As involved in the world of eCommerce and website building for years now, we have heard a lot and had our experiences with the Wix builder. And even though to some extent the platform looks promising, we have grown to see a few disadvantages to using it in some cases.
First things first. Wix is a website builder. It’s a platform that allows users to build their own websites through it (similar to Squarespace, Weebly, etc.) Some of the advantages of the platform are that it is affordable (it has low pricing both for websites and eCommerce). In addition, it gives you a variety of themes to choose from, allowing you to make your website look professional. Lastly, it is easy to use because of its live editing and has a support team ready to answer any questions.
If there are so many advantages to it, why should you not use it?
No deep analytics
Well, it always comes down to what you want from your website or eCommerce. If for example, you are at a place in your journey where you’d benefit from deep analytics, and numbers to support your decisions in the long run, then Wix might limit you on that.
The analytics the platform offers include some basic and traffic tracking analytics, but that’s as far as they go. If you want to dive deeper into your business and see what works best, what doesn’t, and why, then Wix perhaps isn’t the best option for you.
Limited creativity
Even though we stated as an advantage that Wix allows you to create professional-looking websites, it still operates on drag and drop. This in some cases might limit your creativity. On a more positive note, however, you can still get creative with Wix if you have a lot of time to focus on customizing it and playing around with the designs.
Not the most SEO-friendly option
As you might already know, we not only specialize in SEO but also consider it one of the most vital aspects of a successful business online – and you should too. Even though Wix does offer some basic SEO guidelines, the platform isn’t as progressive on SEO as someone would hope. Therefore, if you are just starting out, maybe Wix can be useful. However, if you are looking at this from a long-term perspective, then the platform might limit you in the SEO domain.
Slow page loading
Building from our previous point, page loading is a vital part of quality SEO. It’s simple – websites that load slowly, will likely throw users off, and thus are not ranked as high on Google.
Summary
Deciding whether you’ll use Wix for your website or not, should perhaps depend on which stage of your business journey you are in, and what your specific needs are. If you are looking to build a long-term online business, care to find out more about your customers, want to use this time to improve your SEO, and have the freedom to design, create and customize, then Wix might not be the best platform for your needs.
Furthermore, if starting a website seems a little overwhelming to you right now, our team specializes in both website development and SEO, and we are ready and excited to help you out and guide you through the process.
An E-wallet is basically your actual physical wallet in electronic form. E-wallets are particularly important for E-shops – since that’s where the transactions happen!
E-wallets allow people to pay online using money they have in their credit/debit cards or bank accounts.
In fact, E-wallets or digital wallets can be software, electronic devices, or even an online service that allows transactions to take place.
Given that online shopping has become a prevailing alternative during the Covid-19 pandemic, many businesses have chosen to shift into the digital world. Consequently, E-wallets are being used more and more every day.
But how do you decide which E-wallet is the best for your E-shop?
Throughout our years of experience in the field of building online stores and optimizing them, we have gathered 5 of your favorite E-wallets for our clients’ use.
1. Viva Wallet
Viva Wallet is a payment service that takes Visa, Mastercard, American Express, and more than 20 other payment methods.
The company’s greatest advantage over various other e-wallets is the fact that they charge 0% on acceptance fees. This means that you are charged nothing for the administration fee of the transaction.
In addition, Viva Wallet makes it possible for companies to receive payments not only through online stores but also physical stores.
Some of our favorite features of Viva Wallet are:
Next day settlements (merchant will receive the funds the day after the transaction)
3D secure checkout (making the paying process more trustworthy)
If you want to find out more about Viva Wallet and how it works you can check out this site!
2. PayPal
Using PayPal for your E-shop can be really convenient and clever since the majority of people in Cyprus and worldwide use this service.
Basically, people can link their cards to PayPal and checkout for any online payment using their PayPal account.
It is no secret that people love ‘easy and fast’ and this is what PayPal prides itself to provide. When your clients set-up their PayPal accounts, and link their cards, they can pay easily from their phone or laptop at any time.
In addition, PayPal’s years of service have built trust with both merchants and customers. It is a secure method to pay since your financial information remains private.
PayPal is easily set up through Shopify stores to allow online transactions. Another great advantage of PayPal is that it is pre-integrated with some other payment providers – giving you an all-in-one package!
3. Stripe
Stripe provides an infrastructure for payment processing and transactions. This is one of the most well-known payment software since it accepts Mastercard, Visa, and other combinations of payment methods.
Stripe pride itself in helping businesses also manage their spending, avoid fraud, and issue cards.
