WordPress 2020 – Beginning of A New Era of Website Development

Whether it is an expert developer or a naive in the development field, WordPress is a real savior to all. With years in and out of technology evolution, WordPress has now grown to a full-fledged development platform, where a person can get everything for creating his/her so-called DREAM WEBSITE. 

WordPress has evolved from a simple framework to a huge development portal that offers a giant platter of development tools starting from themes, plugins, add-ons, features, functionalities, elements and more. Whether you are looking for developing a simple static website for just sharing your personal work, or want to build the most dynamic eCommerce store to run your business online, WordPress has it all. Due to its matchless potential features, it is, no doubt, the unique platform for web development.

Are you ‘AAWWEEStruck’… or not able to digest this fact…or still wondering how come WordPress is the best for website development, then you should definitely not miss reading this article.

Let’s Begin…

Major factors that make WordPress unique and the best alternative for website development

Feasibility & Personalisation

The WordPress framework provides great flexibility. It allows designers and WordPress web developers to build different elements, features, layouts, modules, and applications according to the requirements. Moreover, the available plugins support in building incredible websites. With the huge inventory of various kinds of layouts, themes, and readymade plugins, WordPress offers the feasibility to create a website, and you can easily personalize it according to your dream layout. Leveraging the power of WordPress development services is also a great advantage when it comes to total customization.

Open Source Platform – Ease of Reach

Open Source is the most common term that moves around when it comes to web development as it is not only free but also provides all the features and ease of developing a website, whether commercial or personal. It provides the feasibility to handle CMS, where you have the convenience to change anything.

WordPress is not a Rocket Science

Coders or non-coders – all can easily access WordPress development. Even a noob can easily bring into his/her creativity and build a website. This open source platform has removed all the technical barriers with traditional web designs and concepts. With readymade plugins and add-ons, there requires nothing to learn about WordPress. Eureka! Just in a few clicks, your website is ready. And, if you’re acquainted with Microsoft office then it is way easier. Also, if you looking for an eCommerce website on this open source platform, a trusted WordPress development company helps to build your dream estore.

Mobile Responsive

With the world turning towards mobile, it is quite obvious that a mobile-friendly website is the need of the hour. If your website cracks on mobile, it is definitely going to bounce the traffic. A mobile-friendly website not only reaches a vast audience but also makes business easier, and WordPress offers this advantage very well.

Security

If you are wondering whether this platform is secure or not, then relax, because it offers the most secure environment. Following the security standards, WordPress has an in-built security framework that offers a safe and secure zone for web development. This open source platform offers a panel of WordPress security that protects websites against all the malware, threats and harms.

SEO Features

It is easy to optimize your website with the in-built SEO features that are available with WordPress development. Updated with the latest Google algorithms, WordPress is always ahead of other technologies. In-Built SEO features to power up the WordPress website to reach wide and far along with enhancing the site speed and performance.

Ease of Handling Various Social Media

In today’s digital boom, every website needs to be well-attested with varied social media features. And, no doubt, this popular platform has not missed this factor. With its special functionality, WordPress allows users to embed various platforms from youtube, Instagram, Facebook, twitter to audio podcasts. This feature easily allows adding endless content and enhancing website appearance opening an easy connection for networking. Moreover, with WordPress website developers integrating these social media features becomes a hassle-free task

Open Platform

WordPress is one such platform, where everybody can have access to share their expertise, experience and support the newbies. WordPress community has a huge panel of WordPress theme developers, designers, experts and professionals, who are always ready to assist. You can easily connect to any of these professionals online on WordPress forum or with an expert in WordPress badcamp event.

Conclusion

WordPress website development is not a kid’s play but definitely, a non-technical person can build it investing some time constructing on an online platform. It is an excellent tool that anyone can use to build a customized website according to their business. Along with the WordPress community, there exists a reputed WordPress Development Company that provides excellent WordPress development services.

And, if you are eager to use this platform for building your website without spending much of your time and money, then WordPress Development Company is your best bet.

Headless eCommerce With Gatsby: Most Trending Approach for Customized Estores

Earlier, shopping was both fun and a tricky task. But, with generations changing and technologies evolving, a huge revolution has taken place in the commerce arena. People have picked up shopping in the virtual market. And, looking at its growing popularity and booming opportunities, retailers and businesses big or small are leaning more towards the digital platform for growing their businesses.

It is not a surprise to see how eCommerce platform is evolving and updating to meet the needs of these e-retailers. Contrarily, online store owners are digging down and expecting to find the most advanced technology to leverage the best of eStore languages and tools to create more customized stores for their growth prospects.

And lately, Headless eCommerce being the talk of the town and gaining momentum, more businesses, not just limited to brands, are turning towards it. The rising popularity has brought in a great shaft in the working of online eCommerce stores.

