Author: admin
Why is Shopify the Right Choice for Your Online Store?
Are you thinking of starting an online store, or are you unsatisfied with your current one? Shopify is undoubtedly one of the options that comes to mind as a choice, but it also brings up numerous questions for which we provide answers.
What is Shopify?
Shopify is an e-commerce platform that has been on the market for many years. According to the latest official data, Shopify is one of the three most popular solutions for online stores, ranking second in the market after WooCommerce and ahead of Magento.
The fact that popular brands like Pepsi, RedBull, and Tesla use Shopify instills confidence that it’s not just a platform used by small and new traders, but quite the opposite.
“Do It Yourself” Platform or “Consult an Expert”?
The internet is full of information that can undoubtedly help in the adventure of independently launching an online store on Shopify. If you decide to take this step, keep in mind that you first need to properly select from a plethora of available information, and then the real work begins, which requires a certain level of technical competence.
So, feel free to contact us! We offer all clients expert and verified advice that can best utilize the potential of the Shopify platform and become a reliable partner in the development of your online store.
Key Features
The main advantages and features of the Shopify platform are:
– Ease of Use – the platform is intuitive and easy to use
– Scalability – supports merchants from micro to macro levels
– Applications – has its own app store, making it easy to upgrade with new desired functionalities
– Hosting – the platform is not dependent on hosting service providers, instead, it provides its own hosting which guarantees stability and saves money
Keep in mind that unlike other free online store platforms, Shopify is paid for and offers several packages depending on user needs. The chosen package is paid on a monthly or annual basis and varies from 27 EUR per month for a simpler package to, for example, 289 EUR per month for a more advanced package.
Dwizards and Shopify
There are many more important details about Shopify that are important for merchants who choose this platform. The Dwizards expert team is at your disposal for all questions and professional advice, contact us, and we will help you in making and implementing the best decision!
Digital Technology: A Simple Decision or Detailed Analysis?
Digital business today is not a matter of choice, but a necessity that can, but does not necessarily guarantee the survival of a business. The process of digital transformation must be rounded off with clear goals that are to be achieved and that lead to the final realization of sales, or if we turn things around, we define goals that, if not met, ultimately result in no sales.
The process of digital business is not just about investing in digital solutions in the hope that, for example, a webshop, website, mobile application, etc., will automatically bring additional sales or replace a part of the existing workforce.
It can also happen that there is a completely opposite and undesirable effect. Sales may decline, and the use of new digital solutions may require additional hiring and additional costs.
What do we want to achieve by introducing digital technology?
If it is about a technological solution that should bring us business optimization through savings, the decision-making process about the desired technology is quite simple. We will list all current costs and simulate future costs after the introduction of new technology.
If we want to achieve higher revenues (and who doesn’t xD), the process of deciding on the technology, its implementation, and preparing the entire organization is much more complicated and challenging.
Example – Introducing an e-commerce solution into the business
Let’s take as an example the introduction of a webshop solution into a company that has so far been engaged in retail at a physical location.
The logic of the company’s management suggests that the mere introduction of an online store will increase the company’s turnover. Expectations are usually high because they are accompanied by the narrative that appears in the media and business community that e-commerce is growing year by year, and often double-digit growth rates are mentioned year after year.
After developing an e-commerce solution, the company, following the initial euphoria, quickly faces reality. The time invested in managing the e-commerce platform increases, the revenue generated from the sales channel does not cover the costs, not to mention the fixed investments in the production of the online shop.
After developing an e-commerce solution, the company, following the initial euphoria, quickly faces reality. The time invested in managing the e-commerce platform increases, the revenue generated from the sales channel does not cover the costs, not to mention the fixed investments in the production of the online shop.
The consequence of such an approach is that the company will, through “learning by doing,” along with constant frustration and expenditure of resources over a long period, arrive at the right business formula. This is unless, during this time, they decide that e-commerce is not for them and exit that segment of the business.
Dwizards Business Consultations
At Dwizards, we offer business consultation services for clients who want to achieve maximum results from their digital business.
Through interviews with the client, we learn about the specifics of the industry, the method of presenting and marketing products, get to know the organization and their competencies, and adopt knowledge about the current technologies that the client uses…
We become part of the team. We bring our knowledge and experience from various business areas combined with the best global practices to help the client achieve their goals more quickly through adequate management!
