DEV Community: Loius Martin

Seven Facets of WooCommerce; Perfect For E-commerce Startups

Loius Martin — Tue, 03 Mar 2020 13:15:32 +0000

WooCommerce is the lifesaver for ecommerce brands operating on Wordpress. There are many ways in which the WordPress has helped the modern website developer, but Woo Commerce is one of the few and rare plugins that made a substantial impact on the eCommerce scenario.

WooCommerce is a plugin that helps e-commerce brands customize their products and sort them in categories.

The plugin has been downloaded over 1.6 M times so far all over the globe since its launch in 2011. It is an open-source platform that gives the user an elaborate platform to manage the online business and have an excellent way to manage the market.

It's Free:

The plugin and all of its features are entirely free of charge. Perhaps, there lies the reason for its fame; it is a highly useful app that will not ask for a dime of your money. It also has a long list of unique features that are not available in even the paid eCommerce plugins.

These features will be discussed in detail, but the app is gaining high praise because they are all highly effective and useful. They also are a dream come true for newly launched eCommerce ventures because they are free and will allow for effective management of the eCommerce business.

Flexibility:

The usual way to manage an eCommerce brand was to have extensive coding knowledge. But since Woo-commerce has come into the game, the eCommerce has become a highly independent process. The user can manage their product catalogs, change the attributes, or assign separate attributes, place sale prices, and categorize their products extensively.

The plugin will allow you to conduct commerce virtually, with the downloadable product, physical products, external or affiliate products, and many other options.

The product diversity allows the user to exercise an extended range of freedom in how they want their product presented to the broader audience. The plugin is also simple so that any person running the domain can continue to upgrade the catalog without any need for technical knowledge.

From ECommerce to Digital Marketing:

The plugin lets the user run their blog, develop an individual and professional website, and allows you to promote your product online. Now all you have to do is develop a social media presence for your brand, and your product is ready to be launched.

You will find that the system needs little external help if you have basic knowledge of the online world and know your way around a functional portal. You can run your blog, promote it on social media pages, and make an impact on the website you have.

Customization Options:

Customization is the strong suit of the plugin, and there are 39 main thematic options available to the user. If the person mixes them up, then they will get a wide range of customization options that can all come together.

The plugin will have a wide range of customization options available for free, and some of them are available for a price.

You can also change the code if you want and play with the presentation on the website. There are many unique features that every theme will bring to the table, and you can go through them to understand the way that the website can be made more attractive and engaging.

User-Friendly:

The plugin is famous for its simplicity despite its sophisticated functions. The plugin does not require any additional knowledge of the program, and you can perform highly specialized services. You can build the website that is designed for eCommerce purposes.

You can also place your products, make sure that the products are categorized and tagged according to your inventory, and develop an entire online shop around your brand. You will not need any coding knowledge to perform any of these functions. You can also keep track of orders, update delivery status, manage shipping options, manage coupon codes, and manage tax settings, using the plugin.

Analytics:

Let's suppose you are running 'Birds of Paradise' a bird of paradise resort brand; the plugin comes with an unbelievable analytics option that will allow you to see your products in a new light. You will find the analytics highly useful as a merchant because you will be able to understand how many average orders you have had.

You can also manage customer statistics, manage total sales and record of the sales, and all other transaction details. These details can also be viewed with a bird's eye view with the graphs, and you can understand your purchases better. All of these options are available in the admin's corner.

Extensions:

The plugin has an extensive range of extensions that will allow you to run the business effectively. The WooCommerce extensions are extensively related to ecommerce, such as payment gateway extensions, marketing, and reporting extensions and accounting extensions, among many others.

The Apps Galore will allow you to have more detailed and nuanced control over your website. You will see that the site will be easier to manage and will be available in a more effective manner for your ecommerce needs than ever before with these extensions.

These are a few of the many features that will allow you to develop an ecommerce brand you can be proud of. The plugin has an incredible impact on the modern ecommerce and all the newly minted ecommerce brands that are opened on a small scale have WooCommerce to thank for their success.

The plugin took the system of complex website building usually required for ecommerce and developed it into a practical and straightforward solution that all could follow. The result was that the plugin was a great hit in itself.