Furthermore, why the shift is towards headless commerce is the most important thing to discover.

What is Headless Commerce?

Different from the traditional one, headless commerce CMS is one step ahead and a way different from its own uniqueness. With all the potent tools and functionalities, headless commerce empowers you to design and develop the frontend of your website seamlessly on any platform. The uniqueness is that it provides an API that enables frontend and backend to work as separate entities while connecting through it. Conclusively, it provides matchless freedom for customization without having to rebuild the backend of your store entirely.

Benefits of Headless Ecommerce Approach

The data structure, Data, and Backends – All Portable

With NO dependence on huge, restricting infrastructures, data storage and backends are all portable. This very feature provides the freedom to grow with your frontend and stay competitive without being locked into those so-called turnkey solutions.

Next Level Customization and Freedom for eCommerce developers

Whether it is matching brand or creating unique and enticing templates, headless commerce provides freedom for all. If you’re looking to add that one special feature on your store, or want to make it look way different, then you can count on this as it helps to build that thoughtful UX to help your store stand out in this digital market.

Improved Multi-Platform Shopping Experience

This unusual headless cms leverages the best of all technologies to enable you to pick up the right frontend for every platform or device – whether it is desktop, mobile apps, web or IoT.

Increased Speed

Slow speed has a greater impact on conversion ratio. And, if we look around, headless commerce comes as a savior playing an incredible role into this. It not only helps to boost the speed but also improves the conversion rates. The pages developed on headless estore platform lands faster than the pages developed on other platforms.

Advanced A/B Testing

No eCommerce store can be successful without trial and error experimentations. Embedded with a variety of frontend and backend combinations, headless commerce provides quick and feasible A/B testing which can help you create a website that entices your customers meeting their demands.

With a lot many features in headless commerce, it is always profitable to develop estore on this platform. Though there are numerous Shopify themes for store development, they have their own drawbacks when it comes to customization. Additionally, when it comes to speed and user experience, a more appropriate solution helps to meet business goals. And, GatsbyJS turns out to be the most perfect solution.

Why Gatsby for Headless Commerce?

Experienced Shopify web designer already tried and tested varied eCommerce platforms, and have elaborated on how development with Gatsby is a way ahead compared to other languages. And, the reason is that it helps in creating faster, cheaper and more secure websites and apps. Furthermore, the most promising part is it helps in building robust frontend and enables us to build a creative and strategic development experience for Gen Z  Shopify web developer.

In a Nutshell,

Headless eCommerce with its growing popularity is trending in the eCommerce industry as more and more brands are looking for more customizable technologies. And, the major reason is that it significantly boosts the store performance and sales due to more customization opportunities. And, with Gatsby, it is way easier as it brings along with it a lot many tools and features to set your estore on the next level meeting the futuristic demands.

And if you are still not satisfied and wondering how this can help your estore to scale higher with increased sales ratio, then a trustworthy Shopify development company like us is your reliable partner. Experienced in all the Shopify development aspects, we help you deliver the most robust and scalable estore functionalities that can meet not only the present growing demands but can also surpass future expectations.

Or you can hire Shopify certified developers for delivering personalized store experiences for your end-users.
Contact us today or email us: hello@ditinteractive.com

7 Mind Blowing eCommerce Business Ideas to Make Money Online

Amazon, Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter and more… are mediums to expand the business. No doubt, it’s a golden age where you can find a lot more channels to explore and grow if you are looking for starting a business, or not sure whether to expand your business or not. With technology booming, smartphones been handy, and the rate at which commerce is moving online, it’s the right time for explosive growth as great opportunities waiting for you.

If you want to start churning that money mill now but facing scarcity of ideas, then sit back get on the ideas train to discover the most profitable eCommerce business ideas. Well but do remember to win this race partner with the expert eCommerce development company, and gain the upper hand.

So, better late than never! Let’s start.

Video Doorbells

Guessing who must be on the back of the door has been the age old thing as looking forward to actually see the person without opening the door. Well, video doorbells, the next big thing. It’s going to soon catch up the blaze as the popularity is surging up and it has also become a trending business idea. With the astounding increase in video phone calls, it is clear that people want to see who’s at their doorstep. It not only works as a great security device but it’s also wonderful as it also offers high-quality night vision. So, hire an eCommerce designer to build your store and customize it as your needs.

Education Going Online

Knowledge is the main source of growth, and the education industry cannot ignore the online platform which has an abundance of opportunities to help businesses to excel.

With people connecting through the virtual world, it’s no wonder that it is an avenue for the fastest growth, and no doubt the education system looks forward towards it. And with both new and old brands alike, are turning towards this platform. There are many education organizations that are arranging special programs customized according to the specific needs of students.