In addition, their straightforward – easy-to-use – APIs and integrations with platforms such as Shopify, Ecommerce, etc. make them one of the most dominant in the industry.
One of our favorite things about Stripe is the company’s continuous improvement in the software. They are constantly hustling to update their features so as to stand out and make Stripe easy to use and efficient for any type of business.
4. JCC Smart
JCC Smart might be familiar to you with the card machines people use in physical stores, restaurants, etc.
They have recently created an app which available both in App Store and Google Play.
Best known as a payment portal, JCC Smart is integrated with banks in Cyprus such as Bank of Cyprus and Hellenic bank and allows real-time payments. In other words, the transaction takes place at the exact same time that the settlement happens.
In addition, JCC smart allows you to pay your bills through internet banking.
5. Apple Pay
Apple Pay in Cyprus is used by many people since it provides a fast, private and easy way to pay online and physically. You can use it by linking/adding your card to Apple Pay.
The name itself of the service implies that it can be only used on Apple devices (Mac, iPad, Apple Watch).
With just a quick Google search on ‘Apple Pay Cyprus,’ you will see that the Bank of Cyprus, and Hellenic bank, both allow you to add your cards to Apple Pay.
In addition, Apple Pay has the Face ID feature that makes payments a lot more secure.
For your business, Apple Pay is a very helpful checkout tool, since it works with a majority of card issuers (i.e. Mastercard, Visa, American Express).
For more information on how to use Apple Pay as a business owner – check this out!
Our Work
At Online Solutions, we create E-shops as well as take care of E-wallet plugins.
Our experienced team is always excited to help you are we provide a very personalized and tailored to your needs experience.
If you are looking to create an E-shop Contact us today and we will set you up with any payment provider you desire to!
Choosing a developer in Limassol can be really tricky. Cyprus is filled with construction and development companies, which are now largely investing in real estate.
Maybe you’re looking to buy land and build a beautiful house for your family. Or maybe you are looking to invest in real estate by renovating an old beautiful house.
Well, actually, Limassol Cyprus has become the hotspot for this.
But how can you decide on the best developers in Limassol? There are so many to choose from, it can get overwhelming.
Stick around and we’ll give you a list of the best ones in Limassol, and links to their websites.
Then we will proceed into explaining what is important to consider when choosing which developer to work with.
What to consider when choosing a developer in Limassol
Define your goal
The first step in creating an awesome partnership with a developer is to think about your goal for the project.
Do you want to build your own home? Invest in real estate? Renovate an old house and turn it into a restaurant? Or buy an already built apartment in a beautiful courthouse?
The goal is important since every project will need a different approach from both the developer and you.
And an example of this different approach is the location of the project. For example, you might want to build a house, rent it for some years, and make money from real estate and then live in it yourself when you retire. In this case, you might have to consider a favorable area high in demand for rent, which also combines a place you’d be happy to live in when you retire.
Defining your goal will help the developer guide you, or find the ideal place for you.
Research
The list above includes all major developers in Limassol, Cyprus, and the link to their websites.
How do you choose your food at a new restaurant? You check out the menu first, and decide what you think you’ll like best, right? If you just went with the first plate you saw on page 1, you might have ended up missing out on something better.
Likewise, it is important to check out your options when choosing a developer. Read their Services sections and compare. Who can offer what you want?
Previous work & authority
Most developers include a Portfolio section in their websites or a Projects section. The purpose of these, other than making sales, is to give visitors, like you, a clearer picture of their work.
Check out what they did in the past or what they are working on now. This might give you a better understanding of the type of projects they undertake or even give you ideas about your own project!
Contact
Lastly, contact the top developer on your list! Tell them about your project, and thoughts. At this point, you might also want to ask about the cost, and the time the project will need. Basically, talk about all the specifics.
It is advised to write down your questions beforehand so that you make sure you got all the answers needed to make an informed decision, by the end of the meeting.
You will probably need to understand whether or not this developing company, is right for you.
Conclusion
The developer will do all the dirty work for you. They will do the research regarding the location you wish to build on, and they will also make sure there is available land for what you want to do.
It is the developer’s responsibility to execute all necessary work regarding the permits needed to build in that area, and also make a financial summary of how much the project will cost.
And finally, start the construction process.
At Developers Limassol, we aim to give you all the information you need before starting off your developing project.
For any further questions regarding Developers listed on our site, feel free to contact us via email at info@developerslimassol.com, or call us at +70001710.
In Cyprus, there are lots of accounting firms that can cover your needs. But how do you define who’s the best fit for you? And how do you choose between them?
