How to Optimize eCommerce Shopping Cart

Although every online business owner will need to have a shopping cart, there are many who enter this field and ask themselves “what is a shopping cart in eCommerce?” and “how does it differ from each other?

In short, an eCommerce shopping cart is one of the most important features of your online store. No customer appreciates spending time on your site, only to have a shopping cart that doesn’t perform well. Below we’re going to discuss everything you need to know about shopping carts in eCommerce to ensure that your store has the best one and that ends up with sales.

Ways to Optimize Your Cart in eCommerce

If you want your customers to have the best experience possible, it’s vital that your cart is optimized. Once you’ve made it, your site will experience an increase in conversations and leads.

A good shopping cart has the following traits:

• Large product image resolution when adding it to cart; product name and availability status;
• An indication of product quantity and colors with the ability of editing and removing them;
• After using a promo code, there should be a pop up with additional sales and promotions;
• Related products should be placed on the same page with eCommerce cart;
• Additional ordering options: contact us and get credit;
• “Place the order” button and total order price;

And last but not least, a perfect eCommerce shopping cart should be responsive and has an auto-recovery feature. That means if a customer returns to the website, the items that were placed before remain there.

Common Mistakes in Shopping Cart Design and Development

If you follow previous rules this will help you to deliver the best buying experience. However, one the path of creating the best shopping cart some mistakes may occur. Here is the list of the most common ones:

• Unavailability of the alternative ordering options: credit and order in one click;
• Feebly-marked CTA-element of the page over the high common visual noise;
• Lack of recommendations and related products.

How to Design eCommerce Shopping Cart

To have the best shopping cart, you need to have the perfect design for your store’s brand identity and for the convenience of your customers.

Design Product Blocks in Shopping Cart

Product blocks provide your customers with a summary of the products they’re buying. These blocks will detail or describe your products so that when they’re checking out, your customers know exactly what’s in their cart. This gives them an opportunity to double-check their cart. You need to visualize product block to give customer clear understanding of the product.

Optimize Your Product Page

There are a few things that you can do to optimize your product page. For one thing, adding a picture is essential for your product page. When you’re using a picture in your shopping cart, you should try to include a large thumbnail image.

You should also have a product description that’s easy to understand. For each product, you should only have the necessary information so that your descriptions aren’t too complicated. You can include product names, prices, shipping information, and the quantity of the specific product you’re buying.

Every part of your product page should be simple to use. We already spoke a little about your product descriptions, but there’s much more to efficiency than that. Your entire checkout needs to be responsive to ensure that your customers are receiving the fastest service.

One-Click Order Checkout

Using this feature in your online store ensures that your customers are getting the most efficient service possible. When they have the option to order products with one click, their entire shopping experience can be quickened.

The more convenient your store is for customers, the more likely it is that they’ll return to your store.

Shopping Cart Checklist

1.  Include an order summary. This will ensure that your customers have a clear picture of what they’re buying.
2.  Include a simple checkout design. When your checkout design is easy for customers to use, they’ll be more likely to come back to your store.
3.  Add a live-chat. When you create a website that’s client-oriented, they’ll feel appreciated and they’ll be more likely to tell other people about your business. Adding a live chat ensures that if anyone struggles with your site or check out services, they’ll be able to contact you for help. As such, you won’t have customers who cancel their purchase when they’re struggling with their order. With a live chat, you’ll be able to help them through any problems to ensure that they can continue with their purchase.
4.  Create a mobile-friendly checkout. More and more people are turning toward their phones and mobile devices because, quite simply, human beings are always on the “go”. Having a checkout that enables people to buy items at any time will increase your chances of having people buy products from you.
5.  Exclude too many fields. When your clients or customers have too many fields to fill out during their checkout, they’re less likely to come back to your store. This is because we live in an age; wherein, individuals are more concerned with their cybersecurity. If you ask them to provide you with too much information about themselves, they might hesitate or they might turn toward another site entirely. It should also be noted that when people shop online, they’re looking to have the ultimate shopping experience.

When shopping carts are built properly, business owners are more likely to increase leads and conversions within their sites.

Magento 2.2.6 Bug When Saving Placeholder Image

If a product in Magento® 2 doesn’t have an image, a placeholder is displayed on the front end. The store administrator can set the image for the placeholder on the Product Image Placeholders page: Stores -> Configuration -> Catalog -> Product Image Placeholders Magento. However, a bug was detected in Magento 2.2.6 that doesn’t let administrators upload their own images for placeholders. Below, we’ll examine the reason for this bug and how to fix it.

Working with Placeholders

Placeholders are configuration parameters that are set in adminhtml/system.xml in the Magento_Catalog module. Their description looks like this:

...
<group id="placeholder" translate="label" sortOrder="300" showInDefault="1" showInWebsite="1" showInStore="1">
    <label>Product Image Placeholders</label>
    <clone_fields>1</clone_fields>
    <clone_model>Magento\Catalog\Model\Config\CatalogClone\Media\Image</clone_model>
    <field id="placeholder" type="image" sortOrder="1" showInDefault="1" showInWebsite="1" showInStore="1">
        <backend_model>Magento\Config\Model\Config\Backend\Image</backend_model>
        <upload_dir config="system/filesystem/media" scope_info="1">catalog/product/placeholder</upload_dir>
        <base_url type="media" scope_info="1">catalog/product/placeholder</base_url>
    </field>
</group>
....

This group of parameters is defined as such because a product could have any number of image attributes, including those implemented by different third-party modules.The cloning model Magento\Catalog\Model\Config\CatalogClone\Media\Image will look as follows:

class Image extends \Magento\Framework\App\Config\Value
{
    /**
     * Eav config
     *
     * @var \Magento\Eav\Model\Config
     */
    protected $_eavConfig;
    /**
     * Attribute collection factory
     *
     * @var \Magento\Catalog\Model\ResourceModel\Product\Attribute\CollectionFactory
     */
    protected $_attributeCollectionFactory;
    /**
     * @param \Magento\Framework\Model\Context $context
     * @param \Magento\Framework\Registry $registry
     * @param \Magento\Framework\App\Config\ScopeConfigInterface $config
     * @param \Magento\Framework\App\Cache\TypeListInterface $cacheTypeList
     * @param \Magento\Catalog\Model\ResourceModel\Product\Attribute\CollectionFactory $attributeCollectionFactory
     * @param \Magento\Eav\Model\Config $eavConfig
     * @param \Magento\Framework\Model\ResourceModel\AbstractResource $resource
     * @param \Magento\Framework\Data\Collection\AbstractDb $resourceCollection
     * @param array $data
     */
    public function __construct(
        \Magento\Framework\Model\Context $context,
        \Magento\Framework\Registry $registry,
        \Magento\Framework\App\Config\ScopeConfigInterface $config,
        \Magento\Framework\App\Cache\TypeListInterface $cacheTypeList,
        \Magento\Catalog\Model\ResourceModel\Product\Attribute\CollectionFactory $attributeCollectionFactory,
        \Magento\Eav\Model\Config $eavConfig,
        \Magento\Framework\Model\ResourceModel\AbstractResource $resource = null,
        \Magento\Framework\Data\Collection\AbstractDb $resourceCollection = null,
        array $data = []
    ) {
        $this->_attributeCollectionFactory = $attributeCollectionFactory;
        $this->_eavConfig = $eavConfig;
        parent::__construct($context, $registry, $config, $cacheTypeList, $resource, $resourceCollection, $data);
    }
    /**
     * Get fields prefixes
     *
     * @return array
     */
    public function getPrefixes()
    {
        // use cached eav config
        $entityTypeId = $this->_eavConfig->getEntityType(\Magento\Catalog\Model\Product::ENTITY)->getId();
        /* @var $collection \Magento\Catalog\Model\ResourceModel\Product\Attribute\Collection */
        $collection = $this->_attributeCollectionFactory->create();
        $collection->setEntityTypeFilter($entityTypeId);
        $collection->setFrontendInputTypeFilter('media_image');
        $prefixes = [];
        foreach ($collection as $attribute) {
            /* @var $attribute \Magento\Eav\Model\Entity\Attribute */
            $prefixes[] = [
                'field' => $attribute->getAttributeCode() . '_',
                'label' => $attribute->getFrontend()->getLabel(),
            ];
        }
        return $prefixes;
    }
}

When the administrator uploads an image in the field on the configuration page and the submit form, it will be processed on the server by the Magento\Config\Controller\Adminhtml\System\Config\Save controller and will look as follows:

class Save extends AbstractConfig
{
    /**
     * Backend Config Model Factory
     *
     * @var \Magento\Config\Model\Config\Factory
     */
    protected $_configFactory;
    /**
     * @var \Magento\Framework\Cache\FrontendInterface
     */
    protected $_cache;
    /**
     * @var \Magento\Framework\Stdlib\StringUtils
     */
    protected $string;
    /**
     * @param \Magento\Backend\App\Action\Context $context
     * @param \Magento\Config\Model\Config\Structure $configStructure
     * @param \Magento\Config\Controller\Adminhtml\System\ConfigSectionChecker $sectionChecker
     * @param \Magento\Config\Model\Config\Factory $configFactory
     * @param \Magento\Framework\Cache\FrontendInterface $cache
     * @param \Magento\Framework\Stdlib\StringUtils $string
     */
    public function __construct(
        \Magento\Backend\App\Action\Context $context,
        \Magento\Config\Model\Config\Structure $configStructure,
        \Magento\Config\Controller\Adminhtml\System\ConfigSectionChecker $sectionChecker,
        \Magento\Config\Model\Config\Factory $configFactory,
        \Magento\Framework\Cache\FrontendInterface $cache,
        \Magento\Framework\Stdlib\StringUtils $string
    ) {
        parent::__construct($context, $configStructure, $sectionChecker);
        $this->_configFactory = $configFactory;
        $this->_cache = $cache;
        $this->string = $string;
    }
    /**
     * Get groups for save
     *
     * @return array|null
     */
    protected function _getGroupsForSave()
    {
        $groups = $this->getRequest()->getPost('groups');
        $files = $this->getRequest()->getFiles('groups');
        if ($files && is_array($files)) {
            /**
             * Carefully merge $_FILES and $_POST information
             * None of ' =' or 'array_merge_recursive' can do this correct
             */
            foreach ($files as $groupName => $group) {
                $data = $this->_processNestedGroups($group);
                if (!empty($data)) {
                    if (!empty($groups[$groupName])) {
                        $groups[$groupName] = array_merge_recursive((array)$groups[$groupName], $data);
                    } else {
                        $groups[$groupName] = $data;
                    }
                }
            }
        }
        return $groups;
    }
    /**
     * Process nested groups
     *
     * @param mixed $group
     * @return array
     */
    protected function _processNestedGroups($group)
    {
        $data = [];
        if (isset($group['fields']) && is_array($group['fields'])) {
            foreach ($group['fields'] as $fieldName => $field) {
                if (!empty($field['value'])) {
                    $data['fields'][$fieldName] = ['value' => $field['value']];
                }
            }
        }
        if (isset($group['groups']) && is_array($group['groups'])) {
            foreach ($group['groups'] as $groupName => $groupData) {
                $nestedGroup = $this->_processNestedGroups($groupData);
                if (!empty($nestedGroup)) {
                    $data['groups'][$groupName] = $nestedGroup;
                }
            }
        }
        return $data;
    }
    /**
     * Custom save logic for section
     *
     * @return void
     */
    protected function _saveSection()
    {
        $method = '_save' . $this->string->upperCaseWords($this->getRequest()->getParam('section'), '_', '');
        if (method_exists($this, $method)) {
            $this->{$method}();
        }
    }
    /**
     * Advanced save procedure
     *
     * @return void
     */
    protected function _saveAdvanced()
    {
        $this->_cache->clean();
    }
    /**
     * Save configuration
     *
     * @return \Magento\Backend\Model\View\Result\Redirect
     */
    public function execute()
    {
        try {
            // custom save logic
            $this->_saveSection();
            $section = $this->getRequest()->getParam('section');
            $website = $this->getRequest()->getParam('website');
            $store = $this->getRequest()->getParam('store');
            $configData = [
                'section' => $section,
                'website' => $website,
                'store' => $store,
                'groups' => $this->_getGroupsForSave(),
            ];
            /** @var \Magento\Config\Model\Config $configModel  */
            $configModel = $this->_configFactory->create(['data' => $configData]);
            $configModel->save();
            $this->messageManager->addSuccess(__('You saved the configuration.'));
        } catch (\Magento\Framework\Exception\LocalizedException $e) {
            $messages = explode("\n", $e->getMessage());
            foreach ($messages as $message) {
                $this->messageManager->addError($message);
            }
        } catch (\Exception $e) {
            $this->messageManager->addException(
                $e,
                __('Something went wrong while saving this configuration:') . ' ' . $e->getMessage()
            );
        }
        $this->_saveState($this->getRequest()->getPost('config_state'));
        /** @var \Magento\Backend\Model\View\Result\Redirect $resultRedirect */
        $resultRedirect = $this->resultRedirectFactory->create();
        return $resultRedirect->setPath(
            'adminhtml/system_config/edit',
            [
                '_current' => ['section', 'website', 'store'],
                '_nosid' => true
            ]
        );
    }
}

