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Winter is coming! or should we say the SNOW-storm has already struck and everything else is frozen. Whichever analogy seems appropriate, according to CNN, Snowflake is valued at $70 billion. (https://edition.cnn.com/2020/09/16/investing/snowflake-ipo/index.html)

So what makes Snowflake the "unicorn" share in the IPO September 2020?

Snowflake, a cloud storage company using Salesforce (CRM) and backed by Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway, stole the show when the opening shares exceeded the expected $110 benchmark. Share prices escalated to $300 but closed at $245 with a successful $70 billion closing value. In the era of artificial intelligence and the world evolving by the second, these numbers may not seem extreme. But for a company established in 2012 and the skepticism associated with the startup, Snowflake took the IPO by storm selling 28 billion shares, beating Dell from the 2007 IPO.

You must be wondering about the factors which contributed to this success.

Service-Oriented Product Model 

Simple and Efficient Product

While cloud storage is trending, the database often gives creeps sometimes to even data analysts. Snowflakes offer a simple model that doesn't require complex queries or conditional formulas similar to Oracle or Excel. A bridge between the old school queries and modern cloud databases, sorting or analyzing data is a matter of few clicks.

Growing Market Share

Since the pandemic hit, it's raining websites. Each website requires some level of storage. The pandemic shifted the customer perspective and market share. With accelerating cloud computing and storage demand, Snowflake was able to increase the market share by providing customers freedom from the brand dependency found in Google and Amazon.

According to the S1 report, We believe the addressable market opportunity for our Cloud Data Platform is approximately $81 billion as of January 31, 2020. (https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1640147/000162828020013010/snowflakes-1.htm#ia73499eb79a34ddeaa563501d30356b0_25)

The growth graph posted by Jeff Richards seconds their claim above. (https://twitter.com/jrichlive/status/1306602971698884608)

Great Leadership 

Established in 2012, Benoit Dageville, Thierry Cruanes, and Marcin Zukowski started Snowflake. Using their extensive experience in data warehousing from Oracle and Vectorwise, the founders made it a unique product. Their first best decision was to give the world Snowflake and their second-best decision was to accept that they don't have the skills to grow a company exponentially. They gave the reins to Bob Muglia in 2014. By now, the company was well on its feet but Muglia took it from pennies to a hundred million. His executive experience from Juniper Networks and Microsoft soared the company's share value.

Another wind of change was Frank Slootman’s successor of Bob Muglia last year. Retired after a starling career, Slootman wasn't ready to jump back in but after the Snowflake success, all it took him was two weeks. Either it's the success of the Closer or Bob Muglia's hard work, Slootman came out of his retirement and helped Snowflake achieve new heights.

A blogpost by Sequoia, the Snowflake team has the following reviews on Frank Slootman's leadership:

"Having worked with Frank on the boards of ServiceNow and Medallia, we knew Snowflake was getting an insightful leader with an extraordinary command of details. Indeed, over the past 18 months, Frank’s operational rigor, relentless focus on serving customers, and deep understanding of the business itself have prepared the company well for this week’s milestone." (https://medium.com/sequoia-capital/snowflake-ipo-the-team-that-dreams-big-85f6b8eb475b)

The silver lining for Snowflake investors?

An on Growing Investment 

Snowflake has blizzarded through the struggle phases and must like the team moto according to Sequoia, it's a dream team project. With almost no long term debt, the company balances its sheet at more than $87 million with a 158% net revenue retention rate. The cloud storage is selling like hotcakes with customers of small businesses to large enterprises.

The tremendous amount of data, in turn, will help Snowflake bring forth better customer requirement trends and solutions increasing sales by more than two hundred percent.

Companies are lining up to transition from their data warehouses and stores to complete the Snowflake transition. Another prominent example would be Office Depot. After switching of four data systems, Andrew Parry complimented Snowflake as "Beyond speeding up typical applications, Snowflake allows the company to answer data questions that were once impossible," (https://fortune.com/2020/09/15/snowflake-ipo-database-oracle-frank-slootman/)

Should you invest in Snowflake or not? 

So should you pull a Fry from Simpsons and yell, "Shutup and take my money"? Hold your horses. Although the figures are enticing and the idea of the unicorn is beautiful but one can't ignore the elephant in the room.

Snowflake's beauty is its curse. An effective system running on the cloud storage of its competitors such as Amazon, Google, and Microsoft. It can prove to be a ticking bomb. If the three giants put their heads together and increase the pricing for Snowflake, the system won't be able to claim their market share. Another horrifying nightmare for the dream team can be the launch of a cheaper pricing model or services by the AWS, Cloud, or Azure systems, pulling their clients back in their fold.

On the other hand, not all dreams come true. Maybe Snowflake has a headstart over Amazon or Google and will maintain its exponential growth over the years. I'll leave you with Frank Slootman's description of Snowflake that he gave to the Fortune exclusively.

“It sucked me in. Just when I thought I was out, they pull me back in.â

(https://fortune.com/2020/09/15/snowflake-ipo-database-oracle-frank-slootman/)

Introduction

In this article, I’ll guide you through the major differences between Magento 1 and Magento 2 that will allow you understand each version better and get a clear idea, if you are planning to launch your e-commerce store on either version. This guide will help you answer all the comparison related questions between the two versions of the Magento platform. 

Although Magento 1 has built a loyal following, it wasn't without its problems. Magento 2 was released to fix some of those issues but was met with mixed reviews itself.

Magento 1 and Magento 2 are not singular variants of Magento, adding to the possible ambiguity. Magento also has Enterprise Editions. Unlike Magento Community Version (now open-source Magento), the Enterprise version is not available for free. The high price tag, however, comes with the benefits of deployment, setup, and technical support for bigger companies.

Lets start with a few global usage statistics of Magento.

Magento Usage Statistics

These 2020 Magento statistics are intended to familiarize you with important platform-related aspects including its global use, popularity growth, and the key reasons behind this growth.

Magento has been a member of Adobe since mid-2018, and resources from the parent company are expected to draw on the strengths of the platform and make it an even bigger ecommerce trend. There is a fair chance that your company will also profit from Magento.

On average, merchants who use Magento grow 3 times faster

• Magento empowers 1.2 percent websites on the internet
• This constitutes 12 percent of all ecommerce websites
• Or 1.9% of the CMS market
• These figures are likely to rise as the adoption of Magento almost doubled between 2017 and 2018
• More than 250,00 active sites use Magento, to be precise
• Of those just 11,000 runs on Magento 2

Magento 1 Vs Magento 2 Essential Differences

• Architecture
• Speed & Performance
• Extensions
• Dashboard
• SEO
• Security
• Pricing
• Support

Summary:

A widely mentioned problem was the store performance in Magento 1. In Magento 2 this was taken care of. This major shift is the result of introducing a bunch of advanced technologies such as Apache, Symfony, Nginx 1.7, and even Composer.

Simply put, Magento 2 supports the latest versions of PHP, which implement improved security protections and increase the speed of the online store.

Speed and Performance: Magento 1 Vs Magento 2

Thanks to caching (Varnish) and database optimization, Magento is superior to its rivals on the page load speed or query execution time. This is also a significant improvement on Magento 2 that many Magento 1 users face.

• Magento 2 supports the new PHP version (starting with PHP 5.5x), which also includes PHP 7. These updates provide security patches, as well as new upgrades.
• In Magento 2 the loading time is from 2 to 3 seconds faster than the regular edition. Magento 2 loads homepage pages, category pages, and product pages in less than 1.5 seconds, even without using the caching tool.
• Page information is shown more easily. Users won't have to wait when browsing the main content to load the entire website.
• On the server-side, a module for clearing the Cache is added to Magento 2. Thus users should not install a 3rd party module as they did in Magento 1.
• Magento 2 minimizes and bundles JavaScript, thereby reducing unwanted customer activity.
• Compress photos: Magento 2 creates tools to compress images directly on the server, rather than manually on Magento 1.
• Improved the method of managing the cache using the static content.

Summary: In Magento 2 load speed is an obvious difference factor. Magento 2 provides a much greater load speed than Magento 1. This is because Magento provides full-page caching in both the Community and Business versions.

Note: Magento 2 has substantial improvements, the store performance would still need to be proactively optimized. It is also important to remember that the consistency of the Magento hosting impacts the overall performance of the store considerably. The new technology helps a little, but if you don't use quality hosting, your performance of the store will suffer.

