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Visual Editing Comes To The Headless CMS

Original Source: https://smashingmagazine.com/2023/06/visual-editing-headless-cms/

A couple of years ago, my friend Maria asked me to build a website for her architecture firm. For projects like this, I would normally use a headless content management system (CMS) and build a custom front end, but this time I advised her to use a site builder like Squarespace or Wix.

Why a site builder? Because Maria is a highly visual and creative person and I knew she would want everything to look just right. She needed the visual feedback loop of a site builder and Squarespace and Wix are two of the most substantial offerings in the visual editing space.

In my experience, content creators like Maria are much more productive when they can see their edits reflected on their site in a live preview. The problem is that visual editing has traditionally been supported only by site-builders, and they are often of the “low” or “no” code varieties. Visual editing just hasn’t been the sort of thing you see on a more modern stack, like a headless CMS.

Fortunately, this visual editing experience is starting to make its way to headless CMSs! And that’s what I want to do in this brief article: introduce you to headless CMSs that currently offer visual editing features.

But first…

What Is Visual Editing, Again?

Visual editing has been around since the early days of the web. Anyone who has used Dreamweaver in the past probably experienced an early version of visual editing.

Visual editing is when you can see a live preview of your site while you’re editing content. It gives the content creator an instantaneous visual feedback loop and shows their changes in the context of their site.

There are two defining features of visual editing:

A live preview so content creators can see their changes reflected in the context of their site.
Clickable page elements in the preview so content creators can easily navigate to the right form fields.

Visual editing has been standard among no-code and low-code site-builders like Squarespace, Wix, and Webflow. But those tools are not typically used by developers who want control over their tech stack. Fortunately, now we’re seeing visual editing come to headless CMSs.

Visual Editing In A Headless CMS

A headless CMS treats your content more like a database that’s decoupled from the rendering of your site.

Until recently, headless CMSs came with a big tradeoff: content creators are disconnected from the front end, making it difficult to preview their site. They can’t see updates as they make them.

A typical headless CMS interface just provides form fields for editing content. This lacks the context of what content looks like on the page. This UX can feel archaic to people who are familiar with real-time editing experiences in tools like Google Docs, Wix, Webflow, or Notion.

Fortunately, a new wave of headless CMSs is offering visual editing in a way that makes sense to developers. This is great news for anyone who wants to empower their team with an editing experience similar to Wix or Squarespace but on top of their own open-source stack.

Let’s compare the CMS editing experience with and without visual editing on the homepage of Roev.com.

You can see that the instant feedback from the live preview combined with the ability to click elements on the page makes the visual editing experience much more intuitive. The improvements are even more dramatic when content is nested deep inside sections on the page, making it hard to locate without clicking on the page elements.

Headless CMSs That Support Visual Editing

Many popular headless CMS offerings currently support visual editing. Let’s look at a few of the more popular options.

Tina

TinaCMS was built from the ground up for visual editing but also offers a “basic editing” mode that’s similar to traditional CMSs. Tina has an open-source admin interface and headless content API that stays synced with files in your Git repository (such as Markdown and JSON).

Storyblok

Storyblok is a headless CMS that was an early pioneer in visual editing. Storyblok stores your content in its database and makes it available via REST and GraphQL APIs.

Sanity.io (via their iframe plugin)

Sanity is a traditional headless CMS with an open-source admin interface. It supports visual editing through the use of its Iframe Pane plugin. Sanity stores your content in its database and makes it available via API.

Builder.io

Builder.io is a closed-source, visual-editing-first headless CMS that stores content in Builder.io’s database and makes it available via API.

Stackbit

Stackbit is a closed-source editing interface that’s designed to be complementary to other headless CMSs. With Stackbit, you can use another headless CMS to store your content and visually edit that content with Stackbit.

Vercel

Although it’s not a CMS, Vercel’s Deploy Previews can show an edit button in the toolbar. This edit button overlays a UI that helps content creators quickly navigate to the correct location in the CMS.

Conclusion

Now that developers are adding visual editing to their sites, I’m seeing content creators like Maria become super productive on a developer-first stack. Teams that were slow to update content before switching to visual editing are now more active and efficient.

There are many great options to build visual editing experiences without compromising developer-control and extensibility. The promise of Dreamweaver is finally here!

Danny Ivan's early Summer 3D Explorations with Maxon Cinema 4D

Original Source: https://abduzeedo.com/danny-ivan-early-summer-3d-explorations-maxon-cinema-4d

Danny Ivan’s early Summer 3D Explorations with Maxon Cinema 4D
Danny Ivan's early Summer 3D Explorations with Maxon Cinema 4D

AoiroStudio0619—23

Summer is a time of boundless inspiration, where vibrant colors, warm breezes, and the spirit of adventure are in the air. For Portugal-based 3D artist Danny Ivan, this season serves as the perfect backdrop for his latest creative journey. Armed with his trusted tool, Maxon Cinema 4D, Ivan has embarked on a series of mesmerizing 3D explorations that push the boundaries of his creativity and bring his imagination to life. In his summer 3D explorations, Ivan delves into a world where reality and abstraction collide. With a keen eye for color, composition, and depth, he meticulously constructs captivating scenes that transport viewers into dreamlike realms. Using Maxon Cinema 4D, Ivan manipulates shapes, textures, and lighting to create visual narratives that are as visually stunning as they are thought-provoking. One of the defining key features of Ivan’s work is his masterful use of color. He expertly blends vibrant hues and subtle gradients to evoke a sense of energy and playfulness. From the warm tones of a summer sunset to the cool blues of a refreshing ocean, his color choices reflect the essence of the season, filling his creations with warmth and joy.

 

As a 3D artist, Ivan constantly seeks to challenge himself and evolve his craft. His summer explorations serve as a testament to his dedication to pushing creative boundaries and embracing the endless possibilities of his chosen medium. With each new project, he expands his artistic horizons and leaves a lasting impression on those who encounter his work.

 

Digital Art

3D abstract CGI delicate energetic flow Render smooth

3D abstract CGI delicate energetic flow Render smooth

3D abstract CGI delicate energetic flow Render smooth

3D abstract CGI delicate energetic flow Render smooth

3D abstract CGI delicate energetic flow Render smooth

3D abstract CGI delicate energetic flow Render smooth

3D abstract CGI delicate energetic flow Render smooth

3D abstract CGI delicate energetic flow Render smooth

3D abstract CGI delicate energetic flow Render smooth

3D abstract CGI delicate energetic flow Render smooth

3D abstract CGI delicate energetic flow Render smooth

3D abstract CGI delicate energetic flow Render smooth

3D abstract CGI delicate energetic flow Render smooth

3D abstract CGI delicate energetic flow Render smooth

3D abstract CGI delicate energetic flow Render smooth

3D abstract CGI delicate energetic flow Render smooth

3D abstract CGI delicate energetic flow Render smooth

3D abstract CGI delicate energetic flow Render smooth

3D abstract CGI delicate energetic flow Render smooth

3D abstract CGI delicate energetic flow Render smooth

3D abstract CGI delicate energetic flow Render smooth

3D abstract CGI delicate energetic flow Render smooth

3D abstract CGI delicate energetic flow Render smooth

3D abstract CGI delicate energetic flow Render smooth

3D abstract CGI delicate energetic flow Render smooth

3D abstract CGI delicate energetic flow Render smooth

 

Danny Ivan is a 3D artist based in Portugal.  You can check out more of his works via the links below:

Personal Site
Behance
Instagram

All product photos are used only for presentation for non-commercial purposes only. All rights reserved.

