StartupTalky

Blog

  • Top 11 Useful Google Apps That You Have no Idea About

    Many of us are regularly using Google apps such as Drive, Docs, Sheets, Maps, Meet, and many more in our day-to-day lives. Who can forget apps like GPay and PlayStore? Google has literally trapped us in its ecosystem.

    At the same time, these apps have also made our lives so much easier. But, do you know there are many other apps made by Google that very few people know about. Today, I am going to tell you about the lesser-known Google Apps. Shhhh! Don’t tell anyone about these apps, okay?

    1. Grasshopper: Learn to Code
    2. Toontastic 3D
    3. Google Arts and Culture
    4. Google Earth
    5. Sound Amplifier
    6. Socratic by Google
    7. PhotoScan
    8. Google Tasks
    9. Google Family Link
    10. Find My Device
    11. Chrome Remote Desktop

    The above graph shows the number of available apps on Google Play Store in numbers from June 2017 to June 2022 as per the source Statista
    Number of available apps on Google Play Store in numbers from June 2017 to June 2022 as per the source Statista

    1. Grasshopper: Learn to Code

    Grasshopper Website
    Grasshopper Website

    If you like watching sci-fi movies then you might think that coding is a very fun job. In reality, many people find it very tough to code.

    To help people learn to code in a fun way Google developed Grasshopper. Using this app you can learn to write real JavaScript on your mobile by playing interesting games and puzzles.

    This app will help you build a strong foundation of coding concepts.

    Features of Grasshopper:

    • Move through progressively challenging levels as you upgrade your coding skills.
    • Visual puzzles will simplify your coding journey.
    • Apply your learning to projects.
    • Get real-time feedback.
    • Collect achievements when you learn new skills.

    2. Toontastic 3D

    Toontastic 3D Website
    Toontastic 3D Website

    Does watching cartoons make you happy? Do you want to make your own cartoons?

    Well, if you have nodded then quickly install Toontastic 3D. Using this app you can draw, animate, and narrate your own cartoons.

    The drag-and-drop editor makes the creating and editing process very easy.

    Features of Toontastic 3D:

    • Design your cartoons with 3D drawing tools.
    • Record your voice and animations and store them on your phone as a 3D video.
    • Choose from three story arcs: Short story, classic, and science report.
    • Add your photos to the cartoons.
    • Get inspiration from the existing stories and characters.

    3. Google Arts and Culture

    Google Arts and Culture
    Google Arts and Culture

    Are you fascinated by majestic arts and the thrilling history of the world? If yes, then Google Arts and Culture app is for you. Using this app you can get knowledge of over 2,000 cultural institutions from 80 countries at your fingertips.

    If you visit museums regularly then this app is a must-have because you can point your mobile camera at artworks and get interesting information about them even when you don’t have internet access. You can even find museums and exhibitions near you.

    Features of Google Arts and Culture:

    • Take a tour of world-class museums from the comfort of your home.
    • Immerse yourself in 360-degree panoramic tours.
    • See the real size of the artwork.
    • Zoom in and find the intricate details of the masterpiece.
    • Discover portraits that look like you.
    • Search by time and even color.
    • Using the street view functionality you can tour famous sites and landmarks.
    • Save and share your favorite artwork.

    4. Google Earth

    Google Earth Website
    Google Earth Website

    Do you want to have a satellite view of your house? Or do you want to see the satellite view of your grandparent’s house?

    No, you don’t have to visit ISRO.

    Using Google Earth, you can get a satellite view of any location in the world.

    Features of Google Earth:

    • Get the 3D terrain of the entire globe.
    • Zoom into your house and anywhere else.
    • Discover 360-degree perspective with a street view.
    • Roll the dice and the app will automatically transfer you to a different part of the world.
    • Voyager functionality allows you to get a collection of guided tours from BBC Earth, NASA, National Geographic, and more.

    5. Sound Amplifier

    Sound Amplifier
    Sound Amplifier

    Many times when we are in a noisy environment we are not able to properly hear what the other person is saying. Or when we are watching TV at home we are not able to hear sound coming from the TV.

    In such a scenario we cannot increase the volume of the TV because we might disturb our family members.

    In such situations, the Sound Amplifier app comes in very handy. Using this app, you can filter, augment and amplify the sound around you and on your device. Just plug in your headphones and hear everyday conversations and surrounding sounds more clearly.

    Features of Sound Amplifier:

    • Remove the background noise and hear what the other person is saying more clearly.
    • Personalize your listening experience according to your needs and surroundings.
    • You can boost low frequency and high frequency.

    6. Socratic by Google

    Socratic by Google
    Socratic by Google

    Whenever you see a difficult question in your textbook you type the whole question on Google, right?

    This is a very tedious task and it might take a lot of time for you to find the answer.

    To automate this process, you can use Socratic by Google. The app is powered by Google AI. Using Socratic you can scan any question and the app will find the best online solutions for you.

    Features of Socratic:

    • Socratic has partnered with teachers to provide students with visual explanations of each subject.
    • Apart from written resources, the app will also find relevant videos with step-by-step tutorials.
    • The app supports most high-school subjects like Algebra, Geometry, Trigonometry, Biology, Chemistry, Physics, History, and Literature.
    • Using the Voice Assist feature you can directly ask questions to the app by speaking to it.

    7. PhotoScan

    Photoscan by Google
    Photoscan by Google

    Do you have old printed photos of your childhood lying in your drawer that you want to save on your phone?

    If yes, then PhotoScan is an excellent app by Google that lets you scan and save your printed photos using your phone’s camera. The app creates enhanced digital scans which make your photos more good-looking.

    Features of PhotoScan:

    • Glare-free scans.
    • Automatic cropping based on edge detection.
    • Straight and rectangular scans with perspective correction.
    • Smart rotation means that your photos will stay right-side-up no matter which way you scan them.
    • Most importantly, all the images are saved in Google Photos.

    8. Google Tasks

    Google Tasks
    Google Tasks

    In today’s fast-paced world we have a lot of tasks to do on a daily basis. Although we tend to forget what task we have to do at what day and time.

    Due to this our pending tasks pile up and our productivity decreases.

    To get a birds-eye view of all the projects you can use Google Tasks. It is a to-do list app that helps you to add, edit and view all your tasks on the go.

    Features of the Google Tasks:

    • Add your tasks based on the date or prioritize using drag-and-drop.
    • Sync your tasks in Gmail and Calendar.
    • Set a due date for every task and get reminders for it.
    • Create subtasks for every major task.

    Google Family Link
    Google Family Link

    Google Family Link helps parents limit the excessive use of mobile phones by children under 13 years of age.

    The prime purpose of this app is to create a healthy digital environment.

    With it, you can easily implement digital ground rules for the teen or a kid.

    • Get a report of your child’s app activity and understand how much time they are spending on those apps.
    • Approve or deny the installation of apps that your child wants to download from the Google PlayStore.
    • Set limits on screen time.
    • Remotely lock the device.

    10. Find My Device

    Google Find my Device
    Google Find my Device

    The feeling that you get when your phone gets lost or stolen is terrible and fearful.

    Although you can eradicate this feeling by installing the Find My Device app on your phone.

    Using this app you can locate your lost android phone and lock it until you get it back.

    Features of Find My Device:

    • Permanently delete all data on your phone or any lost android device.
    • Using indoor maps you can find your device in airports, shopping centers, or other large buildings.
    • Reach your device’s location using Google Maps.
    • Lock your phone with a custom message and contact number on the lock screen.
    • Ring your phone at full volume. This would work even when your device is on silent

    11. Chrome Remote Desktop

    Chrome Remote Desktop
    Chrome Remote Desktop

    Using the Chrome Remote Desktop app you can remotely connect your desktop screen to your android or iOS device. You can even share your desktop screen with the other person.

    Just download the app on your mobile phone and install the chrome extension on your desktop.

    That’s it! Now, you can start using the remote access feature.

    Features of Chrome Remote Desktop:

    • Provides access to multiple keyboard shortcuts.
    • Is accessible on all operating devices.
    • Enables full-screen view, and resize to fit display options while using the app on mobile.

    Top 16 Biggest Failed Products of Microsoft
    Microsoft is a billion-dollar company known for its successful products but the company has its share of failed products too. Take a look at it.
    StartupTalkyAnagha S

    Conclusion

    Most of you might be surprised to know about these awesome apps that very few people know about. But, now that you know about these apps, download the ones which cater to your needs and start using them.

    Since all these apps are made by Google they are very safe to use. Google has made many other apps as well. But, most of them were discontinued or integrated into another app.

    FAQs

    Are Google apps free?

    Yes, most of the Google apps are free and safe to use.

    How many Google apps are there?

    There are about 160 Google apps in total.

    What are apps called on an android device?

    Apps on android devices are called APK files.

    Why is Google free?

    Google is free for visitors and not for customers. Moreover, Google earns revenue from many sources including advertising, selling its products, etc. Google gets the upper hand over its competitors by providing free services to the user. And also it gets the chance to sell its products to the users interested.

  • LendingClub: The Success Story of the American Financial Service Provider Company

    Company Profile is an initiative by StartupTalky to publish verified information on different startups and organizations. The content in this post has been approved by LendingClub.

    It can be safe to assume that one of the most vital parts of everyone’s life is banking and financial benefits. We are all heavily dependent on the bank and the financial sector to effectively use our money for loans, lending, investments, or insurance.