Maximizing the Full Potential of Black Friday
Black Friday is a period when brands and retailers around the world launch their most favorable offers, and customers respond with record spending.
By executing Black Friday effectively, companies scale their sales and expand their customer base, with some Digital Native companies generating more than 50% of their revenues during this period.
There’s a general impression that this period is not as important and significant in our areas, but this is an impression created based on offers that are not as attractive as, for example, in the USA.
On the other hand, we have consumers who have long accepted BF and who will make a purchase – the question is whether they will do it at your point of sale or with some global retailer.
Another Black Friday has passed
Black Friday 2023 has ended, and retailers are analyzing their results. Some are satisfied, while others are less so.
The accelerated pace of business shifts our focus to the next events – Christmas is coming, and right after that, the January seasonal sale, and so on.
Most retailers will not think about Black Friday until next summer, and some will start working on an action plan even later.
For this reason, they find themselves in a situation where they actually do not manage their offer for the next BF, but the offer is dictated by various factors caused by the current situation in the company. The company is in a reactive, instead of a proactive mode of operation.
In this blog, we will give several key tips to online merchants on how to prepare well for BF and consequently achieve satisfactory results.
Integrate Black Friday into your strategy
Consider from your company’s perspective what kind of Black Friday you would like to have and with what results. Define the key activities you must undertake to achieve this (offer, promotion, pricing policy, logistics, preparing the online shop…) and start working on them as early as possible.
Divide roles and responsibilities within the organization and start preparing and implementing.
Plan Black Friday in time
Ideally, you should start planning Black Friday almost immediately after the previous one has ended.
Why?
After the end of this year’s BF, everything is still fresh, and at this moment you can detect all the right and wrong steps and document them segmentedly (offer, stock, promotion, logistics, webshop, external services…).
You will be able to determine the key things you need to do much more clearly and transform into a proactive mode of operation! Proactivity means that we will maximally manage all processes and be ready for BF!
Prepare your web shop
UX during BF comes into sharp focus. Customers have very specific and simple behavior during BF. They want to reach checkout in as few steps as possible and complete their purchase. Also, you don’t want your webshop to crash in the middle of increased traffic or to run slowly.
– Create a separate Landing page with a Consumer Journey suitable for BF
– “Clean” the site of unnecessary functionalities that can affect the speed of the site
– Prepare appropriate server capacities due to increased traffic
These are the basic things you should do. Strategies depend on many factors, and most of all on your core business – are you selling your own brand, are you a multistore, do you sell subscriptions or services?
Every company has its specifics and is unique, and we at Dwizards approach each client individually and give them the necessary know-how to, among other things, extract the maximum from Black Friday!
Večernji.hr: 1.9 Million Visits in September
The business successes of our clients are also our successes. Večernji.hr, redesigned by the Dwizards agency, was visited by 1,898,712 unique users in September. With this impressive number, they have once again proven that they provide reliable and timely information to their readers on a daily basis.
Almost a year has passed since večernji.hr shone in a new light, and the technical part of the performance was done by Dwizards.
Večernji.hr is the only portal in the Croatian market that currently allows users to choose to display content in dark mode, automatically changing the setting of black text on a white background to white text on a dark background. Each article also offers readers the possibility to listen to the content.
More visible and clearer information allows readers to very easily and quickly access all the news that interests them. The redesign has also highlighted Večernji list products, such as Premium content, videos from Večernji TV production, and the Archive where newspaper editions of Večernji list from 1959 to 2010 can be found.
Top-notch news content, along with the most modern technical features, have led to the result that last month, even 65% of people using the Internet in Croatia visited the vecernji.hr news portal.
HETA – development of a successful webshop
A well-known Croatian company, HETA, one of the largest and most respected importers of watches and jewelry in the Croatian and regional markets, had a mission: to establish an online presence that would reflect their reputation and tradition dating back to 1892. Turning to Dwizards, they sought a webshop solution that would be functional and reflect the spirit of their brand.
Challenge
HETA, already well-known in the Croatian market, wanted to further expand its reach through an online presence. Their requirements were:
1. Flawless user experience.
2. Strong brand identity representation.
3. A scalable platform that could keep up with the growth of inventory and user traffic.
Solution
1. User-focused design: Dwizards began with intensive user research, resulting in an intuitive design that facilitates easy browsing and shopping.
