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Growth Hacking Tips for your online shop – Part 1

Dimitris Samaras — Tue, 15 Aug 2023 15:44:04 +0000

eCommerce has been one of the most dynamic sectors of the economy in the last few years. The number of online shops is growing as more and more people prefer to shop online.

If you want to start an online business, there are a few things you need to know that will help you increase your chances of success.

1. Create an attractive eshop

The first thing you need to do is to create an attractive online store.

This means that your store must be easy to use, have a beautiful design and provide all the information customers need to make their purchases.

2. Focus on SEO

SEO is very important for the development of an online store.

If your store appears on the first page of search results, customers are more likely to see it and make purchases.

3. Take advantage of social media

Social media is a great way to promote your eshop.

Create accounts in the most popular social media and post new offers, products and articles.

4. Create a customer loyalty program

A very effective way to keep your customers happy and keep them coming back to your store is a customer loyalty program.

You can offer discounts, free shipping or gifts for their purchases.

5. Try to differentiate yourself from the competition

In today’s competitive world it is important to find ways to differentiate yourself from other entrepreneurs in the same sector.

This is why you can offer unique products or services, have better prices or provide better customer service.

6. Don't be afraid to experiment

E-commerce is an ever-changing sector. It’s essential to be open to new ideas and not be afraid to experiment with new marketing strategies.

You can try different techniques and see which ones work best.

7. Don't give up

The success of an online store requires time and effort. Don’t give up if you don’t see results right away.

Keep working hard, keep improving your shop and eventually you will reach your goal.

Extra Tips

If you don’t have experience in e-commerce, you can contact a consultant or a web development company to help you set up your store.
Don’t forget to update your eshop with new products and offers.
Keep track of your online store’s performance statistics and make the necessary changes to improve results.

Don’t hesitate to ask for help from other e-commerce professionals.

Creating an Eshop – Complete Guide 2023

Dimitris Samaras — Thu, 10 Aug 2023 14:47:04 +0000

Ecommerce is one of the fastest growing sectors of the economy. According to the Hellenic Electronic Commerce Association (GR.EC.A), in 2022 e-commerce in Greece reached 10.3 billion euros, an increase of 23% compared to the previous year.

This trend is expected to continue in the coming years as more and more people turn to online stores for their purchases.

So if you’re thinking about setting up an online store, you’re in the right place. With the following article we will give you a comprehensive guide to creating a successful eshop.

1. Choose the right product or service

The first step in creating an online store is to choose the right product or service to sell.

If what you are marketing through your ecommerce store is a product, then it is important to choose something that people are looking for and need. It would be helpful if it were a product that you could get easily and cheaply.

In terms of services, it is also important to provide services that users are looking for and need.

Finally, in both cases – goods or services – it is good to choose what you really like and are excited to sell.

2. Do market research

Once you have settled on your product or service, you need to start a market research in order to learn more about the competition in it as well as the needs of your customers. This will help you come up with the best pricing, marketing and promotion strategy for your products or services.

Tip: A very good (and free) tool to do your research is Google.

Search for your product or service on Google and find where it says “Related Searches”. There you can find frequently asked questions that people ask on Google about what you want to sell.

We use this tool very often in the market research we do for our clients (see our previous post “SEO Techniques to Increase Organic Traffic – A Beginner’s Guide”).

3. Build an online shop

The next step is to create an eshop. There are many ways for this to happen. You can do it yourself using some platforms and a ready-made template or contact a web development company.

If you have no experience in web development, it is better to talk to an expert so that you can create a more professional and functional eshop. Start a market research and look for a company that builds websites and online stores.

Tip: Ask to see completed work and projects of other clients of the company you choose. This will make it easier for you to decide more quickly!

See the projects we have completed for our clients here.

4. Promote your eshop

Once you have created your eshop it is important to promote it to attract customers. You can do this in a number of ways, including:

SEO (Search Engine Optimization)
SEM (Search Engine Marketing)
Social Media Marketing
Email Marketing
Affiliate Marketing
Content Marketing

5. Customer service

Customer service is one of the most important factors for the success of an online store. For this reason, ensure that your customers receive excellent service from the beginning to the end of the buying process.