In the past decade that the plugin has been active, it has only strengthened its identity as the true heir of ecommerce in the decades to come. The plugin has a sprawling list of extensions and upgrades that are all aimed at improving and enhancing the modern ecommerce experience.

Share your thoughts on the best plugin with us, and we would love to know your choice of ecommerce plugins!

5 EXPENSE TRACKER APPS YOU NEED TO DOWNLOAD IN 2020

Loius Martin — Tue, 25 Feb 2020 12:44:47 +0000

Sick of being nickel and dimed? If yes, we all seem to sing from the same song sheet!

Though resisting the urge to spend may look simple. But , in fact, it’s the second most appalling thing on the planet as the first one remains the itch to ruin a diet plan.

Well, no offense!

Both of these may provoke desire, but then all it does is some irreversible damage. This tempting urge to spend even turns self-financing into a pretty horrendous task.

So isn’t spending mindfully seems like the only wiser way to save and manage finances simultaneously?

But how? Is there a foolproof way one can track expenses and manage finances without having to maintain piles of pay-check records?

No biggie!

Just as technology invaded other niches, it has also taken account of easing up budgeting and has presented a slew of reliable and convenient budgeting and expense tracking softwares.

These apps work as a streamlined fix to manage and track expenses while nudging all the spendthrifts out there, to develop a strong sense of keeping accountability.

So regardless of what you need be it, a continuous reminder for the cash remaining in your bank account or maybe an app that can suggest you a specific budgeting approach that caters to your needs and simply lets you reach the targeted goals in a more systematic way that too in a jiffy.

We surfed through the internet to gather 5 expense tracker apps that will ease the burden of budgeting and assist you to slay your budget plan in 2020.

MINT

Becoming rich demands years of dedication and devotion and is relatively hard, but so is being broke!

So it’s your call which hard you wish to pick out for yourself. In case you prefer to go for the former one. You will inevitably end up hunting for ways to gain financial stability over time. Mint can certainly get your concerns covered to help you save a considerable sum while periodically keeping a check on your spending patterns.

The budgeting app has successfully managed to seize a massive sum of users with some of its most significant advantages that are the financial hub, automatic syncing, portfolio snapshots, trends overview, free credit scores, and lastly, it’s super convenient mobile app.

A bonus is, the app also runs free credit scores plus credit score analyzing.

Alike Mint, My EasyFi expense tracking app, works competently by assembling the financial records of the user for the past 6 months. On the basis of the results, it then suggests and set realistic goals. It walks you through a proper channel of budget building and maintenance plan, which spins around the user’s financial lacking and measures to cope up with them.

Plus, it also plans debt settlement methods and effective ways to execute ways to compensate dues.

YNAB

While we can’t avoid debt entirely, we still can take some practical measures to gain control over each one of our hard-earned penny.

The reason why the mismanagement of finances is confronted too often is all because a majority of us miss the mark in allocating every dollar its designated place, which consequently leads to spending more than predicted.

So those who wish to take the utmost benefit from the app must pay for it to avail of further premium features. YNAB also suggests ways to get back on track if you get out the orbit and wish to manage, assemble and organize your finances again.

YNAB can simply be your best buddy in times of need.

EVERYDOLLAR

Planning to commence with managing your finances like a pro? You should probably begin with crafting a budget for your entire week or for a month. This spreadsheet will help you keep a systematic record of your spending and saving patterns.

But who has the time to craft a spreadsheet manually? Obviously, none of us prefer to craft an entire month’s budget on a dairy.

Because let’s be real, it’s a tedious task.

So in order to ease up budgeting, this premium app goes by the name Every Dollar is here to do the job for you.

The app put forth ways to assist people to efficiently get out of debt with a proven track record of letting people out of the debt-drown proficiently.

Though Every Dollar's free program is fair-enough in eliminating debt, however, you can also switch to its premium program to have a more bona fide experience of effective money managing.

PERSONAL CAPITAL

An investment management tool that can be your personal financial advisory too.

This money management software combines both artificial and human intelligence to come up with the most astounding and feasible advisory system.

The app also has a free program that initially deals with tracking and monitoring expenses. The app also offers innovative ways to track and manage expenses, keeping the user mindful of the sink age.