Do Things Amazon Can’t

Customizing services or products according to the demands of the customers can help to grow. There are things that Amazon cannot sell and sell such products or services isn’t a bad thing. If you’re a small business and have knowledge about such things, then definitely you can blossom. Get your store online with the assistance of eCommerce website Design Company and start selling today.

Online Pawn Shop

If you have that taste to gather those unique, old, traditional things or you’re that small town business trader, go online. There is no better place than moving your store online. You can start selling or buying things more unique to your region going worldwide. Customize your eCommerce store as per your products and audience and if you’re wondering how to work on it, then eCommerce web developer is your best bet. Hire eCommerce services, and see your business growth.

Handmade Jewelry

Handmade Jewelry has its own market regardless of any business online and it is a future that niche eCommerce stores are going to be the next BIG HIT thing. The evolving technologies will be the growth platform for small businesses as it will not only help expose them to wider audiences but will also ease the business operations.

Handmade Pet Treats to Pet Owners

In the last 3 years, an upward surge has been seen in pet ownership. Cats are not just confined to sophisticated ladies or dogs being part of the family. Pet ownership is growing invariably from baby boomers to Gen Z taking the charge and everybody ensures to provide special care to their four-legged companion. And this offers you big market if you’re into making pet treats.

As pet owners are spending more on healthy options particularly anything that is homemade, it is good news to vouch onto this market. There are opportunities to increase the customer base and increase the lifetime value by selling online or customizing your estore.

Amazon Only Sellers

There are those small brands on AMAZON that make billions just by selling on this biggest eCommerce platform. With a niche in their market, they are quite an expert in explaining explicitly about their products and the benefits these items offer. They do a better job of merchandising and grow exponentially. If your business is still at the initial level, take the help of eCommerce Development Company and get online or get onto this biggest eCommerce platform to reach out to more customers.

In a nutshell, though not fastest but this is definitely an absolute way to grow your business. Get your business online, hire eCommerce designer or partner with eCommerce Web design Company and start growing, and expanding your business online. Contact us today or email us: hello@ditinteractive.com

Top 10 hottest wordpress web design trends you can’t ignore

If Magento is a king in eCommerce niche, WordPress is all-rounder, including CMS niche. One-third of the web has WordPress somewhere in its source code. It means the overall impacts of WordPress trends are broadened in a sense and indicates that for a WordPress Development Company, it is worth to know the latest WordPress web design trends to be successful in 2020.

The tendency toward Minimalistic UI Design

In minimalistic design approaches one screen or UI mostly focusing on one goal or two maximum. Fancy graphics, unnecessary decorative UI elements, and useless attention-grabbing animations are distracting things in the minimalistic web design.

Moreover, tiny screens of mobile devices directly imposing strict restrictions on anything extra in the UI design. Therefore, WordPress web developers take the safe route of minimalistic design and improve UX along with performance.

Single Page Site or Landing Page Concept in WordPress Web Design

When web designers learned that mobile-first approaches favor infinite scrolling greatly, they have invented single page web design concept by applying the latest dynamic web design technologies like PHP and AJAX proves a great combination for the WordPress developers.

One-page website themes, including parallax themes in the WordPress ecosystem, still are ruling and rocking. Landing page style offers 100% focus on achieving very limited goals or even a single goal with minimalistic design approaches. AJAX helps WordPress website developers & designers to update several blocks in a content layout simultaneously. PHP in WordPress manages server-side interaction seamlessly.

Asymmetry in WordPress UI Design

Grid layout gives symmetry in design, but when you break the grid and bring abstract or asymmetry in design. Irregular grid patterns, sliding or overlapping images, texts, and other UI elements are triggering interests in the mind of onlookers.

Here, designs are edgy, not messy, and designers must know a thin line between those two things. Otherwise, the design will end up in a cluttered and sloppy appearance. Now, WordPress theme developers also are adopting the same in the release of the latest themes.

Simple & Intuitive Navigation Design in WordPress Websites

Days have gone when a user has to go through a mega menu with several clicks/taps. Mobile-friendly navigation designs have cut it all into some very simplified navigation scheme ideas. Off-canvas navigation menus, accordion, a contextual menu is encompassing only a category of similar pages at once to display in the main menu and changing with the changing contexts.

However, WordPress designers now try to avoid giving more pages and keep only the pages, which are adding some values in the business. It means nobody is interested in who was the founder of the business, but rather look at their interests only.

Micro & Macro Animations in WordPress Website Design

Today, each WordPress Web Development Company has an issue regarding animation. Some opt for macro animation and animate the entire page using the latest GIF and other HTML-based animation techniques to keep the performance rate high. However, many take smarter approaches and focus on micro animations on certain UI elements intelligently.

It helps WordPress designers to deliver some messages or tips for the role of the UI elements. Multilayered animation can create a dynamic look and bring higher user engagement.