2. Brand Integration: Using HETA’s existing branding, Dwizards integrated the colors, typography, and ethos of the brand into every aspect of the online store. The aim was for visitors to feel the essence of HETA as soon as they visited the site.
3. Scalable backend structure: Dwizards provided HETA with an e-commerce platform ready for future growth.
Technologies
Front-end: For a dynamic user interface, we combined HTML as the foundation for structuring content, CSS for customizing the appearance of interface elements in line with HETA’s brand identity, and JavaScript for dynamism and interactivity, allowing fluid browsing and user interaction.
Back-end: To support scalability and security, we chose PHP as the language to build dynamic features, ensuring fast and efficient processing of user requests.
Database: To guarantee stability and continuous data availability, we chose the MySQL database, enabling secure and efficient storage, and frequent management of a wide range of information.
Such a technological approach ensured not only the fulfillment of all HETA project expectations but also provided a flawless user experience, strongly and authentically emphasizing brand identity, while simultaneously ensuring scalability crucial for future growth.
Result
A few months after launch, HETA’s online store recorded an increase in online sales, an increase in the number of registered users, and the average website uptime climbed to 99.9%.
User feedback indicated a high level of satisfaction with the shopping experience, highlighting the ease of navigation and the payment process. Dwizards’ dedicated approach to understanding HETA’s unique requirements and challenges resulted in the creation of an e-commerce platform that is both brand-focused and user-oriented. HETA’s online store testifies to how the combination of technology with a deep understanding of brand identity can yield phenomenal results.
Mobile app for the book “Discover Animals Through AR Experience”
With the progressive growth and evolution of modern technological solutions, boundless opportunities arise to enhance and expand our perceptual understanding of the world through various digital platforms. Dwizards, known for its expert software development, embraced the unique opportunity to develop a mobile application related to the educational book titled “Discover Animals Through AR Experience.”
Project Background
The book “Discover Animals Through AR Experience” isn’t an ordinary educational tool; it represents a complex amalgamation of information that aids readers of all age groups in understanding different animal species better. The aspiration to produce an interactive version of this book led its authors to search for a software company competent for this undertaking.
Why Dwizards?
Dwizards is primarily recognized for its technical prowess and commitment to quality. With a team of experienced developers and designers, we were the logical choice for crafting this application.
Development Process
The app development process was segmented into pivotal phases, each having its unique goals and requirements:
a) Analysis and Planning
Target audience research: Detailed investigation into the needs and wishes of prospective app users.
Feature definition: Selection of key functionalities for implementation.
Prototype and wireframe creation: Constructing visual guidelines to serve as the foundation for design and development.
b) Design and Development
Graphic design and User Interface (UI): Crafting intuitive and visually appealing interface components.
Backend and Frontend programming: Implementing the application’s logic using modern programming languages and tools:
• Unity – Modeling and execution of 3D elements.
• Vuforia Augmented Reality SDK – Linking 3D elements with book graphics.
• Android SDK – Customizing and launching on the Google Store.
• iOS developer SDK – Customizing and launching on the Apple Store.
Multimedia content integration: Incorporating interactive illustrations, videos, quizzes, and related components.
c) Testing
Automated and manual testing: Identifying and rectifying bugs and flaws within the app.
Performance optimization: Enhancing the app’s speed and efficacy.
d) Launch
App deployment: Publishing the app on relevant platforms.
Maintenance and updates: Ongoing surveillance and upkeep post-release.
Application Features
“Discovering the World’s Animals” isn’t just any app. It offers a rich spectrum of interactive attributes, presenting each animal within the book in an intriguing and novel manner.
Results and Feedback Collection
The application achieved remarkable success, receiving positive reviews from users and industry experts alike. Its role in education and access to new layers of interactivity is invaluable.
Small dictionary of developer terms
Terms like “API”, “Bug”, “Hosting”, “Frontend”, “Backend” and many others often leave those who communicate with web developers with a big question mark above their heads. In order not to appear completely ignorant in the eyes of IT professionals, many do not dare to ask the simplest question: “What does that mean?” Therefore, we bring you a small dictionary of the most common developer terms.