    These days, the options of banks and financial services are endless with many people using different kinds of banking and various financial services like insurance premiums, paying utility bills, online shopping, mobile recharge, etc all through Debit/Credit cards. The introduction of technology in this sector has also made transactions simplified and much easier.

    In order to develop and obtain future financial rewards, multiple financial services are being offered by major banks, such as personal banking, and business banking solutions. In addition to this, banks also offer investment advice or consultancy to assist investors in making the best use of their money.

    LendingClub, which was founded in 2006 in the USA, offers a wide range of financial products and services to help its customers reach their financial goals. The company was founded as the world’s first peer-to-peer lending platform.

    To gain some insights into LendingClub, we have articulated some relevant information on LendingClub’s products and services, its business and revenue model, competition, and the challenges it faced.

    LendingClub – Company Highlights

    Headquarters California, USA
    Sector Financial Services
    Founder Renaud Laplanche, Soul Htite
    Founded 2006
    Type Public Company
    Revenue $679.8 million (2021)
    Total Funding Raised $392.2 million
    Website www.lendingclub.com

    LendingClub – About and How it works?
    LendingClub – Industry details
    LendingClub – Founders
    LendingClub – Mission and Vision
    LendingClub – Business Model
    LendingClub – Revenue and Growth
    LendingClub – Challenges and Controversies
    LendingClub – Funding, and Investors
    LendingClub – Mergers, and Acquisitions
    LendingClub – Investments
    LendingClub – Advertisements and Social Media Campaigns
    LendingClub – Awards and Achievements
    LendingClub – Competitors
    FAQs

    LendingClub – About and How it works?

    LendingClub was founded in 2006 with the motive to lend its financial services. The company is San Francisco, California-based financial services startup. The best part about the company is that it was the first peer-to-peer lender to register its offers as shares with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and to allow secondary loan trading. LendingClub was the world’s largest peer-to-peer lending marketplace at one point. Around December 2015, the firm announced that $15.98 billion in loans have been originated on its platform.

    LendingClub also provides traditional direct-to-consumer loans, such as vehicle refinancing, through WebBank, an FDIC-insured, state-chartered industrial bank based in Salt Lake City, Utah. The services offered by LendingClub are – Personal loans, business loans, auto refinancing, personal banking, institutional banking, and institutional investors.

    Two years ago, LendingClub announced to shut of its peer-to-peer lending platform. The company no longer provides new loans for individual investing.

    LendingClub – Industry details

    As per reports, it is estimated that the global financial services market is worth $20.49 trillion in 2020. The banking and financial sector industry is said to make up a quarter of the world’s economy. This industry is undoubtedly regarded as the crucial nectar in each one of our lives. Reports also claim that about 6.6 million Americans are employed in the financial and banking sector.

    LendingClub – Founders

    Lending Club was founded by Renaud Laplanche and Soul Htite in 2006.

    Renaud Laplanche
    Renaud Laplanche

    Renaud Laplanche

    Renaud Laplanche had co-founded and served as the CEO of LendingClub for almost a decade. He is currently the co-founder and CEO of Upgrade, Inc., which is a fintech company. Before this, he is also associated with founding another company TripleHop Technologies, which was later acquired by Oracle Corporation. Born in France, Renaud has studied business and law and holds an MBA degree from HEC Business School in Paris, France, and London Business School. In his entire career journey, he has worked on cases related to mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, and many investment transactions.

    Soul Htite

    Soul Htite is a fintech entrepreneur who co-founded LendingClub. Presently, Soul serves as the founder and CEO of Valt, a software company that offers financial services. Along with Valt, Soul is also the co-founder of Upgrade, Inc. He has worked with multiple organizations such as Oracle, SinoLending, Assured Asset Management, and True North. His main interests are real-time online services and system architecture for high availability and fault tolerance.

    LendingClub – Mission and Vision

    LendingClub’s mission reads as, “to transform the banking system to make credit more affordable and investing more rewarding.”

    The vision statement of LendingClub is, “Our leaders share a vision of expanding financial opportunities for all Americans through responsible innovation.”

    LendingClub – Business Model

    LendingClub operates its business through the fee-based model. The business of LendingClub offers borrowers to post loan listings on its website by providing information about themselves and the loans they want to obtain. After a borrower has visited the website, the company then decides whether the borrower was creditworthy based on the borrower’s credit score, credit history, desired loan amount, and debt-to-income ratio and awards a credit grade to its accepted loans, which set the payable interest rate and fees. A typical loan term is three years, with a five-year option available for a higher interest rate and extra expenses.

    As mentioned earlier, LendingClub offers personal banking, personal loans, institutional banking, institutional investment, business banking and loans, and other related financial services and loans.

    LendingClub – Revenue and Growth

    LendingClub has made a total of $679.8 million in revenue as of 2021. LendingClub generates its income by charging origination fees to borrowers and servicing fees to investors. The operating income is reported to be around $18.4 million.

    LendingClub – Challenges and Controversies

    During early 2016, LendingClub had increasing trouble obtaining investors. As a result, the company raised the interest rate it charged borrowers three times in the first three months of the year. The rise in interest rates, along with fears about the impact of the faltering US economy, resulted in a significant reduction in LendingClub’s share price. The Financial Times stated in December 2017 that LendingClub has failed to escape the impact of a governance controversy in May and that the company has battled to keep major investors buying loans despite internal governance changes. These difficulties have caused it to boost its loss forecast, resulting in additional reductions in its share price. Many other peer-to-peer lending organizations were also having issues at the time.

    LendingClub – Funding, and Investors

    Lending Club is backed by a group of 24 investors. The most recent investors are Two Sigma and Panorama Point Partners. The other investors’ names are – Flint Capital, Employee Stock Option Fund, FinSight Ventures, Sands Capital Ventures, BlackRock, T. Rowe Price, Coatue, and DST Global.

    Lending Club has raised $392.2 million in investment across 15 rounds. Their most recent fundraising came on April 9, 2017, in the form of a Post-IPO Equity round.

    Date Funding Round Fund Amount Investor
    April 9, 2017 Post-IPO -Equity – –
    August 22, 2014 Venture Round – –
    April 17, 2014 Debt Financing $50 million –
    Apr 17, 2014 Private Equity Round $65 million –
    November 13, 2013 Secondary Market Capital $57 million –
    May 1, 2013 Secondary Market Capital $125 million CapitalG, Foundation Capital
    June 6, 2012 Venture Round $17.5 million Kleiner Perkins

    LendingClub – Mergers, and Acquisitions

    Lending Club has purchased two businesses. Radius Bank was their most recent acquisition, which occurred on February 18, 2020. Radius Bank was purchased for $185 million. In 2014, LendingClub purchased its first company called, Springstone.

    LendingClub – Investments

    On September 4, 2019, Lending Club made an investment in Even Financial. The Venture Round – Even Financial investment was valued at $25 million.

    LendingClub – Advertisements and Social Media Campaigns

    LendingClub posts short ad videos on the website called ‘ispot.tv’ on personal loans, business loans, credit cards, debit cards, etc. You can find these videos are short with the right blend of marketing tactics targeted toward their audience with interesting characters and strong dialogue delivery.

    LendingClub – Awards and Achievements

    Some of the awards won by LendingClub are;

    • LendingClub was named Best Bank or Credit Union for Online Experience by Nerdwallet (2021)
    • LendingClub also won Celent Model Bank Award for Credit Innovation During the Pandemic for their Paycheck Protection Program response.
    • LendingClub won for Top Rated Company Perks & Benefits

    LendingClub – Competitors

    LendingClub has the following competitors

    1. Avant

    2.  Lendable

    3.  SoFi

    4.  Pagaya

    5. Happy Money

    6.  Auxmoney

    7.  SocietyOne

    8. SoLo Funds

    9. Upstart

    10. Primavera Financial

    FAQs

    Who is the CEO of Lending Club?

    Renaud Laplanche is the founder & CEO of Lending Club.

    Where is the head office of the Lending Club?

    The Head Office of Landing Club is in San Fransisco.

    Is Lending Club shutting down?

    Yes, Lending Club is shutting down.

    Why is Lending Club shutting down?

    Yes. As per the company’s website, it’s not economically possible for the company to continue its operation.

  • How to Increase Your Conversion Rates at WooCommerce Checkout?

    How many times have you entered a store (online or offline) and got out without buying any products? How many times did you add the products to the cart and completely forgot about them? Have you ever left a website to check for some coupons and left the cart unattended thereafter? We have all done this. As an eCommerce store owner, this could be a real problem.

    As per BuiltWith reports, more than 6 million websites use WooCommerce to set up their eCommerce stores as of July 2022. However, how much do these sites convert? The average conversion rate for a WooCommerce site is 0.3%, as compared to the approximately 2% industry standard in eCommerce. There are many loopholes in WooCommerce checkout itself leading to poor conversion rates, such as a lack of field customization.

    Today, instead of focusing on generic conversion tips, we will aim at optimizing the checkout page to reduce cart abandonment.