As you can see, in the execute method the save is carried out in the save() method of the Magento\Config\Model\Config class. Let’s take a look at this class.

class Config extends \Magento\Framework\DataObject
{
    /**
     * Config data for sections
     *
     * @var array
     */
    protected $_configData;
    /**
     * Event dispatcher
     *
     * @var \Magento\Framework\Event\ManagerInterface
     */
    protected $_eventManager;
    /**
     * System configuration structure
     *
     * @var \Magento\Config\Model\Config\Structure
     */
    protected $_configStructure;
    /**
     * Application config
     *
     * @var \Magento\Framework\App\Config\ScopeConfigInterface
     */
    protected $_appConfig;
    /**
     * Global factory
     *
     * @var \Magento\Framework\App\Config\ScopeConfigInterface
     */
    protected $_objectFactory;
    /**
     * TransactionFactory
     *
     * @var \Magento\Framework\DB\TransactionFactory
     */
    protected $_transactionFactory;
    /**
     * Config data loader
     *
     * @var \Magento\Config\Model\Config\Loader
     */
    protected $_configLoader;
    /**
     * Config data factory
     *
     * @var \Magento\Framework\App\Config\ValueFactory
     */
    protected $_configValueFactory;
    /**
     * @var \Magento\Store\Model\StoreManagerInterface
     */
    protected $_storeManager;
    /**
     * @var Config\Reader\Source\Deployed\SettingChecker
     */
    private $settingChecker;
    /**
     * @param \Magento\Framework\App\Config\ReinitableConfigInterface $config
     * @param \Magento\Framework\Event\ManagerInterface $eventManager
     * @param \Magento\Config\Model\Config\Structure $configStructure
     * @param \Magento\Framework\DB\TransactionFactory $transactionFactory
     * @param \Magento\Config\Model\Config\Loader $configLoader
     * @param \Magento\Framework\App\Config\ValueFactory $configValueFactory
     * @param \Magento\Store\Model\StoreManagerInterface $storeManager
     * @param Config\Reader\Source\Deployed\SettingChecker|null $settingChecker
     * @param array $data
     */
    public function __construct(
        \Magento\Framework\App\Config\ReinitableConfigInterface $config,
        \Magento\Framework\Event\ManagerInterface $eventManager,
        \Magento\Config\Model\Config\Structure $configStructure,
        \Magento\Framework\DB\TransactionFactory $transactionFactory,
        \Magento\Config\Model\Config\Loader $configLoader,
        \Magento\Framework\App\Config\ValueFactory $configValueFactory,
        \Magento\Store\Model\StoreManagerInterface $storeManager,
        SettingChecker $settingChecker = null,
        array $data = []
    ) {
        parent::__construct($data);
        $this->_eventManager = $eventManager;
        $this->_configStructure = $configStructure;
        $this->_transactionFactory = $transactionFactory;
        $this->_appConfig = $config;
        $this->_configLoader = $configLoader;
        $this->_configValueFactory = $configValueFactory;
        $this->_storeManager = $storeManager;
        $this->settingChecker = $settingChecker ?: ObjectManager::getInstance()->get(SettingChecker::class);
    }
    /**
     * Save config section
     * Require set: section, website, store and groups
     *
     * @throws \Exception
     * @return $this
     */
    public function save()
    {
        $this->initScope();
        $sectionId = $this->getSection();
        $groups = $this->getGroups();
        if (empty($groups)) {
            return $this;
        }
        $oldConfig = $this->_getConfig(true);
        /** @var \Magento\Framework\DB\Transaction $deleteTransaction */
        $deleteTransaction = $this->_transactionFactory->create();
        /** @var \Magento\Framework\DB\Transaction $saveTransaction */
        $saveTransaction = $this->_transactionFactory->create();
        $changedPaths = [];
        // Extends for old config data
        $extraOldGroups = [];
        foreach ($groups as $groupId => $groupData) {
            $this->_processGroup(
                $groupId,
                $groupData,
                $groups,
                $sectionId,
                $extraOldGroups,
                $oldConfig,
                $saveTransaction,
                $deleteTransaction
            );
            $groupChangedPaths = $this->getChangedPaths($sectionId, $groupId, $groupData, $oldConfig, $extraOldGroups);
            $changedPaths = \array_merge($changedPaths, $groupChangedPaths);
        }
        try {
            $deleteTransaction->delete();
            $saveTransaction->save();
            // re-init configuration
            $this->_appConfig->reinit();
            // website and store codes can be used in event implementation, so set them as well
            $this->_eventManager->dispatch(
                "admin_system_config_changed_section_{$this->getSection()}",
                [
                    'website' => $this->getWebsite(),
                    'store' => $this->getStore(),
                    'changed_paths' => $changedPaths,
                ]
            );
        } catch (\Exception $e) {
            // re-init configuration
            $this->_appConfig->reinit();
            throw $e;
        }
        return $this;
    }
    /**
     * Map field name if they were cloned
     *
     * @param Group $group
     * @param string $fieldId
     * @return string
     */
    private function getOriginalFieldId(Group $group, string $fieldId): string
    {
        if ($group->shouldCloneFields()) {
            $cloneModel = $group->getCloneModel();
            /** @var \Magento\Config\Model\Config\Structure\Element\Field $field */
            foreach ($group->getChildren() as $field) {
                foreach ($cloneModel->getPrefixes() as $prefix) {
                    if ($prefix['field'] . $field->getId() === $fieldId) {
                        $fieldId = $field->getId();
                        break(2);
                    }
                }
            }
        }
        return $fieldId;
    }
    /**
     * Get field object
     *
     * @param string $sectionId
     * @param string $groupId
     * @param string $fieldId
     * @return Field
     */
    private function getField(string $sectionId, string $groupId, string $fieldId): Field
    {
        /** @var \Magento\Config\Model\Config\Structure\Element\Group $group */
        $group = $this->_configStructure->getElement($sectionId . '/' . $groupId);
        $fieldPath = $group->getPath() . '/' . $this->getOriginalFieldId($group, $fieldId);
        $field = $this->_configStructure->getElement($fieldPath);
        return $field;
    }
    /**
     * Get field path
     *
     * @param Field $field
     * @param array &$oldConfig Need for compatibility with _processGroup()
     * @param array &$extraOldGroups Need for compatibility with _processGroup()
     * @return string
     */
    private function getFieldPath(Field $field, array &$oldConfig, array &$extraOldGroups): string
    {
        $path = $field->getGroupPath() . '/' . $field->getId();
        /**
         * Look for custom defined field path
         */
        $configPath = $field->getConfigPath();
        if ($configPath && strrpos($configPath, '/') > 0) {
            // Extend old data with specified section group
            $configGroupPath = substr($configPath, 0, strrpos($configPath, '/'));
            if (!isset($extraOldGroups[$configGroupPath])) {
                $oldConfig = $this->extendConfig($configGroupPath, true, $oldConfig);
                $extraOldGroups[$configGroupPath] = true;
            }
            $path = $configPath;
        }
        return $path;
    }
    /**
     * Check is config value changed
     *
     * @param array $oldConfig
     * @param string $path
     * @param array $fieldData
     * @return bool
     */
    private function isValueChanged(array $oldConfig, string $path, array $fieldData): bool
    {
        if (isset($oldConfig[$path]['value'])) {
            $result = !isset($fieldData['value']) || $oldConfig[$path]['value'] !== $fieldData['value'];
        } else {
            $result = empty($fieldData['inherit']);
        }
        return $result;
    }
    /**
     * Get changed paths
     *
     * @param string $sectionId
     * @param string $groupId
     * @param array $groupData
     * @param array &$oldConfig
     * @param array &$extraOldGroups
     * @return array
     */
    private function getChangedPaths(
        string $sectionId,
        string $groupId,
        array $groupData,
        array &$oldConfig,
        array &$extraOldGroups
    ): array {
        $changedPaths = [];
        if (isset($groupData['fields'])) {
            foreach ($groupData['fields'] as $fieldId => $fieldData) {
                $field = $this->getField($sectionId, $groupId, $fieldId);
                $path = $this->getFieldPath($field, $oldConfig, $extraOldGroups);
                if ($this->isValueChanged($oldConfig, $path, $fieldData)) {
                    $changedPaths[] = $path;
                }
            }
        }
        if (isset($groupData['groups'])) {
            $subSectionId = $sectionId . '/' . $groupId;
            foreach ($groupData['groups'] as $subGroupId => $subGroupData) {
                $subGroupChangedPaths = $this->getChangedPaths(
                    $subSectionId,
                    $subGroupId,
                    $subGroupData,
                    $oldConfig,
                    $extraOldGroups
                );
                $changedPaths = \array_merge($changedPaths, $subGroupChangedPaths);
            }
        }
        return $changedPaths;
    }
    /**
     * Process group data
     *
     * @param string $groupId
     * @param array $groupData
     * @param array $groups
     * @param string $sectionPath
     * @param array &$extraOldGroups
     * @param array &$oldConfig
     * @param \Magento\Framework\DB\Transaction $saveTransaction
     * @param \Magento\Framework\DB\Transaction $deleteTransaction
     * @return void
     * @SuppressWarnings(PHPMD.CyclomaticComplexity)
     * @SuppressWarnings(PHPMD.NPathComplexity)
     */
    protected function _processGroup(
        $groupId,
        array $groupData,
        array $groups,
        $sectionPath,
        array &$extraOldGroups,
        array &$oldConfig,
        \Magento\Framework\DB\Transaction $saveTransaction,
        \Magento\Framework\DB\Transaction $deleteTransaction
    ) {
        $groupPath = $sectionPath . '/' . $groupId;
        if (isset($groupData['fields'])) {
            /** @var \Magento\Config\Model\Config\Structure\Element\Group $group */
            $group = $this->_configStructure->getElement($groupPath);
            // set value for group field entry by fieldname
            // use extra memory
            $fieldsetData = [];
            foreach ($groupData['fields'] as $fieldId => $fieldData) {
                $fieldsetData[$fieldId] = $fieldData['value'] ?? null;
            }
            foreach ($groupData['fields'] as $fieldId => $fieldData) {
                $isReadOnly = $this->settingChecker->isReadOnly(
                    $groupPath . '/' . $fieldId,
                    $this->getScope(),
                    $this->getScopeCode()
                );
                if ($isReadOnly) {
                    continue;
                }
                $field = $this->getField($sectionPath, $groupId, $fieldId);
                /** @var \Magento\Framework\App\Config\ValueInterface $backendModel */
                $backendModel = $field->hasBackendModel()
                    ? $field->getBackendModel()
                    : $this->_configValueFactory->create();
                if (!isset($fieldData['value'])) {
                    $fieldData['value'] = null;
                }
                $data = [
                    'field' => $fieldId,
                    'groups' => $groups,
                    'group_id' => $group->getId(),
                    'scope' => $this->getScope(),
                    'scope_id' => $this->getScopeId(),
                    'scope_code' => $this->getScopeCode(),
                    'field_config' => $field->getData(),
                    'fieldset_data' => $fieldsetData,
                ];
                $backendModel->addData($data);
                $this->_checkSingleStoreMode($field, $backendModel);
                $path = $this->getFieldPath($field, $extraOldGroups, $oldConfig);
                $backendModel->setPath($path)->setValue($fieldData['value']);
                $inherit = !empty($fieldData['inherit']);
                if (isset($oldConfig[$path])) {
                    $backendModel->setConfigId($oldConfig[$path]['config_id']);
                    /**
                     * Delete config data if inherit
                     */
                    if (!$inherit) {
                        $saveTransaction->addObject($backendModel);
                    } else {
                        $deleteTransaction->addObject($backendModel);
                    }
                } elseif (!$inherit) {
                    $backendModel->unsConfigId();
                    $saveTransaction->addObject($backendModel);
                }
            }
        }
        if (isset($groupData['groups'])) {
            foreach ($groupData['groups'] as $subGroupId => $subGroupData) {
                $this->_processGroup(
                    $subGroupId,
                    $subGroupData,
                    $groups,
                    $groupPath,
                    $extraOldGroups,
                    $oldConfig,
                    $saveTransaction,
                    $deleteTransaction
                );
            }
        }
    }
....
}

