selected/wishlist in their abandoned cart with a reduced attention span. A simple notification can nudge them toward finalizing the purchase. 
Button animation: Animated buttons are not only cute, but they also help users navigate the mobile app swiftly. Try out attractive colors, fonts, sizes, shapes, and clipart elements corresponding to the animation and create that cool button to pop up when tapped or hovered on. 
Animated text inputs:  A simple process of a likable element like zooming in while entering data into a form or filling up card details for payment can enhance the user experience.
Reward an achievement:  Especially true for educational and health apps, micro-interactions celebrating big and small milestones with a badge or a compliment of encouragement can strengthen a user’s engagement with the app. 

Benefits of Micro-Interactions

Brand communication: A successful brand ensures that the transmission to the buyer is engaging, positive, and hassle-free. When micro-interactions show a process status clearly, it creates and reinforces a positive image for your brand.
Higher user engagement: Experts say micro-interactions engage users better. These tiny elements subconsciously create the urge to keep interacting with your app. For example, each push or nudge notification acts toward redirecting your customers back to your app.
Enhanced user experience: From shopping to banking to traveling to learning to staying healthy, there’s an app for everything. A wide range of activities elevates the overall user experience and stays ahead in the game. Micro-interactions can work that magic for your brand. 
Prompt feedback: It’s frustrating not to know what’s happening behind the blank screen, especially during a purchase. Instant feedback via visual, sound, or vibrating notifications makes for a pleasant user experience. 
Visual harmony: Micro-interactions initiated even with a tap, swipe, typing, or scrolling are all a part of the UX design’s overall appeal. The trick is to keep all the interface elements in perfect sync with the app’s visual features.

Micro-Interaction Best Practices

Here are a few basic principles you should follow when you introduce a micro-interaction to the user experience.

1. Keep it simple, stupid (KISS)

KISS is a famous design principle that becomes even more important in the case of micro-interactions. The goal is to make the user journey delightful and not be a distraction.

2. Keep it Short

It has ‘micro’ in the name itself. But, again, micro-interactions aren’t supposed to be show stars, and a lengthy micro-interaction only distracts the user. 

3. Pick the Right Place

You should always consider the options carefully before choosing the spot for any micro-interaction. The widely used user-interaction designs are popular for a reason. Many people have already approved them, so you can safely continue with them. The use of micro-interaction should also sit well with your brand image. 

See also if the placement of a micro-interaction is reaching your ideal customer or not. And even consider whether you need a micro-interaction to begin with. 

And That’s a Wrap!

As UX designers, we can profoundly impact the overall design of sites and apps, the user’s journey, their interactions with our product/service, their connection with the brand, and the ease of doing a transaction.

We want customers to connect to our brand, love our products, and experience our exceptional customer service. But most of all, we want to earn their trust and loyalty.

 

Featured image via Pexels.

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