    Issues With WooCommerce Checkout
    Ways to Conversion Optimize WooCommerce Checkout

    How to Set up an Ecommerce Store Using WooCommerce? | a Tutorial for Beginners

    Issues With WooCommerce Checkout

    WooCommerce is a secure eCommerce platform. It is customizable and accommodates a lot of flexible layouts. However, WooCommerce checkout has many gaps, which lead to poor customer experience. These are:

    • Can not Track Progress: WooCommerce allows owners to make multiple-page checkouts. However, the buyer can not see how many pages are left to complete checkout. This could frustrate them and drive them away in between the process. A quick way to solve this is to opt for single-page checkout. However, that is not viable every time.
    • Lack of Field Customization Options: WooCommerce has a standard checkout page with limited customization options. You can not move the fields around or can not add a custom field. At max, you can hide a field or mark them optional. Another solution is to use dedicated plugins for designing WooCommerce checkouts. There are many plugins available. Also, since the website works on WordPress, plugins are easy to install and operate.
    • Inappropriate Field Placement: WooCommerce restricts moving the fields around. The two biggest cons are having the coupon section at the top and the email field at the bottom. Email is crucial customer information, and the coupon section on the top drives customers away. With these two major issues, WooCommerce checkout losses its charm and leads to lower conversion rates.

    Now, that we know the core problems with the WooCommerce checkout page, let us look at different ways to optimize the checkout for better conversion rates and enhanced user experience.

    Ways to Conversion Optimize WooCommerce Checkout

    Percentage of Online Stores Using WooCommerce in 2022
    Percentage of Online Stores Using WooCommerce in 2022

    The average WooCommerce conversion rate is 0.3%, while the top WooCommerce stores have a conversion rate of 3.4%. To reach the better end of the scale, you need to prioritize UI and UX. Here are important tips for checkout optimization:

    Skip Sign-Up

    Imagine you enter a store, and you can not proceed to check products until you give your email ID. Would you give me your email ID or go to another store?

    Sign-ups are not crucial for browsing the store. Allow users to check products and check out without signup. Give them the options like:

    • Guest check-out
    • Sign up through Facebook, Google, etc.
    • Sign-up post-Check-out

    These options give users more flexibility. You can get their details on the checkout (email, name, contact details), as they proceed. Do not compel them to make an account. It will not help if it drives away the users in the first place.

    Single-Page Checkout

    Single-Page Checkout - Ways to Conversion Optimize Your WooCommerce Checkout
    Single-Page Checkout – Ways to Conversion Optimize Your WooCommerce Checkout

    Do you have a 3-4 page checkout? If so, we would recommend you opt for a single-page check-out. WooCommerce doesn’t show checkout progress as the user proceeds. So, if there are many pages and fields, it can hamper the user experience.

    Use a clean and sleek design to create a single-page checkout with relevant fields and details: product names, quantity, prices, any additional charges, and discounts available. However, keep it minimal and avoid clustered checkouts.

    To make visually appealing checkouts, you could use plugins that help in enhancing the checkout layout. There are many WooCommerce plugins that you can use. They are customizable and improve the checkout page with clearly spaced-out information.

    Eliminate Unnecessary Fields

    WooCommerce doesn’t allow much customization in the checkout fields. You can not move them around, and its default settings aren’t optimized. So, how to fix it?

    Remove or hide the details you do not need. For instance, if you are a B2C store, you could get away with fields like ‘company name’. In case you offer products to both B2B and B2C, then consider marking relevant fields as optional.

    Also, instead of the default error message, use inline error validation. It uses a simpler design to highlight errors while filling out the checkout form. This makes the checkout pleasing to the eyes and boosts UX.

    Make Coupons Less Distracting

    Coupons are on the top of the WooCommerce page by default. This can distract the users, making them leave the site. So, there are several ways to tackle this, like:

    • Hide or delete that field from the checkout.
    • Rename the field with a better copy. Instead of writing ‘enter the code’, try ‘have any code?’. Opt for messages that make it less prominent.

    Coupons are vital for businesses. They are conversion-increasing tactics. But in general, they make the buyer wander away.

    Whenever we see that we can save money, we rush to Google to find relevant coupons or codes to save extra bucks. It’s standard practice for buyers. Just ensure that they keep users hooked and do not send them away.

    Restrict Distractions

    Checkout with many elements makes it difficult to proceed and negatively impacts UX. Focus on clean UI and remove any unwanted distractions. This could be an email/newsletter sign-up form or social media follow links. If it makes the page clustered, remove it. It won’t serve many purposes and increase the abandoned cart rate.

    Stick to essential elements such as bills, products, discounts, and product recommendations. You could get away with these if it feels too messy.

    Multiple Payment Gateways

    There are various payment gateways available today. If you stick to standard ones, it will make users leave the site. Imagine you are standing in a store line, and the cashier says they only accept cash. You would exit the store without purchasing.

    Similarly, you should give your buyers enough payment gateway options. Use icons to display these in the checkout section.

    In addition to this, it is beneficial to offer an express gateway to the buyers. In this case, the buyers can add contact and address details as they pay for the order instead of completing the entire checkout process. It saves them time and is convenient.

    Top 12 Best Payment Gateway in India 2022
    Payment gateways are a must if you are thinking of establishing E-commerce businesses. Check out some of the best payment gateways in India
    StartupTalkyAshwini

    Exit-Intent Pop-Ups

    Exit-intent popups are pop-ups that appear when the user closes your website. Often businesses use them to direct users to other pages or collect their email IDs. How would exit-intent pop-ups help at an eCommerce store checkout?

    You could direct them to other high-value, high-converting pages. This can be personalized depending upon their journey to the store. Otherwise, you could direct them to the last product page they were checking and highlight reviews for better conversion. Also, you could collect their email IDs to nurture them later. You could send reminders about products in the cart or upcoming offers.

    Implement Order Bumps

    Order bumps are like products or additional service offerings at the checkout. These are like those products in the stores near checkout that aim at increasing average order value.

    You could do the same on your eCommerce website by adding complementary or add-on products. These could look like:

    • Accept tips
    • Free or paid gift-wrapping services
    • Offer insurance
    • Rush shipping upgrade.

    These help with the conversion rate. However, ensure that the price of these items should be less. The buyer shouldn’t have to reconsider the purchasing decisions. It could be an upsell or cross-sell as well, but it has to be a no-brainer.

    Use Rewards System

    Many businesses give reward points for every purchase. So let us say, if a buyer buys products worth $5,000, you give them 5000 reward points. These reward points could give them some freebies or discounts on their next order. So, maybe the buyer can redeem these 5000 points for $50 on their next purchase. Alternatively, you could give them freebies or tester-size products in their next purchase.

    This refrains the buyer from shifting to a competitor’s site since they want to collect more reward points to earn freebies. This incentivizes the user to purchase from your site and buy more products to earn more reward points. Also, with minimal discounts, you can increase customer retention massively.

    Design Tips

    The last tip is to enhance the visual appeal of the checkout. WooCommerce default checkout is basic, boring, cluttered, and not appealing. You could add layouts, themes, and plugins to beautify checkout pages.

    Opt for a clean and minimal layout. Avoid harsh and loud colours. Highlight your security badges and seals at the checkout to get buyers’ trust. This is essential if you have a new website/store. Building trust as a new website means honing security badges, reviews, and social proof.

    Implement these tips to see better conversion rates. Abandoned carts are a real problem, and these tips will help you overcome those by a margin. There are many other optimization options for landing pages and product pages. You could implement those to increase conversion rates significantly.

    Conclusion

    Look into the customer journey funnel and look for challenges that users might face when using your store. It could be a lagging site, non-inclusive product options, limited payment gateways, or a hard-to-navigate website. Understand the reason why customers are leaving the cart mid-way through.

    Does the competitor site have better offers? Do they provide a better return and delivery policy? Is your site content, graphics-heavy? Analyze the reasons for low conversion rates and optimize accordingly.

    FAQs

    What is the average conversion rate for WooCommerce?

    As per a survey by Littledata, the average WooCommerce conversion rate is 0.3%.

    How to increase conversion rates at WooCommerce checkout?

    You can conversion-optimize WooCommerce checkout in the following ways:

    • Skip sign-up
    • Single-Page Checkout
    • Eliminate Unnecessary fields
    • Exit-Intent Pop-Ups
    • Implement Order Bumps
    • Use Reward System

    What are the issues with WooCommerce checkout?

    Some of the most common issues with WooCommerce checkout are:

    • Can not Track Progress
    • Lack of Field Customization Options
    • Inappropriate Field Placement

  • 13 Best Chrome Extensions for Graphic Designers to Create Stunning Graphics Easily

    A graphic designer’s job is not just to create appealing designs that are visually pleasing. They need the right tools to find the perfect color story, manage designs, get inspiration, provide solutions to complex brand stories, and handle all this while avoiding creativity block. Phew! That sounds like a lot. As simple as it might sound, a graphic designer’s job is to visualize the entire brand story and put out suitable graphics to convey the brand message.

    What’s better than some tools that make our task easier? What if you could easily extract all the colors of your competitor’s website or any other desired webpage with a click? Sounds like a relief. Let us look at some essential Chrome extensions for designers that make graphic designing, inspiration, and client management easier. No longer spending hours to find the right font or color, that so with a single click without having to move from one tab to another.

    Essential Chrome Extensions for Graphic Designers

    How to Become a Graphic Designer?

    Essential Chrome Extensions for Graphic Designers

    From getting inspiration to creating an entire brand story with your graphics, Chrome extensions can assist you with a lot of tasks as a graphic designer. It is not restricted to finding the right font or color palette. You could get over your creativity block and enhance your productivity. No more juggling between ten websites and twenty applications. Get it all done from one page within a few clicks. Here are some of the best Chrome extensions to help make your work as a graphic designer easier and more efficient:

    Color Picker for Chrome

    Rating: 4.1
    Best For: Choosing Desired Color Codes

    Color Picker - Best Chrome Extension for Graphic Designers
    Color Picker – Best Chrome Extension for Graphic Designers

    Color Picker is a fantastic Chrome extension for graphic designers that enables picking colors from any website. You can choose any color with just one click, and it will provide you with the color code in HEX and RGB options. This extension is extremely helpful for designers who want to create specific color schemes for their projects.