IPRoyal Review: Is This The Right Proxy Service for You?

Original Source: https://ecommerce-platforms.com/articles/iproyal-review

In today’s interconnected world, proxy services play an ever more critical role in helping protect ourselves online, access content from around the world, and can even speed up our internet connection! 

But how do proxy servers (or “proxies”) do all this, and how can you get your hands on one? 

In short, proxies are provided by proxy services like IPRoyal. 

So, in this article, I’m putting IPRoyal under the microscope to get a feel for whether the service is any good! 

However, if you don’t have time to read my full IPRoyal review, here are the headlines:

IPRoyal is a UAE-based proxy provider that promises a 100% transparent proxy service with 100% ethically sourced IPs. Launched in 2020, it’s a relatively new proxy service that offers 24/7/365 customer service and a 99.9% uptime. It has an almost five-star Trustpilot rating and provides a range of proxy types, including residential, sneaker, mobile, and data center proxies, with competitive price plans for each type. 

So, with that in mind, let’s dig into the meat and potatoes of this IPRoyal review. Let’s see what one such proxy service provider, IPRoyal has to offer.

What is IPRoyal?

In a nutshell, IPRoyal is a proxy service with a global proxy network of more than 8,056,839 IPs, which they claim to be 100% transparent and 100% ethically sourced. 

IPRoyal sells access to their proxy servers and offers solutions to suit different organizations with varying needs. For example, depending on your requirements, you might prefer a proxy service optimized for stability, security, mobile use, or other factors. 

IPRoyal Review

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What Proxies Does IProyal Offer?

IPRoyal has several proxy services available. So, here’s a little detail about what they are and what you might use them for:

Residential Proxies

A residential proxy comes from real devices with genuine IP addresses. The main benefits of a residential proxy are:

Access to content restricted outside your area

A residential proxy is pretty undetectable because the IP addresses come from actual people paying for internet service. 

Access to video streaming, online shopping, and banking. These activities are often detected and blocked by other proxy types. Residential proxies get around these limitations because they appear as regular customer traffic.

Residential proxies seem to be IPRoyal’s strong suit, with a global pool of IPs across 195 locations and competitive prices on all their plans (more on that in a bit!). 

IPRoyal also quotes a ‘99.67% success rate’, reminding us that while sometimes proxies get blocked, IPRoyal offers a pretty reliable option. 

IPRoyal also offers the options of “rotating” or “static” residential proxies. With rotating proxies, the IP addresses regularly change for increased privacy. In contrast, with static proxies, the IPs don’t change regularly. This can be beneficial as some services (e.g., online banks) will flag your account for suspicious activity if the IP address frequently changes.

You can also purchase non-expiring rotating residential proxies. For those that don’t know, when you buy rotating residential proxies, you usually pay per data usage. However, the nice thing about IPRoyal is that there isn’t a time limit attached to the data! So you can take as long as you need to use what you’ve paid for! 

IPRoyal Review

Datacenter Proxies

A data center proxy is similar to a residential proxy but differs in one key area. Datacenter proxies don’t have residential IP addresses, which makes them easier to detect as proxies, which can be problematic for accessing some sites.

However, datacenter proxies tend to be faster than residential proxies. IPRoyal’s datacenter proxies come with unlimited bandwidth making them ideal for large-scale automated tasks. You’ll also benefit from the following:

99.9% uptime

Premium ISP providers

SOCKS5 supported

Not shared

Sneaker Proxies

A more unique option from IPRoyal is the sneaker proxy. These proxies are designed for purchasing goods that sell out quickly – such as sneakers! 

These proxies use different IP addresses for each purchase. 

As online vendors often know which of their products will sell out rapidly, they often set strict purchase restrictions, limiting buyers to a single purchase. So, if you go to purchase these items without a proxy, each request would come from your IP address, and you would be banned from making another purchase. 

This is where using a sneaker proxy helps you get around this! 

IPRoyal’s sneaker proxy offers:

Sneaker botting software that searches for criteria such as sneaker price, location, availability, and specifics like color and size. Once located, the bot buys the sneakers as fast as possible. 

It also offers the following:

99.9% uptime

Unlimited traffic

Premium ISP providers

SOCKS5 supported

Not shared

It’s compatible with most retail sites, and there are one, 30, 60, and 90-day plans, starting from $1 per proxy for one day. 

Mobile Proxies

Mobile proxies are a newer proxy type that connects your computer to a proxy server with an IP address associated with a mobile device. This can be a 5G, 4G, or 3G connection using actual mobile data contracts with unlimited data. 

Compared to other proxies, these are the least likely to be blocked by website restrictions, making them great for web scraping. However, they’re more prone to security issues, and many countries have regulations restricting their use. 

Mobile proxy features include:

Access to 1m+ IPs distributed across an actual cellular network, each from a residential cellular network pool

Your 3G/4G5G mobile proxy is dedicated to you; no sharing

Unlimited bandwidth

Download speed as high as 100Mbps

Instant IP change with a simple click via the dashboard 

99.9% uptime

Anonymity with no logging or tracking

Mobile proxies are available for one day, 30, and 90 days, with prices from $7 per day for one day.

IPRoyal Review

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IPRoyal’s Most Notable Features

In addition to providing several proxy options, IPRoyal advertises several other benefits:

24/7/365 Support: IPRoyal advertises around-the-clock customer support, which sounds great, but what does this actually mean? IPRoyal does have a decent amount of self-help documentation. However, sometimes this will only get you so far, and you need an actual person to help you out. 

IPRoyal has a live chat function on its website, so I tested it out to see what the support was like. I reached out via the live chat widget to ask what support they offer their customers when setting up. While I did receive a prompt response (within six minutes), and while waiting, I could see where I was in the queue, I didn’t get a particularly helpful response:

“We only lease proxies here.”

IPRoyal Review

IPRoyal Review

I followed up with a few more prompts, and eventually, they sent a link to their FAQ page. So even though they have the chat box, it might offer a little more help than the FAQs themselves.

Data control: With IPRoyal’s proxies, you can easily control which devices on your network can access the internet and even which web locations specific devices can access. This lets you block certain websites or limit internet access for certain users! 

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User Reviews

IPRoyal gets pretty good user reviews, although they’re not flawless. There seems to be a smattering of genuinely frustrated clients among a pool of very good reviews. Particular areas of concern are reports of increasing prices and complications over refunds. 

However, IPRoyal is very present on online review platforms. They seem to want to help resolve the customer’s problems. 

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Pricing

IPRoyal offers several price points and payment options depending on which proxy service you choose. 

You can purchase rotating residential proxies per GB. In contrast, static residential, datacentre, and sneaker proxies are paid per proxy for a set period. Mobile proxies are paid per month. 

So, depending on your needs, there’s a considerable variation in price points, making this service pretty scalable! 

Compared to their competitors, these prices seem reasonable, with their residential proxy packages being exceptionally competitive. However, their mobile packages seem steeper.

That said, here’s a pricing comparison between IPRoyal and its main competitors:

ServiceResidentialMobileDatacenterIPRoyalVariable
$1.75 – $7.00/GB$81-$217/monthPay per proxy$1.56/monthSmart Proxy$40/month$5/GB$38.5/month$19.3/GB$23.1/month$0.46/GBAsocks$3/GB Pay as you go$3/GB Pay as you gon/aNimbleThe cheapest plan is $300/month but you do get a more comprehensive package. 