Leaning Toward Vectors in WordPress Design

Vectors are the ideal design approach for the artists, and web artists are no exception in it. Unrealistic approaches of vector elements in UI proves great for storytelling and other approaches to designs. For WordPress website developers, vector-heavy design solves two ultimate issues such as performance and scalability. Moreover, vector design saves the business from copyright infringement issues obviously.

Conclusion:

We have examined only a couple of WordPress web design trends here. However, each client is unique for the WordPress Web Development Company because she comes with unique business requirements and even a business niche. Therefore, WordPress developers with adequate experience and expertise in design can give them guidance to pick up certain trends for their next project. DIT Interactive is a leading WordPress Development Company, which can accomplish the same beautifully in its outsource WordPress development services.

Would you like to exchange a few words regarding it? Contact us or Send email us: hello @ditinteractive.com

6 Prime Features Introduced by Shopify that Matter in 2020

Latest Shopify Features that Add a New Dimension to your Ecommerce Business

Shopify Unite, the annual conference introduced new features that are set to roll out in 2020. Shopify is changing international commerce with the help of insights garnered from working with e-commerce stalwarts all over the world. Any Shopify development company will be keen to implement and benefit from the new features.

Here are the new features that can aid in online sales including the introduction of local currency support, new payment measures, and dynamic checkouts.

1. Multi-currency and Multilingual approach:

The eCommerce industry worldwide is worth $30 trillion, which is why Shopify is now focused on making it easy for merchants to sell their goods globally. Shopify Payments hence has now introduced multi-currency in its arsenal.

The multi-currency beta feature enables brands to sell in their respective local currencies and ensures a great shopping experience for customers worldwide. The Shopify platform always displayed multiple currencies but always reverted to GBP during checkout. Now customers can pay in local currency and benefit from Shopify’s customer-friendly storefronts and checkout options.

The inbuilt geo-location functionality helps storefronts to manage foreign exchange rates efficiently thus lowering abandon-cart rates drastically. Shopify Payments currently hosts currencies like AUD, EUR, JPY, USD, CAD, NZD, SGD, and GBP.

In addition to the multi-currency feature, Shopify has now introduced a translated and localized dashboard for all partners and merchants who are not well versed in the English language for e-commerce transactions. With the native language support, and language change option in Shopify, one can change the language on Partner Dashboard to German, French, Spanish, Italian, Japanese and Portuguese.

2. Improvements In Merchant Experience:

With major improvements in merchant experience, Shopify partners can now leverage features for merchants in more ways than ones. You can switch between stores now with access to dropdown options. Merchants can now enjoy a wonderful and seamless experience between all storefronts. Staff members of all these storefronts can switch to a different store in a jiffy without having to logout from a single store.

The Shopify Plus checkout has also received an upgrade with several visual and functional enhancements that add sheen to the checkout process. Merchants can now utilize the custom checkout process efficiently.

Also, merchants can control accessibility within their eCommerce store with the update for new app and channel permissions based on the role assigned to your right staff members.

3. Better in-person selling:

Ecommerce might have an edge over physical selling but the human factor is still critical to sales.

4. Shopify has recently introduced a host of in-selling features that will help you forge meaningful customer interactions:

  • Shopify Tap & Chip Reader: Contactless reader to receive payments from any device, synced with the store consistently.
  • Tipping: This functionality allows customers to reward employees for their stellar services.
  • Returns & Exchanges: Offer prompt exchanges and refunds to customers, eliminating hassle from returns.

Shopify web developers can leverage these features in promoting brands offline with focus reduced on transactions and more on customer needs.

5. Connectors for Shopify Flow:

Shopify Flow is a handy automation platform that all Shopify Plus merchants have access to, for prompt automation of their daily operations. And the recent update incorporates connectors to the feature.

These connectors establish a link with business tools and the Shopify store for manual task automation without the need for coding.

The connectors facilitate workflows that include a combination of events and actions. One can initiate automated actions to send discount codes or automated emails to win-back clients.  By automating routine tasks, one can expect a personalized experience. Shopify is looking to integrate multiple apps with the platform, so it’s likely more connectors will be rolling out later in 2019.

6. Dynamic checkout:

Shopify expedites the payment process by adding dynamic checkout buttons to product pages. The checkout flow is accelerated for shoppers who can access checkout directly. The feature gives customers the option to skip the multi-step checkout process and allows shoppers to buy products without leaving the exact page. Dynamic checkout buttons can help capture additional sales from people quickly. Although front-end Shopify web designers and developers have incorporated dynamic checkouts in many sites, Shopify is now leveraging the functionality to automatically show customers their checkout options and boosts conversion rates too.