    You can now choose a color from a palette inside the extension window thanks to its new feature. As a result, graphic designers no longer need to look elsewhere for the specific color code they require for their designs.

    Web Screenshot

    Rating: 4.9
    Best For: Capturing Screenshots of Websites

    Web Screenshot - Best Chrome Extension for Graphic Designers
    Web Screenshot – Best Chrome Extension for Graphic Designers

    Another Chrome extension on the list is Web Screenshot. This makes it easier for graphic designers to screenshot complete web pages, even ones that require scrolling. With the help of this extension, you can quickly take a screenshot of a whole webpage and then crop it to only show the portion of the page you need.

    After taking the screenshot with this, you can save it in three formats on your PC: JPG, PNG, and PDF. All in all, this extension saves time and effort by providing designers with an easy way to take and crop screenshots of entire web pages, enabling them to present them exactly how they want them to.

    Picture in Picture

    Rating: 4.1
    Best For: Multitasking While Watching Videos

    Picture in Picture - Best Chrome Extension for Graphic Designers
    Picture in Picture – Best Chrome Extension for Graphic Designers

    The Picture in Picture Chrome extension is a great help for graphic designers who need to multitask while working on their ideas. You can use it to watch videos from well-known streaming websites like YouTube and others in a floating window.

    This Chrome extension makes it easier to work on your design while watching a video by enabling you to easily resize and move the floating window around your screen. For graphic designers who need to view tutorials or reference videos while working on their designs, this extension is perfect.

    ColorZilla

    Rating: 4.4
    Best For: Getting Color Reading

    ColorZilla - Best Chrome Extension for Graphic Designers
    ColorZilla – Best Chrome Extension for Graphic Designers

    ColorZilla is a popular extension that provides an advanced eyedropper, color picker, gradient generator, and much more. ColorZilla allows you to take a color reading from any place in your browser, instantly change it, and then paste it into another program. With a sophisticated Color Picker, you may obtain the color of each pixel on the page (similar to Photoshop). With 7 pre-installed palettes, you get the greatest CSS gradient generator and palette viewer.

    With a few clicks, you can acquire a color palette for any website as well as a history of recently selected colors. You also retrieve element information such as tag name, class, id, size, etc. Colors may be easily extracted from flash objects at any zoom level.

    CSS Peeper

    Rating: 4.7
    Best For: Style Inspection of a Website

    CSS Peeper - Best Chrome Extension for Graphic Designers
    CSS Peeper – Best Chrome Extension for Graphic Designers

    CSS Peeper is a CSS reader designed specifically for designers. With this Chrome extension, you can gain access to essential styles. It enables designers to focus on design while spending as little time as possible going into coding. There will be no more scrounging through code. Inspect styles in a straightforward, well-organized, and visually appealing manner.

    Have you ever wondered what a website’s line height, font size, or button size is? Then this is the ideal instrument for satisfying your curiosity. The extension makes it as simple as possible for you to inspect code. It also helps you to examine the hidden CSS style of site objects, colors, and materials.

    Awesome Screenshot and Screen Recorder

    Rating: 4.6
    Best For: Capturing and Recording the Screen

    Awesome Screenshot and Screen Recorder - Best Chrome Extension for Graphic Designers
    Awesome Screenshot and Screen Recorder – Best Chrome Extension for Graphic Designers

    Awesome Screenshot and Screen Recorder is a popular screen recorder, screen capture, and screenshot Chrome extension that can record displays in 720p, 1080p, or 4K resolution. It is quite useful for any designer’s cause. Its prominent features include:

    • 2 in 1 Local Screen Recorder and Cloud Screen Recorder.
    • Screenshot, screen capture, and screen recorder all in one.
    • Share recordings instantaneously with Jira, Slack, Trello, Asana, and GitHub using a shareable link.
    • Take a snapshot of the website you’re on, whether it’s the entire page, a specific location, or a visible portion.
    • Blur sensitive data on your screenshot.

    Texmage

    Rating: 4.5
    Best For: Making Creative Texmages

    Texmage - Best Chrome Extension for Graphic Designers
    Texmage – Best Chrome Extension for Graphic Designers

    Texmage Chrome extension is your helping hand when you want to convert an image into texmage by adding desired text. Start by picking an image of your choice and drop it into the tool, that is where all the magic will happen. Alternatively, you can start by pasting the image URL as well.

    From the font, font size, alignment, font style, and opacity to text/ background color, you can play around with all the elements to create stunning text images. It offers 5 font families and 12 color options for the background. Right along the tool, you can share the image easily with a click. Making text images was never this easy!

    Muzli 2

    Rating: 4.3
    Best For: Getting Design Ideas

    Muzli 2 - Best Chrome Extension for Graphic Designers
    Muzli 2 – Best Chrome Extension for Graphic Designers

    Muzli 2 is your end-to-end solution to stay updated and never run out of inspiration. Simply, install the extension to get new design ideas, fresh images and videos, and other graphics right on your default tab. It replaces your old boring webpage with design inspirations. It’s like Pinterest right on your browser.

    You also get handpicked feeds on the panel on your left side. You could choose which feeds to show and create a customized inspiration board. You get hand-picked content from Dribble, Behance, The Verge, and much more updated every hour to keep you updated.

    PhotoMania

    Rating: 4
    Best For: Editing Online Images

    PhotoMania - Best Chrome Extension for Graphic Designers
    PhotoMania – Best Chrome Extension for Graphic Designers

    PhotoMania is your studio to edit and convert your images into beautiful e-cards, frames, and much more. You can start editing the photo with a single click on the top right corner of the desired Google Image. Thereafter, you get hundreds of options to enhance the picture.

    You can add filters, and frames, change the design, and instantly see the before-after changes. Without having to run your image through a professional editor app, you can almost instantly modify the desired image and share/ save it.

    WhatFont

    Rating: 4
    Best For: Font Recognition on Web Pages

    WhatFont - Best Chrome Extension for Graphic Designers
    WhatFont – Best Chrome Extension for Graphic Designers

    WhatFont is a Chrome extension to help you identify the font of a webpage. For instance, if you like the font of a web page, let’s say this blog’s font (even though it’s a basic one), and you wish to use the same for yours. A developer can easily deploy Firebug and Webkit Inspector, but for others, this extension is a real-life saver. No more battling on the internet to find the right webpage font.

    As a graphic designer, you can skim through some web pages to find a font that you like and use this tool to identify the font in a single click. Not only that, it tells you about the services used for serving the desired web fonts. Choosing fonts for your webpage has become easier than ever.

    Page Ruler

    Rating: 3.9
    Best For: Measuring Page Elements

    Page Ruler - Best Chrome Extension for Graphic Designers
    Page Ruler – Best Chrome Extension for Graphic Designers

    The Page Ruler Chrome extension allows you to measure distances (in pixels) on a webpage. Using an easy-to-use ruler, determine the size of page items in pixels.

    When you move your mouse around the page, it draws a rectangle ruler. The width, height, start, and end of the ruler are all labelled with matching metrics in pixels. When you move your cursor, the rectangle shrinks, and all the numbers update. Simply touch the toolbar button once to activate the extension. Similarly, to disable the extension, press the toolbar button once again. In desktop PCs, this addon works with mouse clicks. You can use touch to draw the rectangle within the page on touch-enabled devices.

    Sumopaint

    Rating: 3.7
    Best For: Painting and Editing Images

    Sumopaint - Best Chrome Extension for Graphic Designers
    Sumopaint – Best Chrome Extension for Graphic Designers

    Sumopaint is a Chrome extension that allows you to paint and alter images. Sumo paint allows you to create layers with undo support in 11 blending modes and classic layer effects. While rotating, turning, zooming, and panning the image, you may quickly duplicate, merge, and flatten layers. You receive 20 filters and effects in the categories- – Blur, Distort, Noise, Pixelate, Sharpen, Posterize, and Threshold.

    You also receive professional painting tools including over 300 brushes, complex features like gravity and real-time bezier-curve smoothing, animated brushes, saturation tools, and so forth. You may improve photos using tools such as:

    • Unsharp mask.
    • Contrast/brightness.
    • Color balance.
    • Color temperature.
    • A clone stamp tool with over 300 brushes enabling dispersion and random rotation.

    Site Palette

    Rating: 2.6
    Best For: Color Extraction

    Site Palette - Best Chrome Extension for Graphic Designers
    Site Palette – Best Chrome Extension for Graphic Designers

    Site Palette is a free browser plugin for creating color palettes. This is a must-have tool for graphic designers and front-end developers to gather colors for any website. Among the features are:

    • Support for multiple palette generators.
    • Shareable links generated.
    • Preview palette image available for download.
    • Adobe Swatch support has been introduced.
    • Use Google Art Palette to fine-tune the palettes.
    • Print styles have been added: print palettes or save them to PDF.

    A browser addon for creating extensive palettes. A must-have tool for front-end developers and designers. Color scheme extraction is completely free.

    Conclusion

    These Chrome extensions are worth trying and adding to your list for enhanced productivity as a designer. Instead of spending hours staring at your screen or switching between applications, you can get so much done right there with one click.

    Our favorite is CSS Peeper, which takes care of the technical aspects of visual design so you can concentrate on your work.

    FAQs

    Which are the best Chrome extensions for graphic designers?