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IPRoyal Pros and Cons

Pros 👍
Cons 👎

Pros 👍

27/7/365 support
Affordable prices
Unlimited bandwidth
Two-factor authentication to protect your account
Ethically sourced IPs

Cons 👎

Limited self-help documents on its website, with just five quick-start guides
IPRoyal only has 2m+ residential IP addresses, whereas other proxy providers offer more, e.g. SmartProxy has 50m.
Some users complain about slow speeds

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illustration of a cat climbing a ladder

What Is a Proxy Service?

In short, a proxy provider offers a service that lets you access proxy servers. For the uninitiated, a proxy server is a computer system that acts as a middle person between you and the internet. When your device connects to the web, it uses an IP address. An IP address is similar to a house address, telling data where to go. However, when you connect to a proxy server, it acts as a separate device with its own IP address.

For example, here’s what happens when you access a web page from your computer without a proxy vs. with a proxy. 

Without a proxy server:

You tell the computer you want to see a web page.

The computer sends out a request to the web page’s IP address.

The web page system receives that request and sends the web page back to your device’s IP address.

Your computer then receives the web page.

You see the webpage. 

With a proxy server:

You tell the computer you want to see a web page.

The computer sends this request to your proxy server’s IP address. 

The proxy server receives that request, decides what to do, and then sends a request to the web page system’s IP address.

The web page system receives that request and sends the web page back to the proxy server’s IP address. 

The proxy server then receives the web page, decides what to do, and sends the web page to your IP address. 

Your computer receives the webpage.

You see the webpage. 

So, why would you need such a go-between? Interestingly, there are several benefits to using a proxy server. 

Here are just a few: 

Privacy and enhanced security: A proxy server masks your IP address to the end receiver of your requests, making your computer harder to track. Not only do hidden IPs help prevent cyber attackers from entering your private network, but they can also help you to avoid unwanted ads and the collection of IP-specific data. 

Access location-specific content: You can use proxy servers with IP addresses associated with other countries to make it look like you’re a native user. 

Prohibit certain websites: Some organizations block social media sites like Facebook from their employees. You can use a proxy server to block those within your network from accessing certain websites.

Load balancing: Proxy servers can help you save bandwidth by caching files or compressing incoming traffic, increasing your internet speeds. 

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IPRoyal Review: My Final Thoughts 

All in all, I think IPRoyal boasts an impressive range of proxy servers at competitive price points. 

So, if you’re looking for a proxy service, I would consider IPRoyal but don’t hesitate to check out some of its biggest competitors while you’re at it to make sure you use the best possible proxy service for your unique needs. 

That’s enough from me, over to you. I want to hear about your experience with IPRoyal in the comments box below!

The post IPRoyal Review: Is This The Right Proxy Service for You? appeared first on Ecommerce Platforms.

14 Must-know Career Transition Tips for Designers

Original Source: https://www.hongkiat.com/blog/career-transitions/

Let’s be candid for a moment; initiating and sustaining a career can be daunting. There may be instances where we find stability in a particular role, only to recognize that a sudden career shift is necessary. Alternatively, we could wrestle with the idea of a career transition for years before actualizing it.

More often than not, these significant shifts are the toughest parts of our professional journeys. However, it’s entirely feasible to transition successfully from one opportunity to another. To corroborate this, we need only turn to industry veterans who have paved the way.

designers thinkingdesigners thinking

I had the privilege of interviewing some truly inspirational graphic designers, web designers, marketing experts, and other creative professionals to gather insights on managing career transitions. Their words of wisdom can provide invaluable guidance for anyone contemplating a shift in their career path.

How to Change Your Professional Focus with Minimal Downtime

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How to Change Your Professional Focus with Minimal Downtime

As you progress through your career as a freelance designer, you may discover that the kind of work… Read more

1. Every Failed Opportunity Teaches a Lesson

Chris Bank, Growth Lead at Lever, offers a wealth of knowledge. One of the first enlightening insights I garnered from his personal reflection was this: not every job will be “the one,” and that’s okay. However, each job, client, or project carries valuable lessons. It’s crucial to appreciate each situation for what it truly is.

His first startup, Epostmark, for instance, was technically unsuccessful. “Beyond the aesthetics, a well-designed product should possess enough market demand to attain market adoption. We failed to achieve that,” he explained.

Chris perceived this failure as an opportunity to reassess his future direction.

“I had to deeply contemplate my career and the skills I wanted to develop, the teams I desired to work with, the industries I wished to acquire expertise in, and the products I aspired to help build.”

“Early-stage companies are generally very flexible when it comes to hiring, as finding intelligent people who fit into the culture can be challenging – more so now given the global talent competition.”

failed opportunityfailed opportunity

Nevertheless, Chris highlights that this situation is a double-edged sword.

“On one hand, it can be excellent for transitioning your career, gaining more experience. On the other, you may be broadening your experience at the expense of depth. You may end up taking on tasks outside your core responsibilities to assist the team. Being understaffed and under-resourced could slow your skill development.”

The journey may have its share of significant challenges, but reaching the final destination makes it all worthwhile.

“It becomes addictive when you discover the right company, and you want to work all the time because it doesn’t feel like work. The opportunities are boundless regarding what you can take ownership of, the projects you can be involved in, and how quickly you can learn.”

2. The Benefits of Being a Small Fish in a Big Pond

Chris embarked on his first significant career transition shortly after graduating from college. Looking back, he believes it would have been more beneficial to accumulate more experience beforehand.

“I see immense value in absorbing as much knowledge as possible from established companies. Leveraging their resources, professional networks, and brand can be a springboard into your next job or venture,” he suggests.

“For every successful entrepreneur I meet, there are dozens more who haven’t achieved the same level of success. Conversely, most of my friends who chose more ‘corporate’ career paths are now in respected leadership positions. Their specialized skills and knowledge, which are in high demand at startups, give them the flexibility to shift into the startup sector whenever they wish.”

He adds, “I believe the ‘small fish in a big pond’ approach is effective. It provides insights into potential career paths and how to navigate them. Being a ‘big fish in a small pond,’ on the other hand, can limit your perspective.”

3. Choose a Job That Opens Opportunities

Despite his primary interest not being sales or business development, Chris Bank spent a significant amount of time performing these tasks at his first startup. As a result, numerous companies sought his expertise in these areas. However, as these tasks did not align with his passions, he declined.

In retrospect, he realized that taking on those roles could have served as a stepping stone into highly successful companies. Once established within the company, he could have showcased his design skills.

Chris referred to Sheryl Sandberg’s well-known quote: “If you’re offered a seat on a rocket ship, you don’t ask what seat. You just get on.”

looking for opportunitieslooking for opportunities

Chris reflected, “This thought deeply resonates with me. Though transitioning from an unrelated role to one that aligns with your passion might be challenging, such a transition becomes more manageable when you’re already within a company that offers resources and an engaged audience.”

4. Aim to Establish a Strong Client Base Before Transitioning to Full-Time

Paul Boag, a known figure in boagworld, has experienced several career shifts early in his career. One, in particular, proved to be remarkably beneficial.