Extensions

There are several third-party extensions available on the Magento 1 market. However, even for experienced developers, installing Magento 1 extension will take a great deal of time. Also, conflicts between the Magento 1 extensions are manually resolved which takes time and effort.

For Magento 2, the plugins allow code to overlap core code instead of overriding code. Therefore, the process has become more straightforward as well as the development of the frontend, and thanks to HTML5, Less, require.js, and CSS3 the layout can be changed easier too.

Dashboard

Unlike the cluttered design of Magento 1, the Magento 2 admin panel is more intuitive, user-friendly, and interactive, with a clean, sleek interface. As a result, shop owners with little technological experience can easily run their Magento 2 stores.

Magento 2 has a robust dashboard, displaying previous, current and average orders, lifetime retail revenue, keywords for top search, income tax, and bestsellers. It is easy to search for details, and more convenient to navigate to Magento 2 menus.

SEO

SEO is one of the online stores vital factors; you ll never forget to set up SEO on your website. For that, you can get an expert SEO consultancy from a renowned SEO agency for more result-oriented practices, when it comes to Magento. Magento 1.X gets some bugs in SEO, and most of them are patched in Magento 2 while developing. Magento 2 ‘s popular SEO Features include:

• Duplication Content: Magento 2 includes a Canonical tag to prevent content duplication. It is located at Stores > Setup > Inventory > Inventory > Optimization of search engine.
• HTML Sitemap: Magento 2 doesn't support HTML Sitemap development. To solve the problem, you can install Mage plaza SEO.
• XML Sitemap: XML sitemap is a file containing location information about all the web pages and assets. Go to Store > Settings > Setup > Catalog > XML Sitemap to allow the XML sitemap.
• Alt Product Photos: Adding alt photos to product images can also help improve search engine rankings. Go to Catalog > Products > pick one Product > add Alt in the field Images and Videos.
• Robots.txt File: Enable webmasters to be more versatile in enabling search engine (SE) robots to index the website pages and content. Go to Content > Design > Configuration > Edit one Store > Search Engine Robots to change your Robots.txt in Magento 2.
• Meta Title, Meta Definition, Meta Keyword: Magento 2 enables administrators to add Meta tags for each Product and Category. 
• Search Engine Friendly URLs: The easiest way to allow SEO-friendly URLs is to go to Stores > Configuration > General > Site > Search Engine Optimization and turn on Web Server Rewriting.
• Mobile-Friendly: Magento 2 is excellently optimized for the Mobiles. It is also a ranking factor.

Security

Users are highly worried about their data protection and are reluctant to purchase from an ecommerce store that they don't believe in.

Since Magento 1's official support ended on 30 June 2020, there has been a rise in the number of attacks and vulnerabilities after the release of the last security patch.

On the other hand, not only has Magento 2 enhanced performance but it has robust protection and stability as well. The hashing algorithms for passwords (SHA-256) have been improved, and as a result, passwords are now more resilient to the known types of attacks.

Pricing

The community edition of Magento is Free to use. There is a difference between the two versions.

• Magento EE license cost: starts at $18,000/year
• Cost of Magento 2 EE: starts at $22,000/year

Support

Magento 1 was developed back in 2009 using the technology available back then. Magento will support Magento 1 until 30 June 2020 and will stop updating and issuing security updates after the deadline. 

By comparison, Magento 2 supports all recent developments in ecommerce and online markets, such as voice search, speed & efficiency improvements, UI / UX, AI, and lean application footprint. The dev team continues to add features like page builder, PWA integration, advanced reporting, expanded cache support, and automated code management.

Why Should You Upgrade to Magento 2? 

The above-discussed factor must have answered this question. If not, then feel free to get in touch with us for consultation.

You must upgrade for the support, better User-Interface and User-Experience, fast-loading, sleek dashboard,  and overall upgraded platform your business deserves.

How Much Does It Cost to Upgrade to Magento 2?

Magento 2 is slightly more expensive than Magento 1. The price is around $22,000 per year compared to $18,000 per year for Magento 1, complemented by free community editions.

An important question to ask is whether the cost of upgrading from Magento 1 to Magento 2 is worth its value. The answer eventually boils down to your needs, the number of transactions, the inventory size you are showcasing, traffic, SEO significance, and the importance of user-experience. 

But we will argue, YES, it is. Magento 2 will make your e-commerce website faster, scalable, and will contribute to more transactions. A recent update by google tells us that the user experience and load time are two of the most critical factors for SEO ranking. 

Magento 2’s price is accompanied by advantages of installation, customized configuration, and technical support for companies planning on using it.

Conclusion

If you are planning long-term, then you must not think too much about migrating the Magento 2 as it provides all the right resources and tools to help your e-commerce become a successful one. 

Magento 2 is a product of a decadeas experience and wisdom of Adobe, who acquired Magento in 2018.

Let me know in the comments sections below about your experience with Magento and which of its features are your favorite.  

Introduction

Are you planning to launch an online store? Or considering a platform shift for your existing ecommerce store? This article will provide you the in-depth knowledge and understanding to make the right choice between Shopify or WordPress (WooCommerce). I’ll list down the advantages and disadvantages of both to help you get a deeper and clearer understanding of each before you make the decision.

Shopify vs WordPress, or more accurately we should compare Shopify vs WooCommerce since it is a WooCommerce plugin which enables and empowers WordPress to offer ecommerce functionality.

The world has embraced online shopping, therefore conventional commerce is no more part of the debate. Selling products doesn’t require you to buy expensive physical shops at a location where your ideal customers live. All you need is a quality hosting; a domain name and you are all ready to set up your ecommerce store with unlimited potential.

Considering custom software development might not be the right choice for you if you are just getting started, since custom software development requires a dedicated tech team to develop, manage, and then maintain the platform.

Quick Facts About the Global E-Commerce Industry

• Global ecommerce has jumped from $1.3 trillion to $3.5 trillion since 2014.
• Global ecommerce is expected to be $4.97 trillion by 2021, a rise of nearly 400 percent in seven years.
• Â 57 percent of shoppers make purchases from stores overseas.
• North America ($552.6 billion) is second in overall ecommerce revenue to Asia ($831.7 billion), with China the largest (and fastest-growing) single market.
• Globally, credit cards remain the most popular form of payment; but in the developing markets like India and China, debit cards, digital payment systems, direct debits, and even cash on delivery are more popular.

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An Overview: Shopify Vs WooCommerce

When we talk about Shopify and WordPress for developing ecommerce stores, they both are very popular due to their usability, accessibility, and scalability options.

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What is Shopify?

Shopify is an all-in-one eCommerce platform that makes it easy for you to build an online store, accept payments, and manage your entire inventory from a single platform, without you ever having to worry about the technical aspects of website management such as web hosting, security, caching, etc.

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Usage Statistics of Shopify

• Shopify customers include major brands like Nestle, Pepsi, Unilever, Budweiser, The Economist, WaterAid, Penguin Books, Tesla Motors, and Red Bull (Sources: Shopify and Website Builder)
• 87% of merchants use apps, of which the Shopify app store offers more than 2,400 (the majority are paid apps)(Source: Shopify and You Blog)
• The three most-used apps are Privy, SEO Image Optimizer and Free Shipping Bar (Source:Â ASoft Blog)
• 25.8 million apps have been installed, with more than 80% of merchants using third-party apps (Source: Shopify)
• Porto and Wokiee are frequently named as two of the most popular Shopify themes (Source: Ecommerce Platform)
• The Shopify POS system is now used by over 100,000 merchants (Source: Shopify)
• Customers are twice as likely to purchase a product if it has a 3D product image rather than a flat image (Source: Shopify)

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What is WooCommerce?

WooCommerce is an open-source ecommerce plugin, designed for WordPress. It enables you to utilize the most powerful content management system (CMS) to run an online store. Owing to the open-source nature, you can customize any element of your store and create custom extensions easily.

Now that we have a basic understanding of the two platforms, let’s jump to the comparison between the two platform giants of the ecommerce industry. I’d like to start with quick stats;

Usage Statistics of WooCommerce

According to hostingtribunal;

• 3,317,205 live websites are currently using WooCommerce.
• WooCommerce is used by 4.9% of all websites.
• WooCommerce powers over 28.19% of all online stores.
• 22% of the top 1 million ecommerce sites use WooCommerce.
• 93.7% of all WordPress ecommerce websites use the WooCommerce plugin.
• WooCommerce is the most popular plugin/module on the entire internet – with 68% usage distribution.
• There are 1,267 WooCommerce themes on ThemeForest alone.
• There are 980 plugins for WooCommerce on WordPress.org alone.