    Some of the best Chrome extensions for graphic designers are:

    • WhatFont
    • Texmage
    • ColorZilla
    • CSS Peeper
    • Muzli 2
    • PhotoMania

    Is there a Chrome extension to find design inspiration?

    Muzli 2 is a popular Chrome extension to help you get design inspiration from around the web.

    What does the WhatFont extension do?

    WhatFont is a Chrome extension to help you identify the font of a webpage. Not only that, it tells you about the services used for serving the desired web fonts.

  • Top 9 Online Payroll Services to make Employee Management easier for you

    ‌‌Managing taxes and your employee record could be pretty hectic and time-taking.

    Payroll service tools simply ease up the process of managing the total compensation amount of your employees and then, calculating them properly and sending them to appropriate parties, automatically. This saves you a lot amount of time in accounting and human resource work. This is just one of the tasks that can be done efficiently with a good payroll service.

    However, in the market, there are plenty of payroll services which makes it quite tough to pick out the right one. These services reduce your administrative burden and make sure your employee’s compensation is paid on time. And all these functions in an automatic manner.

    And to help you select the best payroll services for you, we have presented this article containing the best payroll services. So, let’s get started!

    Gusto
    Patriot
    Rippling
    OnPay
    Paychex
    Paycor
    Square
    Deluxe
    ‌‌QuickBooks Online Payroll
    Conclusion

    Gusto

    Founded: 2011

    Price: Starts from $40 per Month

    Previously known as ZenPayroll, Gusto started in the year 2012. In the beginning, Gusto only had payroll services but with time and increasing demands of the clients, it evolved into a comprehensive suite of features that made the management of employees very smooth and easily onboard them.

    ‌‌With such evolution, Gusto now processes around ten billion dollars of Payroll for 100,000 clients across the United States. One of the best things about Gusto is that it doesn’t ask its users to know about payrolls in and out. Plus, you get proper guidance in everything, whether it’s running payroll or managing the company’s benefits.

    ‌‌All these specifications make Gusto a great combination of easy-to-use and amazing functionality.

    Patriot

    Founded: 2002

    Price: Starts from $17 per Month

    ‌‌If you are looking for something that is super easy to operate and runs fast with payroll processing, Patriot would be a great pick for you. Said similar experts as well, calling Patriot best for a comprehensive employee portal and easy setup.

    ‌‌For your payroll processing, Patriot only requires three steps which are as simple as it seems. All you need to do is plug in the employee hours through Patriot’s Attendance and time software, after which you have to approve payroll in one click and print the paycheck, stubs, or both as per your requirement.

    ‌‌In addition to this, Patriot also provides customized hours, deductions, money, unlimited payroll processing, time and attendance integration, and many more services.

    Rippling

    Founded: 2016

    Pricing: Starts from $8 per Month

    ‌‌Another super amazing payroll service software is Rippling which offers employee benefits, payroll services, onboarding, offboarding, looking for the best fit for your company, and many more.

    ‌‌It allows you to pay the employees globally, in just a few minutes. It manages employees’ apps from a single place, and it disables apps for those employees who are off-board automatically. With Rippling, you can enjoy great payroll service benefits and much more.

    OnPay

    Founded: 2015
    Pricing: Starts from $40 per month + $6 per person

    OnPay – Top Online Payroll Services

    When it comes to payroll services for small businesses, OnePay is the ultimate choice. It is mainly designed for small businesses, plus it works amazingly with mid-size businesses as well. It comes with easy system navigation and offers industry-specific features for small to mid-sized businesses to account for their employee tips.

    ‌‌Along with this, with OnePay, you’ll find unlimited payroll runs, direct deposit, complete mobile accessibility, multistate payroll capability, and employee onboarding.

    OnePay also offers comprehensive HR resources like compliance tools, HR templates, employee offer letters, and others.

    Paychex

    Founded: 1971

    Pricing: Starts from $39 per Month

    Paychex is counted as one of the only two heavyweights in terms of payroll services. This service offers the entire suite of payroll, time tracking, HR, and beneficiary services. It is considered a great choice for an experienced team and offers speaks to the market. It works smoothly for both small as well as large companies and fulfills the requirements of both. And as we discussed OnPay and Gusto earlier in this article, Paychex does not focus on aesthetics and hand-holding requirements for less-experienced users. The core focus of this payroll service is to offer more complex payroll and HR demands, emphasizing large companies with complicated structural systems.

    Paycor

    Founded: 1990

    Pricing: Starts from $99 per Month

    Being an online payroll service, Paycor is specifically designed as user-friendly. It comes with an employee self-service portal that creates an easy way for your employees to keep track of and monitor their pay stubs, and compensation. time off and benefits. Also, it helps employees to update their personal and financial information through the portal.

    Paycor mainly comes with three price plans which are based on flat monthly rates. Most of the payroll services charges are based on a base rate and a per-employee, per-month fee. But the price model of Paycor seems pretty economical and secure for mid-sized as well as large businesses. Although, small businesses do struggle with the per-employee, per-month price model.

    Square

    Founded: 2009

    Pricing: Starts from $40 per Month

    Square is an online payroll service, widely known for its payment-processing tools. It offers paperless W-2s and 1099s, and a new partnership to help check out the background along with simple checking of printing, multiple tax jurisdiction support, paycheck-splitting, and a new Square Banking suite of financial services. It keeps a tab on the payment of staff and integrates pretty well with other Square applications. For workplaces with labor-management and sales ecosystems, Square Point of Sale which is an application of Square fits perfectly. This application includes various amazing features such as payroll administration, including setup, taxes, payroll runs, and reports.

    Deluxe

    Founded: 1915

    Pricing: Starts from $45 per Month

    When it comes to supporting your team through processing the company’s payroll and complying with federal as well as state tax laws, Deluxe is a great choice. This payroll service offers a complete payroll solution along with a dedicated customer care service team that enhances the whole payroll process. Additionally, it comes with the service of identity theft protection.

    The price plans of Deluxe are based on and differ on features and services that the business requires. It mainly has a singular approach for all its clients and has a consultative nature in its team.

    ‌‌QuickBooks Online Payroll

    Founded: 1983

    Pricing: Starts from $37.50 per Month

    Integrated with QuickBooks Online Accounting, this payroll service works exclusively as a single-handed payroll software application. QuickBooks Online Payroll allows you to manage around 50 employees, however being a little expensive, but a business with 15 employees suits it right.

    ‌‌The onboarding process offered by this is also very smooth and runs quickly. Plus, you get unlimited payroll runs, tax reporting, direct deposit capability, and remittance alongside.

    ‌‌It also comes with an employee portal that gives access to your employees to pay stubs and tax forms. The HR feature is only available for premium and elite customers. And both these plans contain time-tracking capability.

    Conclusion

    Managing the financial status of employees and tax obligations could be quite hectic and tough. This makes payroll services very crucial, especially in large workplaces. With technology, nothing is impossible nowadays. And using a good payroll service, you can very easily figure out the compensation amount of your employees, calculate them and send them respectively. Payroll services make the work of accounting and Human resources very handy. These above-mentioned payroll services are well-rated and are very easy to use. Stay tuned for more content!

    ‌‌

  • Best Email Marketing Learning Resources

    Do you know that email marketing has an approx ROI of 4400%? This huge market can prove to be a boon in fostering the growth of your digital business. But this is possible only if you have a decent email marketing campaign.

    Countless resources are surfing the market and boasting of being the best resources for email marketing. But with proper research, we have separated some valuable resources that can help you in upskilling in email marketing. Let’s dive in to explore what these productive resources are.

    Courses

    Websites

    Courses

    The best way to gain and master information step by step is via courses and certifications. You can not only get proficient in email marketing, but these courses will also add value to your CV. From free to paid, beginner to advanced, here is the list of top courses to learn about email marketing:

    LinkedIn Learning’s Email Marketing: Strategy and Optimization

    Level- Intermediate
    Cost- $29.99 per month

    LinkedIn Learning's Email Marketing: Strategy and Optimization
    LinkedIn Learning’s Email Marketing: Strategy and Optimization

    The learning email strategy and optimization course from the established platform occupy the first position in our list of best courses to learn email marketing.

    The course is made for the “intermediate” level. So if you already know the basics of email marketing and are looking forward to upskilling, then this LinkedIn program is for you. After this course, you will be able to:

    • Realize the strength of email marketing.
    • Proficiency in all kinds of emails.
    • Tips to expand your legs into any specific marketing blueprint.
    • Revision and modifications.
    • Optimization.

    All the video lectures from this course are 1 hour long. It has a total of 19 video lectures. You can either opt for buying the whole course or paying monthly or annual fees to keep accessing the course.

    The monthly or annual fees also provide you access to various other courses linked to e-commerce marketing. The best part is you will get certified at last which can add a credential to your resume.

    Google Digital Garage’s Email Marketing Basics

    Level- Beginner
    Cost- Free

    Google Digital Garage's Email Marketing Basics
    Google Digital Garage’s Email Marketing Basics

    Email marketing basics powered by Google digital garage is one of the best programs to understand the basics of email marketing thoroughly.

    This free 3 hours long course not only introduces you to the basics of email marketing but also makes you proficient in other eCommerce marketing subjects including website and display advertising, Google Ads, etc. After this course, you will be able to:

    • Identifying email marketing choices.
    • Understand the basics of email marketing.
    • Formulating marketing emails.
    • Evaluating success in email marketing.
    • Efficient email marketing campaigns.

    You just have to make an id and login into the course. The only disadvantage is that you do not get certified at the end of the course. But you get a quiz at the end of the course to evaluate your understanding level.