Right after joining a dot-com company, it unexpectedly shut down. Despite this setback, the timing turned out to be ideal as Paul managed to synchronize the company’s closure with the launch of his own agency. As the dot-com company had been handling a considerable amount of client work towards its end, Paul was able to transfer these clients over to his new business venture.

This fortuitous start endowed him with a tremendous advantage, enabling his business to be profitable from the get-go. Reflecting on this, Paul commented, “It’s crucial to have a solid base of existing clients prior to launching any new company. It alleviates the pressure of sourcing new work and instantly offers a channel for word-of-mouth recommendations.”

Paul further offered some advice for those considering starting their own agency or freelancing. “My suggestion for anyone contemplating this path is to grow your business during your spare time. Dedicate your evenings and weekends until you max out your available hours. Only then, contemplate transitioning to full-time. It might entail several months of extended work hours, but it is a preferable approach than starting a new company and immediately plunging into debt.”

5. Don’t Hesitate to Explore Various Methods to Acquire New Clients

Not everyone is as fortunate as Paul. Indeed, only a few of us find ready-made clients conveniently falling into our laps.

Take Jarrod Wright, for example, a graphic artist and online marketing consultant. His business, Subtle Network, is currently thriving, but it didn’t always have a smooth sailing start.

Every day, Jarrod would rise early, dedicating his entire morning to going door-to-door, distributing his business cards. Later in the afternoon and evening, he would focus on whatever projects he could find.

Jarrod confesses, “I’ve never been particularly adept at networking, but with no budget or client base, it was all I had. It took me several strenuous years of essentially working for free to achieve any level of success. But eventually, things started to stabilize.”

6. Anyone Can Be a Valuable Networking Contact

Jarrod’s method worked for him, but it isn’t always the best tactic for everyone. Before knocking on doors or joining networking organizations, consider your own personal connections.

In today’s context, Cory Simmons regularly shares tutorials on TutsPlus. However, there was a time when he had to search tirelessly for clients, just like many others.

Cory’s first design job came from a local community college. “A teacher I used to have lunch with mentioned that he knew someone interested in getting a website made. He didn’t have the time or interest to do it, so he offered me the opportunity.”

“I attempted to offer the teacher a kickback for connecting me with the client, thinking that was how things worked. He laughed and told me it wasn’t necessary. Instead, he connected me with another client. With these two satisfied clients, I was able to continue making connections and getting more work to sustain myself.”

networking contactsnetworking contacts

Casey Ark, CEO of Plato Web Design, shared a similar experience. His career grew thanks to a networking effect.

“When I was 13, a local gym owner asked me to design his website. My knowledge was very limited at the time; it consisted of two HTML tapes I’d borrowed from the library, and I was terrified. Somehow, I managed to complete the site, and the gym owner ended up mentioning my services to other local businesses.”

“From there, things started to take off.”

7. The Impact of Social Media on Your Career is Greater Than You Think

Clients meticulously investigate their potential freelancers. Therefore, it’s crucial that your social media profiles honestly reflect your character, skills, and work ethic. Need evidence?

Jacob Cass from Just Creative exchanged his life in Australia for one in New York City to take up a job he was offered…via Twitter.

Jacob shared, “At first, I didn’t perceive it as a serious job proposal. I mean, who extends a job offer via Twitter? However, I decided it was worth exploring further.”

From a practical standpoint, using Twitter to extend the job offer was logical. The company was a specialist in social media marketing. Of course, they were seeking someone with a proficient online persona.

power of social mediapower of social media

What does your social media presence suggest about you? Would a client extend a job offer to you based on your publically available information?

How to Optimize Your Online Presence for Job Hunting

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How to Optimize Your Online Presence for Job Hunting

Everybody is connected, and it’s quite easy for companies and their recruiters to run a quick search on… Read more

8. Recognizing the Competition

As Casey Ark astutely observes, “Many people fail to fully grasp the fact that the web design industry could possibly be the most competitive market globally. Not only does it present incredibly low barriers to entry, but it also places you in direct competition with millions of ambitious designers worldwide, irrespective of your location.”

To provide some context, there are currently over 200,000 design and multimedia freelancers seeking work on Upwork, in addition to approximately 180,000 freelance web developers in search of jobs. The statistics on oDesk are even more striking – more than 490,000 freelancers are vying for opportunities in similar categories. Even accounting for freelancers searching for work across multiple platforms, this is still an immense amount of competition.

Faced with this reality, Ark confesses, “I recognized that I needed to work more diligently and dramatically differentiate my business to outperform them.”

9. The Importance of Self-Marketing

When Casey Ark first embarked on his venture, Plato Web Design, growth was initially slow due to his reliance on word-of-mouth advertising. His realization that active promotion was crucial marked a turning point for his business.

“I shifted my strategy from relying on word-of-mouth to aggressively marketing my business. I learned how to optimize online ad placements, ran Google AdWords campaigns, and implemented various strategies including viral and content marketing, and email outreach. I experimented with every marketing strategy imaginable,” said Casey.

This proactive approach resulted in a significant increase in clientele and subsequent business growth. A few years down the line, Plato is more robust than ever.

Paul Boag, another successful entrepreneur, resonated with Casey’s experience. “While I may not be the best web designer, the success I’ve experienced stems primarily from recognizing the importance of marketing in business. It’s a misconception among many freelancers that their work alone will get them recognition, which, unfortunately, is rarely the case.”

“My reputation only started growing when I began to actively engage with the web design community by blogging and podcasting. Sharing my experiences led to people acknowledging my work and, consequently, recommendations started flowing in.”

10. Explore Creative Approaches to Expand Your Business

Many of us are continuously seeking new clients. We are constantly exploring ways to increase our revenue and make our creative ventures successful. One such method involves providing innovative solutions for unidentified issues.

business promotionbusiness promotion

When Jarrod Wright first established Subtle Network, he primarily functioned as a print broker and freelance graphic artist. “At that time, most full-color printing was still quite expensive. Gang-run printing had just started gaining popularity but was mainly marketed to nightclubs as they regularly required affordable flyers.”

Jarrod viewed this as an opportunity to attract more clients. Why should he restrict himself to nightclubs and flyers? “I marketed the same gang-run printing as postcards, business cards, and brochures.”

11. Enhancing Your Skillset Should Not Be Feared

Once again, Jarrod Wright provides us with valuable insights into boosting profitability by targeting a new potential client base. Just like his initiative to promote gang-run printing across all sectors, he quickly identified other avenues to bring in more clients.

“I self-taught web design and online marketing over time. Eventually, I shifted my emphasis from solely reselling printing.”

Why did he feel the need to diversify? “The fact is, once you’ve done an excellent job designing something for someone, they want you to take on various tasks. In their eyes, designing a business card is no different from designing a website. And if you can design a website, you should be able to help them promote it… correct?”

12. Utilize Downtime to Acquire New Skills

When clients are scarce and the workload is light, your finances will undoubtedly feel the strain. However, downtime isn’t necessarily a negative circumstance. Use it as an opportunity to learn new skills.

learn new skillslearn new skills

Cory Simmons‘s inaugural design job came with many benefits. He was part of a fantastic team that treated him respectfully. However, the remuneration was less than satisfactory, and there was rarely much work to keep him occupied.

“I was free to invest my time in learning whatever I desired. I gravitated towards design and CSS. I dedicated a considerable amount of time on platforms like TutsPlus and blogs such as Hongkiat.”