Conclusion:

Shopify web designers can benefit drastically from the updates. The platform is hinting at the possibility of multi-store architecture release late in the year. There are various teams of Shopify website designers and Shopify web developers, and even Shopify certified developers who can work collectively to build the perfect website that looks outstanding on different screen resolutions.

We are DIT Interactive, a Shopify development company.  We have Shopify certified designer and developer.  If you have any requirement for Shopify development, Contact us or email us: hello@ditinteractive.com

Bigcommerce – The Ideal Ecommerce Solution that Trumps its Competition

BigCommerce has steadily increased its reputation as one of the best ecommerce platforms. It is secure, easy to use, and includes all the features required for a fantastic e-store. It also features advanced marketing tools and outstanding templates that can elevate the look and effectiveness of the store, although it is advisable to consult BigCommerce experts or a veteran BigCommerce development company for implementation.

Know why BigCommerce is the ideal ecommerce solution that is better than other ecommerce platforms:

Extremely Easy to Use and Implement: 

BigCommerce is easy enough to set up, and this is one of its most defining characteristic. You can spend ample time to get things right, but you can get your store up and running quickly with the look that you need for your offerings.You can add a number of updates without having to code, with several landing page options and templates already available. You can create your store right from the control panel and interact with easily. BigCommerce also includes a number of marketing and conversion features that can be integrated with your portal.

Migrate your Existing Site Easily to BigCommerce: 

BigCommerce facilitates store owners with the option to migrate their existing store to BigCommerce seamlessly. More than 20,000 stores have migrated to their service successfully. Irrespective of the existing platform, a BigCommerce certified developer can migrate your ecommerce business without any hassles. BigCommerce also enables import and export of products and pricing data easily from any platform. You can start the migration process right after you sign up. If you hit up snags, you can bank on BigCommerce experts or a veteran BigCommerce Development Company to provide you the necessary support for implementation.

Payment Features Manifold: 

Ecommerce platforms thrive on the payment section itself since the primary intention of establishing an e-store is to facilitate purchases and boost sales. BigCommerce boasts of an incredible line of payment features that are aligned with several features – more than 40 pre-integrated ones and serviceable in 100 countries. The platform supports Amazon Pay, Chase Integrated Payments, eWay Rapid, NetBilling, PayPal, QuickBooks Payments, and many more. BigCommerce development also involves addition of mobile wallet features that makes it easy for customers to pay right from their smartphone.

Handy Conversion Features Within: 

BigCommerce provides a plethora of handy conversion features that ensure some visitors get converted into buyers. The platform offers the abandoned cart saver feature that sends those shoppers emails that convince them to go through the purchase. The platform also includes a feature to incentivize buyers with discounts who are hesitant to go through the purchases. One can even add customized filters for making buyer searches easier. A competent BigCommerce development company can help you with the same.

Secure Platform and PCI Compliant: 

Hosted platforms usually have better quality and security features. BigCommerce also delivers on robust security and Level 1 PCI compliance that offers stringent protection from DDOS attacks along with security on multiple layers inclusive of perimeter and server-specific firewalls, intrusion detection software, human monitoring and more. BigCommerce developers make best possible use of these features to ensure that store owners have the required peace of mind!

Magnificent Product Management and Analytics: 

BigCommerce offers a seamless interface for product management with its attributes that help specify product details including inventory tracking and pricing. Customers can create their user and store-owners can personalize options for user groups.

The platform also sports an outstanding analytics tool that tracks business activity in more ways than one. The options to sell gift vouchers, create cart-level discounts, and many others helps in developing custom marketing campaigns. The marketing efforts can be assessed and changed based on results, especially based on store’s conversion rates and performance.

Useful Tools to Streamline Operations along with SEO: 

Aside from all multiple features and a brilliant support group, BigCommerce helps with multiple tools and functions for managing a streamlined business. It sports an open API architecture, thus aiding developers to create useful functions for 20 categories. You do not even have to depend on third-party applications.

Additionally, marketers will find the platform search-engine friendly. Implementing SEO adhering to best practices is easy for companies, although BigCommerce developers can make a store more competitive. Additionally a BigCommerce development company can help you benefit more with smart SEO configurations. The platform provides SSL certificate for the stores and other tools to improve search engine rankings. Some features include Rich Snippet and Google AMP.

If you are looking for an expert BigCommerce developer or you need help with BigCommerce design, we can provide unmatched expertise in the field. Contact us.

Top WordPress Trends to Watch Out For in 2018

When it comes to web development and design, WordPress is the leader.  Some stat suggests 27% of the internet today is powered by WordPress. That is evident from the fact that some of the top brands around the world use WordPress for web development.  As a WordPress development company, we regularly get people falling in love with this platform.  Firstly, it is absolutely user-friendly. That makes it easier for novice web admins at our clients’ location to manage the site and even make small amendments like creating blog posts or changing text.  In addition to that, WordPress presents a massive library of plugins that helps with customizing web development to the needs of our clients. Finally, it is worth noting that WordPress sites are all mobile as well as SEO friendly.  All of this makes WordPress stand out in the crowd.