Moreover, the categories can also be personalized as per what the user wants to let them make use of the app accordingly. The app has some unique features like net value tracker and portfolio snapshots for better portfolio management.

CLARITY MONEY

Inconsistent income and hefty bills can transform self-financing into a creepy night terror, and most of us have battled it and continue to do so even today.

Clarity money as its name suggests, detangle concerns associated with financing. Furthermore, it works the same as any personal advocate which be there to continually give you a gentle nudge while continually scouting for ways to optimize financial issues.

With a slew of platforms, the app offers massive opportunities to save up a buck.

This bill negotiating app links it’s users with the credit accounts so it turns handy to assemble all your business transactions in one app.

The best feature which captivates most of the users hunting for a decent finance managing app is, it demonstrates one’s financial standing through visuals and graphs. Also, it offers fairly decent discounts on Telecomm expenses which consequently saves megabucks on utility bills.

This technical powerhouse makes transactions easier and speedy while shaping the user’s saving muscle with just a few taps of their finger.

These Steps Help You Recognize The Best Web Design Company Around You

Loius Martin — Mon, 11 Nov 2019 07:48:30 +0000

When you’re founding the basis of your online presence, you need a website that appears to your audience. The need of a web design professional comes as the high priority step to help your company strengthen its consumer base. For instance, if you don’t have experience of web design and related tech, you might start considering hiring a professional Dallas web design company .

You see, the experts at the company have a deep understanding of how things work on the internet. But not all those who appear on the search results for ‘the best web design company near me’ have the same level of expertise. The value they provide might vary from company to company. This is where we highlight the tell-tale signs when choosing the web design company to minimize the issues arising later with quality of work produced on their end and keep your company budgets within the limits.
Read on to discover the ways you can recognize the web design company that suits you and your business.

Number Of Professionals A good website design company houses a team of professionals instead of a solo designer. For instance, if there are different professionals for designing, developing, and optimizing your website, the task will be much easier. The group of experts exhibit their skills competently and work in sync, so your website is developed at its best. Whenever you choose a company, make sure you check if they have a well-developed team of seasoned experts to carry out your web design order.
Costs And Packages The costs and pricing for each website vary from company to company, which makes each stand on a different level. Several companies usually display the prices for general services and charge the client with more money for undisclosed services that tag along throughout the project. Before you choose a company because it just looks good, make sure you ask all the important questions regarding what’s included in the costs and the packages you’re choosing.
Company Authenticity It’s vitally important to know that the company you’re going to hire has a registered identity. A good web design company will have a registered trademark, including all its professional logo design and services. the website will be secure and the payment procedures will be verified. Whenever you approach a website, make sure you research completely. Check for online records that determine its authenticity.
Versatile Portfolio The best way to know the way a company develops and designs your website is to check their online portfolio. It’s comprised of their previous projects, which can give you an idea about several things, like the theme of their sites, the industries they design for, and their level of expertise. If you’re choosing a design studio that caters specifically to woo-commerce websites and you need something else, you might want to think again about choosing the other having a diverse set of projects for different industries.
Real-Time Office Location Apart from having an online presence, an authentic company will have a physical location where it can meet the clients for project discussions. Knowing where the company has a location will save you from frauds and swindles and will give you a sense of ease.
Synched Functionality A website design company must be organized in the way it deals with its employees and clients. A good one will exhibit a clear hierarchy and function. From the start of the project to the end, the structure in the company will work towards smoothness. On the other hand, a company with disorganized structure will only make your web design suffer. Keep in mind that a company with a synced and structured functionality is the one to go for.
Real-Time Delivery Estimates When signing a project contract, companies usually give estimates to when they will deliver a project. A good one will give you clear indications and real-time estimates of how they’ll carry out your project, given the challenges coming their way. Don’t fall for the ones that promise prompt delivery with unrealistic behavior.