Later in his career, Cory found it challenging to manage his finances on his design salary alone. Again, this dilemma presented an excellent learning opportunity. “I supplemented my income with a night job where I cared for people with mental disabilities. When they went to sleep, I would get out my laptop and work on web design.”

13. When All Else Fails, Return to the Basics

When contemplating a career transition, keep this in mind: all new endeavors share the same fundamental prerequisites. Reflect on why you chose this career path.

Consider Chris Bank’s description of the tasks involved in a freelance career: “Having a clear product or skill people want; doing everything possible to expand my network; leveraging that network; acquiring distinctly different skills to promote my company, product or personal brand; and managing my time effectively.”

That’s the crux of it. Don’t allow the technicalities of a new opportunity to overwhelm you. Concentrate on the fundamental elements required for success.

14. You’re More Talented Than You Realize

A. A. Milne, the renowned author, once said, “Promise me you’ll always remember: You’re braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think.”

To this profound quote, I’d like to append, “You’re more talented than you realize.”

Many of us find ourselves envying other freelancers’ client base, reputation, awards, and recognition. We often perceive these individuals as operating on a different level, a level we believe is beyond our talent. However, this notion is entirely incorrect!

talented persontalented person

Take Cory Simmons as an example. He ecstatically stated, “TutsPlus approached me, asking if I’d be interested in crafting a course on Jeet. This was a site I had been actively using and observing since its establishment, and they were inviting me to contribute! The joy I felt was immeasurable.”

In conclusion, remember this: You are braver, stronger, smarter, and more talented than you perceive yourself to be.

The post 14 Must-know Career Transition Tips for Designers appeared first on Hongkiat.

Best 10 Etsy Apps for Shopify: 10 Options in 2023

Original Source: https://ecommerce-platforms.com/articles/best-etsy-apps-for-shopify

Looking for the best Etsy apps for Shopify?

We’ve scoured the Shopify app marketplace to bring you this list of the most effective and popular solutions for connecting your Shopify website with the Etsy ecosystem.

With the tools below, you’ll be able to rapidly list your products on the Etsy marketplace, unlocking new sales options and revenue. All of the following apps have been approved by the Shopify app marketplace team, which means they should work seamlessly with your store, without slowing down your pages or causing any significant technical issues.

Let’s dive in.

What are the Best Shopify Apps for Etsy in 2023?

CedCommerce Etsy Integration

Shuttle – Sync with Etsy

Easy Import – Etsy Migration

Etsy App

Etsy Integration & Sync

OneEtsy: Ebay Etsy Integration

Etsy Integration Inventory

Esty: Sync Products & Orders

Sellbrite

Salestio

1. CedCommerce Etsy Integration

CedCommerce - Best Etsy Apps for Shopify

Pricing: Free to install with subscription plans starting at $25 per month.

The CedCommerce Etsy integration app simplifies the process of connecting your Shopify store with the Etsy marketplace, allowing companies to perform bulk actions like editing product listings for Etsy in seconds. You can create templates for shipping, inventory, and price management within the app, manage shop sections, and organize production partners.

The CedCommerce app also instantly notifies users of any issues related to product uploading, inventory failures, order fetching and syncing, and offers tax rate management tools.

Key Features:

Product category, attributes, and shipping management

Automatic and manual inventory and price syncing

Personalized order management and tracking

Inventory location management for fulfilment

Tax rate management

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illustration of a cat climbing a ladder

2. Shuttle – Sync with Etsy

Shuttle - Best Etsy Apps for Shopify

Pricing: 30-day trial, pricing from $5 per month.

Shuttle offers solutions for real-time and on-demand syncing with Etsy stores. You can transfer and update products between Etsy and Shopify, transfer reviews and orders to Shopify, and monitor real-time stock levels and SKUs.

Shuttle offers automatic SKU generation, batch content editors, pricing conversion, shipping profile matching and automated stock alerts too.

Key features:

Automatic transferring and product updates between shops

Real-time insights into stock levels, SKUs, and states

Import Etsy reviews to Shopify

Automatic fulfillment with tracking info

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illustration of a cat climbing a ladder

3. Easy Import – Etsy Migration

Easy Import - Best Etsy Apps for Shopify

Pricing: Free to install and $0.20 per listing

Easy Import is designed to make migrating products from Etsy into your Shopify simple. You can instantly import product titles, descriptions, variants, and images with pricing, and automatically skip products you already have on your Shopify store.

There’s also the automatically assign products from your Etsy listing CSV to collections when you’re merging information between both stores.

Key features:

Instantly move products from Etsy to Shopify

Select Etsy products to skip previously imported products

Assign products to collections during transfer

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illustration of a cat climbing a ladder

4. Etsy App

Etsy App - Best Etsy Apps for Shopify

Pricing: 30-day free trial then $9.99 per month

The “Etsy app” is a simple solution that allows companies to export and sync products on Etsy, and import information from Etsy into their Shopify store. You can manage all of your Etsy products within Shopify, and link active Etsy products to your ecommerce store.

The app automatically syncs product data such as prices, stock information, and images, so you can focus more of your time on growing your online presence.

Key features:

Easily export Shopify products to Etsy

Choose from multiple languages

Import Etsy orders to Shopify

Sync product data with Etsy

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5. Etsy Integration & Sync

Etsy Integration _ Sync - Best Etsy Apps for Shopify

Pricing: Free plan or premium plans starting at $19.99 per month

Created by Digital Product Labs, this Etsy app for Shopify allows users to sync Etsy listing, order, and inventory information without manual hassle. You can preserve Etsy’s SEO-optimized titles and price, and move inventory both ways in real-time. You’ll be able to manage all of your Etsy orders in Shopify, and even separate them from Shopify orders for tax purposes.

You can also separate VAT costs from Etsy on Shopify, and preserve your tax settings. Digital Product Labs also offers 24/7 live chat and email support.

Key features:

Export products to Etsy or Import to Shopify

Real-time order, product, and inventory syncing

Order fulfillment management

Automatic syncing of price, title, and images

Sync VAT to Shopify

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illustration of a cat climbing a ladder

6. OneEtsy: Ebay Etsy Integration

OneEtsy - Best Etsy Apps for Shopify

Pricing: Free plan or premium plans starting at $19 per month

OneEtsy is a comprehensive tool for syncing your Shopify store with marketplaces like Etsy and Ebay. Store owners can rapidly move product information to both marketplaces with no coding, and the system modifies data to comply with Ebay and Etsy guidelines.

The simple solution offers templates you can assign to similar items, and ensures you can map Shopify attributes to corresponding Ebay and Etsy attributes too.

Key features:

Map attributes to corresponding attributes on marketplaces

Assign shipping, profile, and policy templates to items

Auto-modify Shopify products before sync

Filter and sync to multiple Etsy and Ebay stores

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7. Etsy Integration Inventory

Etsy Integration Inventory - Best Etsy Apps for Shopify

Pricing: 14 day free trial with pricing starting at $19 per month

Managing listings, orders and inventory on Etsy and Shopify is easy with ShopUpz. The straightforward app allows users to export listings from Shopify to Etsy with one click, or import listings from Etsy to Shopify just as easily.

Business leaders can also replicate orders from Etsy to Shopify, syncing external suppliers and POD solutions. You can also automate a range of inventory tasks to streamline business operations.