As you can see, the save() method checks all groups of parameters sent to the server, and for each, it calls the _processGroup() method, while the final one calls the getField() method for each field.

The following happens in this method: the group of placeholders actually clones the same element for different EAV attributes that can implement the image. But at the same time, the getField method calls the getOriginalFieldId method, which returns the path catalog/placeholder/placeholder described in system.xml for any element.

This path will then be used to save the placeholder image in the core_config_data table. But this isn’t exactly what should be happening since the path to the placeholder configuration should be catalog/placeholder/image_placeholder for the default image, catalog/placeholder/small_image_placeholder for the listing image, etc.

Solution Using Plugin

This problem needs to be solved, and the best way to do that is at the backend-model level. The back-end model in our case is implemented by the class Magento\Config\Model\Config\Backend\Image, which is inherited from Magento\Config\Model\Config\Backend\File. This is inherited from \Magento\Framework\App\Config\Value, which in turn is inherited from \Magento\Framework\Model\AbstractModel. But using the model’s event handler beforeSafe won’t work since the beforeSave method is redefined in the Magento\Config\Model\Config\Backend\File class without calling the parent method. So all that’s left is to implement the plugin as follows:

<type name="Magento\Config\Model\Config\Backend\Image">
    <plugin name="fix-placeholders" type="Web4pro\Defaultproduct\Model\Plugin" sortOrder="20"/>
</type>

Plugin’s class will be the following:

class Plugin
{
    public function beforeBeforeSave($subject){
        if(($f=$subject->getField())&&($subject->getPath()=='catalog/placeholder/placeholder')){
            $subject->setPath(str_replace('placeholder/placeholder','placeholder/'.$f,$subject->getPath()));
        }
        return array();
    }
}

With this fix, the path to each placeholder in the core_config_data table will be unique and placeholders will be saved successfully by the site administrator.

How to Start a Business Online for Clothing Store in 7 Steps

Although eCommerce has been around for some time now, we’re now at the exciting point where online sales are becoming just as popular as physical sales. This opens up a world of possibilities for turning our inspirations to profits. One niche that has benefited most from the digital revolution is fashion. According to FashionUnited, the value of the global fashion industry is 3 trillion dollars, and it is 2% of the world’s GDP.

Here, we’ll be going over how to start online clothing store. We’ll be exploring the essential tips for online shop creation, particularly for clothing. This includes business and marketing tips, finding a USP, deciding on a platform, and building your eCommerce site. Use our navigating table below.

Online Clothing Store Business Plan

A business plan is crucial for creating any business. It’s key to know what you offer and who wants to purchase. If starting an online clothing company, this means first selecting your fashion niche.

Before we get into each step, we want to highlight all the process with simple infographics that you can use as a checklist for launching your future store.

Get specific with it and choose the market. Activewear? Women’s apparel? Menswear? Get even deeper. Not just women’s clothing, but dresses, or cocktail dresses. Not just activewear, but men’s basketball attire. This provides a clear notion of customer persona, who’d like to find the desired products any time. It lets you identify your competitors and where they’re weak and strong.

Next, select the best model for your business. You might ask, “How much does it cost to start an eCommerce business for clothing?” Basic options depend on the business size and how much capital and energy you wish to invest in the startup. These options, ranging from highest to lowest in the investment of capital and timeframe, are Custom Cut and Sew Clothing Line, Print-on-Demand, and Private Label Clothing Line.

Simplest and cheapest is Print-on-Demand. Just purchase wholesale garments and print designs or logos. It requires little startup capital, often under $1000. You can also automate this operation easily. Getting going requires some wholesale garments, a digital inkjet garment printer, and a site to showcase design options.

For Whom?

Smaller businesses are best for this model. It can be set up in hours, and even single unit sales will yield a profit. Large volume sales can’t be discounted with this model. Finishing options and print product selection are limited. The finished product is less customizable about stitching, material, and fit. Finally, profits will be lower with this option than with the next two.

The Private Label Clothing Line is mid-range regarding setup and scalability. This yields more profits and allows greater personalization. Just purchase wholesale garments and customize them with tags, labels, printed designs, etc. You will buy wholesale garments in bulk, which requires delivery and inventory. Everything can be arranged in a month and with about $2500.

For Whom?

It is either for small or midsize businesses. With this model, you’ll receive great bulk prices. This gives better profits and lets you give volume discounts, so it’s more scalable than the previous model. Plus, as you will handle the garments, you can do more with the finished product. Boost brand value with custom labels and tags. Printed garments can be sold like this, but when handling a larger volume of garments, it’s best to use screen printing rather than digital printing. It’s a less expensive process once it’s been set up. However, low volume orders aren’t feasible because setup requires labor and time. Designs are limited.

For minimum setup options, utilize ThreadBird and Just Like Hero. Both help with sourcing blank apparel wholesale. Just Like Hero offers higher quality materials without minimum orders, though the range is more limited. Threadbird requires a 25-piece minimum and carries a broader range of choices. Plus, they give printing and finishing selections, including folding, bagging, folding, sewn labels, and hangtags.

The third approach is fully customizable and intensive in both labor and startup capital. A Custom Cut and Sew Clothing Line require designs and patterns. You’ve got to find fabrics, and establish production lines or manufacturers. Plus, consider production price, warehousing, and delivery. This is only the practical stuff that has to be implemented before building the eCommerce site and doing marketing online. Given the details involved before selling, you’ll likely to spend from three months to a year on setup and upwards of $10,000. Therefore, you’ll need to source talent like manufacturers and pattern makers. Prior to coming to a finished product, it might be necessary to go through dozens of samples.

For Whom?

It is definitely for midsize and big businesses who want to expand their product line or go with new niches both for the domestic and foreign markets.

The great thing about this option is, it’s infinitely scalable and completely customizable. It gives more profit and increases brand value. You’ll want a site that perfectly reflects the brand. Magento® is the best platform to use for your website. Top fashion industries use Magento to showcase their products online.

Find Your Niche/Uniqueness

Fashion is one of the fastest growing sales niches in eCommerce. According to Statista, It has shown steady annual growth since 2003. In 2017, online fashion sales accounted for over $356 billion. It is a great eCommerce area to enter. To start online clothing store and succeed, it’s essential to understand the specific sale niche.

A niche is a subset of a larger market. By defining yours, you provide a select range to a select demographic. Plus, it lets you discover a USP and establish a brand identity that stands out amongst other brands. In an industry like fashion, choices abound. An eCommerce site will be successful if it offers something unique and different.

It is ideal if your niche fills a market hole and gets a very specific range of customers interested. It lets consumers know what your brand is all about. This is what gives your product an identity. Working within a given niche is more affordable and marketable. It eliminates a huge amount of competitors and helps to cultivate customer loyalty.

Google trend can help you to find the exact uniqueness for the product. For example, you want to sell dresses and don’t know what will be your unique feature or why customers should buy your products?

You simply go to Google trends and type dress.

You see that the overall trend is stable. But what if you will choose cotton?

As the graph is shown, the demand is growing because people are interested in health and natural materials. The same with a cotton dress, the most need for it is during Summer season.

Cotton is a lightweight material and provides excellent breathing effect that is good for the skin. Besides, you can predict other trends with this useful tool from Google.

When planning the niche, look into the book Blue Ocean Strategy. It offers inspiration and techniques to find a market niche and render the competition irrelevant. Also, remember the brand is an extension of you. With a niche you enjoy, you’ll know how to reach others that enjoy it as well. Sell something you like and can do extremely well. It is a subtle but important key to building the brand successfully.

Create and Develop Your Brand Visuals

After getting clear on your niche, then it’s time to take steps to build your brand clothing. The brand is the face of the company. It differentiates you from all other suppliers out there and presents a clear notion of the offering. It conveys the company’s meaning and ideal. You’ll want to understand who the market is and the branding that lands with them. You may wish to develop the brand yourself or work with a pro brand agent. For larger companies, a branding agent can be essential for getting the product to pop.

In a saturated market like the fashion industry, identifying the market is crucial. When identifying a demographic, consider what apparel you’d like to create. Then figure out who’d like to buy it. Sort out the USP, the unique selling point. Here, you’re niching down to find out exactly who you’re speaking to, getting specific to avoid targeting an excessively broad demographic. Finally, research to understand your competitors.

Then, establish the brand pillars. Brand pillars are words or attributes that embody your brand. They’re the foundation of the company persona. You’ll need three or four words or phrases that communicate what you are about in simplest terms. They serve as a focus, a guideline to ensure everything shared is aligned with the message. Content, ads, design, deals, conversations, everything shared should be oriented around the core message.

Brand visuals are the next step. These are core visual elements to make the website and labeling reflect your clothing brand.

Just consider a logo. It’s a quick, simple visual that immediately lets customers know what product they are looking at. A logo features a color scheme that reflects the company ideals. Use the chosen colors and style for the brand and site. The logo should be both easy and distinctive.

The brand color scheme and logo will be featured on the website and ties all aspects together. Finally, sort out other design elements like fonts, design, and aesthetics.