“404”
A page indexing error that usually occurs when trying to open a web page that does not exist. Why is it called 404? 404 HTTP is a status code used by the web server to describe this type of error.
Algorithm
It represents a draft of a problem and a way to solve it, it represents a set of operations needed to solve a task in a specific order.
API – Application Program Interface
API allows two different programs to communicate with each other by making certain parts of a website’s code available to developers. Using an API enables developers to use the work of other developers to write new complex code, with everyone using the same standards.
Adaptive/Responsive Design
Adaptive design creates a website in several different looks, each suitable for different screen sizes. Depending on the device used to access the website, the website will adapt and deliver the appropriate design.
Attribute
Information about the elements of the component in the design/creation of your website.
Agile
Agile web development essentially refers to a certain way of working. In an agile team, web developers will work in weekly or bi-weekly sprints. A sprint usually consists of five phases: design, development, testing, implementation, and review.
Backend
All digital operations behind the scenes that are needed for the front-end of the website to work, such as coding, styling, and add-ons. If the front-end of your website is what the audience sees, the back-end drives what the audience sees.
Bug
A website error that prevents normal operation in accordance with expectations.
CMS – Content Management System
A program used to create and maintain the content of your website. It is usually designed for non-programmers for ease of use. Our personal favorite at DWizards is WordPress.
CRM – Customer Relationship Management
Software used for collecting, analyzing, and maintaining customer information.
CSS – Cascading Style Sheet
Code that tells the browser how to display a website to end-users. It pertains to formatting fonts, colors, and other visual elements.
CTA – Call to Action
“Buttons” on your website that encourage specific conversions or goals such as donations, newsletter signups, or user registrations.
Debugging
When a bug occurs, it needs to be “debugged” – meaning identified and solved.
Domain
The website address as entered in the browser (ours is www.dwizards.agency). If the hosting company where your web project is located is like a house, the domain is its postal address.
Firewall
A system for protecting a secure network from an insecure network.
Framework
A package of programs used in the development of websites or software.
Frontend
The user interface of a website, or what the end-user sees and interacts with.
Git
During the development of a web project, developers constantly change their code. Git allows you to track changes and undo them if necessary.
HTML – Hypertext Markup Language
A coding language used to create a website in terms of form and function.
Mobile-first
Mobile-first is a web design and development approach that prioritizes mobile devices.
Plugin
Modules or software that can be added to your system for additional functionality or features.
Redirects
Automatic forwarding from one URL to another – typically from an old website URL to the same page on a new website. Other redirects can range from between two domains to short URLs to full URLs (e.g. bit.ly URLs).
Sitemap
A sketch of all the pages on a website, organized in hierarchical order.
UI Design
Refers to the design of the user interface, which includes screens and interactive touchpoints that make up a website or application. Swiping motions, scrollbars, and clickable buttons are all part of user interface design – basically everything that makes up the user interface.
UX Design
UX design refers to designing the user experience, which involves providing a smooth, user-friendly experience for the end-user as they navigate through a website or application.
Wireframe
The basic structure of a web page. It shows the layout of the page, how content should be arranged, which interface elements and navigation systems should be included, and how all these components work together. The focus is on functionality, not aesthetics.
Unique UX: Crafting captivating web design
Behind every successful web project is an engaging UX. It’s more than design—it’s about shaping your customer’s online journey. Our craft revolves around transforming this principle into immersive web designs that speak your brand’s language.
A deep understanding of the brand paves the way for a uniquely tailored online persona. Each design choice, from color selection to button placement, reflects a brand’s story, crafting an immersive user journey.
Interactivity drives engagement, and advanced design techniques are employed to create captivating elements. Simplicity, however, remains essential—designs stay clean, minimal, and user-friendly. Adaptability also is a crucial feature of modern design. A mobile-first approach ensures compatibility across devices, mirroring contemporary browsing habits.
Every facet of the new website, every feature of the new webshop, is devised with a profound understanding of the end user’s needs. This focus leads to intuitive, easily navigable interfaces that turn browsing into an effortless and enjoyable experience.
In e-commerce, an optimized UX means more satisfied customers and improved conversions. The layout is structured for intuitive navigation, minimizing friction and streamlining the purchasing process. That’s why we put enormous effort into optimizing the checkout process in every webshop.