Key features:

Export unlimited listings to Etsy

Import listings from Etsy to Shopify

Replicate unlimited orders to manage on Shopify

Update orders as fulfilled automatically

Powerful inventory management tools

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8. Esty: Sync Products & Orders

Etsy Sync Products _ Orders - Best Etsy Apps for Shopify

Pricing: 30-day free trial with pricing starting at $19 per month

Etsy Sync is a convenient tool that supports business owners in easily syncing Shopify inventory with the Etsy platform in real-time. Designed to save you time and reduce order cancellations, the app can sync and transfer products, images, SKUs, barcodes, prices, categories, and variants.

This straightforward inventory tracking and syncing tool also comes with an automatic SKU generator and works for up to 15,000 products.

Key features:

Automatically sync products and inventory

Import and export products with barcodes, SKUs, price, and category

Automatic order and fulfillment syncing

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9. Sellbrite

Sellbrite - Best Etsy Apps for Shopify

Pricing: Free plan or premium plans starting at $19 per month

Sellbrite allows Shopify merchants to sync and sell their products on Walmart, Amazon, Ebay and Etsy. The all-in-one tool transforms your Shopify store into the single source of truth for your online presence, so you can control orders and inventory in one place.

The intuitive interface simplifies product listings and order fulfillment across multiple marketplaces, automatically adjusting inventory levels to avoid overselling.

Key features:

Automatically adjust and sync inventory

Easily create variation listings

Reach new customers wherever they are

Fulfill marketplace orders in bulk

Include inventory info from all warehouses in listings

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10. Salestio

Salestio - Best Etsy Apps for Shopify

Pricing: 30-day free trial with pricing starting at $37 per month

Another comprehensive tool for syncing Shopify products with online marketplaces, Salestio allows companies to export Shopify products to Etsy, Ebay, and Amazon, and control orders and inventory within the Shopify UI. You can also create custom prices and quantity levels.

With seamless order fulfillment, import, stock level, and price synchronizations, you can track all of your core store information in one location.

Key features:

Import all marketplace orders to your Shopify store

Export products to online marketplaces

Sync stock and price information

Automate new products exporting and fulfillment transfer

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The Best Etsy Apps for Shopify: Conclusion

The best Etsy apps for Shopify provide business leaders with a convenient way to sync products, inventory, pricing information and order fulfillment across a range of channels. With the convenient tools above, you’ll be able to increase your sales opportunities and reach customers in new locations throughout the web, without worrying about stock issues.

Remember, most of the apps above also come with free trials, so you can test the functionality before you commit to a monthly plan.

Check out some of our other Shopify app lists here:

The post Best 10 Etsy Apps for Shopify: 10 Options in 2023 appeared first on Ecommerce Platforms.

Ardhira Putra's colorful illustration and motion design for AAPI Heritage Month

Original Source: https://abduzeedo.com/ardhira-putras-colorful-illustration-and-motion-design-aapi-heritage-month

Ardhira Putra’s colorful illustration and motion design for AAPI Heritage Month
Ardhira Putra's colorful illustration and motion design for AAPI Heritage Month

abduzeedo0614—23

In the realm of illustration and motion design, Ardhira Putra, a talented artist hailing from Singapore, has captured the essence of nostalgia and childhood wonder in his latest project. His work, titled “MTVID for AAPI Heritage Month,” is a heartfelt homage to the early 90s and the iconic music videos that shaped an entire generation’s imagination. Abduzeedo.com is delighted to present this remarkable piece by Ardhira Putra.

Ardhira Putra’s MTVID project takes us on a journey down memory lane, evoking the same emotions and excitement that the artist experienced during his childhood. He reminisces about the golden era of MTV, where music videos were not only a form of entertainment but also a source of inspiration. With influences from renowned directors such as Spike Jonze and Michel Gondry, Ardhira’s dream of creating MTV idents since high school has finally materialized.

The timing of this project is significant, as Ardhira specifically created the MTVID artwork to honor AAPI (Asian American and Pacific Islander) Heritage Month. By infusing his work with cultural references and symbols, Ardhira celebrates the diversity and rich heritage of the AAPI community. Through his unique artistic style, he successfully blends nostalgia, cultural pride, and a touch of modernity.

In MTVID, Ardhira Putra showcases his exceptional talent for illustration and motion design. His use of vibrant colors, fluid lines, and dynamic compositions breathes life into the artwork, inviting the viewer into a whimsical world of music and memories. The attention to detail is impeccable, with each frame exuding a sense of joy and playfulness.

Ardhira Putra’s MTVID for AAPI Heritage Month is a remarkable testament to the power of art and its ability to transport us back to cherished moments in time. By blending nostalgia, cultural representation, and his own artistic vision, Ardhira has crafted a piece that resonates with viewers on a deep emotional level. As we marvel at his talent and creativity, we eagerly anticipate what the future holds for this gifted artist from Singapore.

Illustration and motion design stills

animation  Ardhiraputra ILLUSTRATION  motion graphics  Mtv pop Retro vintage

animation  Ardhiraputra ILLUSTRATION  motion graphics  Mtv pop Retro vintage

animation  Ardhiraputra ILLUSTRATION  motion graphics  Mtv pop Retro vintageanimation  Ardhiraputra ILLUSTRATION  motion graphics  Mtv pop Retro vintage

animation  Ardhiraputra ILLUSTRATION  motion graphics  Mtv pop Retro vintage

animation  Ardhiraputra ILLUSTRATION  motion graphics  Mtv pop Retro vintage

animation  Ardhiraputra ILLUSTRATION  motion graphics  Mtv pop Retro vintage

animation  Ardhiraputra ILLUSTRATION  motion graphics  Mtv pop Retro vintage

animation  Ardhiraputra ILLUSTRATION  motion graphics  Mtv pop Retro vintage

animation  Ardhiraputra ILLUSTRATION  motion graphics  Mtv pop Retro vintage

For more information make sure to check out Ardhira Putra on Behance and Instagram.

How to convert any website into fully editable Figma designs

Original Source: https://1stwebdesigner.com/how-to-convert-any-website-into-fully-editable-figma-designs/

We’ve all been there: Manually recreating website designs in Figma, desktops cluttered with screenshots for benchmarking, improving web copy without design context…

But what if there was a way to import a full webpage into Figma in just a few clicks? What if you could then edit the imported webpage; changing everything from text, to colors, to layout?

Look no further than html.to.design!

What is html.to.design?

html.to.design is a powerful Figma plugin that converts any website into fully editable Figma designs. Import full webpages into Figma to leverage an existing website and kickstart design work, saving you hours of time that would otherwise be spent manually recreating each element from scratch.

How does it work?

1. Once you have a website to import…

Copy-paste the URL of the webpage(s) you want to import. You can stick to just the landing page or import all pages in bulk for the full site.

2. Before clicking “Import”…

Select the viewport and theme you need. Desktop in light mode? Mobile in dark? Import the same webpage with different setting combinations for a full overview of the range of designs.

3. You now have your webpage in Figma!

But the magic doesn’t stop there. The webpage is fully editable, so you can change copy, colors, and move sections around. Plus, text and color styles are automatically grabbed and created as local styles in Figma, so you have them readily available for future designs.

4. If you need to import a private page…

Use the html.to.design browser extension! Log in to the webpage you need, then click on the html.to.design extension icon. It will immediately start downloading an .h2d file which you can drag-and-drop into the Figma plugin.