Visuals begin with the mood board. Find images, colors, designs, and photos that fit the brand ideal. Scout around for bits of multimedia that fit the feel you’re after. This is like arranging a collage of everything that reflects the brand essence. This lets you select from it to establish site aesthetics. Then slim it down and determine the color pallet. Explore the colors on the mood board and select two or three that carry the feel. Go for the most dominant color first to attract the eye. Utilize Adobe Color to view some well-designed color pallets featuring your selection.

We want to share an example of how one agency has created a new logo for Airbnb. DesignStudio has shown the whole process of creation from the idea to the actual implementation started from the vision, message and then connected with logo and other supplies that built a strong brand image.

You can see the strong message that the company who provides great host and booking experience in many countries took place in people’s mind.

A new proposition for all internal and external audiences; runs like ‘Belong Anywhere.’

The symbol Bélo is used as a community symbol that anyone can share and feeling like a part of the community for all the people. 

That’s how with the help of brand visuals Airbnb had strengthened its brand online and became memorable for customers around the world.

Choose Online Store Builder

In establishing the design of your online store for clothing, a key decision is which platform you’d like to utilize. eCommerce platforms offer you direct contact with customers and customize the brand presentation. They let you market through social sites and other channels. eCommerce eliminates the middlemen to give the best value to the clients and highest profits to the company. Store management and customer interactions become accessible.

With so many platform choices, which is best?

Since we are discussing how to begin a clothing line, we’ll focus here on the best for small to mid-sized options. However, many are also scalable, letting you grow the business larger.

Key considerations are:

• price,
• scalability,
• business size,
• ease of navigation.

You need: 

• intuitive interface,
• mobile-friendliness,
• cross-browser compatibility.

This makes your online site user-friendly, which lets customers find what they want easily and increases conversions. Plus, it is administratively, allowing simple site management and changes as necessary.

Some great platforms are Shopify, OpenCart, PrestaShop, Magento 2, and WooCommerce.

PrestaShop is an open source, which means that it’s great for customizability if you or your designer know how to code. It offers a starter theme and add-ons that let you dress it up as you like. Also, it allows you to manage several stores at once.

OpenCart is user-friendly and lightweight, a perfect solution for first-time online stores.

Shopify is a great platform and it’s partnered with several other eCommerce services such as Printful. It offers a host of different packages to fit nearly any budget and business need.

WooCommerce is another excellent choice for new business owners and those who are creating their initial eCommerce site. It is lightweight, user-friendly, and features an intuitive interface that lets you set up a site quickly and without knowing the code.

For endless scalability, complete customizability, and enough robustness for any purpose, Magento 2 is the hands-down best. It’s modular and can be made as simple or complex as you want it. The beauty of working with Magento 2 is that it is partnered with many of the top industry providers, letting you integrate shipping payment options and a host of other services. Most top merchants use Magento 2 because it’s the best platform on the market. 

Build an Online Store

When exploring how to start a clothing website, the process is similar to creating other online stores.

1. Always begin by considering the goals. Understand your audience and what you’d like to showcase.
2. Select the CMS, the eCommerce site platform. Setup template, aesthetics, and functionality. Remember to set up site security so that customers feel comfortable entering their payment details.
3. Look at performance and SEO optimization. Make sure that the interface is intuitive, navigation is easy, and the icons are familiar. You need a smooth-working site that shows up when customers search for it. It’s essential to make it cross-browser compatible and mobile-friendly.
4. Ensure that the site is GDPR compliant and that you can use analytics to continuously refine site presentation.

Choose Your Domain Name

Having a domain name is as important as your brand. Clothing store names are essential because they give your brand a handle, a single, clear title that instantly brings your product to mind. This is basically the verbal equivalent of a logo. Unique domain names provide a distinct identity and make the website easy to find. Custom URLs offer a professional feel to the online site.

Two great options for purchasing a custom URL are Namecheap and GoDaddy. Another right option is to select a URL through the eCommerce platform. It’s a cheap approach, but more limited in selection and amateur in appearance. Plus, if you ever have to switch platforms, you may have to leave the URL behind.

Preferably, you’ll have your company name down before selecting a URL.

Brainstorm about good names for a clothing boutique. It’s a helpful starting point and ensures customers can find you.

Make it simple to remember and catchy. Plus, it should reflect your brand, products, and ethos.

Choose and Customize Your Template

After choosing your online platform and developing brand visuals, select the template and customize it. There are many templates available, each with a different feel and look. You’ll probably wish to explore to find one that truly fits your product and brand. Consider what you, as a customer, would like to see when visiting the website to purchase the product. Who’s the demographic? Consider their age, occupations, and earning capacities. Consider their lifestyles. Then choose the template so that it fits your customers’ perspectives and needs while still offering a personal touch.

Most platforms feature many different templates customized for fashion and clothing. Only a few of these will be free, but it’s more than worth it to pay for a template that fits your desires perfectly.

Magento 2 is designed to be customizable, so it has a huge selection of templates. You can choose the default Luma theme or any other from the Marketplace and customize according to your needs.

After a template is selected, it’s time for customization! You can add a blog page and integrate social media feeds. Elements can be moved, added, or removed. The background image and color pallet can be changed as you like. You can also change font, size, and color of any section or add new pages. When you’re finished up, you should have your own online site that perfectly reflects your brand offering.

In addition, we want to share our choice of Magento features for the successful online clothing store:

1. Return Manager extension (RMA). This module allows store owner or administrator to deal with requests for any return/refund/replacement request placed by the Registered or Guest customers.
2. Autocomplete and autosuggest search. This feature helps customers to search product online quickly by past typing the third symbol in the search field and jump to the relevant product or item.
   
3. Reviews widget. Reviews are essential to gain customers’ trust to the product and loyalty to your brand. Reviews widget allows you to to add product reviews to any page at your store.
4. Featured products, You may also like widgets. These widgets allows you to showcase the most popular items or the related items to boost your sales and give customers a plenty of choice.
5. Custom product options extensions. It helps you to to easily configure and edit product variations.
6. POS integration. Being omnichannel means give the customers seamless shopping experience and control online and offline store operations via one program. POS is made for managing sales and inventory and also give you control over the most important processes and resources at your store.

Look at Famous Clothing Brands

There are loads of popular online clothing sites built with Shopify. Sephora emphasizes education, making sure that customers learn while they shop. Verge Girl is an eCommerce fashion site created with BigCommerce that truly knows how to leverage the visual quality of the site to maximize sales. All communications have an irreverent, sassy attitude. Plus, the blog adds value by educating customers about interesting topics.

Once again, Magento stands out from the crowd with its impressive list of tops brands. Check out BVLGARI, Agent Provocateur, and Kurt Geiger for just a few of the top fashion brands that use Magento to create their eCommerce sites. The list doesn’t stop there. Nike. Hermès. Victoria Beckham. Björn Borg. There are loads of others, each using the Magento platform and templates to create a site that is uniquely tailored to their brand offering.

Develop a Marketing Strategy

In the end, your online store is only as good as your marketing strategy. People need to know about your product before they can buy it. And by this time, you should already have a handle on what your customers like and what they want to hear. Based on this, you can create a hook, something that really grabs their attention. That’s the first step.

Once you know what to say, then you find out how to make the message reach the customer. In the digital era, social networking is key.

Facebook, Instagram, Twitter. You’ll want to link social channels to your site, featuring blogs on Twitter and Facebook. Instagram is ideal for fashion sites since it’s photo-based. You can show your trending products and link to the product page. Remember to use hashtags so interested customers can find the products easily. And, though these are some of the top social sites, don’t forget some of the others.

Pinterest, Snapchat, and Tumblr are other great channels for getting the word out.

Vlogging is another great way to showcase products visually. And, since you can include more personalized content, you can create a closer connection with your clients. This is just the beginning.

Consider email marketing and content marketing. Both are great free ways to reach your customers. Content marketing lets you add value to the site by discussing things that your clients will be interested in. And email reminders about abandoned carts can increase customer loyalty and reduce lost sales.

Finally, consider paid advertising like Facebook Advertising and Google Adwords. These are great ways to reach out and connect with new customers.

Define Your Target Audience

In order to communicate online effectively with your customers, you have to know who your customers are. Think of the ideal customer. And, think of the style that your product represents. Hopefully, you’re selling something that fits your style so you know how to speak to the customer the way you want to be spoken to. Either way, get clear on who your message will land with, who your brand will appeal to, and you’ve got 90% of the game covered.

Choose Additional Marketing and Sales Channels

One thing that we haven’t mentioned so far is SEO. This is absolutely crucial for new customers.

Optimize your meta descriptions and page titles. Make sure that keywords are on point. This will make sure your site shows up when people search for related topics. Think about optimizing each product page with the keywords that people will search for. It’s likely that the homepage won’t pop up for specific product searches, so optimizing product pages will vastly increase your range. It’s also important to structure the site so that all content can be easily found by Google’s search algorithms.

On top of this, look into cross-selling, less-known social platforms, word of mouth marketing, bulk SMS messaging. There are plenty of other sales channels, but if you work with this for the beginning, you’ll be able to reach as many customers as you can handle.

 Be Creative

The key to making your online business successful is to get creative. Every company is unique. It’s a reflection of your brand and personal style. So, get creative about it. Maybe your product is best served by creative videos, YouTube ads, influencers. You can look into product or culture fairs to reach more people. Look into studios or other businesses that are related to what you have to offer. There are so many unorthodox methods of getting your product out there that you are limited only by your imagination.

Magento ERP: How to Optimize Important Data and Workflow

Magento® 2 ERP allows merchants to have stores that function as efficiently as possible. Stores that have been fully integrated with different management, analytics, and reporting tools and they are keeping up with the newest technologies. If you want to know about Magento ERP and how to have a stronger foundation with your online store, keep reading!

Briefly About ERP

Magento 2 ERP integration technology allows business owners to collect data that relates to their business. This is needed to have a store that works for business profit. With Magento ERP you will collect the following data:

• Inventory information
• Supplies
• Manufacturing
• Finance
• Invoicing
• Warehousing
• And so on.

When your data is managed efficiently, you can make more informed business decisions. ERP allows you to keep up with everything that’s happening within your eCommerce store.

According to a survey by Boston Retail Partners, while not everyone has been initiated to the world of ERP, 73% of merchants want to have a unified store by the time 2019 ends. If you work in the eCommerce field, you may want to consider unifying your ERP with your eCommerce store.

Why Integrate ERP with Your Online Store?

You may be wondering how ERP can benefit you, especially if you’ve been doing well until this point. Still, you should consider integrating ERP with your online store and below you will find the exact reasons why to use it for your store.

Simplicity of Operations

By integrating ERP, you’ll be able to make the whole process easier on you and your business because you can find all of your data in the same place. Not only this, but you only have to organize your data in your ERP. You don’t have to edit your prices on multiple platforms; you can edit your prices and manage your products in your ERP.

Importance of ERP for Small and Big Businesses

Small businesses may not want to do things outside of Magento. If you have a small business, you’ll be happy to know that Magento has plenty of resources for you to use within the platform. Smaller businesses may want to stick with using easy ERP for order & customer management, and product management.

In comparison, bigger businesses and enterprises will use ERP for more processes; for example, order, product and customer management, procurement, pricing, and invoicing.

Benefits of Magento ERP Integration

Magento ERP Integration has a number of advantages for any business owner.

Availability of Integration

The good news about Magento ERP Integration is that it has high availability. There’s a countless number of extensions and add-ons that you can use. Since Magento is an open-source platform, you can customize your store any way you want.

API

Magento ERP allows you to use SOAP API v1, v2, XML-RPC, REST, and XMLConnect. Magento API demonstrates one of the platform’s main priorities: connectivity.