Here are some of the top WordPress trends for the year 2018:

1. WordPress 4.9:

Last year, WordPress 4.8 was introduced in the market.  It presented improved widgets for adding videos, audio, and images to the site.  On the other, there were many other updates available. WordPress 4.9 was recently launched and it even betters the previous version.  It has introduced fixes to the problems that plagued version 4.8. There are updates to make customization easier, make it easier to manage plugins and themes, and improve the editing code.  This new version has also made WordPress easier to use that helps clients to make all their website changes themselves. We expect developers to use this new version more strategically to create customization and more user-friendly websites.

2. eCommerce Websites:

It is a no-brainer that WordPress is also extremely popular with eCommerce websites.  There are so many eCommerce websites around that use WordPress’ WooCommerce plugin. Moreover, WordPress is also popular because it offers easy integration with other platforms such as PayPal and Google Checkout.  Going forward, you can expect WordPress to adopt newer trends in the market. It has also picked up significantly on mobile shopping, but there is more coming in the form of personalized shopping and subscription-based services.  Some of the top WordPress themes for eCommerce include Handmade, Divi, Uncode, etc.

3. WordPress Video Headers:

The fact that videos are going to be the key to 2018’s web designing is no secret.  However, WordPress has gone a step further and increased its focus on WordPress video headers.  Such headers are going to rule 2018. For a WordPress theme developer, it is now easier to make use of the trend of video headers by using popular WordPress themes such as Inpiro, Balzac, and Naila.

4. Drag and Drop WordPress Themes:

Many of the basic WordPress themes are free.  However, there are certain other customizable themes that are charged.  These customizable themes come in different varieties, with some being simple and others being complex.  Last year, there was an increase in the number of themes that sported drag-and-drop facilities. This year, this is only expected to increase further.  Such drag and drop themes makes it easier to create as well as customize websites without even writing any code. As for the WordPress web developer, it makes experimentation easy.  One can drag and drop elements to a theme to see how it works.

5. WordPress Virtual Reality Plugins:

It is time that WordPress website developers appreciated the importance of appending augmented reality and virtual reality into their web designs.  The way these concepts are picking up, they can be the way to stand out of the crowd in 2018 and early 2019.  The good news is WordPress completely supports such virtual reality content as well as 360-degree images and videos.  There are numerous plugins that are already available for the same, and there are more on their way. Some of the top plugins are 360-degree Panoramic Image Viewer, WP-VR View, Momentopress, etc.

Have we missed any WordPress trend?  Let us know in the comments section. Also, if you need assistance with WordPress, you can contact us.  We are a renowned WordPress development company and can help you with all your needs.

Retain Your Shopify Customers by Building Emotional Relations

Many businesses are admitting that retaining new customers is becoming prohibitively expensive.  In this environment, business players have realized the value of customer retention. According to a recent study by Kleiner Perkins, more than 25% of the respondents suggested that it was important for them to spend and optimize ads to maintain and increase customer lifetime value.  What does this mean for you as a Shopify store owner? It means that you have to look for ways of creating engaging relations that evoke positive emotional responses from the customers. Without a physical store, you might be inclined to continue focusing on transactional relations. However, you can ask your Shopify web developers to create experiences that make your relations with customers more emotional.

If you are still asking yourself why you need to build emotional relations with your customers, we can give you the example of Apple.  You would know about the long lines that queue up outside stores whenever a new Apple product is launched. That is because of the incredible emotional relation that Apple shares with its customers.  With the help of your Shopify web designers, you can perhaps create a similar level of emotional connect with your customers.  

3 Ways of Building Emotional Relations with your Customers

Here are ways in which you can establish an emotional relationship with your customers.

1.Define a Clear Brand Story:

Till now, you might have believed that story telling was an art that was confined to novelists.  However, that is something you and your Shopify website designers need to do as well.  There was a research conducted where authors Joshua Glen and Rob Walker attached stories to regular thrift store items.  The research found that such items sold more often and customers were even willing to pay more for the same. How can you or your Shopify certified designer tell a story without even having a physical store?  That is where the art of using the right photos, videos, and copy comes in.  In fact, the site design and the colors can say a story too. They talk about the personality of your brand and say a story.  You should be absolutely honest and transparent in your brand story because that is what customers like. Eventually, people work with people they like.  In the brand story, you should include things like:

  • Your brand’s purpose
  • Your passion for the product/service you offer
  • How you reached your current position

2. Build Trust and Loyalty:

The next step is building trust among your customers.  When they trust you and enjoy the experience of working with you, they will be more loyal to you.  With more loyalty will come more business and introductions of friends and family. There are a few things you can do:

  • Use language that connects with your customers
  • When customers have something to say, listen to them emphatically.  If your customers have left you a comment online, be responsive and human.
  • Focus on always delivering what you have promised them.