According to the stats available on Kinsta, WooCommerce owns 21% of market share among the top 1 Million websites on the internet whereas in comparison Shopify owns 18%. But among the top 10k websites, Shopify owns the market share of 23% and WooCommerce owns a low 6% which means that the more authoritative online stores use Shopify.

In the past 5 years, Shopify has surpassed WooCommerce in terms of growth – according to Google Trends. Although both platforms have shown upwards growth .

Before we go further, it is important to know what to look for. So, let’s have a look at the factors which you must consider before deciding between Shopify and WooCommerce.

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How to Choose a Platform for Your eCommerce Store?

It is certainly not easy to start-off as there are many factors that might impact your decision. Choosing a platform to build your ecommerce store shouldn’t be hard and the following factors can help you decide better:

• Pricing – The initial cost of launching an ecommerce store.
• Ease of Use – Even for absolute beginners, it should be easy to use.
•  Payment Methods – Various payment mechanisms (e.g. PayPal, Stripe, other merchant processors) should be accepted.
• Integrations – Number of resources and tools from third parties that can be integrated to expand your business.
• Scalability – As the company expands, the application should be able to scale up.

You may also want to look at other options depending on your needs, such as shipping, inventory control, invoicing, taxes, drop-shipping, etc.

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Pricing: Shopify vs WooCommerce

Many ecommerce business starters consider pricing as a driving force to choose the resources required to start the business.

SHOPIFY

Price is often a critical factor for small business owners. It’s therefore important to determine the cost of getting started while also taking into account the variable costs of add-on services and apps.

Shopify allows you to set up your online shop super-fast. Their basic plan starts at $29/month, and you can upgrade to the $79 Shopify plan, or the $299/month advanced Shopify plan as your business and requirements scale.

A domain name, SSL certificate, and web hosting are included with each of these plans.

The basic plan comes with sufficient features to create a new online store. You can add unlimited items, 2 user accounts, unlimited data storage, and more.

WOOCOMMERCE

WooCommerce is an open-source and easily available WordPress plugin that you can download for Free. Since WooCommerce is a WordPress plugin and not a subscription-based solution like Shopify, that means you have to handle a few things before you really get to work with WooCommerce.Â

Before anything, you have to complete the following requirements:

• Get a domain name
• Sign Up to a hosting account
• Buy an SSL Certificate
• WordPress InstallationÂ
• Find a WordPress theme and install

It's only after you've taken care of those four that you can install the WooCommerce plugin on your WordPress website and begin your online store setup.

A domain name usually costs $14.99, the SSL Certificate costs $69.99, and the web hosting costs about $7.99 / month. This isn't cheap particularly when you are getting started.

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Ease of Use: Shopify Vs WooCommerce

For beginners, ease-of-use is an important factor because you need to have complete command and control over the platform to yield maximum benefits out of its functionalities.

SHOPIFY

Shopify is a fully hosted platform which means that no software needs to be installed, managed, or modified. Even you don't have to worry about security, efficiency, backups, and compatibility problems.

It helps you pick a design for your online store as soon as you sign up. Shopify guides you through customization and getting started with adding products to your store. Shopify offers an intuitive drag-and-drop UI. Managing your products, sales, and stock is a breeze.

One downside of this user experience being directed, polished, and highly optimized, is that it limits your freedom. You can only use Shopify's design and development tools or add-ons available on their marketplace which is not a bad thing since they have put in a lot of thought and effort to offer complete ecommerce experience and mostly, the user requirements are fulfilled within the provided functionality

WOOCOMMERCE

WooCommerce isn't a hosted platform like Shopify which means that you are responsible for installing WooCommerce, handling updates, maintaining backups, and making sure that your website is stable. Although, there are plenty of free and paid plugins available for you to automate most of those activities.

When it comes to customizations, WooCommerce is super-flexible. You have complete control over the entire platform. With the aid of more than 55,000+ WordPress plugins, you can add any functionality imaginable to your online store.

WooCommerce does not offer a built-in drag & drop functionality. You can use one of the WordPress page builders such as Beaver Builder and many others, but it adds to your cost.

The downside of all this control over the store is that you have to be more hands-on with the management of your website and sometimes that can be troublesome because you’d want to be spending time catering to orders and marketing the products rather than managing or updating the platform.

The Guided Setup Wizard for WooCommerce is helpful, but it doesn't come close to Shopify's onboarding and ease of use.

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Payment Methods: Shopify Vs WooCommerce

The choice of making a payment can help your business generate more sales as the customers get the freedom to choose among the preferred payment methods.

SHOPIFY

Shopify provides plenty of payment methods that you can use to get payments from the customers. It has its own payment solution, called Shopify Payments which is powered by Stripe, along with all common payment gateways by third parties.

The problem is that Shopify charges an additional 2% fee on each transaction made through payment made by third parties gateways. That's on top of the payment gateway processing fees. By paying $299 per month for the Advanced Shopify plan, you can reduce the fee to 0.5%.

Shopify Payments has flat credit card charges, but no additional transaction fees. For the basic plan, credit card rates start at 2.9% + 30 cents and get lower for other advanced plans.

WOOCOMMERCE

By default, WooCommerce provides payment gateway integrations of PayPal and Stripe. It also supports all other common payment service providers with add-ons.

WooCommerce even has support for lots of regional and less popular payment services for payment gateways. Since there is no barrier to entry, any payment company can build add-ons and provide support for WooCommerce.

As a self-hosted platform, only the payment gateway used or your bank charges the transaction fees. WooCommerce never charges your store purchases a percentage fee which is a huge plus.

If it is important for you to choose your own merchant account and use a third-party gateway, then using WooCommerce you will save you a ton of money. But if you're a small store and you're willing to use Shopify Payments that have the same credit card rates as Stripe or PayPal, then this doesn't make much difference.

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Integrations: Shopify Vs WooCommerce

No platform is complete enough to cater to the needs of every single business. The integrations of add-ons and plugins play a major role in the decision to choose an ecommerce platform to build your store on.

SHOPIFY

Shopify offers a powerful API and an App Store where you can buy third-party add-ons for your shop. They've got hundreds of apps in the store that covers any feature you want to add to your online shop.

They have integrations with software such as OptinMonster for lead generation which helps you grow your email list and reduce cart abandonment. They have SEO apps, product reviews, discounts, countdown apps, and more.

The App Store for Shopify includes both free and paid apps. Generally, third-party providers that have their own pricing produce free apps, and the app only incorporates the store into its APIs. Pricing varies for paid add-ons, and most of the apps offer monthly subscriptions.

WOOCOMMERCE

WooCommerce is an open-source plugin built for WordPress which gives you access to more than 55,000+ free WordPress plugins and many more paid plugins to integrate with your online store.

These add-ons can be used to add payment gateways, lead generation, SEO, performance optimization, and nearly any functionality you might find necessary for your store.

Because of the low entry barrier, WooCommerce has a lot more integrations and add-ons available than Shopify. Practically all third-party tools and service providers have their own plugins to integrate seamlessly with your WooCommerce store.

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Scalability: Shopify Vs WooCommerce

Isn’t that a dream of every business owner to scale the business one day? But scalability comes with its own challenges and hurdles. An ecommerce platform must provide ease to scale a business.

SHOPIFY

Shopify manages and takes care of your store's technical aspects which means that you don't have to stress about efficiency, security, and scalability at all. When your company starts to expand, all you need to do is update your Shopify plan.

The infrastructure of Shopify can handle your growing business easily, without worrying about downtimes, backups, updates, or security. As part of the Shopify Plus program, they also provide business services.

All these services simply take away the painful part of the growth, but it also adds to your business costs. Your expenses will increase, and you'll need to plan accordingly.

The positive thing is that you won't have to hire or manage an in-house technical team which saves you a major cost.

WOOCOMMERCE

WooCommerce is a self-hosted platform that makes you responsible for the maintenance of your website, updates, backups, and security.

Your hosting plan will run out of resources as your store begins to get more traffic.