Scalability

By using Magento ERP, your store will be able to scale up easily. In doing so, you’ll find that your site can manage traffic better and your customers will have better experiences, overall.

Where is ERP Used?

Now that you know all about the benefits of using ERP, you can learn a little about where ERP is used.

Best Retail ERP System

ERP is essential for retail because it allows merchants to maximize profits. When merchants use ERP for retail, they can maintain updates in real-time regarding product stocks and product demands. Having an ERP system that can do this is essential for anyone who wants to have a business that runs smoothly.

Microsoft provides ERP software that is targeted to midsize and enterprise businesses; however, NetSuite and Epicor also provide efficient ERP systems.

eCommerce Integrations

No matter if you’re using Magento, Shopify, or WooCommerce, it’s important to have a fully-fledged integration between the frontend and the backend of your ERP.

Merchants feel the need to use Magento eCommerce integration with eCommerce because errors can arise when data is being entered into ERP manually. This integration is effective because merchants see an improvement in inventory synchronization and data duplication. While there is speculation as to what the best ERP for eCommerce is, Magento has plenty of suitable options on the market.

Accounting Integrations

The major benefit of using Magento accounting integration is that employees and merchants can view pricing information in real-time. If you’re looking for integration options, Aphix has two software – WebShop and SalesRep.

This software allows your systems to communicate efficiently and seamlessly. You won’t have to manually enter your data to different systems; not only this, but you’ll be saving valuable time that you can dedicate toward other aspects of your business

When customers use ERP software, they can observe the following:

• Less time spent on manual entry
• Synchronized inventories
• Product changes and easier to complete

Magento ERP Extention: Solutions

The great thing about using Magento ERP is how many solutions there are! Here, we’ve listed some of our favorites.

Magento Oracle ERP Integration

Oracle is better for larger businesses. According to the site, Oracle aims to find a balance between flexibility and IT data. This extension will allow you to manage your business’s expenses and analytics with ease.

SAP Magento Integration

With this extension, SAP allows Magento users to have on-premise ERP software. Not only this, but it provides service in over 35 languages and provides merchants with information about their business in real-time.

Sage Integration

If you have a smaller business, you might consider using Sage Integration. That’s because this extension allows small businesses to edit their merchandise through their ERP in order to keep up with their store.

NetSuite Solution

When you integrate both NetSuite and Magento, you’ll have a more dependable store. You can count on your inventory to have the right numbers and you’ll be able to apply intelligent procurement to your store.

When you use NetSuite and Magento Integration, you’ll spend less time on logistics and you’ll have more time to prioritize your customers. You’ll also be able to import your shipments between NetSuite and Magento.

Epicor ERP Software

Epicor claims to help merchants make better decisions because of their analytics systems. By using this software, merchants can build better relationships with their clients and can manage their projects more efficiently.

Epicor allows merchants to integrate inbound cash receipts, real-time inventory updates, and shipment exports.

Among the many benefits of using Magento ERP integration, you can expect to experience the following:

• Seamless product updates in real-time
• Inventory updates in real-time
• Increase in productivity due to the reduced amount of manual entry needed
• Efficient order management

DHL eCommerce: Full User Guide

eCommerce is all about bringing users together with products and services in new and innovative ways. But this is only half of the process. After a customer buys, they then need to receive what they’ve paid for. This is where shipping solutions come in. And, though there are many options when it comes to shipping services, DHL eCommerce seamlessly integrates online shops with shipping solutions. But, it’s one of the shipping companies that has received a bit less attention over the last few decades, so this article is all about answering the question, “How does DHL eCommerce work?”

In the following sections, we’ll explore pricing for DHL packages and some of the key features of DHL eCommerce. We’ll also look into how DHL can conveniently be integrated with Magento® to provide a full-service eCommerce solution. Read on how DHL shipping can benefit business owners for both international and domestic solutions.

What Is DHL eCommerce?

Odds are, if you’ve ever shipped before, you are familiar with UPS, FedEx, or other postal services as the US Postal Service. DHL is another shipping company, and it specializes in international delivery. It provides competitive prices on both international and domestic shipping, in addition to parcel tracking, efficient solutions with advanced logistics, and package security portal to portal. All aspects of shipping are covered: pickups, deliveries, and returns.

Over the last fifty years, DHL has grown to a point where it ships packages quickly and securely to over 220 territories and countries across the globe. Plus, it’s a premier solution for eCommerce shipping services.

Who Can Use DHL eCommerce Service?

Nearly anyone can use DHL eCommerce services. Merchants all across the world will find that DHL ships their packages reliably. Whether you ship internationally or domestically, DHL has you covered.

Different packages are offered for express delivery, overnight shipping, or standard services. One thing that should be remembered, though, is that it might not be suitable for smaller companies.

To use DHL for your online store, you must ship a minimum of one hundred parcels per day internationally or fifty parcels per day internationally. For high volume shippers, DHL may be perfect to keep the store running smoothly.

DHL eCommerce Package Description

DHL eCommerce packages offer services and options to fit all your business needs. It provides affordable prices for both international and domestic shipping.

DHL has a global fulfillment network with many features and levels of services. It employs an integrated network of locations for both drop off and pick up. This includes parcel care from start to finish, both for returns and deliveries.

The services are affordable, even for returns and shipping across borders. DHL also features fulfillment for B2C and B2B, with customs clearance services for B2C.

A great thing about working with DHL is that they offer numerous payment and delivery options. You can choose to pay through an E-wallet or COD. Plus, they feature a range of options for delivery, including overnight, express, and green options.

DHL is integrated with domestic delivery networks, and they run six days a week. This means that you’ll get your customers their products as quickly as possible.

To top it off, DHL features easy integration with other services. This includes portal-to-portal tracking updates both through SMS and email. DHL can be easily integrated with eCommerce platforms, major marketplaces, web portals, and API’s.

DHL eCommerce International

To determine price, you’ll have to decide which international shipping option you’d like to use, look into size and pricing, and then get a quote from a DHL professional. There are three main international shipping options: DHL Packet International, DHL Parcel International Standard, and DHL Parcel International Direct.

DHL Packet International is for smaller packages, less than 4.4lbs in weight and less than 35.4” for the summed width, height, and length of your package. But also it is possible to send large parcels up to 31.5 kg. Delivery runs between four and eight days for anywhere in the world, and the receiver is responsible for paying duty and taxes. One downside is that this option does not allow for shipment value protection.

DHL International Parcel Direct offers direct shipping for 210 countries. Packages must be less than 44 lbs in weight, and the summed girth and length must be less than 79”, or all summed width is 120/60/60 cm. The package will reach the receiver in between five and seven days, and the duty and taxes can be paid either by the shipper or the receiver.

DHL Parcel International Standard is suitable for even larger packages. Package weight must be less than 44 lbs for all countries except for Canada, in which case the package can weigh up to 66 lbs. Combined girth and length must be less than 118”. One thing to keep in mind is that the shipping times are different for Europe and the rest of the world. In Europe, the package will arrive at the receiver in four to seven days. Anywhere else, and the guaranteed shipping time is between eight and fourteen days. As with DHL Packet International, it falls to the receiver to pay the duty and taxes.

One benefit of integrating DHL with International eCommerce is the International DHL iCart feature. This comes standard with international services and helps to simplify shipping calculations. It factors in shipping costs, duties, taxes, and different currency to let your customers know the full cost. Also, for even more details regarding each package, you can refer to the DHL International page.

Domestic Shipping with DHL eCommerce

DHL has more options for domestic shipping than international. The company is partnered with local postal services, handling parcel sorting and pick up, and allowing the local services to handle final returns and delivery.

Some of the options include:

• DHL SmartMail Parcel,
• DHL SmartMail Parcel Plus,
• DHL SmartMail Parcel Return.

You can also opt for DHL SmartMail Bound Printed Material and DHL SmartMail Flats.

All options guarantee delivery from three to eight days for standard ground travel and end-to-end tracking. SmartMail Parcel options also feature shipment protection and expedited solutions. Once you have chosen which option best fits your needs, contact a DHL representative to get a final estimate.

Pricing & Shipping Services

As you may expect, the options for shipping and pricing depend on many factors. An important consideration is whether you ship internationally or domestically.

DHL offers a variety of options for both, though you can expect to pay more for international shipping than for domestic. Other considerations include the size and weight of the package and the overall distance from portal to portal. DHL will insure packages up to $100 per parcel with options for further coverage.

DHL eCommerce Shipping Time

As mentioned above, standard shipping for domestic packages runs from three to eight business days. However, you can expedite the delivery for SmartMail Parcel options to make sure it’s received within two to five days. There is also an expedited max option which guarantees delivery in two to three days.

Naturally, international shipping will require a bit more time. However, DHL is still one of the fastest shippers for global delivery.

DHL Packet International guarantees to deliver in four to eight days.

DHL Parcel International Standard delivers in the same timeframe within Europe, however, for the rest of the world you’re looking at eight to fourteen days.

DHL International Parcel Direct guarantees your parcel to be delivered between three to ten days.

Remember that these are standard options. You can also opt for expedited solutions, including 24 hours and next day services. In some instances, the timing will be influenced by factors that are outside of DHL’s control.

DHL eCommerce Tracking

A helpful feature of DHL is eCommerce DHL tracking. Upon arranging pickup, you’ll receive a unique tracking number. DHL eCommerce distribution tracking is accomplished simply with Parcel Monitor.

Simply go to Parcel monitor and input your tracking number, and you’ll get real-time information on the location and status of your parcel. DHL eCommerce tracking, international or domestic, is simple and hassle-free.

You can also automate the process and have information sent directly to your email by activating the email update feature. This will give you updates whenever your package reaches a distribution center or changes transport methods.

Warehousing & Fulfillment

If you’re a high-volume shipper, you can save loads of time and energy by working with DHL. Plus, you streamline the process, using a reliable and trustworthy company to make sure your customers receive products as quickly as possible. No more worrying about storage, packing, drop off. Plus, working with many warehouses across the world ensures that products are centrally located for all customers, reducing the required shipping time.

So, you may wonder, where is the DHL distribution center? The short answer is that there are distribution centers in many countries across the globe. In America alone, there are two warehouses, one in Ohio and another in California. A third will be opened soon in New Jersey. This ensures that all shipping needs for DHL eCommerce USA are handled with the shortest transit times. Regional offices exist in Singapore and the United States, with the home office situated in Germany.

DHL fulfillment services assist with imports and handle orders and inventory. This reduces shipping lead time and costs. Additional services include storage, packaging, and processing of returns. All of these services are available for international and domestic shipping. This collection of services vastly improves your eCommerce services and streamlines operations.

DHL eCommerce for Magento

DHL has partnered exclusively with Magento to offer first-class eCommerce solutions. It has been named a premier partner, leading the way with both B2B and B2C platforms. This is a collaboration between a global leader in eCommerce and an industry leader in international shipping. DHL helps to improve customer experience and provide added value for online shoppers. The wide range of shipping options makes Magento products available to consumers in 220 countries and delivers goods with a wide range of shipping options.

It’s quick and straightforward to integrate DHL with your Magento shop. First, you’ll have to check the availability in your country. Next, open a business account with DHL and request API access. This will give you a DHL eCommerce login. Once your Magento platform is installed, you can enable DHL, and then with the extension, you can configure and use it.

You can simply enable DHL by going to Stores>Configuration.

Next, select Sales>Shipping Methods.

After that, you can find the DHL section and enable it by setting “Enabled for Checkout” to yes.

In the Title part, write a name that will be used during checkout for this shipping method.