I Searched For Good Designer Habits And They Brought Out The Best In Me

Loius Martin — Wed, 23 Oct 2019 08:05:05 +0000

Being a designer has never been an easy job for me. Each project is different. One after another, you’re droned continuously over with rambling thoughts and rushed team planning. It happened to me. Back in the days when I graduated, I used to think UX design is just as good as that taught in the design school.
When I joined the practical stream, the difference was too vast. The theories were just theories. Practical experience was a fast-paced dimension, something that can get you a speed ticket for over-speeding. However, I too, was caught in the eye of the storm. At first, everything seemed so good, but then I noticed my overall productivity going down. I would usually hit the block, find instructions hard to follow, and lose my concentration.

I was working as a UX designer at a professional logo design company in Dallas. It was until then that I searched for the good habits of competent designers (actually, they showed up in my feed) and learned some great things that helped me steer towards becoming a better UX designer.

What I’m going to share might not be the technical tips or shortcuts you may learn as a UX designer, but I can assure you that these great habits will help you achieve the state of nirvana in your workflow.

Organize Your Work

Anyone can get easily overwhelmed with numerous project flows, team hassles, and client pushes. There was a time I couldn’t help but neatly organize my desk. But as time moved forward, I realized that organization is a crucial skill that somehow gets lost in your fast-moving workplace.
Organization isn’t about keeping your pencils sharpened in the holder or fixing that pile of notes in your drawer; it’s about harmonizing and structuring your skill management ability and the workflow simultaneously.
I learned that creating a pipeline for multiple projects with colorful digital sticky notes (with details of the project) or an Excel sheet with project start dates, urgency level, features, and deadlines helps save you significant time when you are running multiple projects at hand. Honestly, this type of organization works for beginners and pros alike because it’s simple and yet so effective.

Learn And Adapt

Learning is easier said than done. It’s like that hard but sweet candy that makes your mouth ache. You have the choice to either enjoy the taste as it dissolves slowly or crush it between your jaws and hurt yourself. Whether you’re a freelance UX designer or the one serving full-time, learning comes with experience. I’ve seen people who either enjoy the taste of success later or regret taking hasty decisions.
In my case, I became a learner after making mistakes in the first place. I started cultivating the idea to research, anticipate, and plan before I started a project. It gave me a sense of power over myself and the situation. You see, learning from your mistakes becomes an asset. You’re always expanding your skills, which help you adapt to challenging conditions in turn.
Also, seek opportunities to learn from others. It could be your team lead, your fellow designer, or the developer Carl or even the client. Everyone will provide you a chance to learn something; you need to pay attention.

Go Where You Belong

When you need to shop for groceries, you know where the local supermarket is. With all the choices in front of you, you will undoubtedly recognize the environment of your need. Your instinct guides you, without leaving room for second thoughts.
The case for finding a workplace is similar, but the complexity and intangibility of certain things make this process a little complicated. That’s the reason why people fail at jobs when looking for an ideal one. What makes a designer a good one is his ability to identify the environment that’s right for him.
During my initial years in the field, I once watched Michael Bierut conversing in a presentation on clients. What struck me was the answer to the question: “What should I look for in a work environment?”
The answer was BRAINS, PASSION, TRUST, and COURAGE. Each of these qualities represents excellent benefits on their own, but in a place where these qualities are present, whether you’re a designer or the janitor, you just thrive overall. Trust enables the company to rely on its designers’ abilities and instincts. Passion helps them move forward, where courage strengthens them to take risks. In the end, the brain connects the dots and gives you the perfect sense of understanding.
Even if you take out one pillar, the three others won’t be able to support the whole structure.

Rewrite Your Habits

In the industry where we develop designs and software, we aim to create error-free projects. Sure, it’s a supreme goal, but there would come a time that it would hurt you. For instance, we believe in specific rules, practices, and processes to be the optimum and that nothing exists beyond them. As good as this thinking looks in theory, practice proves it wrong.
If I wrote this article a decade ago, you would find it different from the values observed in your time. For example, you won’t have to follow the old school method to use post-it notes or use the Excel sheet; you could be using some other advanced tool. Who knows?
What makes a designer effective is his ability to evolve and rewrite his habits. From the start to the end of their career, they remain curious and on the lookout for something that improves their work process. And with this final habit, I also took on it and became a chameleon. I started soaking up experiences, and to date, I can assure you that I had improved as compared to when I started.
As time passes by, you can evolve that helps you survive. Keep evolving because that’s how you’ll grow.