The good part is that as you are in full control of your website and you have tons of options to manage growth, from better resource management with caching to upgrading of your hosting plan to more efficient servers.

Your hosting costs for WooCommerce will increase but you will have better resource control and you can make sure you don't pay for the resources you don't need. To help scale up your WooCommerce store you can use a managed WordPress hosting provider like Cloudways which takes away a few of the responsibilities of backups, security, and stability, plus you also pay as per the usage.

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Summary of Features: Shopify Vs WooCommerce

Before we conclude the article, here’s a summary of important features extracted from the points discussed above.

PRICING

• Shopify offers 3 plans for its users, starting at $29/month. Â Â Â Â
• WooCommerce is free, though you need to purchase your own hosting.
• Â

SUB-DOMAIN

• Shopify offers a free myshopify.com subdomain for all its plans.
• WooCommerce does not provide a free domain.

PRODUCTS ALLOWED

• Shopify allows you to add an unlimited number of products.    Â
• WooCommerce also supports an unlimited number of products.

STORE TRANSACTION FEE

• Shopify charges you a defined fee for all your store transactions.     Â
• WooCommerce’s payment fees depend on which payment gateways you add.

ADD-ONS and PLUG-INS

• Shopify has its own app store offering both free and paid add-ons
• WooCommerce comes with its own extensions (same as WordPress plugins) and on top of that you have WordPress plugins to power up your store.

SUPPORT

• Shopify offers 24/7/365 support. Â Â Â
• WooCommerce offers support through a help desk for their users and there’s comprehensive documentation available for the users in need.

STORE THEMES

• Shopify has a number of premium themes available.
• WooCommerce also offers a dozen premium and free themes for WooCommerce.

SSL CERTIFICATE

• Shopify has a Secure Socket Layer (SSL) certificate included in all 3 plans.     Â
• WooCommerce offers SSL support but you’ll have to purchase your own certificate.

ANALYTICS

• Shopify has its own analytics system which can be integrated with Google Analytics. Â Â
• WooCommerce can be integrated with Google Analytics as well as using a plugin.

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The Choice - Conclusion

Now that you understand the in-depth differences, advantages, and disadvantages of each platform, the choice is entirely up to you considering your business requirements, capital, and resources in hand to start the ecommerce business.

Each platform has pros and cons but the right platform would be one that provides you and your business value with minimum to no major limitations. Â

If you enjoyed this article and plan on launching your own ecommerce store and require guidance, reach out to us and we’ll help you get started in no time.

Having decided to invest in software, you’re now curious to learn what exactly is the agile methodology. Very succinctly, agile is a process for creating, deploying and refining software in the shortest possible time and at the lowest cost. At the core of agile software development is collaboration – namely, cross-functional and self-organizing teams working in small, yet flexible, increments, to build and deliver software. So, what does agile have to offer over other software development methodologies like waterfall?

In this post, we’ll cover everything you need to know about agile software development. Specifically, we’ll highlight the key benefits of going agile and give you compelling reasons to choose this methodology over other techniques. Whether you need to build an eCommerce platform, deploy a bespoke CRM or simply refresh your enterprise mobile app, adopting agile methodologies provides an easy way to achieve software excellence.

What Is Agile Software Development?

Image source: https://devcom.com/tech-blog/agile-advantages-for-business/

Agile software development is an umbrella term for a set of practices and frameworks that enable teams to work more efficiently. It provides a way for developers to create better software, fast though short interactive and iterative sprints/sessions. Whereas more traditional development methodologies like waterfall require project completion to gauge success, agile tracks the quality and speed of development regularly, making it easier to make changes as required.

Although incremental software development techniques go as far back as the late 1950s, agile gained traction in 2001 when a group of 17 leading developers published the “Agile Manifestoâ. The manifesto introduced 12 principles and four key values that guide developers on how to exercise iterative techniques for great results.

For example, the manifesto’s values encourage developers to prioritize:

• People and interactions over tools and processes
• Customer collaboration over contract negotiations
• Working software over formal documentation
• Being flexible over following a plan

Traditional software development often results in dysfunctional teams with conflicting self-interests. Agile, in contrast, helps teams maintain their integrity and build better software while providing greater adaptability. Daily team meetings are typical in agile companies to ensure everyone is up to date on their current responsibilities.

Key Stages of the Agile Software Development Life Cycle

The agile methodology shortens the software development life cycle (SLDC) by breaking builds into smaller segments. Here are the key stages:

1. Concept This is where the team assesses the economy and technical feasibility of projects and decides which ones to prioritize.Â

2. Inception Team leaders work with stakeholders to identify requirements. Next, they pick team members individually and map out each member’s workload for the duration of the increment.

3. Iteration/Construction The team begins to work on the first iteration of the project, which may just be a minimum viable product. Developers and UX designers mostly focus on feedback and iteration requirements in this phase.

4. Release Quality testing, bug fixes and user documentation help the team release the iteration into production.

5. Production The team offers continuous support to help the software run smoothly and ensure it can bounce back from any uncertainties of sudden changes.

6. Retirement This phase is reserved for end-of-life activities. It involves removing a software release from production and starting over with a new project.

These six phases define Agile SDLC.

Typically, the work within the SDLC is categorized into sprints“ a set period during which a specific activity or task is finished and reviewed. For each sprint, the development team and customer discuss the tasks that need to be completed during that time frame. Plus, the team solicits feedback from the stakeholders and customers and develops strategies to incorporate learnings into the next sprint.

Sprint meetings should follow a consistent schedule after arranging the first gathering. On average, a sprint lasts for ten business days or two weeks. Besides attending sprint meetings, teams also have daily meetings to check in and keep track of the development, resolve any conflicts, and work to push the development forward.

What Are the Different Types of Agile Methodologies?

Agile methodologies cover a broad spectrum of practices. Some of the most common and popular ones are:

Scrum

This agile software development methodology centers around task management in a team-based development setting. Scrum focuses on small teams of 7 to 8 members and encourages them to develop software through mutual cooperation. From product owners to developers, Scrum brings everyone together to agree on methodology and features.

After stakeholders reach an agreement, Scrum supports the delivery of minimum viable software increments during successive sprints, with each lasting for 30 days. Customer needs are discussed beforehand and make up the “product backlog, which can include things like integrating certain features, fixing bugs, etc.

Kanban

The Kanban methodology originated from the automotive industry in the 1940s. Toyotas production system applied the just-in-time manufacturing process to its production cycle. The company followed a system where production was fueled by customer demands, rather than producing more goods to sell to the market.

The software industry quickly gained inspiration from this new and cost-effective method of delivering services, and the ˜Kanban Method™ was born. The four core principles of the Kanban Method are:

• Visualize your workflow.
• Limit the workflow on each step to deliver products only when customer demand increases.
• Keep the workflow smooth and learn from any disruptions that cause hindrances in the workflow.
• Nothing is perfect, so keep improving on each step.

Lean Software Development

Lean software development is simply the application of Lean principles to the process of software development. This methodology focuses on minimizing wastage and maximizing value. In terms of software development,˜wastage™ or˜waste™ is a subjective term because the key value of software comes from the mind of the developer. There are seven Lean principles guide the software development process:

• Eliminating wastage
• Focus on quality
• Create knowledge
• Defer commitment
• Deliver fast and quick
• Respect people
• Optimize

You can learn more about applying these principles to software development in this toolkit.

eXtreme Programming (XP)

eXtreme Programming or XP is another important agile methodology for software development. It teaches us to learn from the best practices that worked in the past and apply them to future projects on an extreme level. Some practices that worked out in the past include code review, testing, simplicity, and integration testing. The XP model is suitable for small teams working on small projects. It is also effective for research projects or projects involving new technology.

Dynamic Systems Development Method (DSDM)

The Dynamic Systems Development Method (DSDM) provides a framework for building and maintaining systems. This Agile method borrows a lot of inspiration from the sociologist principle, where 80 percent of an application is delivered in 20 percent of the time it takes to deliver the entire application. The remaining details are delivered when business necessities are dealt with, and changes are recorded.