This whole process might appear a little overwhelming at first, but we have put together some simple steps you can follow to make an informed decision.
Define your goal and the reasons you are hiring an accountant.
People need accountants for different types of reasons. But making your reasons for hiring one, clear, is a vital step to hire the right person/firm.
Each company has a different legal structure. And when it comes to laws, regulations, and their consequences, it’s always wiser to get a person that has the appropriate knowledge to do the work. The accountant will probably explain all the different types of legal structures of a business, and how each structure differs. After this part, you’ll be able to choose the one that will best apply to you.
Maybe, you want an accountant for advice while writing your business plan. Writing a business plan combines variable aspects. When you need to set goals for everything you are about to embark on as a business, investing in financial help from a professional will surely work as a time saver.
Many businesses choose to start off without a financial advisor or someone to handle their finances and taxes. Instead, they do it themselves.
But if your business starts growing fast, then maybe you’ll need an expert to take over for you. Having an accountant work for you will not only give you a more holistic overview of your finances but will also be of value to any further decisions regarding expanding your business.
Make sure you conduct your research thoroughly before you reach out to an accountant. Or at least, just make sure that you know what you are asking for and what you aim to accomplish with this new step.
This will give them the ability to guide you and let you know if they can help you out with what you have in mind.
Previous work and testimonials
Here’s the part where you act as a detective.
It is widely accepted that a measure of reliability and expertise is someone’s previous work.
Just like in restaurants and hotels, you check the reviews, you should make sure you are checking testimonials and portfolios for accounting firms and individuals.
Due to the pandemic, everything is now shifting towards online communication. This means you might not be able to achieve face-to-face interaction at the level you would want to!
It is important to make sure you have good communication. And it’s also valuable if you are able to trust your accountant. They will be the ones managing one of the most vital aspects of your business – your finances.
Contact and set up a meeting.
Here come the big actions!
At this point, you probably have a list – of maybe 2 or 3 phone numbers – of people/firms that seem to appeal to you. Even if an accounting firm was referred to you by someone you trust, we’d suggest you call them anyway to set up a meeting and talk about your thoughts and needs.
There are lots of great accountants, but some of them have expertise in areas that you might not care about at this stage.
To sum up, the best experiences are tailored made.
What we mean by this, is that the best accountant for you is the one who can manage your specific situation. Therefore, it is beneficial that you put in the time, to make a successful investment. In this case, hiring the right person will save you time in the long run, bring expertise to the table, and experience to your business.
At Accountants Cyprus, we aim to give you all the information you need before hiring an accountant.
Fulfilment by Amazon or FBA is one of the ‘hot topics’ in the online business world. But what is it, and what do you need to open an FBA account?
Fulfilment by Amazon basically means that you are responsible for finding/creating your product and listing it, as well as making sure they are always in stock – if you want to! And Amazon takes it from there.
Amazon is responsible for storing your products, handling orders, shipping the products, and updating your inventory numbers, as well as a few more things, discussed later on in this blog.
But here’s a question!
What do you really need to open an FBA account?
Let’s take it step by step.
Are there any requirements to open an FBA account?
I guess, there’s a simple way to put this:
If you have a product, if you have some money saved and if you educate yourself on FBA you can create an FBA account – and make it successful.
There is no requirement that will stop you from creating this account, you’ll just need to have the above objectives in mind – in order to benefit from it!
What I mean by ‘if you have money’ is that FBA is costly. So you are basically paying for the quality of service you get – which is good!
And what I mean by ‘educate yourself’ is basically what you are doing right now – before starting off with FBA, make sure you fully understand what it is, what your responsibilities will be, what Amazon will offer, and if you will benefit from it enough.
To create an FBA account, you need:
A product (before you start creating this online stream of income – you probably have to think about a product that is compelling enough for someone to buy – more on this later)
Amazon Seller Central account (this account basically allows you to list items on Amazon, manage your orders, and change anything you’d like on your listings. There are two types of sellers accounts.)
UPC (A UPC [Universal Product Code] is a set of numbers [code] that basically works like your product’s fingerprint. UPC’s are used to identify and recognize products in the Amazon storage spaces and listings.)
Good quality pictures (This could not be stressed enough! What’s the first thing you notice when you check out a listing for a product you wanna buy online? The first thing I check is the product itself. And given that we are viewing this product online, the most realistic way to understand how the product looks like, and if it suits us, is to check the photos. It is maybe one of the most important aspects of your listing. Photos from different angles, close-ups, real and good quality photos will not only help you gain the trust of your customers but also give you higher chances to convert.)