    Hubspot’s Email Marketing Certification Course

    Level- Beginner
    Cost- Free

    Email Marketing Certification Course by HubSpot
    Email Marketing Certification Course by HubSpot

    The email marketing certification course from a popular platform Hubspot is worth taking because of the availability of a lot of informative stuff free of cost. It contains a total of 28 video lectures and 9 lessons in the given 3 hours. After this course, you will be able to:

    • Getting through email marketing.
    • Forming contact management and segmentation strategies.
    • Knowledge of email deliverability.
    • Drafting emails.
    • Forming layouts of marketing emails.
    • Creating emails that get the most click-throughs.
    • Analyzing the results of marketing emails.
    • Put your emails to testing.
    • Managing customer relationships with previous buyers.

    Moreover, the course takes 9 quizzes to evaluate your level of understanding. But they don’t stop only evaluating through online tests. Hubspot also provides certification after the completion of the course. The valuable self-reliant course contains master strategies for customer relationship management with certification, and what else a person wants.

    Udemy’s Mailchimp Email Marketing Course

    Level- Beginner
    Cost- $49.99

    The Complete Mailchimp Email Marketing Course by Udemy
    The Complete Mailchimp Email Marketing Course by Udemy

    Are you a sole beginner in the email marketing field? If you don’t know the ABC of email marketing campaigns, then Udemy paid course on Mailchimp email marketing is worth taking.

    This 4.5 hours-long course contains a deep explanation of the terms of email marketing required for a beginner to get fit in building a decent email marketing strategy. Its constructive content justified the expense of the course. After this course, you will be able to:

    • Introducing the basics of email marketing
    • Tutorial lectures on MailChimp features
    • MailChimp set up
    • Mailchimp management
    • MailChimp audience establishment
    • Email marketing analytics
    • Picking up subject lines
    • Other resources include updates, resources, bonus materials, and FAQs.

    In case you are not satisfied with the quality of the Udemy course, you can take back your money anytime within 30 days. Moreover, you also get certified after the end of the course.

    Simplilearn’s Advanced Email Marketing Certification Training

    Level- Advanced
    Cost- $499

    Simplilearn's Advanced Email Marketing Course
    Simplilearn’s Advanced Email Marketing Course

    Who is not aware of the superiority of Simplilearn courses? Its certifications and boot camps are popular among industry leaders.

    The course is not for beginners. It contains some master strategies to sharpen your digital business and email marketing skills and it is built for one who is looking forward to upskilling. The content contains assignments and implementing steps that justify the cost of this course. After this course, you will be able to:

    • Introduce advanced steps of email marketing.
    • Formulate more revenue-generating emails.
    • Proficiency in writing decent subject headlines.
    • Email automation.
    • Management of lists of emails.
    • Shaping email campaigns.
    • Creating enhanced quality landing pages.
    • GDPR lessons specifically for digital marketers.

    The course makes sure that you have gained something. That’s why it has set a different procedure for certification. You need to complete 85% of 25 hours of lectures, complete 3 projects, and score 60% marks for certification.

    Websites

    Not only courses but also free and paid websites relating to e-commerce marketing are worth considering. Here is a list of some amazing websites which can surely enhance the quality of your emails and help in generating more revenue from them.

    Touchstone Subject Line Analyzer

    You can call a touchstone subject line analyzer a multitasker. It performs multiple tasks at the same time. Its database provides you with statistics that showcase click rates and lobbed open rates.

    It is known to evaluate your email’s headline and provide suggestions to enhance its quality. It also needs your email content for further analysis. By analyzing your emails regularly, this subject line analyzer’s algorithm becomes able to calculate which trends are working or which trends are not working with your emails.

    Besides being a good resource for simple emails, the HTML email gallery puts more stress on heavy designs HTML emails.

    Not only designs but also this resourceful website contains copious blogs on effective email designs and strategies. The must-read exclusive blogs include “28 tips for designing effective emails” and “2018 email industry conditions”.

    SendForensics Email Deliverability Test

    SendForensics Email Deliverability Test
    SendForensics Email Deliverability Test

    Most of the time, many emails can’t reach your target audiences because of technical glitches. As a result of which, your product reach has to suffer.

    So if you want to ensure that your emails reach your target audience, SendForensics Email Deliverability Test can work. It automatically calculates the percentage of people who received your email.

    IsValid

    If somebody opens your email, it means the person is interested in reading further data. But what if he/she finds mistakes in your statistics present in the email content? The result will be an unpleasant impact on your organization and you will start losing the trust of target audiences.

    But IsValid solves this problem effortlessly. You just need to enter the email matrices or conversions content on isValid. It will check and evaluate the results and provide all the assessed data in one take effortlessly.

    Hubspot’s Marketing Blog

    HubSpot's marketing Blogs
    HubSpot’s marketing Blogs

    One of the best and most established resources in the eCommerce market is HubSpot’s marketing blogs. It has countless blogs on its email marketing page that can add value to your emails.

    Its tips and strategies are worth digesting. Not only written content, but their blogs also contain free examples and templates for almost every niche. Hence, HubSpot should be your next hub to optimize your email marketing strategy successfully.

    Conclusion

    Even if you are a wizard in email marketing, upskilling is still necessary to remain in the e-commerce market. You can opt for any of the above-mentioned courses according to your level and budget.

    Moreover, the above-mentioned tools and websites can help you in writing enhanced quality emails. The power of a successful email marketing strategy is immeasurable. A successful email campaign can do wonders for your digital business.

    FAQs

    What is the ROI for email marketing?

    Email marketing has an approximate ROI of 4400%. This equates to nearly $44 for every dollar spent on email marketing.

    Which are the best courses to learn email marketing?

    Some of the best courses to learn email marketing are:

    • The Complete Mailchimp Email Marketing Course by Udemy
    • Simplilearn’s Advanced Email Marketing Course
    • Email Marketing Certification Course by HubSpot
    • Google Digital Garage’s Email Marketing Basics
    • LinkedIn Learning’s Email Marketing: Strategy and Optimization

  • Hunter.io – Is it a Perfect Tool for Outreach?

    When it comes to reaching out to new and potential customers, email marketing comes in very handy. However, the whole process of email marketing is time-consuming and endless. We’ll examine Hunter.io, a useful email-hunting tool to simplify your work. This tool allows you to search any domain for email addresses.

    So far, this tool has helped an uncountable number of marketers to find contacts related to various domains. In fact, for companies that channel customers through emails, Hunter.io is of great help. Today, the email hunter app is available as a Chrome extension and Google Sheets add-on.

    What is Hunter.io?
    How Hunter.io works
    Features of hunter.io
    Hunter.io Pros
    Hunter.io Cons
    Hunter.io Pricing

    What is Hunter.io?

    Homepage
    Hunter.io Homepage

    This email marketing tool is for bulk tasks and to verify emails. Recently, it has integrated campaigns that allow you to perform direct outreach rather than uploading contacts to another CRM. In terms of usability, the app is practical and convenient. Hence, more businesses are incorporating it into their arsenal. In this way, they are speeding up the whole process of contact-hunting.

    How Hunter.io works

    Hunter.io tours through the internet to search for your target emails. Not to worry, it is a legal tool, although you have to abide by the rules and regulations. Follow these steps to get started on Hunter.io.

    • Open the Hunter website and sign up using your Google account.
    • Complete the initiation process by entering your name and choosing a password.
    • To do your first search, enter your target website address on the search bar and click on the ‘Find email addresses’ button.
    • You will be required to provide your phone number to get a verification code.
    • After that, a list of available email addresses will appear for you.
    • You can verify these email addresses to discard the invalid ones.
    Find email addresses with hunter
    Find email addresses with hunter

    Top 7 SMS Marketing tools to Generate high-quality leads
    SMS marketing is one of the best digital marketing strategies a business can useto increase its sales and conversions. There are a lot of SMS marketingapplications available in the market. In this article, you can find some of thebest SMS marketing tools available in the market. FrontlineSMSTru…
    StartupTalkyAlan Joseph

    Features of Hunter.io

    Hunter.io has a very easy-to-use interface that is quite appealing to the eyes. In this way, you can swiftly navigate through the email management tool. Other than that, some features make the app more comprehensive. More than features, these are essential tricks that will help you expand your business.

    1. Easy searching

    Hunter domain search
    Hunter domain search

    With Hunter’s domain search, you can search for any business and export the results to your spreadsheet. For instance, you want to find the VP of any company. In that case, just typing the domain name, you will get the person’s details like name, position, contact number, social media links, etc.

    2. Find every email

    Hunter email finder
    Hunter email finder 

    Similar to searching, this option of finding emails allows you to look up the email addresses of businesses and also of individuals. All you need to do is enter the website addresses with which they are associated.

    3. Accurate email verification

    Hunter email verifier
    Hunter email verifier

    Hunter.io is also an email verifier tool that allows you to verify a particular email address to avoid email bouncing. It helps you to make sure that the email address is a real one. All you need to do is enter the email and let the tool do its magic.

    4. Wide outreach

    Hunter email campaign
    Hunter email campaign

    To gather more leads for your business outreach, Hunter.io lets you connect your Gmail account with it. Further, you can enhance your campaigns by creating email templates. Importantly, you can deal with large amounts of data and verify lists of domains or addresses easily and in no time.

    Hunter.io Pros

    Positive Reviews for Hunter
    Positive Reviews for Hunter
    • Easy to use because it comes with a Chrome extension.
    • Seamless searching of email addresses using a domain name and contact information.
    • Has its own versatile CRM which is quite versatile.
    • Gives 50 free searches before finalizing a paid package.
    • Provides extremely reliable results.