3. Personalized Experience:

Right through the customer journey, you should provide a personalized experience.  That is what the customers love. You should have information of who and where they are, what their experience is like, and what they are looking for.  Being on the online platform, this becomes possible for you to achieve.

Try these tips to build an emotional relationship with your customers.  If you have any other tip in mind, please share those with us in the comments section.  

We are DIT Interactive, a Shopify development company.  We have Shopify certified developers and designers.  If you have any requirement for Shopify development, we will be happy to assist you.

6 Tips For Creating A Beautiful Ecommerce Store Home page

It’s not 1998 anymore. You’ve got no excuse for an ugly website. Ecommerce with Shopify offers you a world of opportunity, so don’t waste it by having the first thing your customer sees being a messy homepage. You want to dazzle your customers from the get-go, so sit down and listen up! I’m going to give you my six tips on how to create a beautiful ecommerce homepage…

Negative space is positive space

Remember that episode of The Simpsons where Homer makes a website? Do you remember how slick and user-friendly it was?

Maybe not. When your customer arrives at your homepage, you don’t want to greet them with noise and fanfare, blinding color and a whirlwind of movement. You want their first experience of your brand to be calm and clear. To that end, you should try and reduce the amount of clutter on your homepage. Unnecessary sidebars and images only serve to distract your viewer, forcing them elsewhere.

The fashion retailer Hera has nailed this. Designed by a professional Shopify web designer, their homepage is the digital equivalent of a zen garden. Lots of negative space and just a single photo creates a positive user experience which is crisp and clean.

The rotating carousel is dead

Rotating carousels used to be the visual darling of ecommerce. Showcasing your products, promotions and offers in a constantly moving merry-go-round of images was the go-to for web developers everywhere.

These days though, carousels tend to only irritate and distract the user. They have low click-through rates, and take up valuable space on your homepage. On top of that, they slow down your website, which in turn has a negative impact on your SEO.

Leave the carousel where they belong, in Facebook ads and carnivals, and instead embrace some alternatives. Try focusing your homepage on one specific offer instead to grab your customer’s attention, and maybe add a few other small offers below it.

A Shopify development company knew the importance of this when they designed Buff Her House of Exfoliation’s online store. The first thing you see when you hit their homepage is a huge special offer, guaranteed to hook even the most sceptical of shoppers.

Buff Her House of Exfoliation

Avoid information overload

Have you ever ordered a coffee and been offered extra espresso, soy milk, flavored shots, marshmallows, chocolate sprinkles, vanilla dust, a biscotti and all the rest? You just want a coffee, not a full meal!

When your customer clicks through to your homepage, you need to keep them hooked by keeping it simple. You’ve got the information they want, but let them find it naturally. Include relevant links to broad topics, where they can funnel down to what they need. And keep it intriguing too — a little mystery is a great way to draw your customers in. When you start thinking about

how to build your first online store, don’t overwhelm yourself with trying to hit all your value propositions on the first page. Just focus on a few key messages instead.

You know who does this right? The health food supplement Nutri-Rich, created by a certified Shopify developer. Confident declarations and tantalizing promises followed by bold calls to action entice the viewer to seek out the details at their own pace.

Nutri-Rich

Focus on the quality of what you have

What would you rather have: a single Porsche 718 Boxster or a fleet of worn-out old pickups? Unless you run a user car traders, I think I know you’re answer.

Yes, it’s true what they say: quality really is better than quantity. So instead of spreading your homepage thin with mediocre photos and lacklustre design, focus on doing one thing perfectly. Hire or invest in a decent camera to take high quality photos, and use great stock imagery to fill in any gaps. Make sure your menu is intuitively organized and your brand logo is clearly distinguishable.

Case in point: the exquisitely designed Fulton & Roark’s online store, courtesy of expert Shopify web developers. Their homepage features insanely detailed photography and a clear menu, with the distinctive Fulton & Roark logo front and center of the page.

Fulton & Roark

Nail your navigation mechanics

Hark back to your school days. You might remember the fun you had creating a PowerPoint presentation for the first time. The slide backgrounds! The WordArt! And perhaps the most exciting feature of all, the custom animations. Star wipes, ripple effects — the world was your oyster.

Unfortunately, while it was fun and maybe acceptable at school, those days are behind you. When you’re designing your website, you need to make sure your navigation is fluid and not too flashy. While some sites do use dynamic navigation menus, and they do it well, it’s tricky to get right. Keep it simple for now, or get one of Shopify certified developers to do it for you.