Give as much information as possible about the product or service you are selling, show photos of your products or results of the service you provide. Add to your online store additional ways of contact such as phone, email or chat. Respond immediately to your customers’ calls and messages and solve any questions they may have.

This way you will build a relationship of trust with them and this will encourage them to return to your eshop to make more purchases.

6. Stay up to date with new technologies

The e-commerce market is constantly changing. It’s vital to stay up to date with new technologies and trends so that you can continually improve your customers’ experience.

7. Invest in safety

The security of your customers’ payments and personal information is one of the most important factors for the success of an eshop.

Invest in reliable security systems to protect your customers’ data and their money.

If you do not know how to do this, contact your hosting company or the company that has built your eshop and ask them to inform you about the security measures they take in your online store.

8. Make sure you have excellent customer support

If your customers have questions or problems with your eshop, products or services, you should provide them with support. This can be done by phone, email or live chat.

Answer their questions promptly and thoroughly and you’ll see an increase in users choosing your store for their purchases.

9. Invest in advertising

Advertising is an important way to promote your online store and attract new customers. You can advertise it through various channels, such as:

Google Ads
Facebook Ads
Instagram Ads
YouTube Ads
Native Advertising

10. Evaluate the results

It is vital to measure and evaluate the results of your actions to see if the strategy you have followed is working or not. Adapt your actions to the means and purposes needed each time. Improve the user experience and save money on actions that don’t benefit you.

This will help you to make your eshop more effective and gain ground from your competitors.

In this section we will answer some of the most frequently asked questions that users ask us about setting up an online store.

If you have any other questions, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Frequently Asked Questions and Answers for Online Stores

Online store legislation and institutional framework

Operating an online shop is subject to certain legal and tax requirements. These requirements include registration with the GEMI, the Tax Office and starting a business.

It is necessary to issue legal documents for sales (invoices or retail receipts), payment of taxes and everything else necessary for the operation of a business.

It is also important to know that online shops are subject to certain consumer protection rules set by the Greek Ministry of Development and European Union consumer protection directives.

Eshop without a physical store - is it possible?

Yes, it can be done! You can create an online store without a physical store.

That is, without having to have a place where customers can visit and make their purchases. However, it is important to emphasize that this space must be a business space and must be registered with the Tax Office as a place of business activity.

You should also have a place where you can store your products and prepare them for shipment to your customers.

What is the taxation of eshops?

Online shops are subject to sales taxes, just like other businesses.

The rate of VAT imposed on online shops is the same as for other businesses and is proportional to the products they sell.

If you have products that belong to a reduced or zero vat rate then this should be calculated correctly in your online store.

I want to start a clothing online shop - what do I need to do?

If you want to open an online clothing store, you need to carefully select the products you will sell.

It is important to choose products that are in demand and that can be easily and ideally cheaply sourced. Also, you should have a well-designed online shop that is easy to use and that encourages customers to buy.

We will analyse more in our future article the online shops with clothes, shoes and accessories as they have many parameters that we would like to examine.

Create an eshop with a subsidy

There are a number of subsidies that can help you set up an online shop. These subsidies are granted by the state or the European Union.

To find out more about the grants available for setting up an online shop, you can visit the website of the Ministry of Development and Investment or the European Commission.

Creating an online shop and tax office

For online businesses is exactly the same as for other businesses. If you start an online shop, you will have to register with the tax office, start a business and file a tax return.

The tax return you have to file will depend on the income you receive from your online store.

Development of online store - cost?

The cost of creating an online store varies depending on your needs. However, you can set up a simple online store at a very low cost to start with.

Tip: You should choose an e-commerce solution that can be expanded in the future. Some affordable ecommerce platforms do not have the possibility of future extensions or have limited capabilities so that when you need to expand your online store it will be impossible.

To create a more sophisticated online store, you need to invest in a more advanced e-commerce platform.

We for example develop online stores with Woocommerce and Shopify and have completed projects from small eshops with few products to very large online stores with more than 50.000 products.

Building an online store - what do you need?