Adaptive Software Development (ASD)

Adaptive Software Development (ASD) is an Agile process aimed at building high-quality software in a short period. This innovative technique focuses on learning throughout the development journey and taking explicit consideration of risks. There are three main phases of ASD:

• Speculation
• Collaboration
• Learning

By focusing on these phases, development teams can achieve the agility that is required for a successful software project.Â

Feature Driven Development (FDD)

The Feature Driven Development (FDD) framework focuses on organizing software development around key features. FDD revolves around a five-step software development process, with a focus on features. Here is what the life cycle looks like:

• Develop a model
• Build a list of features
• Plan according to each feature
• Design according to each feature
• Build according to each feature

If you are working on a large-scale development project, FDD is the right agile approach for you. However, this framework is too reliant on chief developers, unlike other agile models like XP. Benefits of Using Agile Software Development Methodologies.

Agile has become a highly effective and widely adopted development methodology that provides companies many benefits including these:

Shorter time to market

With agile, there is a greater focus on the tasks that need to be done. Developers™ energy is dedicated to building the software and delivering a working variant with each sprint or iteration. At the close of each sprint, the developers review the backlog of essentials and re-strategize how they should approach the next sprint.

Better productivity

The agile methodology infuses efficiency into resource utilization processes, allowing developers to start work faster and remain productive throughout. As tasks are broken into iterations, milestones and deadlines are always present. Developers, as a result, are focused on re-factoring and progressing through the iterations. Compare this to traditional software development, where its common for teams to sit idle waiting for work during the concept and inception phase.

Visibility from concept

Agile allows teams to check and become intimately familiar with the software from concept to production. While moving between sprints, they can provide feedback when necessary. And once a sprint ends, the team can analyze their velocity. This enables better planning, as the team can use it as a guide in future sprints to determine what they will be able to achieve.

High transparency

Agile software development is completely transparent. From end-users to developers to managers to stakeholders, everyone knows whos working on the core, what decisions are being made and whats not working. When the whole organization sees the big picture, development tends to progress quickly. Clear insights give stakeholders more accountability, and everyone realizes the importance of working collectively for the greater good.

Improved customer Engagement

Agile development requires that customers are involved in the SDLC. Thats because developers are going to rely on clients to prioritize whats going into the next session and to review minimum viable products during the release phase. This ongoing interaction minimizes the back and forth between the developers and the client. Client feedback becomes the ultimate, prioritized document that lives out in the office for everyone to see.

More opportunities for creativity

Agile practices work best when product features and vision are not clearly defined. The methodology enables product owners to adjust prioritizes and needs along the journey to take advantage of new developments. All of this allows developers to create a better product for all stakeholders. Real-time changes are a part of the process “ and the software is defined as the product owners reiterate.

Common Agile Methodology Tools, When it comes to agile development tools, teams may use:

Agile for Scrum automatically updates stakeholders on a projects progress. Plus, the tool allows for better data minimum with burn down charts and sprint reports.

Pivotal Tracker helps with the management of mobile-related projects. Though a little complicated on the surface, its easy to use after a brief orientation session.

AtlassianJira + Agile facilitates development by incorporating flexible workflows along with Kanban and Scrum.

ActiveCollab aids software development in small companies. The tool provides excellent support and requires little training to get started.

Conclusion

While software development takes longer than most companies think, agile development offers a way to accelerate software delivery. The approach embraces continuous changes that arise in the software development life cycle enabling teams to break the long phases into smaller segments. This allows quicker and more frequent delivery of working software.

With other methodologies like waterfall, it isnt possible to see working software until youre almost at the completion stage. With agile, teams provide functioning software in all key stages of the agile SDLC. So, rather than using four fixed stages, why not use a methodology that enables you to approve features without having to worry about finances and other risks? Agile software development allows for better product quality while offering flexibility that all project stakeholders crave.

At ShopDev, we use agile software development to help our customers achieve tangible outcomes right from the beginning. The methodology helps us create more features in a shorter period and also enables clients to capitalize on opportunities as the project unfolds. If you require software and want it to be built in the best way possible, contact us today so that we can start developing your software in an innovative and agile way.

Customer expectations around omnichannel have never been higher. Today’s customers want to buy quickly and comfortably through an integrated experience. They can visit your retail store, send a direct message on Instagram, or contact a sales rep via phone. Customers expect these channels to be always open, and there is a strong anticipation that their experiences will be consistent in quality, no matter when or how they choose to enquire or shop. Creating an omnichannel customer experience, therefore, is essential in today’s constantly connected economy. Companies that provide strong omnichannel experiences can retain up to 89% of their customers, which is key to long-term business success.

Let’s look at how omnichannel works and using it as a base of your customer experience can help you increase profits and boost loyalty.Â

What Is Omnichannel?

Omnichannel is the approach of leveraging all of your marketing channels to provide one, unified experience to your customers. This means each channel works together to present a consistent voice, message, or brand for your company. Businesses that use omnichannel as the base of their customer experience consider interactions in multiple channels (in-person, text-chat, social media, etc.) as part of one unified customer journey. The overarching goal is to ensure that customers receive the same level of responsiveness and service regardless of the medium they use to get in touch with the company.

There are several benefits to building an omnichannel customer experience. Here are just a few:

Improves Customer Satisfaction

If a consistent experience is delivered across all channels, customers can use the channel they prefer. This helps them form a deeper connection with the company and ensures they keep coming back. Plus, the option to communicate through their favorite medium empowers customers to interact in a way that feels natural to them. All of that helps improve customer satisfaction.Â

Enhances Overall Earnings

When the experience you provide matches customers’ expectations, they are more inclined to stick around and do business with your company. In fact, a study cited by the Harvard Business School has shown that even a 5% increase in customer retention can increase a company’s annual earnings by up to 95%. Hence, the cohesiveness offered by an omnichannel experience can be a significant contributor to company growth.

Boosts Employee Productivity

Imagine trying to resolve an issue with no background, in a short time span. And if you fail, you risk jeopardizing the customer’s experience. That’s the kind of pressure your customer-facing agents routinely face. By creating an omnichannel strategy, you remove that source of stress for your employees. Agents tasked with the responsibility of handling omnichannel relationships have a holistic context of customer interactions, which can help them find patterns, improve first contact resolution and deliver personalized customer service.Â

Builds Competitive Advantage

Delivering an omnichannel customer service experience gives a leg up on companies who still try to scale with siloed systems and channels. If employees struggle to gain insights from multiple, disconnected channels, they’re not empowered to deliver experiences that customers have come to expect. Modern omnichannel breaks down the silos for you, your team, and your customers. It interlinks every channel for seamless customer interactions. And, it uses cross-channel data to inform every insight.

Omnichannelvs Multichannel Customer Experience

Most companies use multiple channels to interact with their clients. However, having multiple channels doesn’t necessarily translate into an omnichannel experience.

For example, a buyer may visit your website and browse a product or service. Then, they may visit your office or physical shop in person to make a purchase. However, if your staff isn’t aware of their past behavior (or can’t find the product), the customer is most likely to leave and never come back. This is where you managed to create a multichannel experience for your client (since they were able to interact with your brand through your website as well as your physical store) but missed out on omnichannel.

An omnichannel approach aligns all touchpoints to deliver integrated shopping experiences. For example, your support staff has a detailed record of all the past interactions a customer has had with your business. Whether they contact you first via Instagram, WhatsApp, phone, email, or live chat, omnichannel provides a single, unified overview of their activity. No need to speculate about their past issues or interest in a particular product or service.

Ultimately, omnichannel makes the customer journey a whole lot easier for both clients and businesses. Clients are more likely to become loyal when they get a personalized shopping experience, and support agents are bound to get an efficiency boost when they have past data and real-time context at their fingertips.

Pro tip: Your company probably has a multichannel strategy in place. A large part of making a shift to omnichannel is about incentives and resources. Resist strategies that claim to maximize sales on key channels regardless of the state of customer experience on adjacent/supporting channels. Stakeholder buy-in is also critical.Â

Tips for Creating an Omnichannel Customer Experience

So, how can your company cater to omnichannel needs and deliver unforgettable customer experiences? Here are some tips.

Document the buyer journey

Categorize customers by identifying where their journey starts and every touchpoint on the path to purchase. By determining instances of friction, you can modify the shopping experience in different channels to provide convenience and boost conversions. The process requires you to create a unified brand message, i.e. all your channel experiences should have the same feel whether the customer begins his/her journey at your store or on your Facebook Page.

