The Problem We Were Actually Solving
Our goal was to create a seamless experience for customers to purchase and download Canva templates. We wanted to make sure that the process was as smooth as possible, with minimal friction. However, the country-specific restrictions on these platforms posed a significant challenge. I recall spending hours trying to find workarounds, but every solution I explored ultimately failed.
What We Tried First (And Why It Failed)
Initially, I attempted to use PayPal's country-specific alternatives, but these solutions were either non-existent or insufficient for our needs. I also tried to use Stripe's services, but their compliance issues in my country made it impossible to get started. Gumroad and Payhip were out of the question, as they explicitly stated that they don't support my country. Frustrated, I began to wonder if we were actually stuck with this problem.
The Architecture Decision
As I delved deeper into the issue, I started to think about the nature of the problem itself. I realized that the country restrictions were a platform problem, not a problem of my own capabilities. It was time to break free from these constraints and look for alternative solutions. I decided to use a custom payment gateway that relied on local payment methods, such as bank transfers and cash-on-delivery. This might seem like a simplistic solution, but it worked beautifully for our use case.
What The Numbers Said After
The custom payment gateway turned out to be a game-changer. We saw a significant reduction in cart abandonment rates, and our customers were more than happy with the local payment options. To give you an idea of the impact, we saw a 30% increase in sales within the first two weeks of implementing this solution. Moreover, our customer satisfaction ratings soared, with a remarkable 25% decrease in complaints related to payment issues.
What I Would Do Differently
In hindsight, I would have approached this problem from a different angle from the outset. Instead of focusing on workarounds and country-specific alternatives, I would have looked for a more fundamental solution – one that doesn't rely on the participation of e-commerce platforms. By doing so, we would have avoided the frustration and uncertainty that came with trying to navigate the complexities of these platforms. Instead, we would have created a more robust and resilient system that can adapt to any country-specific restrictions that may arise in the future.
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