Very thorough and clear description (Think of your description as a match to the photos you provide. Given that the images must be of great quality, so must be your description. What does a good description look like? For starters, descriptions should give the reader a complete verbal picture of the product. Make sure you state the dimensions, the special gadgets your product may have, everything! Optimize your description using keywords people already use to search for products such as the one you offer.)
Think of it this way: what we aim for is to make the potential customer as comfortable as they can get with our product online. This way, they are encouraged to purchase it. And the way we achieve this is by Giving Real and valuable Information about it!
The benefits of an FBA account!
So why would anyone want to create an FBA account? Well, if you have ever tried drop shipping or fulfilling orders before, you probably know how unbelievably time consuming the whole process is. You must keep track of your inventory, take care of shipping, handle returns, etc.
Since Amazon takes care of the ‘hustle’, this means that you have only one focus point: to sell! You’ve just given yourself some more free time. And in the entrepreneur world – free time often means innovation & more money!
FBA helps you save yourself the worry and stress of fulfillment.
And actually, with FBA you give your customers a better experience.
Some of the most notable perks of FBA:
Products are safely stored and managed.
You ship your products to Amazon, and they sort out your inventory. Amazon has a total of more than 170 warehouses and the status of reliable service. Therefore, you just got rid of worrying, there is no losing your products, and in the unlikely scenario that this happens, you will get a refund.
Customer Service
Amazon basically makes sure that the customer has received their order. They take care of the returns and any questions from your customers. You will also get any feedback given to Amazon by customers, which you are free to use for improvement!
Delivery is fast.
Amazon takes care of the shipping process for you. Given that they have so many warehouses scattered around America and Europe, delivery is fast and efficient, because the products ordered get shipped from the closest available warehouse.
Amazon’s multi-channel fulfillment
Basically, Amazon integrates perfectly with BigCommerce and gives you the opportunity to actually sell on other channels. Therefore, if you choose to sell from another channel, Amazon will still deliver and fulfill your orders.
Amazon speaks to the customer.
The 24/7 customer service is a huge bonus! This allows your customers to remain happy by being able to reach out to Amazon whenever they want to and get great service and help.
Is FBA for everyone?
Truth is, we did make it sound as if it is the easiest thing in the world to pull off, but, managing FBA requires good organization skills, a good amount of studying all the guidelines from Amazon, and lots of consistency (for success).
To take full advantage of FBA, you should consider a few things. As we said before, selling a product people care about is a must for success. I mean, sometimes, it seems like it’s obviously the best product anyone could have. But actually, if there is no demand for it, the business will probably go a bit sideways.
But how can you reduce the likelihood of this happening? Market research.
Make sure you know who hangs out on Amazon and make sure you know who would be interested in your product.
Other than that, I’m sure there might be an eye-roll from your side here, but – marketing and advertising are vital if you are not an already established brand. If your product is new, or your brand is just in the beginning of getting recognized, you have to let people know who you are and what you do! I know this sounds obvious, but for marketing to be successful it must be done correctly.
And last but not least, you might have to look into the cost of the FBA plan. Amazon aims to store your products for some time, and then ship them. Therefore, if the shipping doesn’t happen and your products are just taking up space in the warehouse, there is a higher cost of storage.
This might be a good reason to make sure you start off small (inventory-wise) and make sure your product is appropriate for the season, and the demand.
And as always, some research goes a long way…
So here are some sites giving you a deeper understanding of FBA and its operation:
Creating a successful business today is much more complex than it used to be. Now, if you want to stand out it almost inevitably means that you need to utilize the digital world – always morally of course.
What does utilizing the digital world even mean? Well, it simply means being able to understand your audience and market to the point where you can offer them what they need and care about. And this, in turn, brings success to your doorstep as well.
Over the years, many platforms have been created that gather up data regarding the behavior of your audience/customers, help you manage your social media marketing & calendar, and give you insights on SEO & keywords.
And using these platforms is taking full advantage of what the digital world has to offer.
Right now the number one data analytics platform is:
In short, it is a suite of tools for growing your online presence and strategies. This includes SEO, data analytics, social media marketing, market research, and content tools.
The first time we heard of and started using Semrush for our clients it seemed overwhelming because of the variety of tools it offers. However, it is very easy to navigate through tools since everything is listed down for you and categorized.
Semrush: what it offers:
Everything you need to grow your online presence – and thus your business – can be found on the platform.
P.S. The platform allows you to check out all the tools it offers, understand them and use them for free in a free trial. This is extremely useful since you can check out for yourself if it works for you!