Every stage of web design is meticulously planned and executed to deliver an experience that echoes the brand’s voice and connects with the target audience. It’s all about creating a digital environment that resonates with users, fosters a connection, and builds a relationship that goes beyond the typical customer-brand interaction.
Embarking on a web project is an exciting journey. A memorable and effective UX design can transform your brand’s digital presence and set you apart in the crowded online marketplace. If you’re ready to elevate your brand and create an engaging user experience that resonates with your audience, we invite you to reach out to us.
Let’s work together to craft the perfect UX and deliver a web project that not only meets your objectives but exceeds them. Your perfect online journey starts here.
Contact us through our contact page or directly via office@dwizards.agency, and we will provide you with a first-class experience in developing your new website, webshop, or mobile app.
Building Vecernji.hr – a complex news portal
Vecernji.hr is a leading Croatian news portal delivering content to millions of users. In this article, we will outline the key steps we took to build and launch the modern news portal, highlighting our approach from initial consultation to continuous support after the launch.
Consultations
To define the scope of the project and create a roadmap to achieve the desired outcomes, the target audience, content strategy, and business objectives of the news portal were discussed.
Workshops
To ensure the client’s vision was accurately translated into the final product, numerous workshops were held at the beginning of the project to brainstorm the features and functionality of the news portal.
Modern design
A clean, modern, and user-friendly design that adhered to the client’s brand guidelines was created to ensure consistency across all pages and devices. The design was created by our team of expert designers who used the latest design tools and techniques to bring the client’s vision to life. We ensured that the design was not only visually appealing but also functional and easy to use for the end-users.
Front-end and back-end programming
During the development process, we used a wide range of modern programming languages and frameworks. On the front-end, we applied HTML, CSS, and JavaScript to create an attractive and interactive user interface. Parallel to this, in the back-end architecture, we integrated Python, PHP, and other advanced technologies, thereby creating a scalable and secure back-end infrastructure to ensure the best user experience. This strategic integration played a crucial role in achieving fast loading, responsiveness, and adaptability on various devices
QA and testing
A variety of testing techniques were employed to ensure that the news portal was error-free, fast, and easy to use, and to ensure that it met the client’s requirements.
Continuous support
We provided technical support, bug fixes, and feature enhancements to ensure that the news portal remained up-to-date, secure, and user-friendly after launch.
By following a consultative approach, organizing numerous workshops, creating a modern design, using modern programming languages and tools, and providing continuous support, we built a fast, secure, and user-friendly news portal that exceeded the client’s expectations.
Important Considerations When Building a Website
If you want to advertise or offer your content, services or products on the internet, you need a well-organized and high-quality website. This article provides essential information you need to know before embarking on this adventure.
Defining Your Goals
Developing a website without a well-thought-out plan may result in an unclear, disorganized, unprofessional, or ineffective site that fails to fulfill your vision. This is especially common for individuals or companies who are inexperienced in website development and do not hire professionals.
Therefore, the first phase of website development is gathering all necessary information from the client to understand what they want, how they want it to look, which functionalities it should have, and its structure.
To build a successful website, we must understand your current and potential clients needs, habits, challenges, and preferences. Researching the market and keeping up with changes in customer behavior is crucial to keeping content fresh and up-to-date.
Work with professionals
Building a high-quality and professional website can be a complex job, and working with experts in web design and web programming is the best way to ensure optimal results. Their experience, design skills, and technical expertise are invaluable in creating a website that meets your unique needs and attracts new clients to your business.
Design
The first thing potential customers will see when they land on your website is the design and then they will start searching for content. It is important that the website is clear, well-organized, and easy to use. If you want your website to leave a professional impression, it is best to leave its creation to experts.
Website development takes time
It is not something that can be completed in a few days, but rather a process that requires teamwork involving back-end and front-end developers, a designer and a project manager. Everyone plays a crucial role in creating a website, and each of them is a link that makes the final chain unbeatable.
Finally, privacy protection is important
Legal information that most people do not read and technical optimization and adaptation of cookies, various consents, and logs only increase the cost of developing a website. However, we have to comply with legal obligations and protect users’ privacy – it’s a very important segment that you cannot ignore because potential penalties are huge.