Gather Feedback

Feedback can significantly improve the buyer journey. The best way to collect feedback is to send surveys via email or live chat. You can also configure pop ups that prompt customers to rate their experience as well as give suggestions once they’ve made a purchase. Consider using tools like SurveyMonkey and Google Forms to create intuitive feedback forms to send to your customers. Post-sale feedback will help you personalize customer experiences, which in turn will drive repeat business.

Get Buy-In

Creating an omnichannel customer experience is not a short-term process. You’ll need to collaborate with the teams that play a crucial role in enhancing the customer experience, such as your IT, product, sales, marketing, and customer service teams. You’ll also need to get buy-in from all team leaders to ensure everyone is on the same page. The sooner you start communicating, the easier it’ll be to identify potential issues in the current setup and reshuffle resources where needed. A smart strategy is to align experiences on your key channels first, then expand your omnichannel footprint to other channels once your teams start thriving as a single unit.Â

Focus on Building Relationships

A well-crafted omnichannel strategy adopts a long-term approach to pleasing customers instead of achieving short-term profits. By forming and nurturing genuine relationships with them, you can get your customers to advocate for your business. One way to do this is to create tailored loyalty programs for your best customers. Another is to deliver personalized offers based on the transaction activity of each customer, showing them that you’re aware of their journey and want to make purchases convenient for them.Â

Powering Customer Experiences with An Omnichannel Engine

In an ideal world, all the resources needed for delivering an omnichannel customer experience would be plug-and-play, but the reality is far from different. As organizations evolve to take on more channels, most of the resources are being deployed in silos. In other words, there’s a disconnect between the platforms required to achieve a fully integrated omnichannelexperience. Also, most multichannel organizations are running multi-vendor systems that have been implemented in a way that the individual platforms are not interconnected.

That’s why many enterprises are exploring solutions like ShopDev’sOmnichannel Engine (OE). OE is a robust, cloud-based omnichannel ecommerce platform with intuitive capabilities that boost business growth and companies’ most pressing KPIs. It integrates with leading ERP, ecommerce, POS, and courier applications to sync and aggregate product data across multiple sales channels, enabling an equally seamless experience across every stage of the buying journey. When a customer places an order, OE immediately updates product information in real-time on all platforms, ensuring that future customers are always presented with an accurate and consistent representation of products.

The core of the OE platform is OMS (Order Management System) and IMS (Inventory Management System). OMS is an end-to-end online order management workflow that enables you to manage fulfillments seamlessly, from the point of order placement to assigning it to a relevant vendor, arranging delivery with a courier, and tracking its final status. It also integrates with leading B2B and B2C ERPs to help automate invoicing and much more.Â

IMS, on the other hand, is an integrated workflow that takes the guesswork out of tracking your inventory. Instead, you’re presented with a real-time overview of your stock levels in multiple warehouses. Cloud-based processes also facilitate high-volume operations while keeping duplicate files and security risks at bay. The system also contains features to quickly perform stock audits that spot discrepancies and help you avoid issues using your past sales data.
OE also has four other modules on top:

• Segmentation Engine
• Recommendation Engine
• Customer Loyalty Engine
• Replenishment Engine

Here’s a brief summary of each:

SegmentationÂ

Built on OE, the Segmentation module allows you to optimize marketing, sales and inventory management through machine learning. Assessing purchase history, product preferences, web behaviors, and other analytics gives you the ability to create customer segments and target lookalikes to discover untapped revenue. Plus, you can leverage historical data analysis, forecasting and recommendations to manage your inventory more efficiently. Quantify segment-based costs, average order value, and more to determine profit potential and capitalize on data-driven opportunities.

Recommendation module

Another integral part of the Omnichannel Engine, the recommendation module allows you to optimize inventory management through forecasting, historic data analysis, and recommendations. These omnichannel recommendations are made based on data such as customer demographics, purchase behaviors, and situational context. Additionally, the module presents you with an opportunity to upsell and cross-sell based on available data and target lookalike audiences to capture untapped revenue.Â

Customer Loyalty module

This is a robust, technologically advanced solution that allows you to build and implement smart loyalty programs across both offline and online retail channels. At the heart of the Customer Loyalty module is a 360-degree view of behavioral information and customer profiles, which help businesses deliver personalized customer experiences through tailored promotions and activities. Â

Replenishment module

The replenishment module offers multi-echelon reorder points for all SKUs at your fulfillment centers. User-defined intelligent algorithms allow it to ensure the stock can be automatically and dynamically shuffled between the user’s warehouse and stores (as an automated process with scalable options). Both B2B and B2C companies can utilize this advanced system to view and streamline their replenishments so that the right stock reaches the right stores at the right time.

OE also drives several omnichannel operations, such as click and collect. As today’s buyers can search for and order items within minutes without even going into a store because of online shopping, fulfillment is becoming more critical to the buying journey. OE helps to optimize this segment of the supply chain by converting all the physical stores into fulfillment centers and letting customers collect their orders at a time of their choosing.Â

Businesses that operate in densely populated areas can especially benefit from offering click and collect as part of their omnichannel customer experience. The closer proximity of consumers to shops translates to greater convenience for them to collect their online purchases.Â

Conclusion

The omnichannel experience is a necessity in today’s competitive economy. Integrated experiences are especially ideal for enterprises who don’t have time to serve customers on a one-to-one basis. Omnichannel makes this convenient by connecting offline and online channels to work in conjunction to present a unified experience to your customers. Companies who interpret omnichannel data and leverage solutions like Omnichannel Engine are destined to be winners. As we move into a new dimension of customer experiences, the experience, relationship, channel cohesiveness and service will all determine whether you succeed in delighting customers at scale.

Software Outsourcing as the term suggests refers to the notion of hiring another development company or source to help you with the completion of your software development project(s). At times, software outsourcing also involves the practice of handing the entire project to the third-party that is well-qualified to meet the demands of it.Although software outsourcing is not so novel an idea, its hype is getting bigger and better with each passing day.

There are various factors to which software outsourcing owes its popularity - primarily the fact that rapidly changing trends of the digital markets call for innovative minds and skilled professionals to help the marketers and IT companies cope with the waves of advanced technologization.The change in digital trends is giving a boost to the competition among the business ventures and that is what makes software outsourcing a go-to option for them. It is a major driving force behind the digital transformations of several renowned companies.

Here is all that you need to know about software outsourcing-the reasons for it being the trend and how it works, advantages, its drawbacks, and how to outsource the software development effectively:

Why is Software Outsourcing a Big Thing?

Software outsourcing offers multiple benefits to the organizations opting for it. This helps in improving the overall working efficiency and enables them to keep their long-term strategies on track. Moreover, its various types and models are what primarily makes it a convenient option for many companies.

Types of Software Outsourcing Services:

Services that software outsourcing vendors usually offer include artificial intelligence, web or mobile application development, robotic process automation, or the latest trends of cloud computing, which helps the customer companies to have an impactful digital presence. Vendors can also customize their software outsourcing services to cater to the specific needs of their customers.Companies offering software outsourcing services ensure that they have the in-house capacity, and resources (developers, designers, quality assurance engineers, business analysts, need, and project managers) to understand and deliver the project(s) with the required functionalities.

Models for Software Outsourcing:

There are three major ways with which businesses can outsource their projects to the vendors. Mainly being:

1. Nearshore Outsourcing:

This means outsourcing the projects to the companies in neighboring countries.

2. Onshore Outsourcing:

Onshore outsourcing means hiring vendors who are located within the country. Being able to speak the same language eradicates all the issues and possibilities of errors that come with the language barrier, thus making it more effective. However, the development cost will be more than the other outsourcing options though.

3. Offshore Outsourcing:

As the name refers, this means working with vendors from other countries. This helps in reducing the development cost, while online communication platforms like zoom or Google Meet are considered to make the working process and communication more seamless.

What are the advantages and drawbacks of Software Outsourcing?

There are so many factors that contribute to making software outsourcing an advantageous option that results in less product production time and increased working efficiency. To top it all, here are some more benefits of it to help you understand more comprehensively.

The Advantages:

1. Development Costs and Overhead Spending:

The most compelling reason for businesses to opt for software outsourcing is reduced development costs. It helps them grow with the market demands more effectively and that too while staying in budget. Having so many pricing options at hand is undoubtedly the primary advantage of software outsourcing. Outsourcing means that you won’t have to worry about the labor costs and other benefits like leaves, insurance, etc. and all likewise troubles that come when you hire an employee to do the work for you. You will just pay the third-party and get your done work effortlessly. This is what makes the whole endeavor of outsourcing cost-effective and attractive for the business organizations that are striving to keep up with the rapidly changing digital trends.