What can I use html.to.design for?

html.to.design can help by automating tasks that are manual and time-consuming for designers, developers, UX writers and anyone using Figma. Here are just a few use cases:

Redesign an old website and import all its elements as your base.
Experiment with different copy and see exactly how it’ll appear on the site.
Import missing design assets for ongoing projects.
Get inspired by other websites and create benchmarks without a single screen capture.
Check your website’s visual accessibility in Figma.

What are the benefits of html.to.design?

Save time

The number one benefit of using html.to.design as part of your design workflow is the amount of time it saves. Recreating a site or building design elements from scratch can take hours. html.to.design allows you to use any website as a base, importing everything as fully editable layers that you can turn into components, rearrange and redesign into something else. This means that you save time to focus on other important aspects of your design project, such as improving the user experience or perfecting the layout.

No design skills required

html.to.design is also great for anyone who is just starting out with Figma, or developers who need design assets from an existing site. The simplicity of the plugin means you don’t need to be an experienced product designer to use it. Anyone can import a webpage to use as a base, or even as an aid when learning how to use Figma.

Great for collaboration

html.to.design is also great for collaboration and brainstorming sessions. When working on a redesign project, for example, you and your team can use the plugin to import the website you’re working on, to then take advantage of Figma’s collaboration features. It’s much easier to work on the old website in an editable format, so your design team can change or move elements around and collaborate in real time.

Get design assets easily

Even if you don’t need the full website, html.to.design can still be helpful. The plugin also allows you to extract design assets from any website, such as images and fonts. html.to.design will even create local Figma styles for you, automatically! Instead of manually downloading each asset, you can easily extract them in just a few clicks, bringing all the design assets you need directly into Figma. This makes it easier for you to access them when working on future designs.

Ready to give it a try?

So, if you’re looking for a powerful tool to help streamline your design workflow, look no further than html.to.design. It’s already loved by over 360,000 people worldwide!

In just a few clicks you’ll have the fully editable Figma layers you need to redesign an old website or kickstart a new one. Try it out with 12 free imports per month, and see for yourself the difference it can make in your design workflow.

Tide vs Revolut for Business: What You Need to Know

Original Source: https://ecommerce-platforms.com/articles/tide-vs-revolut-for-business

In this Tide vs Revolut Business review, we’re zoning in on two of the most popular business banking services on the market.

However, if you don’t have time to trawl through my entire Tide vs Revolut Business review, here are some of the headlines: 

Both platforms are FCA registered, so your money is protected up to £85,000. 

Both offer free accounts. Although they have limited features, they’re great starting points for small startups and solopreneurs. 

In both cases, you must keep an eye on extra charges, such as ATM withdrawals, money transfers, and transaction fees; otherwise, your costs might mount up.

Both are easy to set up and use. 

In the case of Revolut, if you run an international business, it’s ideal. Tide, however, probably isn’t for you since it doesn’t support multi-currency accounts. 

In contrast, Tide is best for UK-based businesses looking to trade domestically

With all that said, let’s dive into the meat and potatoes of this Tide vs Revolut Business review:

What is Tide?

Tide vs Revolut

Founded in 2015, over 5000,000 companies now use Tide. Although based in the UK, Tide also has offices in Bulgaria, India, and Germany. It’s regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), and the Tide app is available for download on Google Play and the Apple App Store. 

Please note: In the literal sense, Tide isn’t a bank. Instead, it’s a business financial platform.

To use Tide, You must have a UK residential address or be a director of a business registered with the UK’s Companies House.

Each account holder receives a:

UK sort-code and account number

A business Mastercard

Invoice creation and payment features

Up to £150,000 credit

Automatic transaction categorization to simplify your accounting. 

What is Revolut Business?

Tide vs Revolut

Revolut was founded in 2015 by Nik Storonsky and Vlad Yatsenko. Then Revolut Business followed in 2017 after a further round of funding to offer one centralized place for managing all your company’s finances. 

According to its website, over 10,000 businesses sign up to Revolut Business a month, equalling 130,000 cards issued monthly.

Revolut is registered with the Financial Conduct Authority. Companies can pay and be paid in 25+ currencies across 100+ countries. 

When you open a Revolut Business account, you receive the following:

Currency accounts in GBP, EUR, and USD

Account number

Sort code

Access to Revolut features (more on this below)

Revolut virtual card

Revolut plastic company card

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Tide vs Revolut Business: Features and Services

The features you receive depend on which account you go for. I cover prices lower down in this review. But, in the meantime, let’s explore Tide and Revolut Business’s key features:

Tide

In-app invoices: Generate, send, and track invoices within the Tide app. You can also match payments to invoices, so you know exactly who’s paid you. 

Expense cards: You and your team can purchase directly from your account. You can set individual spending ceilings and monitor itemized spending by person and category. 

In-built accounting software: This automates tasks such as real-time tax bill estimates. You can also complete and submit VAT returns and check transactions. Until May 2023, this was a free feature, but Tide now charges a monthly fee of £6.99 + VAT. 

Cashflow forecasts: A 30-day forecast with actionable tips for a strong credit rating. You can also track your credit score with Experian and view incoming and outgoing payment statuses.

Business loans: Tide looks at your business account usage to assess your borrowing options from one of its partner lenders. It runs pre-eligibility checks that don’t impact your credit rating to provide a quick decision. However, partner lenders may take longer to check your eligibility. 

Accounting integrations: Tide integrates with Xero, Sage, QuickBooks, and ClearBooks. You can automatically push payments to your software every 24 hours. 

Direct debits with GoCardless: You can collect payments by direct debit, which is ideal if you run a business that relies on regularly scheduled payments, such as a gym or a subscription service.

Open banking: Connect your Tide account with apps that help you do business.

Revolut Business

Revolut has five categories of features, each of which contains several sub-features@ 

Essentials

This includes:

Cards: Choose from metal, plastic, and virtual cards (Depending on your pricing plan).

Multi-currency account: Send, exchange, and receive money in 25+ currencies

Teams: Oversee your team’s spending in real-time and set spending limits and user permissions

Transfers: Approve and track all money transfers in real time.

Tools

This includes

Analytics: Plan, manage and track your spending by tracking spending by time period, account, and team member. 

Invoices: Create, send, and monitor invoices 

Team expenses: You can authorize team members to use expense cards while setting spending limits and monitoring expenses in real-time

On-demand pay: For a small fee, employees can withdraw a portion of their accrued earnings and track what they’ve earned per shift/week/.

Payroll: Customize employee pay by automating tax calculations and tailoring pay schedules to suit employee needs. 

Accept Payments

This includes:

Accept payments: Accept and track online and in-person payment processing with next-day settlement. You can accept payments in 25+ currencies with no currency conversions (unless you ask Revolut to do that).

Payment gateway: Customize your website’s checkout process with Revolut’s widgets and integrations, including Xero, Shopify, OpenCart, WooCommerce, and BigCommerce.

Payment links: Create payment links you can share with customers by email, SMS, or invoice.

QR code: Create a QR code to accept in-person contactless payments via your smartphone. 

Revolut Pay: Set up a single-click checkout button on your website with Revolut Pay for faster payment. 

Revolt Reader: The Revolut card reader is compatible with Apple Pay, Google Pay, and credit and debit cards. It’s ideal for fast in-person payments. 

Connect

There are several categories within this feature, including:

APIs: For paid plan subscribers, you can build custom integrations to suit your business needs.

API payouts: Automatically disburse payments in real-time, for example, to pay insurance claims, loans, and contractor payments. 