To calculate DHL shipping rate you can use the Gateway URL. However you might have an alternate URL from DHL, so you need to write it in this section.

Complete the UPS XML account information using DHL credentials:

• Access ID
• Password
• Account Number

After that, you can add package description and handling fee by filling out all the required fields.

Also, you can choose single or multiple shipping methods using Magento DHL module.

As easy as that, you’ve connected your shop with a network that can deliver to consumers around the globe and make your customers loyal to your company and satisfied with your services.

Black Friday Marketing: Practical Tips

Black Friday is the day after the American Thanksgiving holiday. It kicks off the heavy buying season leading to Christmas. One day can guarantee your shop is back in the black and profitable, even if the year has been tough sales-wise. Physical stores have more traffic and sales than any other time throughout the year, but it doesn’t stop there. Online stores also show much higher traffic and conversion rates. Plus, the sale doesn’t end on Friday but continues through Saturday and Sunday and into Cyber Monday, which is even better for online stores than physical stores.

For the principal sales holiday of the year, it’s essential to refine your Black Friday marketing campaign. For this, you’ve got plenty of options. Flash sales and hourly deals, discount codes and promo codes. Referral packages, gift cards, and email marketing can massively boost sales. Tune in to the target demographic to showcase best selling items to engage the customers’ attention. This is only the beginning. Let’s explore promotion strategies for making your online shop successful over the sales holiday.

Black Friday Strategies for Retailers

Black Friday has grown into a worldwide phenomenon with global competition. You will need to find a strategy to fit the product and the shop, making it stand out.

1.  Notify clients about upcoming promotions with email or SMS marketing
2.  Mention discounts and events on social media. Hashtags will improve outreach and help clients find what they want.
3.  Item bundling helps you upsell, bringing more conversions to you and offering more value for the customer. This is also a great time to generate excitement with sneak peeks or flash sales.
4.  Gamify discounts with surprise discounts and increase engagement with countdown timers.
5.  Offer gifts or reduce shipping costs for the client. Plus, remember promo codes, cash-back deals, and special promotions.

This is the best part of the year from a sales perspective. It helps to think ahead and give your clients plenty of notice. You might even wish to maintain a Black Friday landing page through the year to keep you high in search results. Also, customers love it when their purchases help others, so boost your sales even more by donating a portion of the proceeds to charities such as local food banks or shelters.

Black Friday Messaging

SMS campaigns are becoming more popular every year. After all, most people will have their cell phone with them at all times, and the deals you send with text messages are more likely to be seen than through any other form of marketing. This will boost sales, especially on websites and mobile apps.

Start dropping hints some months in advance to create excitement for upcoming deals. Make sure the shop is mobile friendly so that interested customers can purchase straight from the message. If you need a handy email template, you can try our new Black Friday email template.

Prepare Your Social Media

Social media has become a considerable influence in our lives, and it’s crucial to make use of its potential, especially over the sales holiday. Write posts to notify clients of specials, discounts, and flash sales. Clients will be coming fast, so prepare posts beforehand.

Employ a service like Buffer or Hootsuite to schedule and post them automatically. Look into the best times to release posts to reach the widest audience. Use hashtags so clients can find your specials.

Plan Your Advertising in Time

Proper planning will also give you plenty of time to calculate sales projections so you know what kind of discounts will let you offer great deals and still make a profit. Factor in discounts and advertising costs to come out ahead while still keeping your clients satisfied.

Customers anticipate this sales holiday throughout the year, the chance to discover great products for great prices. Have the advertising strategy in place well prior to the long weekend. Know what items you want to promote and what discounts and sales to put in place.

To arrange everything in good time, it helps to set up a content calendar, a game plan for the marketing campaign. This is a schedule for social media posts and a timetable for setting up new graphics and banners. This calendar also lets you know when to prepare and release content for emails and ads.

Black Friday Promo Code Ideas

You can provide Black Friday promotions by giving promo codes to loyal clients. When people save more, they’ll spend more. So, giving better deals to preferred clients keeps them happy and boosts sales. Everybody wins, and clients are even more likely to return.

You can offer online coupons that take a percentage off of specific items or even the entire purchase. Plus, when you offer promo codes in mailing lists or to previous customers, you’re letting them know that you value their patronage.

Bundle Your Products Together

Product bundling is another great way to provide value. Upsell by providing special sales to clients that buy a few similar products. Alternately, cross-sell by offering mark-downs on a new item.

Gift packs are another great offering. In addition to making excellent gifts, they can offer customers great value on the bundled items. Consider using popups to offer personalized deals on recommended items.

Catchy Black Friday Phrases

It’s no secret that slogans and phrases catch attention and bring clients to your website. Slogans are best when you can remember them easily and when they create a bit of excitement. For some awesome Black Friday slogan ideas, look into the competitors. It’s key to inform your clients that the best value can be had by acting now.

Try, “Don’t miss out on your black Friday special offer!” Or how about, “You’ll want to jump for joy when you see our Black Friday prices!”

Besides, slogans can be used to generate a bit of suspense: “Tune in on Black Friday to discover some amazing deals!”.

You communicate to clients that the event is fun, happy, and a great chance to get what they want at prices they won’t regret.

Black Friday Facebook Posts

Facebook posts are a great way to get your message out there. They’ll let you showcase your weekend-long discounts and special deals. Plus, you can give clients timing for hourly specials and flash sales.

Basically, they provide clients a timetable for limited time offers and special promotions. Increase conversions by writing posts to showcase gift guides and promote gift packages. Make lists of great gift products for particular people with specific interests.

Promote your bestselling products, and notify clients about the huge discounts. Use your posts right, and you might double your profit over the sales holiday.

Best Black Friday Promos

Promos make the sales holiday exciting for clients and profitable for you. Be creative! Mail or email discount and coupon codes to previous clients and those on the mailing list.

Reward loyal clients with VIP deals and special prices. It helps to include a personal touch as well, thanking your clients for their purchases throughout the year and making sure that they know they’re appreciated. For smaller shops, though, it lets you strengthen personal connections with clients while also reducing advertising costs.

Gift cards are an awesome way to get Black Friday promos out there. Try to set up your campaign early and offer gift cards for larger purchases or faithful clients. They’ll then want to spend the card (and a bit extra) over the sales holiday when the value is best. Gift cards account for nearly half of the purchases over the sales period. Gift cards can also be offered at a lower rate for relatives and friends, giving customers an excellent option for open-ended gifts.

Amazon

When you sell through Amazon, Black Friday is a unique event. It brings in millions of consumers and constitutes a large portion of annual revenue. Plus, there’s heavy competition in these waters. Be prepared and have everything ready in advance of the weekend. Prepare your content, stock the inventory, and plan the deals. Advertise effectively, so clients know what promotions and discounts are available.

Eliminate shipping costs. Do your calculations to maintain profit margins, but absorb shipping costs so that customers feel comfortable buying. Remember, the greatest bulk of Black Friday transactions are impulse buys. Make it simple for the client. Adding in shipping costs causes the client to second guess the buy, which inevitably leads to lost sales. Cover them yourself and boost conversions dramatically, especially when you offer discounted costs and fast shipping times.

Make sure your inventory is well-stocked, even considering your promotional sales. I know we mentioned it above, but it bears another look. Demand is going to go through the roof, so you’ll want to be prepared to handle it. Keep an eye on your inventory during the sales to prevent delays in product arrival. Try to make sure there’s a bit left over, as the prices will jump back up after the sales holiday while the Christmas shopping season is just beginning.

Remember to account for price drops when running sales projections. On a side note, you may want to invest in automated repricing software with pricing strategies to optimize prices according to the sales goals.

Look into what’s bestselling and explore the trends. After you’ve got a bead on the clients, source your products. Look into Amazon’s sourcing hacks to stock the inventory cheaply. Reduced expenses mean excellent deals and great profits. Plus, it helps to bundle items intelligently.

Bundle unique packages and you’re guaranteed to win the Buy Box and increase sales. This radically improves product exposure and increases competitive edge. Provide lower-priced items along with bestsellers and you up the perceived worth, giving your customers excellent promotions on things that they would want to buy anyway.

Topshop

One way to get ideas for the Black Friday marketing campaign is to check out the top sellers. Topshop is a hot seller, offering top of the line women’s clothing and setting the bar in fashion and trends. Look into their deals to get some great ideas to optimize your promotions.

This year, Topshop is offering a sale on all items, 30% off. Plus, they’re running hourly deals and flash sales, which are perfect for encouraging impulse buys on best selling products. Add to that deals on select products, cash back sales, promo codes, and discounts, and you’ve got a recipe for success.

Topshop doesn’t stop there. They support loyal clients and target demographic with VIP sales and student discounts. Plus, Topshop Black Friday sales are in place through Cyber Monday, and they feature extended sales for people who couldn’t purchase over the sales holiday.

Finally, what good are all these sales if no one knows about them? This is why Topshop features deal guides and schedules so that their customers can plan their purchase knowing when the offers are hot. Just Google Topshop Black Friday to find loads of great ideas for showcasing your products and getting customers excited.

ASOS

ASOS is another popular women’s clothing and fashion brand. They provide some great examples of how to leverage the Black Friday holiday to keep clients happy and massively boost conversions. For 2018, ASOS offers a 20% discount on their entire inventory throughout Black Friday weekend. For sales items and the outlet section, it offers additional discounts.

Another great feature of ASOS’ Black Friday set up is the website. They dedicate a website to Black Friday sales and deals, giving clients the whole scoop so that they can see all the savings they’ll get by making their purchases now. Information is king in the current era. This eCommerce giant demonstrates how one can showcase a product and discount for maximum exposure. Have a peek and see if it inspires some ideas for your own Black Friday campaign this year.

Internet Marketing For Small Business: Tips and Tricks

When it comes to small businesses, online presence is of the top priority. Internet marketing for small business has become one of the key strategies to deliver your brand and value proposition to the consumers. Detailed targeting, searching and sponsoring towards the right customers are part of successful digital marketing strategies for small businesses.

How to Use Online Marketing Strategies for Small Business

Internet marketing for small business owners might seem overwhelming in the beginning. But once you have streamlined the process and planned your strategy, trust us, everything will simply fall into place.

Social Media Presence

Social media is one of the best ways to generate a great mix of both organic and sponsored traffic. We would recommend that you choose social media strategically based on your business needs.

Do not focus your attention on too many platforms; this will take a lot of your time for content creation. For instance, to target industry leaders, the right platform would be Medium and LinkedIn instead of Facebook.

Do Business on Facebook

When it comes to local business and internet marketing, Facebook is the buzzword among small business owners now. Scheduling, detailed targeting, and content creation are extremely convenient there.

If you are confused about how to use online marketing strategies for small business, Facebook is the place where you should start.

The reason being Facebook provides free data analytics and easily comprehendible stats based on your Facebook marketing.

Launch Website

Local internet marketing for small business comes with a budget constraint of course. But this doesn’t mean that you cannot create a website.

WordPress and other shared hosting platforms have made websites a cost-effective online marketing tool. All you need to make sure is that the speed and content of the website are not compromised.

Create Your Website Blog

Blogs will help you generate more traffic to your website and build a sense of trust and reliability towards your business. Posting relevant blog posts about your activities and the issues associated with them increases the credibility of your business. It also helps in bringing a behavioral change among the customers towards your product/service.

Improve Your Local SEO

Improving SEO organically is an integral part of a successful small business digital marketing strategy. It always helps to set up a Google Webmaster account to see where you stand.