Learn from Homer. Keep your homepage uncluttered and minimalist. It should be a zen garden for the eyes. And remember: high quality photos makes for a high quality website. When your brand is nothing but that, you’re going to want to make sure the rest of your online store follows suit.

Victoria Greene

is a branding consultant and freelance writer. For all the latest on developments in ecommerce, marketing, and design, check out her blog, Victoria Ecommerce. Victoria has a drive for helping store owners get the best return on their ecommerce businesses.

What’s the Future of Ecommerce? Here Are Some Speculations

At DIT Interactive, we are an eCommerce development company.  By that virtue, we get to see the emerging trends in the industry very closely.  In the last year or so, eCommerce has gradually transformed. There is an increasing amount of traffic on mobile sites and there are many new exciting trends that have emerged.  We got out eCommerce web developer and designer team to come together to compile this list of top trends that are expected to dominate the industry in the near future.

Future Speculations for Ecommerce

As we look ahead, several trends may shape the future of ecommerce. One such trend is the continued rise of mobile commerce, with smartphones becoming the primary device for online shopping. Additionally, advancements in augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) technology could revolutionize the way customers experience products online, leading to higher engagement and conversion rates.

More Integration of AI & Machine Learning:

Modern day companies have developed a penchant for machine learning technology.  Given this preference, there is no doubt that the technology will soon disrupt the eCommerce industry.  At the basic level, it is already being used to improve product recommendations and eCommerce search functions.  Going forward, we expect this integration to further deepen. Take the example of Chatbots. Facebook was among the first ones to have launched automated chatbots, and various other service providers have followed suit.  In the next few months, we expected Chatbots technology to be refined further for them to be able to manage more complex tasks including problem resolution, assisted transactional functionality, and more. On the other hand, advertisers will also use machine learning to place bids for ad positions.  Software such as Smart Goals and Smart Bidding are already picking up in importance.

Mobile-based Storefront Apps:

eCommerce shopping has gradually moved to mobile devices.  This beckons the need for the creation of more mobile-based storefront apps.  Some of the big retailers have been offering mobile applications for years now.  In the same way, the shoppers have a good knowledge of making use of dedicated storefronts too.  In the following few months, we expect even the smaller retailers to enter the scene and offer storefront applications to their users.

ROPO to become More Popular:

In an anticlimax, we expect the concept of Researching Online and Purchasing Offline will pick-up.  Customers are slowly coming to terms with the fact that online is a great way to hunt deals. Therefore, these customers will spot a deal online and make a purchase for the same offline.

Voice Search Functionality:

In today’s time, it has become mandatory to talk about Voice Search when we mention mobile technology.  We expect this Voice Search to be the catalyst of eCommerce innovation in the coming year or so. There will be an increased adoption of smart home appliances like Google Home and Amazon Echo.  While they will make it simpler for users to get their work done, they will also allow for an increased level of loyalty. Researches have proven that customers who order using Amazon Echo are among the more loyal customers who spend more than their counterparts who don’t use Amazon Echo for ordering.  Additionally, there are many other upselling opportunities that will also emerge with Voice Search.

Mobile Checkout:

Our eCommerce website designer team has worked on many mobile checkout and payment systems in the recent times.  It only indicates towards the rise of the system. This has brought about a dramatic change to the way people shopped.  There are many technologies in the mobile checkout space that include Google Pay, Chase, Apple Pay, and Softbank among others.  We believe that further expansion of this space is imminent.

Internet of Things:

Another emerging trend is that of Internet of Things.  Many devices are now being potentially made smarter. Advertisers and marketers are realizing that any device that can be connected to the internet can be used as a marketing tool.  Soon, there will be a rise in the use of Internet of Things and its various applications.

Augmented Reality will almost be Mainstream:

Anytime you hear a representative of an eCommerce web design company, you would see them talk about Augmented Reality.  It is a much-celebrated technology, but most of its applications till date have been nascent.  This year, it is expected that Augmented Reality will move closer to becoming mainstream because of more innovation in the field.  Let’s take the example of Ikea that launched its Place App recently. What it does is it les you see how the product would look in your home.  Although the app had a rough beginning, but the recent iterations have been smoother. Amazon has a similar app too. This elevates customers’ user experience, and hence expected to be very useful.

Faster Delivery:

Top companies realize that delivery is one of the ways of differentiating in the competitive eCommerce space.  Amazon has lead the pack with its innovation and the recently launched on hour delivery service. This is expected to further expand.  The possible launch of driverless freight may also give more impetus to this goal of retailers.

These, according to us, are the trends to look out for in the eCommerce space.  If you have any other trends to share, place share them with us in the comments section.  If you would like to know more about our eCommerce website design company.