Integrations: A range of integrations, including Xero, Sage, Zoho Books, Slack, WooCommerce, and Shopify, are available.

Treasury

This feature has several subcategories, including:

Currency exchange: Exchange 25+ currencies 24/7 via Revolut’s app or website. Exchange is at the real rate with no hidden fees.

Forward currency contracts: Set your currency exchange rate yearly to protect your business against volatility – available in GBP, EUR, and USD. You can also set up foreign contracts to the maximum value of £500,000 and manage them online 24/7. 

Crypto: If you have surplus cash, you can buy Bitcoin and Ether instantly with no hidden fees. You need a Revolut Bitcoin account to do this. But please note this is unregulated and unprotected. 

Tide Pricing

Tide offers four accounts:

Free

For this, you get:

A Tide Business Mastercard

An expenses card for your team (for £5/month per card)

Transfer money in and out for £0.20 per transaction.

ATM withdrawals for a £1 per withdrawal free

Read access for team members.

Schedule payments

Up to five business accounts

Accounting integrations

Create and send invoices.

Free card payments

Free replacement cards

Free transfer between Tide accounts

Cash deposits at the Post Office for a 0.5% fee of the total amount over £500 or £2.50 per deposit for deposits under £500. You can also deposit cash via PayPoint for a 3% fee of the total deposit. 

Plus £9.99/mo + VAT

You get all the above and:

One free expense card

Up to 20 free money in and out transfers a month

Priority in-app customer support

Phone support

Access to a 24/7 legal helpline

Exclusive member perks include discounted RAC membership, discounted storage space with Big Yellow, and a one-year free business membership with Zipcar.

Support with trademark filings and disputes on a case-by-case basis

Pro £18.99/mo + VAT

You get everything above, plus two expense cards and unlimited in and out money transfers (for free). 

Cashback £49.99 + VAT

You get everything above and three expense cards, 150 money transfers a month for free, access to a dedicated team of account managers, and 0.5% cashback with your Tide card.

Tide vs Revolut

Revolut Business Pricing

Revolut Business offers two categories of accounts: 

Business

Freelance

For Business, there are four accounts:

Free

For this, you get:

Plastic company cards – up to three per person (fees may apply, but these aren’t listed)

Virtual company cards – up to 200 per person

Five free local payments/mo (£0.20 per transaction after that)

1.99% crypto exchange fee

Spend in 150+ currencies.

Hold and exchange 25+ currencies.

Free transfers to other Revolut accounts

IBANs for global transfers

Manage recurring transfers

Local accounts in GBP and EUR

Accept payments online for a 1% + £0.20 fee.

International and commercial cards for a 2.8% + £0.20 fee

Revolut Pay for a 1% + £0.20 fee

Bank transfers for £1 or less

Create and track invoices.

Accept payments on your website.

Accept in-person payments with a 0.8% and £0.02 fee for UK consumer cards and 2.6% and £0.02 for international and commercial cards. 

Register unlimited team members.

Team member permissions (set whether team members can view-only, perform financial operations, restrict spending, or grant full access to all features). 

Manage team member expenses for £5/mo per team member.

Access 24/7 support

Manage payroll for £3/mo per team member on the payroll.

App integrations, including those mentioned in the Revolut Business, features section. Other examples include Magento2 and PrestaShop.

Web and mobile access to your Revolut Business account

Payment link creation

Grow 

This will set you back £25/mo (or benefit from up to 24% off on an annual plan)

You get everything in the Free account and:

One free metal card

Ten free international payments 

100 free local payments per month

Foreign exchange up to £10,000 per month with a 0.4% markup for each exchange after that

0.99% crypto exchange fee

Bulk payments, for example, when running payroll. 

Analytics 

Rewards include a six-month Shopify trial and a two-month free trial of Sage

Business API integrations

Forward currency contracts

Scale 

This will set you back £100/mo (or up to 21% off on an annual plan).

You get everything above, and:

Two metal cards

50 free international payments per month

1,000 free local payments per month

Foreign exchange up to £50,000 per month with a 0.4% markup after that 

Enterprise – Custom Pricing

You get everything above customized to your needs, plus a dedicated account manager.

Tide vs Revolut

For Freelancers, there are three accounts:

Free 

For this, you get:

A plastic company card

A virtual card

Five free local payments a month (£0.20 per payment after that)

A £3 fee per international payment (weekend and rare currency markups apply)

Spend in 150+ countries and 150+ currencies

Hold and exchange 25+ currencies

Free transfers to Revolut accounts

IBANs for global transfers

Manage recurring transfers

Local accounts in GBP and EUR

Accept payments online and in person with fees the same as those quoted above

Create and track invoices

Accept payments on your website

Create and share payment links

Invite unlimited team members

Team member permissions 

24/7 support

Manage payroll (£3/mo per team member on the payroll)

Professional 

This will set you back £7/mo (or up to 29% off if you pay annually)

For this, you get everything in the free freelancer plan, plus:

Five free international payments per month (with the fees mentioned above applied after that)

20 free local payments per month (with the fees mentioned above after that)

Foreign exchange to a £5,000 limit per month with a 0.4% markup for each exchange after that

Bulk payments

Ultimate 

This account costs £25/mo (or up to 24% off if you pay annually).

For this, you get everything in Free and Professional plans, and:

One metal card

Ten free international payments per month (fees mentioned above apply after that)

100 free local payments per month (with the fees discussed above after that)

Foreign exchange to a £10,000 limit per month with a 0.4% markup for each exchange after that

Tide vs Revolut

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Tide vs Revolut Business: Pros and Cons

Tide Pros 

There’s a free account available.

Access to a decent range of price plans to choose from

You can access Tide via an intuitive mobile app.

Access priority in-app and phone support on the paid plans

FCA registered

Access to in-app invoicing with free invoice templates you can use to generate and send invoices and match payments to invoices

Access to automated 30-day cashflow forecasts

Tide Cons 

It’s strictly only for business use, so if you want a personal account, too, you’ll have to go elsewhere

There’s a £1 ATM withdrawal fee on all plans

No multi-currency options; it only supports GBP

You can only use it if you have a UK address or are a director of a UK-registered business

Revolut Business Pros

Revolut Business is FCA-registered

It supports 25+ currencies

It’s reportedly easy to setup 

There’s a good range of accounts to choose from, including a free one

You can access Revolut Business via an intuitive Mobile app

24/7 support on all plans

You can create a payment QR code for contactless in-person payments

Revolut Business Cons

ATM transactions are charged at 2% of each withdrawal regardless of which plan you are on

You can’t make cash deposits.

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Tide vs Revolut Business: My Final Verdict

Hopefully, you now have a better idea of what both Tide and Revolut Business offer. As you can see, Tide and Revolut Business are distinct options that will appeal to different customers depending on their needs.

Overall, I think Tide is aimed at smaller and medium-sized UK companies that solely operate within the UK. In contrast, I think Revolut is a better fit for businesses that operate all or part of the time internationally, with its 25+ currency support and a more comprehensive selection of accounts. 

However, in both cases, it’s worth keeping an eye out for transaction fees so there aren’t any nasty surprises!

That’s enough from me; over to you! What do you think of Tide and Revolut? Or are you considering other business bank account providers like Starling Bank, Monzo, or HSBC? Tell me your thoughts in the comments box below!

The post Tide vs Revolut for Business: What You Need to Know appeared first on Ecommerce Platforms.