    Hunter.io Cons

    Negative Reviews for Hunter
    Negative Reviews for Hunter
    • The prices of different packages could be expensive if you are looking for a cheap tool.
    • Does not allow personal email searching.
    • It is not a social media research tool. As a result, it no longer permits LinkedIn integration.

    Best Tools for Sending Bulk Messages on WhatsApp Business 2020
    WhatsApp has been one of the leading chat and messaging applicationsirrespective of region, language, or any other geographic factor out there.Lately, WhatsApp has rolled out many new features and updates regarding itsprivacy policy and also received a lot of backlash owing to it. However, there…
    StartupTalkyAnsh Mehrey

    Hunter.io Pricing

    Monthly Plan Pricing Searches Verifications
    Starter $49 500 1,000
    Growth $99 2,500 5,000
    Pro $199 10,000 20,000
    Business $399 30,000 60,000

    Hunter.io Pricing
    Hunter.io Pricing

    Hunter.io is not a completely free app. Yes, you get a maximum of 25 free searches. However, to go further, you will need a paid plan.

    Conclusion

    If you are still thinking about whether to choose Hunter.io or not, then stop. Just take the free trial and decide for yourself. Hunter.io has been a suitable tool for many sales teams, companies, and freelancers. The bottom line is that this tool makes your searches simpler and quicker. Consequently, you are bound to trust Hunter.io.

    FAQs

    1. Who can use Hunter.io?

    Hunter.io is highly beneficial for businesses and individuals to improve their outreach. The tool is also helpful for sales and marketing teams to hunt down emails.

    Yes, absolutely. Hunter.io is a perfectly legal tool that scrapes the internet to find your target emails. However, you are responsible for how you use the search results.

    3. What can I search using Hunter.io?

    Using Hunter, you can search for individual and business email addresses by only providing the domain name.

    4. Which is the best email finder app?

    There are plenty of email finder apps. If you are looking for the best, then go for Hunter.io. With more than unique features and an easy-to-use interface, this tool will surely bring business growth.

  • Indian Startup Teamology PR: Enabling Holistic PR Solutions to Turn Businesses Into Brands

    With the brimming number of businesses flooding almost every industry today, the need for startups to differentiate themselves has become imperative for their long-term survival and growth. Brand building is not an overnight act, but with targeted PR and branding initiatives, the process can be substantially fastened.

    Today, the ambit of Public Relations does not limit itself to maintaining relationships with the various stakeholders of a business, it is the act of positive narrative building that enables your targeted audience to know about your business and build a strong brand recall. The first step to building an online brand is to appear credible amongst your target audience, which is the core of what Teamology Softech and Media Services has been offering to its distinguished clientele.

    Teamology – Company Highlights

    Startup Name Teamology Softech and Media Services Private Limited
    Headquarters Kolkata, West Bengal
    Industry Media, Technology, PR
    Founded 2020
    Founders Gulrez Alam, Md Badshah Ansari
    Website theteamology.com

    Teamology – About
    Teamology – Founders
    Teamology – Purpose of Formation
    Teamology – How Does the Company Work?
    Teamology – Awards and Achievements
    Teamology – Initiatives

    Teamology – About

    Teamology Softech and Media Services was founded by Gulrez Alam and Md Badshah Ansari right in the middle of the Covid-19 pandemic in August 2020. Contrary to most other businesses plunging during the pandemic, Teamology Softech was a bootstrapped startup that rose incredibly and turned profitable in the second year of its inception itself.

    Teamology Softech and Media Services has, in the period of less than half a decade, expanded its business offerings globally. Headquartered in Kolkata, Teamology is proficient in delivering services ranging from digital PR, election management, press conference, digital marketing, advertising, and holistic media coverage. The company has an elaborate clientele, right from startups to MNCs, influencers, actors, politicians, and social workers.

    Teamology – Founders

    Teamology Founders - Gulrez Alam (Right) and Md Badshah Ansari (Left)
    Teamology Founders – Gulrez Alam (Right) and Md Badshah Ansari (Left)

    Gulrez Alam is the Managing Director and Co-Founder of Teamology Softech and Media Services Private Limited. With over 5 years of experience in the Digital PR and Digital marketing industry, before Teamology, Mr Gulrez founded the leading educational portal named Sarkarinaukriind.

    Md Badshah Ansari is the Director and Co-Founder of Teamology Softech and Media Services. After over 3 years of hands-on experience in the Digital PR and Search Engine Optimization spaces, Mr Ansari was determined to be an entrepreneur. At a very young age, he joined hands with Mr Gulrez Alam to lead the vision of Teamology.

    Teamology – Purpose of Formation

    The growing need for startups, companies, and influencers to consistently and affordably reach customers is met by Teamology Softech and Media Services. By offering pertinent exposure through professional services, Teamology Softech collaborates with clients and their teams to develop their digital PR, digital marketing, social media outreach, and brand management capabilities. They help every emerging brand have access to and finance digital PR. Their overarching goal is to change how companies expand their internet reach by serving as a beacon of narrative building.

    Gulrez Alam and Badshah Ansari, the founders, are passionate about assisting other companies since they think that collective growth leads to long-term growth.

    Teamology – How Does the Company Work?

    Most of the clients today for the company flow in because of business enquiries and referrals, a large number being retainer clients with a small percentage of clients that are approached by outreach. After a discovery call with the firm, the correct brand positioning and narrative creation opportunities are assessed by the specialists at Teamology. This is the first step in designing a tailored PR package to start the process of turning a company into a brand.

    By taking all of this into account, they have been offering services to well-known MNCs and companies, including Mahindra, Philips, Coats, and many others. Teamology has expanded into comprehensive branding and PR campaign management after gaining competence in the field of empowering enterprises and influencers in numerous fields, including digital marketing, real estate, financial firms, influencer marketing, software solutions, fashion shows, etc.

    Teamology Softech has business partnerships with 60 plus well-known news organizations globally. Today, the name Teamology is synonymous with quick, effective, affordable and round-the-clock help and consulting on comprehensive brand creation for any company or person. Teamology Softech and Media Services has duly received the USA IAS and IAF Councils quality control certifications.

    Teamology – Awards and Achievements

    Teamology has been awarded as the Iconic Digital PR Agency by Mid-Day for both 2020 and 2021.

    It was for their customized brand-building endeavours that Teamology became the first PR firm to be endorsed by a Bollywood actress. Currently, actress Nikita Soni is the face of the brand.

    Apart from growing its clientele to global brands, Teamology has recently been the prime sponsor of several award events in the PR industry.

    Teamology – Initiatives

    Teamology has established itself as the best PR agency in India and for the future, they have even higher expectations and goals. The company has won numerous prizes for successfully launching digital PR campaigns. The company’s current USP cover a wide range of business communication services, branding solutions, PR content, digital marketing, SEO services, guest posts, movie and television show promotions, press events, advertising, election management, and much more.

    Recently, Teamology has become the official branding partner for leading website design company CSS Founder and has led food distribution drives under the ‘Free Food For Needy’ programme with the company as part of their thoughtful CSR initiatives.

    FAQs

    Who founded Teamology Softech and Media Services?

    Teamology Softech and Media Services was founded by Gulrez Alam and Md Badshah Ansari in August 2020.

    Where are the headquarters of Teamology?

    Teamology is headquartered in Kolkata, West Bengal.

    What is the USP of Teamology Softech and Media Services?

    Teamology’s current USP cover a wide range of business communication services, branding solutions, PR content, digital marketing, SEO services, guest posts, movie and television show promotions, press events, advertising, election management, and more.

  • Best Alternatives to FoundersCard

    First things first — the FoundersCard is not for everyone. It wasn’t meant to be in the first place. Why do we say that? Because a lot of the benefits aren’t aligned with developing nations like India and the card primarily focuses on the United States and European countries. For those of you who don’t have an idea about the FoundersCard and why is it relevant, read along!

    What Is the FoundersCard and How Is It Different?
    Alternatives to FoundersCard (Globally)

    FoundersCard Alternatives in India

    What Is the FoundersCard and How Is It Different?

    The FoundersCard is a unique offering in itself. In a world that is dominated by credit cards aligning a plethora of perks like miles, discounts and credit points, the FoundersCard offering may seem underwhelming to a layman. But then, this wasn’t meant to extend credit, or behave like a credit card whatsoever. This can’t pay your bills, but rather help you save money on your bills! Yes, you heard it right. The card can come in handy, especially for frugal entrepreneurs and founders.

    Touted as the ‘lifestyle’ card, FoundersCard compiles exclusively curated benefits for an annual membership fee. The membership card gives you a plethora of benefits including special discounts, elite badges and statuses, and even some freebies. For those, who don’t own or do not wish to own a credit card, the FoundersCard turns out to be an able medium to enjoy the same set of perks anyway. From hotels to vouchers to priority access, FoundersCard combines a variety of benefits into one single offering— an investment that’s worth the amount spent.

    How Much Does the FoundersCard Cost?

    The general price for the FoundersCard stands at $595 per year, with a $95 initiation fee (or a discounted membership worth $495 via a member referral), which makes the card pretty expensive and ‘not-so-value for money’ if we consider the Indian market. However, the FoundersCard can be of great use in western countries with a plethora of connected features revolving around the offerings.