2. It is Flexible!

You are not bound by any long-term legal constraints or wont have to pay for the resources even after the completion of the project. In comparison to full-time hiring, software outsourcing gives you a lot of flexibility when it comes to payment and working plans. You can literally hire any person that aptly meets the project demands irrespective of the geographical location. You wont have to go through those lengthy recruitment processes and prolonged interview sessions. It saves you time and energy to focus on business management.

3. Boosting Working Efficiency:

Software outsourcing vendors are highly professional, skilled, and well-versed in the modified technological tools that are usually needed in the development process. It will save you a lot of time that you would otherwise spend on hiring new team members. Your project moves forward at a faster pace and the project completion period gets reduced to a greater extent.

3. Improved Business Strategies:

Having easy access to skilled and experienced IT talent from all around the world helps organizations in getting the work done effectively and efficiently. Software outsourcing enables them to be more focused on the tasks that need to be done on their part instead of worrying about the tasks that are being managed by the third-party vendor. This will aid in improving their work progress as well.

The Drawbacks:

1. Work Quality:

Lower labor costs sound very attractive to us all, but we cannot deny the fact that it comes at a price. The lower development costs might compromise product quality. Moreover, not being able to contact the developers in person will result in delayed feedback, which in turn prolongs the duration of project completion.

2. Cultural and Language Barriers:

The differences in time zones often hinder the effective communication or feedback between the client organization and the remote outsource team, that further challenges the work progress and leads to extended deadlines. You can overcome this drawback through effective project management.

3. Security Concerns:

Data is considered to be an asset in todays world. Hiring a third-party to help you with your projects means that you will be required to share some confidential data, or intellectual property with them, which in turn exposes your company to external threats. Therefore, make sure to put some effort and thought while selecting outsourcing vendors. Pick the ones who understand and prioritizes your security concerns to reduce the risks for any data leakage. One highly recommended way to reduce this risk is to sign Non-Disclosure Agreements (NDA)s with the 3rd-party vendors after consulting a law-agency.

How to Do Software Outsourcing Effectively?

No matter how beneficial a process is you can never reap its benefits if you are not doing it the right way. Likewise, when it comes to software outsourcing, various factors should be taken into consideration to ensure success. Keep the following pointers in mind:

Set Goals:

Make a draft of what your expectation is from the outsource team. How you want the work to be done i.e. list some rough deadlines. Have a clear idea about what kind of product you need at the end of the project. You must ask the outsourcing company to do proper documentation since that ll set benchmarks, milestones, delivery dates, and overall project requirements.

Communication is the Key to Success:

If you are not communicating effectively with the remote team, you are likely to run into problems. Since you are working remotely with the outsource team, you must be vigilant about keeping track of the project progress. Communicate systematically, for instance:

• When posting an ad for software outsourcing, be clear about your demands and job description
• Make it clear if it is a one-time project or you are looking for a long-term contract
• State the qualification and skills required
• State duration of the project
• List your expectations

Having all these conditions listed out will save your time and energy that otherwise would have been wasted on reviewing applications from professionals or companies that do not fit your project requirements. Besides, after hiring the outsource team, get your project management team to collaborate with the hired 3rd-party resources, and ensure that they schedule meetings more often to get the work done perfectly.

Post-Shortlisting Process:

Even if some unfit professionals/companies have managed to slide their CVs/Proposals in your email, you can surely cross them out after some browsing. Further, you can start by contacting the potential resource, those who fit the project demand. Contact them directly to communicate all the concerns and points we have discussed above. Its good to be extra cautious and call their references or previous employers to see if they are reliable and have all those skills that they have listed etc. This will help you to make an informed decision. Before finalizing your decision, take a demo of their skills. Moreover, observe how they are communicating with you, i.e. if they are pleased, take it as a good sign. If you sense something fishy or they are being ambiguous, then you should opt for other available options. Once you have shortlisted them based on these criteria, it will be easy for you to finally choose.

Be Realistic:

Having realistic expectations is vital to keep things smooth between you and the hired team or individual. For example, if you are looking for lower labor costs then be prepared for the compromised quality of the product. Likewise, have some room for delays in the project and unmet deadlines if you are opting for nearshore or offshore outsourcing particularly.

Be Strategic:

You must have a sound plan for the execution of the project. Set multiple milestones to keep track of the work progress.

Where to Find Potential Developers?

When it comes to the platforms where you can find potential developers, the options are practically endless. You can look upon widely known digital platforms like Clutch, people per hour, Fiverr, Upwork, etc. You can visit freelance platforms and trusted reviews sites that list the top and best-rated companies (offering staff augmentation services), individuals, and platforms.

The Bottom Line:

There isn't a particular way or magic formula to ensure your 100% success with software outsourcing but the above-discussed points will surely reduce the risks that come with hiring a third-party. Going through a huge amount of applications pouring in might be difficult but the process will surely be worth the effort. Just like any other business engagement process, software outsourcing has its strengths and weaknesses, but it is essential to be certain if software outsourcing is the right decision for your company or not. shopdev offers staff augmentation services, empowering tech companies around the globe with skilled and experienced talent. Get in touch with us today to discuss your project.

Introduction

Magento is one of the largest and most successful ecommerce platforms. Since Magento is a feature-loaded platform, it can be difficult to navigate, but you can find solutions to most Magento related problems if you know where to look (Yes, a guide like this one). 

There are problems that everyone encounters when they work with an e-commerce platform, and some of them are complex problems, while others may be easier to solve. Only because you work with a powerful and complex platform like Magento doesn't mean you can't solve the problem without an expert.

I have mentioned the most typical Magento issues and have also provided the appropriate solutions to make things easier for you.I will discuss the common issues in the Magento 2 version in the current blog post, along with their helpful solutions for Magento store owners, Magento developers, and Magento development companies.

14 Common Magento Issues and Their Smart Solutions

I’ve listed down possible Magento issues (particularly with Magento 2 – technical and non-technical) along with their solutions, feel free to add a problem (with or without its solution) in the comments section below and I’ll add the helpful ones in the list below.

1. Re-Indexing of URLs
2. PHP Configuration and Extension Settings
3. PHP Settings Errors
4. System Error Upon an Extension Installation
5. Version Incompatibility of Magento 2
6. Reset Admin Password
7. CSS Cache
8. Clear Cache
9. Magento 2 – Slow Load Time
10. Setting Up a Blog in Magento 2
11. 404 Error for CSS and Scripts
12. No Graphics is Displayed After Installation of Magento 2
13. Enable SEO Friendly URLs
14. Setting Up a Contact Us Form in the Magento Website

Re-Indexing of URLs

Most users have problems with this system message in Magento 2: "One or more indexes are completely invalid". You can fix it by properly running a Cron Job Or by running the following command in the root directory of your Magento 2;

php bin/magento indexer:reindex

PHP Configuration and Extension Settings

PHP extension and configuration settings are among the most common problems in Magento 2. Just re-configure the php.ini settings to resolve this problem.

PHP Settings Errors 

Another common problem concerns the error on the PHP memory cap. While readiness tests allow at least 1 GB of memory set aside for PHP operations, it is best to retain at least 2 GB in order to avoid problems. Change the value of the memory limit to 2 GB, to increase the memory limit.

System Error Upon an Extension Installation

Check the system requirements for the extensions before running, and updating them, and make sure to get it right.

Version Incompatibility of Magento 2

Verify that your Magento version matches the versions mentioned on the Vendor's module website. If you wish to download an extension made for a later version than yours, there may be an error. So make sure that your web store is up-to-date and download only the modules built to run on your version of the application.

Reset Admin Password

If you have forgotten your Magento 2 admin password and want to fix it as soon as possible, then the easiest way is to update the phpMyAdmin password. Open your database on Magento 2 and find the table admin user. Now the new password will override your old password.

CSS Cache

Some users have problems updating the CSS but that doesn't affect the front page. This is because of the cache. Just run these commands in your root directory for Magento 2 one by one.

rm -rf var/di/* var/generation/* var/cache/* var/log/* var/page_cache/* var/session/* var/view_preprocessed/* pub/static/*

php bin/magento setup:static-content:deploy

php bin/magento cache:clean

php bin/magento cache:flush

Clear Cache

Some Magento 2 users run into problems when updating, and the front-end pages do not display the updates. This is because of the cache, which has to be cleared so Magento uses your most updated settings. Clearing the cache also makes the website run more swiftly.