For both content and images, it is important to put in meta description so that Google search engine algorithms can detect your website. It is better that you create lengthier posts for website keeping in mind the quality of content.

Use the Power of Email Marketing

There are myriads of platforms available that helps you send customized emails at bulk. It is always better to create customized emails with ‘Dear name’ instead of a generic recipient.

With email marketing platforms, the process can be streamlined by including a client database. The rest of the customization starting from templates to messages will be taken care by the designated platforms. You usually get first 1000 or even more emails for free, for the rest, you might have to pay for a subscription.

Small Business Digital Marketing Strategy: Few Tips

From our side, we would like to point out some generic digital marketing tips for small business which are always proven to be successful. For starters, good content is always rewarded for the business. It creates engagement and increases organic traffic.

Content such as blog and engagement posts help to create word of mouth influence and build your brand as a reliable source. If you need some fresh look at SEO, check SEO guide of 2019 from Backlinko.

Impact of online marketing for small organizations can be accelerated through the right SEO and social media utilization. Focus on detailed targeting, create a cohesive plan for the entire month and simply schedule the content at the beginning of the month. This will give you more time to engage with the customers through replies of comments and queries.

Impact of Online Marketing on Small Organizations

Even for a small organization, maintaining an online presence means you have to be active online as well to cater to the engagement needs of the customers. It becomes imperative to include a dedicated person of the company who would be responsible for the client’s query management.

Digital Marketing Ideas for Small Businesses

If you have just opened a small business, these are some of the digital marketing tips for small businesses that you can utilize.

Networking and Building the Community

Facebook events and groups is a fantastic way to drive organic traffic to your business. Brand endorsement is something that works wonders for a small business and for that networking and online community building is a must.

Try to be active in social networks and blog, and let customers interact with your company and brand as it is a real human. Pay attention to their needs and give them relevant content that they will watch and feel the useful impact of it.

Monitoring of Your Brand’s Online Reputation

Through reviews, ratings, and feedbacks, you can easily assess the online reputation of your brand. Remember it is easy to build trust online and break trust even more easily. An online dissatisfied client can become a major burden for you.

Hence, make sure that if you make a mistake, you must acknowledge that and apologize to the client for mitigating further repercussions.

Use Influencers to Promote Your Business

For beauty, baby and other products’ type, Instagram influencers are the most optimum choice to go. Likewise, an admin of member heavy Facebook group is also an influencer. Collaborate with them based on your target group and use them to promote your business.

Also, don’t forget to use Youtube to showcase your products, and involve Youtube influencers to your promotion to get customers similar to how to use products that you sell and get their positive sides. According to Google, 50% of shoppers make their decision based on video from Youtube they are watching while shopping.

Try Live Videos

Live videos are something that provides the scope for a two-way interaction between you and your customers. With Facebook and Instagram, the concept of going Live has gained popularity in the past year. You can check how to work with Instagram live video via its how to guide.

Try to cater to the customer queries, feedback and needs through the live videos and interactions and ask for customer opinions for the constant betterment of product.

How to Use Magento 2 Swatches

Magento® 2 swatches are used to ensure that clients and potential customers can shop through stores with more ease and efficiency. This is done by allowing customers to select options from different swatches instead of from words in a drop-down list. By providing customers with swatch options, merchants can see an increase in leads and conversions. For more information about how color swatches can improve your product list, keep reading!

What Is the Magento Product Color Swatch?

A Magento color swatch is a feature that allows merchants to provide customers with a better idea of what they’re buying. When products are customizable, users can choose from many options that will help them pick a product that suits their needs.

If, for example, a customer wants to have a t-shirt in the color black, he or she will click on the color black. This will often change the color of the shirt on the featured picture as well. In comparison, other stores provide customers with a drop-down list of features for them to choose. Many of these options don’t provide customers with the visual stimulation of the final image.

Types of Magento 2 Swatches

There is a number of different Magento Swatch types for merchants to use in their stores.

Text-Based Swatches

A text-based swatch is unique because it is implemented when there is no image being used. Here, a symbol for attributes is used to show sizes. When a product in a specific size is out of stock, the box describing that size will be crossed out.

Color Swatch

A color swatch will be essential when you’re trying to showcase the different patterns or colors that are available in your store. This makes your products more accessible for your clients and it makes it easier for clients to imagine their look.

Image Swatch

Using an image swatch allows merchants to provide customers with variations of products. If, for example, you have the same product in different textures, you can upload image swatches.

Layered Navigation Swatches

Layered navigation is another type of Magento Swatch; wherein, a merchant sets a color attribute to yes. Here, a merchant can use text-based and color-based image swatches.

How to Configure Color Swatches in Magento 2

Now that you know a little bit about the different types of Magento Swatches, you may be wondering how you can configure them in your online store.

Create Attribute in Magento 2

If you want to configure color swatches in Magento 2, you must first know how to create an attribute.

Step One. You’ll have to select stores from the admin panel. From here, you can go to the attributes section and choose the option for the product. In this step, you’ll also want to click add a new attribute.

Step Two. Go to attribute properties. You’ll have to enter a default label in the same section. Here, you’ll be able to choose the input control you desire; for example visual swatch, text swatch, etc. Click add option from manage options.

Step Three. Manage your options and values. Depending on your needs, you can choose the default value.

Step Four. In this step, you’ll be managing your labels. Enter a title for a label.

Step Five. Now it’s time to describe your storefront properties. Select yes or no if you want specific attributes to be allowed.

For more information about how to create an attribute in Magento 2, you will find out in our How to section.

Assign Attributes to the Products

When you’re going to assign attributes to products, there are a few steps you have to follow first.

• Go to Stores. Here, you’ll see a section for Attributes. Click on it. Next, select Products. All these can be seen in your sidebar.
• Now, you should click on Add New Attribute.
• You’ll have to provide related details like scope and attribute code under Properties.
• You may want to consider use product image for a swatch if possible, which will allow you to use your product’s pictures for your swatches. You’ll have to enable it if you want this feature because it is usually disabled otherwise.
• Now you can include Magento 2 swatch patterns. These will be displayed on the product page.
• To assign an attribute to products, you’ll have to go to Manage Swatch. From here, you can click on Add Swatch.
• Now, provide a swatch name.
• Select your color by clicking on the arrow next to the Swatch Image.
• Go to Advanced AttributeProperties and determine where values should be placed.
• Include an Attribute Label from the Attribute Page.

Configure Product Options in Magento 2

For those who have a lot of products, you may be wondering how to configure them. To do this, you’ll have to install an extension that allows you to create custom templates. These templates can be applied to a number of products at the same time.

Magento Color Swatch Extension to Create Configurable Product

There are a few extensions that you can install in order to create a configurable product.

Color Swatches Pro by Amasty

This extension provides several features that other extensions may not. With Amasty’s extension, merchants can do the following:

• Optimize their site to create the perfect mobile experience
• Allow customers to change the product’s image by hovering over it. This allows them to see another angle of the same product without having to click on the product itself.
• Show the price of products.
• Share the URL of a configured item.

According to Amasty’s website, the goal of this extension is to make your store as simple and as accessible as possible.

Color Swatches by FME Extensions

You can expect to pay for this extension; however, most merchants agree that the price is worth it when they see the difference in customer experience. This extension allows you to provide customers with a different image of a product if they select a specific size, color, etc.

Product Color Swatches for Magento 1 by Aheadworks

At its very base, Aheadwork’s extension does everything it has to. It provides you with an easy way to set up your attributes and it allows you to display swatches rather than older, conventional options. With this extension, you can also keep your customers up-to-date because it crosses out features that are out-of-stock. If, for example, you don’t have any mediums left in stock, your customers won’t be able to buy the product in a size medium.

Magento Color Swatch Extension With Zoom by CMSmart

CMSmart has provided you with the perfect extension for your store. Here is a small list of its features:

• Select attributes by using images
• Use different statuses for swatches
• Provide products with more than one attribute

This extension makes it easier for merchants to manage their attributes and their swatches. Overall, you can use Magento extensions to ensure that you can make the best out of your swatches and to ensure that your business is up-to-date with the newest advancements in marketing.

Project Estimation: Our Approach

One of the key elements to completing a project on time and within budget is a proper website estimate. The estimate helps us to get an eagle-eye view of the development of the website. What the client requires in the site, how to make that happen, and the timeframe involved. Poor analysis can mean missed deadlines and unexpected challenges, not to mention an uncomfortable level of stress for both the client and team.

That being considered, a good estimation is challenging. It could be challenging to predict everything that you’ll run into during development. However, if you have the right knowledge, you can simplify things and come to a more accurate result, saving time, energy and inconsistency.

A good estimate requires effective communication between client and team, a clear outline of the job, and enough experience to understand what it will take, both regarding work and time. The job has to be broken down into components so we can make a clear action plan and set up a reasonable schedule. Here’s a look at how we go about estimating a project and a few tips to ensure the process goes smoothly.

What Is Estimation?

An estimate is an overview of the project. We communicate with the client to find out what they want and need on their website. Look into the details, get an idea of the functionality required, and explore what it’s going to take to get the job done. When the estimate is finished, you’ll have an action plan for building the site and a reasonable idea of the timeframe required to make it happen.

Project Management Estimation: Best Practices

The most important aspect of an estimate is information. There are four steps to an estimate. We have to look into the size of the project, the workload, the schedule, and the expenses. In the process, we’ll go from a rough idea about what’s required to a clear and detailed layout of the steps required to create the site. This gives us a chance to think through the challenge points, find out how many people will be involved and what skills will be needed.

The first step is the size estimate. To estimate the size of the project, we have to visualize it. We have to take the structure of the website into account, consider the potential obstacles, and look into bottlenecks. This means talking to the client. Each site is unique, so it’s important to find out what the client wants and needs. All of the aspects of functionality should be made clear so that the estimate is based on solid ground. This is also when you look into the required documentation. It’s best if this step is documented in written form as well so that changes can be tracked and all required features are laid out clearly.

After you have an idea of what the project will need, the next step is to get an estimate of the workload. We look into the labor required for design, documentation, client interaction and process organization. We also have to take into account quality assurance and, if necessary, prototype implementation. As mentioned above, it’s important not to underestimate the time and work required. This could lead to missed deadlines, overworked technicians, and a lower quality product. None of that is good for the client’s successful website launch. At the same time, it’s unwise to overestimate too much. If you put forth too large a time frame, that won’t correspond to the reality and break up the loyalty and trust.

The third step that should be taken is to move on to the schedule. Since you have a clear idea of the steps involved in implementation, you know the number of people involved and how long it takes to complete each step. This lets us make a reasonable estimate of how many hours will be required for each task and then match that with availability. When this is done, we can set the project to calendar dates. This means that we can arrange a time for when the website is expected to be live.

Finally, you need to look into the expense involved to create the site. At this point, it’s important to remember that the cost of developing a website includes more than just development. Since many people are involved, a project manager is required to coordinate the workflow. Plus, it will need to be tested by the quality assurance to make sure the functionality is on track.

The expense estimate should reflect the value the team puts into the project plus it depends on the pricing model that was agreed before. If it is a fixed price, there should be a certain project cost. As for the dedicated team or outstaffing, there is a need for the development part, but not necessarily a project manager.

Our Estimation Approach

Here’s our approach on how to estimate project cost and time. It begins with an Analysis of Client Requirements and a comprehensive review of documentation gathered by the project manager. The developers, team leader, and project manager cooperate to provide a complete workup of what will be required to complete the project. They evaluate the project and set up a quote. This is done by setting up a task in Redmine. All client information is gathered, and a detailed description is created. The development team and team leader then studies the project carefully. It’s broken up into tasks, which are then evaluated and fit with estimates. A min-max plug is also provided by the development team.