    Alternatives to FoundersCard (Globally)

    If you don’t think that the FoundersCard is the right choice for you, and you’re desperately searching for other alternatives, we have some good news for you! There are various cards available in the market that can extend similar benefits and even extend you a line of credit along the way. Let’s jump right into it to find out more about compelling FoundersCard alternatives:

    Amex Platinum Card

    Amex Platinum Card - Best Alternative to FoundersCard
    Amex Platinum Card – Best Alternative to FoundersCard

    Often touted as the epitome of luxury credit cards, you can’t simply go wrong with Amex’s platinum range of credit cards. The card provides luxury privileges, mind-boggling travel benefits, the best lounge access, and complimentary elite statuses, truly a beauty you can’t resist! Truly there are very few cards available in the market that can match the ultra-luxury benefits of the Amex Platinum Card.

    Perks:

    • Access to a whopping 1400 airport lounges across the globe which also includes the ultra-luxurious Amex Centurion Lounges, Plaza Platinum Lounges and Priority Pass Lounges, and more.
    • 5x points on every $1 spent directly with the airlines or American Express Travel (Up to $500,000 a year).
    • 5x points on prepaid hotel bookings at American Express Travel.
    • Annual and Monthly Statement Credits (Subjected to Enrollment) — right from flight credits, and streaming credits to uber credits.
    • No transaction fee on international payments (t&c applied).

    Cons:

    • High Annual Fee of $695, a hefty amount when compared to other credit cards operating at the same level.
    • Airline credit can’t be redeemed against the airfare.

    Regus Businessworld Membership

    Regus Businessworld Membership - Best Alternative to FoundersCard
    Regus Businessworld Membership – Best Alternative to FoundersCard

    Being a founder demands flexibility whether it be taking early flights or staying up late to fine-tune that business plan, a founder dons many hats to get things right. You may possess the superpower to work from anywhere but when you’re travelling and finally arrive at your destination, you would want to stay focused. This is where the Regus Businessworld Membership comes in! This curated program gives small business owners access to over 3000 business lounges globally.

    Perks:

    • Access to 3000+ worldwide business lounges
    • Wi-Fi
    • Complimentary Tea & Coffee
    • Meeting Rooms

    Cons:

    • No airline benefits.
    • A $59 monthly fee may not be everyone’s cup of tea.
    • Extra charges for meeting rooms and conference rooms.

    Select Card

    Select - Best Alternative to FoundersCard
    Select – Best Alternative to FoundersCard

    Similar to the FoundersCard, Select offers a variety of membership benefits to its users in exchange for an annual membership fee. One cannot use the card for transactions but can only redeem the card’s benefits across the partner network. Much like the FoundersCard, Select helps business owners, founders, and users enjoy perks on travel, restaurants, retailers, and nightlife. Moreover, much like the FoundersCard, it gives the cardholder access to private events, cocktail hours, happy hour deals, and galas.

    Perks:

    • 600,000+ partner locations.
    • Hotel partners like Hyatt hotels, Four Seasons, St. Regis and Hilton.
    • Retail partners like Audi, Lexus, Tommy Bahama, Capital Grille and Bliss Spa.
    • Happy hours, cocktail hours.
    • Exclusive and Private Networking Events.

    Cons:

    • Limited Availability
    • Premium Price Tag

    FoundersCard Alternatives in India

    The select card or the Amex Platinum card though has a global consumer base, but the needs of an Indian founder is different. Indian business owners need flexibility and ecosystem support, and things that help them save upon upfront business costs. Indian businesses and startups are about sustaining for the long run and keeping the same in mind, we have compiled a couple of worthy alternatives to FoundersCard in India. They are as follows:

    Karbon Card

    Karbon - Best Alternative to FoundersCard
    Karbon – Best Alternative to FoundersCard

    The Karbon Card is an attractive business card designed to keep business owners on the left, right, and centre. The card provides high credit limits, the ability to get cashbacks on the partner network, and exclusive rewards to the cardholder. The card can help business owners save up to 50 lakh in expenses across various providers.

    Perks:

    • 12% discount on monthly AWS billing.
    • $5,000 in AWS credits for a whole year.
    • $50000 in Segment credits.
    • 50% discount on Mailmodo.
    • $4,000 Freshworks credit and more.
    • Fast approval rates.

    Cons:

    • New product, still to go global.
    • Limited Awareness among users.

    Volopay Business Credit Cards

    Volopay - Best Alternative to FoundersCard
    Volopay – Best Alternative to FoundersCard

    Similar to the Karbon Card, Volopay is another global player that is quickly becoming popular among founders and small business owners owing to fast approval rates, robust teams, and higher credit limits. Although the card doesn’t provide huge membership benefits, founders can get access to 45-50 days of credit and track their expenses, keep a check on leakages, and optimize business operations on the go.

    Perks:

    • High credit limit.
    • 45-50 day credit-free period.
    • Track business expenses.
    • Dashboard and App Access.
    • Keep a check on financial leakages.

    Cons:

    • No considerable travel or membership perks whatsoever.
    • Limited awareness

    Conclusion

    Overall, FoundersCard is an interesting concept if one looks at it from the layman point of view. The card and the alternatives may be of great use globally, and are highly recommended for seasoned travellers and founders who are always on the move. However, for an average Indian founder, the need of the hour is frugality and sustainability, something that would matter in the long run.

    FAQs

    What is FoundersCard?

    FoundersCard compiles exclusively curated benefits for an annual membership fee. The membership card gives you a plethora of benefits including special discounts, elite badges and statuses, and even some freebies.

    How much does the FoundersCard cost?

    The general price for the FoundersCard stands at $595 per year, with a $95 initiation fee (or a discounted membership worth $495 via a member referral).

    What are the alternatives to FoundersCard?

    Some of the popular alternatives for FoundersCard are:

    • Amex Platinum Card
    • Regus Businessworld Membership
    • Select Card
    • Karbon Card
    • Volopay Business Credit Cards

  • What will the hiring of people look like in the future?

    Hiring twenty years ago was not the same as it is today. In fact, the way we used to hire five years ago is not the same as the way we think about it now. Times have changed, and many factors are involved in this conjunction. Even the emergence of a pandemic has turned almost everything upside down. One of the most relevant changes is undoubtedly technological.

    It is simply impossible to carry out a selection process without relying on new technologies. Recruiters have more and more tools at our disposal to do our job more effectively. But, as if this were not enough, the information we want to obtain from our candidates is also much greater.

    Recruitment has undergone major changes recently, so do you want to know what the main trends and keys will be in the coming years?

    1. Integrate the future employee into the company right from the selection process

    That’s getting off to a good start. To integrate the future employee into the company from minute zero, you have to start the selection process itself. From the moment they register for the offer, they should feel considered. You can do this through the text you compose and by using the various means at your disposal (videos, social networks…), conveying what the experience of working here is like and proposing a careful and respectful selection process. Feeling respected and taken into account is essential to start feeling part of a project.

    In addition, it is advisable that as the process progresses, you let the candidate know what the phases are and guide him/her through the process. The objective must be, at all times, that the candidate is captivated by our company and continues to have a good consideration of it even if they are not finally selected. There will be new opportunities, for sure, so if recruiters like the candidate, we will always have the opportunity to contact them again.

    2. Observe (and update) people’s skills and aptitudes with a magnifying glass

    Skills that were important five years ago are not so important now. The changes in our society and the script twists and turns (the pandemic is one of them, of course) mean that companies must also change. Thus, if the management of digital tools could have been placed some time ago in a fifth position, today, it is probably in a first or second position. Not surprisingly, most companies have already embarked on a good part of the road to digitization.

    These skills, along with empathy, the ability to work in a team, to be creative in problem-solving or results-orientation, will continue to be key in 2022. However, as we don’t know what the future holds, the need for people who excel in one skill or another will change over time. Our job as recruiters? To be aware of these trends and always keep in mind the priorities and gaps within the organization. This may require skills maps that are updated in real-time.

    3. Automate a large part of the tasks involved in this process

    It is true that by now, we have already updated a good number of tasks and procedures. It is part of this digitization process. However, both for the daily management of Human Resources and for the selection processes themselves, automation will be taken to another level.

    In this way, recruiters can dedicate much more time to the other phases that require a more personal analysis, such as interviews (face-to-face or remote) and the subsequent stages, which require us to think more carefully about the profiles selected.

    4. Attract candidates through interesting job offers

    We have already talked many times about the importance of creating good job offers. This is a task that we tend to do on the spur of the moment, which means that we don’t spend as much time and effort on it as we really should. The job offer is our first meeting with the candidate, and you know how important first impressions are. Our recommendation, in this sense, is that you prepare a complete and detailed offer in which the characteristics of the position are well specified, as well as the skills and knowledge required. It is also important to give a good description of what the company is like and to offer, if possible, the vision of the people who work with us. Who better than them to tell you what it is like to work in your house? If you are doing it right, their role will be fundamental in attracting the best talent.

    However, don’t forget to apply perfect copywriting. I’d like to say that you don’t need to be an ideal essay writer, but… well, it’s better to be one. Take care of the text in detail to make a good impression on the candidates. It will be one of the first signals you will give them about your interest in a job well done and your respect for the people who are part of the team.

    5. Turn employees into ambassadors of the company

    To achieve this, you need a good employer branding strategy, so this can be one of the New Year’s resolutions you make with your HR team. If the people who work with us are enjoying a good experience in their job, they will speak well of the company. They will surely be able to bring to our selection processes people they already know, who have similar criteria and value scales, and, of course, who have the training, experience, and skills necessary to fit our vacancies.