To create an online store, you will need:

A domain name e.g. toeshopmou.gr
A company to provide you the web hosting of your website
An e-commerce platform or an e-commerce management system
At least one method of payment
At least one way of shipping
And finally, certainly a well-designed online shop

If you don’t have the necessary knowledge, experience and time, you can contact a web development company (or talk to us) to help you create a professional and functional online store.

Don’t waste your time, start your own online store today and discover the world of ecommerce!

ecommerceDB: 12.5% growth for eCommerce in Cyprus in 2023

Dimitris Samaras — Tue, 25 Jul 2023 09:45:01 +0000

The eCommerce market in Cyprus

Cyprus is the 91st largest e-commerce market with projected revenues of USD 845.5 million by 2023, placing it ahead of Haiti.

Revenues are expected to show a compound annual growth rate (CAGR 2023-2027) of 11.2%, resulting in a projected ecommerce market turnover of USD 1,290.6 million by 2027.

With an expected growth of 12.5% in 2023, the Cyprus e-commerce market contributes to the global growth rate of 9.6% for 2023. As is the case in Cyprus, global e-commerce sales are expected to grow in the next few years.

The ecommerceDB examines five markets in the context of the online market for goods in Cyprus.

Food and personal care products have the largest share of the market and account for 29.5% of e-commerce revenues in Cyprus.

This is followed by fashion products with 24.3%, electronics and media with 21.3%, furniture and appliances with 13.0% and finally toys, hobbies and DIY products with 12.0%.

Market Share of the eCommerce market in Cyprus

Internet market share – ecommerce market share – refers to the percentage of retail sales made via the Internet. It includes shopping via desktop computer, tablet or smartphone, both through websites – eshop as well as through applications. Only retail trade in physical goods is taken into account.

The online retail market share for Cyprus is 12.2% and will grow on average from 9.7% to 17.7% by 2027.

Source: ecommerceDB

ecommerceDB: 12.3% growth for eCommerce in Greece in 2023

Dimitris Samaras — Tue, 25 Jul 2023 09:28:14 +0000

The eCommerce market in Greece

Greece is the 51st largest e-commerce market with projected revenues of USD 3,739.8 million by 2023, placing it ahead of Qatar.

Revenues are expected to show a compound annual growth rate (CAGR 2023-2027) of 8.9%, resulting in a projected ecommerce market turnover of USD 5,266.8 million by 2027.

With an expected growth of 12.3% in 2023, the e-commerce market in Greece contributes to the global growth rate of 9.6% for 2023.

As is the case in Greece, e-commerce sales worldwide are expected to increase in the next few years. Five markets are examined by ecommerceDB in the context of the online goods market in Greece.

Fashion products and accessories have the largest share of the market and account for 32.8% of e-commerce revenues in Greece.

This is followed by food and personal care products with 23.7%, electronics and media with 21.0%, toys, hobbies and DIY products with 12.7%, and finally furniture and appliances have the remaining 10.0% of the market.

Market Share of the eCommerce market in Greece

The online retail market share for Greece is 6.8% and will grow on average from 8.7% to 9.4% by 2027.

The five largest online stores in Greece by 2022

The biggest player in the Greek e-commerce market is public.gr. According to ecommerceDB, the store had revenues of USD 129.0 million in 2022.

The ranking of stores includes every store that generates revenue in Greece. These stores can either have a national focus and sell only in Greece or operate on a global scale. For this evaluation, only revenues generated in Greece were taken into account.

Source: ecommerceDB

Disable file editing in WordPress

Dimitris Samaras — Mon, 24 Apr 2023 15:37:14 +0000

WordPress has been the most popular CMS (Content Management System) in the world for several years.

This is of course what makes it more vulnerable to would-be hackers.

Below we explain how you can disable file editing from within the WordPress admin panel.

Step 1
Connect via FTP to the files of your Site.

*You can use a program like FileZilla or CyberDuck.

Step 2
Find the file wp-config.php

Step 3
Right click and then click edit

Step 4
Find the line

/* Add any custom values between this line and the "stop editing" line. */

Step 5
Right after that add

define( 'DISALLOW_FILE_EDIT', true ); // Added by .webtrust

Step 6
Save the changes you’ve made and upload the file to the Server

Ready
Now file editing is disabled in the WordPress admin panel.

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