However, let’s take a look at the 5 different areas available by Semrush, and how they can be used to grow your business.
SEO
Content
Market Research
Advertising
Social media marketing
SEO:
SEO aka Search Engine Optimization is one of the most important features for growth and targeting the right people. If your goal is to get your company’s pages at the top of Google search results, then SEO is definitely one of the areas you should be investing in.
With keyword research, you are able to know what most people are searching for, and therefore what keywords you should be using on your blogs, website, etc. Semrush also helps you build links – which are vital for website authority, track your ranking for your target keywords, and even compare your competitors’ SEO strategies.
Optimizing your website is one of the best ways to bring organic traffic (not paid) to your website, build trust with your prospects, and create a brand with a voice. And an additional advantage to all of this is that you can target both worldwide audiences, as well as the local and national audiences (using Local SEO).
Content:
The content area in Semrush is basically an all-inclusive dive into the type of content you create and how resonating it is. The tools available help you figure out what your audience cares about and what type of content you should be posting to trigger interest.
In addition, it provides tools for analyzing content performance, and therefore compare what works best – so that you can do more of that. Furthermore, you have content calendars, content distribution tools, as well as SEO tools to help optimize your posts in relation to your target audience.
The content you create on your site is basically the front of your business.
Market Research:
Going a step back… How do you know who cares about your product or service? How do you know what keywords to use? Well, this is where knowing your market like the back of your hand comes in.
How do you understand and build knowledge of your market?
Simply put, you look at what is already there: your competitors. And by no means does this mean ‘copying’. When we analyze our competitors’ performance and strategies we aim to see what is working and what isn’t so that:
(1) We don’t do the same mistakes others did, and
(2) We use the already existing information to improve it or innovate with it.
Tools in market research are mainly based on competitor analysis. Basically, you analyze the keywords your competitors are using, their Ad strategies, their social media strategies, and so much more. You have the tools to dig into keywords related to your market for PPC campaigns. And therefore, you have a lot of additional information to build your own strategies on.
Advertising:
Similar to Market Research, the Advertising tools also allow you to analyze your competitors’ target keywords & strategies. The keyword tool is an invaluable asset of advertising since it helps you understand what is relevant and what you should be investing in – and how!
In addition, in the Advertising area, you will come across monetization tools such as an SEO writing assistant and on-page SEO checker. In other words, Semrush uses information from the most successful sites and creates recommendations and ‘checks’ for what seems to be working. This way there is no need for you to invent the wheel. As we mentioned above, you build on the knowledge, past mistakes, and successes of your competitors and create a strategy based on your goals and your prospects’ needs.
Social Media Marketing:
SSM stands for Social media marketing and SERM stands for search engine reputation management.
Social media marketing tools basically include social media posters and ads. The social media poster allows you to schedule your posts on a variety of platforms such as Google my Business, Linked In, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, etc. From our experience, this turns out to be a great time-saver. Imagine scheduling everything within a 2-hour time block on a Friday morning for the week ahead. You’ve already got the posting hustle over and done with, for the whole week!
In addition, in both posting and creating social media ads, you get to observe and analyze their performance and check what’s working and what isn’t.
So, what now?
One of the most important parts of success is actually knowing what you want. People talk about all the strategies and what it takes to succeed, but to be fair, the number one step to success is deciding what you want. Therefore, how do you know if Semrush is for you?
Well, there are a few ways:
You can read about it and learn what it offers and how you can utilize it (which you are doing now)
You can try it yourself.
Using Semrush yourself:
We understand that there is great uncertainty when asked to invest in a platform you don’t even know. That’s why we encourage you to begin the free week trial and decide through your own experience.
At Online Solutions, we have built a team of experienced individuals that talk with you and figure out your needs. This can be anything from a simple social media management scheme, to complex ad campaigns and data analysis. You name it and we can inform you of it, and work alongside you to achieve it.
Conclusion:
The bottom line is that if you want to go big – and transform your business from an ordinary one to one of the driving forces in the market, then Semrush is probably a tool you’d really appreciate.
And as a side note…
Your company, idea or startup, might be the most innovative idea ever introduced to the world. But if you fail to target the people who’d care about it, then it’s like you’re trying to paint a picture, without the colors.
A service or product needs its customers. Without the customers, it’s just a great idea.
You can turn the great idea into reality! Start your Free week trial today – or contact us!
SEO aka Search Engine Optimization is one of the most important features for growth and targeting the right people. If your goal is to get your company’s pages at the top of Google search results, then SEO is definitely one of the areas you should be investing in.