Then, we move on to the next stage, putting together the commercial proposal. The client will receive a file listing the tasks and the hours required for each. The client reviews this and gets back to the project manager regarding the estimates and budget.

Once the client approves the estimate, the project manager prepares the Commercial Proposal (CP). This document describes the project terms and company information. It includes an overview of the project, the platform involved, description of the scope, and the cost of the project. The additional aspects are the technical solutions, terms of payment, and details about our own company. The client is given everything they need to know to communicate effectively with the company and understand the development process.

How We Estimate Client’s RFP?

When a company needs to contract services for a project, they will create a document known as an RFP, or request for proposal. This gives the scope and details of the project and solicits bids from contractors. The RFP also contains a list of criteria by which a proposal will be evaluated. For the client, this helps them to find the right company for the job. For the contractor, the RFP will give us a rough idea of what’s required, so we know what to ask and how to approach the project.

In order to get a clear view on how to move forward, the next step is to ask questions. Once we receive an RFP, we’ll review it and then consult with the client about the details. We’ll have to refine our understanding of the functionality required and specific details regarding each portion of the project.

Once we have enough information and have gone over all the essential details, we can provide an initial software development project cost estimation. We can go over the points and provide a solid response to the RFP, but a solid estimate will still require further communication with the client.

What Would Cooperation Look Like?

Once you’ve decided on a service provider, the next step is cooperation. When you work with us, the first thing we do is request parameters for budget and costs, as well as detailed information regarding the features and functionality of the site. This lets us know how many people will need to be involved and how to budget development expenses, and it provides an overview of the desired end product.

Our development team goes through this information, breaks the project down into functional pieces, and then provides estimates for each piece. This estimate effort project management is then sent back to the client for review. All quotes are discussed and we put together a solid estimate for both time and expenses. If the project requires a dedicated developer, we will then send you a list of CVs and arrange interviews so that you can be sure you have the right person for your project.

After getting the game plan solid, we launch into it. We set our developers to the task, coordinate them with the project manager, and then have our quality assurance department test each portion as it is finalized. We regularly consult with our clients on the development process, arranging planning sprints, delivery dates, and other relevant factors.

Each team member is encouraged to share openly about potential challenges, new developments, and anything else that might impact the final product. If changes in the estimate are necessary, they are published in-house and options are discussed with the client. The project is only complete when your site has all the functionality you need when it looks and works as you want it to. Finally, we provide site support after completion to work out any bugs that might have slipped under the radar and ensure complete client satisfaction.

Development Estimation

The developers, though not the only element in the development process, are still one of the most important pieces of the puzzle. They are the ones that do the coding, that understand the requirements to create the necessary functionality, and have the experience required to give accurate estimates for each portion of the project. Developer or a team can provide an excellent project estimator for the more technical aspects of site creation.

One of the keys to a good estimate is knowing how to break the project down into its parts. This is where the developers are helpful. They will know what is required for each step of the project. They’ll be able to look at each feature and aspect of functionality and divide it into workable tasks. Once the project has been broken into tasks, it can be effectively assessed to generate a solid estimate.

Project Management Approval

At this point, it’s pretty clear why cost estimation is important in project management. Cost estimation is actually the process that shows all of the elements involved in developing the project. This lets PM tap the appropriate personnel and set reasonable timetables.

The project manager is the one responsible for the eagle-eye view of the project. Each developer handles their own small piece of the puzzle. However, the PM puts the puzzle together. They are the conductor of the symphony, arranging all the bits so that they fit together into a team. This is why project management approval is key to providing a solid estimate, both in terms of time and cost. They can look at all of the elements involved so that the overall project can be coordinated on schedule and within budget.

How Many Visitors to a Website You Have: Google Analytics Tool

To make your website successful, you’ve got to keep track of who actually sees it. This is great feedback to see check SEO effectiveness. “How to check my website visitors online?” We’ll go over a few great ways to check site activity and traffic. We’ll explore Google Analytics and how to integrate it with a Magento® store.

Want to Check Views on Website?

Your site’s active and people are visiting. You’re getting a few conversions, but there’s plenty of room for growth. You might be wondering, “How can I check the hits on my website?” The process is simple, you need to check webpage statistics. They offer loads of information. The pages people visit most and least frequently. It looks at visitors, sources, and conversion to give you a snapshot of your website activity.

You can get a quick sketch of your followers if you have a blog by looking at how many comments they have. You can also look into views on embedded videos. Much easier is to get all this information accurately at once. One of the great free services for exploring site activity is Google Analytics.

Magento Google Analytics Installation Guide

Integrating Google Analytics with Magento is easy. First, set up a Google Merchant Account. Be sure to get the URL verified and claimed. You’ll get a report from Google Analytics with an account number in this format: UA-XXXXXXX-1. Save this number. You’ll want it later for configuration.

Enter the account and enable eCommerce tracking. To do this, first, click Admin. From there, choose View Settings. From there, go into eCommerce settings. Activate eCommerce tracking, then click next. Submit, then you’ll get a success message pop-up.

Next is completing configuration. Select Admin>System>Configuration. Click to expand, then activate Google Analytics. Put in the account number from earlier. After that, click Save Config. Voila!

Add Google Analytics Tracking Code

First, you’ll need a Google Analytics Tracking code. Essentially, this is a business file number for your website in Google Analytics. Go to Admin>System>Configuration to add the tracking code. Look for Google API in the Sales selection. Enter the tracking code in the Account Number field. Then enable it. Click Save Config and that’s it. Remember to clear cache to see the newest configurations.

Get Google Analytics Login Credentials

With a Google account, it’s a cinch to access analytics. First, enter google.com/analytics in the search bar. Gmail account email and password are all you need to log in. After signing in, select Analytics.

This lets you explore website details, checking views, properties, and accounts. You can also go into analytics through Google Ads. Just click on Tools and Analysis and select Analytics.

Step-by-Step Instructions

After the installation of Google Analytics is sorted, you’ve got tracking code and login credentials. This lets you look into Real-Time information for every site page. Average page time, visits, bounces, conversions. To get to analytics, go to google.com/analytics and sign in. This brings you to the home page. Click on the account and you’ll land on the Audience Coverage page. Select Real Time from the side menu. For current info, select Overview. Explore viewed pages, user behavior, and geographic location with a click.

How to See Who Views Your Website

To check your website visitors, Google Analytics is an important tool. It’s perfect for monitoring website traffic and traffic sources. This analytics helps you better visualize your demographic. When you understand your customers and site activity, it’s easier to boost outreach and create effective advertising strategies. You can access a free version, or both premium and universal versions. Google Analytics will let you know who visits when they enter, and what brought them there. Some well-placed filters will also help. Using the traffic hacker, filter out junk traffic and your own visits, as both skew the results.

Geographic Location

Google Analytics is great for looking into users’ locations. That’s critical when dealing with both online and physical stores, letting you streamline deliveries for maximum efficiency. Geographic information can be set to different scopes: City, Country, Continent. Location data is based on user IP addresses. However, IP addresses are approximate. Plus, you may be contacted from a computer in Thailand, for instance, to serve an order for a company primarily based in Canada. Many companies operate out of areas that might not reflect their true geographic distribution.

Traffic Sources

Ok. One question you’ll want to ask is, “How many visitors visit my website?” This means exploring website traffic. Plus, it’s important to know how visitors have found you. Traffic sources include direct, organic, referral, and social. It’s best if traffic is balanced across all sources. Google Analytics offers a Traffic Sources report. This gives you details on total traffic and breaks it down by source. Login and select View Report. You’ll be taken to the Dashboard. This gives an overview of site analytics. Select Traffic Sources from the side menu.

Direct Traffic

If you click Direct Traffic, you’ll be shown how many users visit by entering the URL directly or by bookmarking the website in their browser. When you hand out business cards or put up flyers and people visit your site, they reach it by directly entering your URL. While this is an important source for many businesses, it may appear to be higher than it actually is. This is because Google Analytics determines the source from an HTTP referrer. Some browsers, plugins, and mobile devices strip this information as the visitor clicks in. Any clicks that don’t have a referrer are classified as direct traffic. Make sure to tag all your controlled traffic and campaigns, like social media posts and email marketing.

Organic Traffic

When your site comes up in a search and a visitor clicks on it, they reach it organically, without advertisement or referrals from other websites. If you have high levels of organic traffic, it means your site has great SEO. Keyword-based searches rank your site high, so it comes up on the first page. It’s best if not too much of your traffic is organic. Google changes its search algorithms on occasion. This can significantly drop levels of organic traffic overnight.

Referral Traffic

When another website features a link to your website, you get referral traffic. To check your referral traffic, select the Referring Sites option in the Traffic Sources report. High referral traffic is a good sign. It shows that other websites appreciate the services, products, and content you offer. Your influence is both extended and legitimized. Plus, referral traffic has a high conversion rate. It’s a great way to get new customers, and more links also mean better search results.

Social Traffic

Social sources account for about a quarter of the website traffic for most sites. It’s the second largest traffic source. Because the visitors are being directed by links in emails or social blogs, they may not even know what site they’re going to before they arrive. Social traffic also has the lowest return rate. Visitors may come only once. If they return, it’s often through the same channel as before. However, engagement and conversion rates tend to be higher. Social traffic can also be influenced actively. Posts on your social channels can significantly increase traffic.

User-ID Coverage Report

User ID’s are great for engaging your customers more deeply. They give you the option of tailoring a user portion of the site with special content and deals. To check analytics for signed-in users, just enter User-ID Coverage into the search box. On the app, go to Behavior and then choose Behavior View. If using a web view, select Audience and then choose Behavior Reports. This report gives the proportion of user sessions to the total. This shows what your dedicated customers are most interested in.

Other Useful Analytics Tools

It doesn’t stop there. If you want to know “how to track visits to my website,” there are several other useful analytic tools. Buffer, Alexa, SimilarWeb, these are just a few of the high-quality alternatives you can explore. Let’s explore the features of each:

SimilarWeb

SimilarWeb is excellent for analyzing any site or app. It allows you to explore your analytics and that of your competitors. This lets you explore their approach to online strategy and analytics. This lets you follow smart competitor’s techniques to refine your online strategy. It also helps to highlight new industry trends and players.

Alexa

Alexa gives detailed website analytics, including demographics, web speed, visit tracking, and popularity rankings. Just like SimilarWeb, Alexa can track competitor sites. It’s a high-quality site with an easy, intuitive interface and quick results. Alexa also offers several plans to fit any budget or marketing strategy. Another great feature is that Alexa offers recommendations to reach more customers and boost traffic.

Buffer

Buffer is most helpful if your company has a high social media emphasis. It specializes in performance analysis and managing accounts overall social sites at once. It is a rising star, used by more than 80,000 companies including Microsoft and Shopify. You can upload posts beforehand and schedule them to go up when you want. It also lets you explore social media analytics across all accounts. With this information, you can tailor posts and content to reach more customers and boost traffic.

ICONOSQUARE

Iconosquare is another service for managing social sites and exploring analytics across all of them. It lets you take your Instagram and Facebook pages to the next level. Iconosquare lets you upload content and schedule when it goes up. It also monitors all social media platforms, letting you moderate and track all comments from one site. It also has excellent analytics, letting you explore key social metrics. In Instagram, you can tag accounts and locations, review and manage comments, and keep up with gained and lost followers. This tool helps you tune into your demographic and boost your reach.