Magento 2 – Slow Load Time

By default, Magento 2 doesn't run slowly. If you find Magento 2 running slow, there are ways to make it better. Firstly, ensure that your server and device specifications are up-to-date, use the latest versions. Use completely optimized photos, allow cache, issue free extensions, and more.

Following points can help your Magento based ecommerce website perform better;

• Reconfigure JavaScript and CSS settings
• Upgrade Magento to the latest version
• Enable Varnish Cache
• Set flat categories and products to increase the read speed of the database
• Set up Content Delivery Network (CDN)
• Optimize images and themes

Many inexperienced Magento users underestimate their Magento store's speed and tend to lose their potential customers and conversion rates. If you want to get more quality leads, speed optimization is critical.

By allowing its Compilation feature you can boost the speed of your Magento shop. It would increase the efficiency on page loads from 25 percent to 50 percent.

To enable the Magento Compilation function, go to your admin area > System >Tools > Compilation > click on Run Compilation Process.

Setting Up a Blog on Magento 2

Magento 2 does not have any features to build a blog but a well-designed blog can add brand value and attract more traffic to your website. You need to use extensions to create a blog for your Magento website.

In Magento Connect you will find several extensions that will help you set up a blog in minutes. Magento Blog - Community Version for the same reason is one of the most recommended free extensions.

You can see an extra section at the top of your admin area called Blog, after installing the extension. From there, you can change the blog settings, add, remove, or build posts yourself.

404 Error for CSS and Scripts

When you get a 404 error in static resources for scripts and CSS, this can happen even if you are not in the development mode, Magento 2 generates symlinks for certain static resources. Go to app/etc/di.xml to solve the problem, and find the section called virtual Type name="developerMaterialization. Here the element name="view preprocessed "should be changed or removed Change the content from

MagentoFrameworkAppViewAssetMaterializationStrategySymlink

to MagentoFrameworkAppViewAssetMaterializationStrategyCopy.

Additionally, deleting the folders in pub/static can clear all existing symlinks. But be careful! Do not remove the file .htaccess.

No Graphics is Displayed After Installation of Magento 2

The path to photos and stylesheets is possibly inaccurate as a result of a rewrite of an incorrect base URL or an inappropriate server. First, to solve the problem, make sure your static assets are correctly located (in the directories frontend and adminhtml under < your Magento, install dir>/pub / static/). Then search the rewrite settings on your Apache server and the base URL on your Magento site. Failure to set the AllowOverride directive will prevent the program from retrieving static files.

In addition, the magento setup: static-content: deploy command can be used to deploy static view files in production mode. Only the command can function in any mode up to version of Magento 2.2. However, starting from Magento 2.2 edition, add -f key: magento setup: static-content: deploy -f in case you need to deploy it in the developer mode.

Enable SEO Friendly URLs

You can easily enable the SEO friendly URLs in Magento;

• Log in to your Admin area of Magento 
• Click on the Setup button 
• Now click on the left panel on "Web" 
• Click the tab Search Engines Optimization and turn to Use Web Server Rewriting by marking "Yes." 
• To allow search engine friendly URLs in Magento, click on the "Save Config" button.
  

Setting Up a Contact Us Form in the Magento Website

By design, Magento has the features of a contact form. Normally a link to a contact form is shown on your Magento store's footer, but you can add it to any page in your web store. 

Set It up with following steps;

• Sign in to the Admin area
• CMS Access > Pages
• Select a page to edit, or create a new one.
• Now paste the following section, using the WYSIWYG editor's HTML option:

<!– CONTACT FORM CODE BEGIN–>{{block type='core/template' name='contactForm' template='contacts/form.phtml'}}<!– CONTACT FORM CODE END–>

Conclusion 

Developing and maintaining a Web store in Magento can be a crucial challenge, particularly for startups. You might experience several obstacles and this blog post included some of the common and potential errors, challenges with their solutions that you could face while working on the Magento website.

Feel free to get in touch with us if you have any queries setting up the Magento store or need custom Magento development for your business.

Staff augmentation has emerged as a popular strategy for organizations seeking to augment their workforce with specialized skills and expertise without the long-term commitment and overhead costs associated with permanent hiring. Finding the right outsourcing partner is crucial to ensuring the success of your projects and achieving your business goals. In this article, we will explore the top qualities to look for when selecting a staff augmentation partner and delve deeper into each aspect to help you make an informed decision.

1. Extensive Talent Pool:

One of the key qualities to consider in a staff augmentation partner is the size and quality of their talent pool. A reputable partner should have access to a diverse pool of highly skilled professionals who possess the specific expertise you require. This pool should consist of professionals with a proven track record in their respective fields. When evaluating potential partners, inquire about the breadth and depth of their talent pool to ensure that they can quickly identify and deploy top talent that aligns with your project requirements. By leveraging their extensive talent pool, the partner can save you time and effort in the recruitment process, allowing you to focus on your core business activities.

2. Expertise and Specialization:

Look for a staff augmentation partner that specializes in your industry or the specific skill sets you need. It is essential to ensure that the partner has a deep understanding of your business domain, including its unique challenges and requirements. This industry-specific knowledge enables the partner to provide resources who possess not only the required technical skills but also the contextual understanding necessary to drive your projects forward effectively. A partner with domain expertise will be better equipped to provide the right resources who can seamlessly integrate into your existing team and contribute to your projects from day one.

3. Flexibility and Scalability:

Your staff augmentation partner should offer flexibility and scalability to adapt to your changing needs. As your projects evolve, you may require additional resources or need to adjust the team size. It is crucial to choose a partner who can provide resources on-demand, whether you require a single professional or an entire team. A flexible partner can quickly respond to your resource needs, ensuring that you have the right people in place when you need them. Furthermore, the partner should have the capacity to scale the team based on project requirements, allowing for optimal resource allocation and cost-effectiveness.

4. Robust Screening and Selection Process:

A reliable staff augmentation partner should have a rigorous screening and selection process in place. This process ensures that the partner thoroughly assesses the skills, qualifications, and experience of potential candidates to ensure they match your requirements. A partner with a robust selection process will go beyond evaluating resumes and conduct technical assessments, interviews, and reference checks to verify the competency and reliability of their talent pool. By partnering with a provider that maintains high standards in their selection process, you can have confidence in the quality of the resources they provide.

5. Effective Communication and Collaboration:

Strong communication and collaboration are essential for successful staff augmentation. Your partner should have clear and efficient communication channels in place to facilitate seamless interactions between your existing team and the augmented resources. Regular updates, progress reports, and proactive issue resolution should be part of their communication framework. A collaborative partner will ensure effective knowledge transfer and integration of the augmented resources into your team, minimizing any disruptions and promoting a cohesive work environment.

6. Commitment to Quality and Client Satisfaction:

A reputable staff augmentation partner should prioritize quality and client satisfaction. They should have a proven track record of delivering high-quality services and meeting client expectations. When considering potential partners, ask for testimonials, case studies, and client references that demonstrate their ability to deliver successful outcomes. This information will provide insights into their commitment to excellence and their track record of achieving client satisfaction. A partner that emphasizes quality will ensure that you receive top-notch talent and achieve your project goals

7. Proven Track Record:

Consider the experience and track record of a staff augmentation partner before making a decision. Look for partners who have successfully executed similar projects in the past and have a strong reputation in the industry. They should be able to provide success stories and examples of their contributions to clients' achievements. A partner with a solid track record demonstrates their ability to navigate complex projects, adapt to evolving requirements, and deliver results. Such experience and expertise instill confidence in their capability to meet your expectations and drive project success.

Conclusion:

Finding the right staff augmentation partner is a critical decision that can significantly impact the success of your projects and the overall growth of your organization. By prioritizing qualities such as an extensive talent pool, expertise, flexibility, robust screening process, effective communication, commitment to quality, and a proven track record, you can ensure that you choose a partner who meets your specific needs and adds value to your business. Remember, selecting the right staff augmentation partner is an investment that can fuel your success in the ever-evolving business landscape. By partnering with a reputable provider such as shopdev you can access the right talent, enhance your project outcomes, and gain a competitive edge in your industry.