Part 1: Why Shopify Is Popular -- Advantages and Features |
Shopify is an ecommerce platform designed to help businesses create a webstore where they can sell their products. Compared to other hosted platforms such as WooCommerce and Magento, Shopify has gained popularity for its easy setup and intuitive user-friendly design. However, just because Shopify is a quality platform and a name you hear often, doesn’t mean it is right for your business. That’s what we’re here to talk about. In this two-part series, we reveal the good and the bad around Shopify so you can make the choice for yourself. |
So what makes Shopify so popular? Here are some of the advantages and features that e-commerce businesses love.
Shopify offers secure data encryption.
As a business, protecting your customer’s personal and financial data is imperative. To do so, an online shop needs an SSL certificate and PCI encryption, ensuring a safe checkout. In addition, Shopify comes with the Stripe gateway payment for security.
Shopify makes creating an online shop super easy.
Shopify provides a user-friendly platform, which makes setting up online shops a breeze. This is a real advantage for those not technically inclined, who don’t have time to waste building an e-commerce business. You can create a site within the interface and hit the ground running.
Shopify stores are mobile responsive.
In today’s age, with everyone glued to mobile devices, it’s crucial to have an online store that is mobile responsive. Without a mobile responsive ecommerce site, a potential buyer may get frustrated trying to order and leave. Shopify offers clean and fluid stores for those mobile shoppers to buy your products from home or on the go.
Shopify comes with a variety of built-in tools and integration.
By showcasing sale items, presenting coupons, and offering inventory control, Shopify makes it easy to customize. A plethora of built-in tools and integration features makes online sales go through smoothly with less hassle.
For example, features like abandoned cart recovery remind visitors who wander away that they still have items in a cart. And these built-in tools come in handy to help boost sales.
Shopify offers many attractive themes and designs.
When building a webstore, you will find a variety of aesthetically-pleasing themes and designs in which to choose – all for free! It makes it a painless setup without having to hire a professional site builder. It also means that they are ready to go, allowing a store to go live in a matter of hours or days. Sadly, if you want a Premium theme, it will cost extra. Still, there are many free beautiful and stylish themes to choose from.
Shopify comes with solid Search Engine Optimization.
Each theme is built with fast-loading, clean code that enhances search engine optimization, pushing your site higher in the ranks of Google. This built-in backend feature, along with other tools like Google ad landing pages and PPC social ads, can really capture your audience and make more sales.
As you can see, Shopify offers a ton of advantages for e-commerce businesses and online stores. There’s a lot to love. However, in the next part of this series, we dive into the nitty-gritty of the downsides and why it might not be the best choice for your online shop.
While it has always been essential to establish and maintain a sound refund policy, it is now mired in complications brought about by residual obstacles directly related to that pandemic. The epic rise in online purchasing has its downside: consumers not accustomed to buying sight-unseen may experience more dissatisfaction and wish to send merchandise back.
On the flip side, not offering a workable return policy will impact sales. Web Retailer reports that ecommerce vendors whose customer base is made up of at least 40 percent of repeat buyers realize about 50 percent more sales. This is an intuitive example of consumer behavior, and if buyers know they may easily return and/or exchange merchandise seamlessly, they are far more likely to become regulars.
By the Numbers
We’ll rip off the Band-aid with a number that may be shocking. Ecommerce returns for the holiday season of 2020, the first of the official pandemic era, reached $101 billion. That includes costs associated with processing returns. Notably this reflects a consumption pattern that was new to a good number of buyers, so it should not be interpreted as a repeating phenomenon.
Overall, returns represent 15 to 20 percent of all transactions among ecommerce operations. It may climb higher, but count on a reasonably consistent one-in-five products finding their way back to you. Clearly larger and heavier items hurt the most with respect to cost, thanks to the disproportionate hike in shipping bulky and weighty items. You should be already tracking your return rate, but breaking that down into categories of merchandise, including size and unique shipping costs, is important.
If you don’t offer free shipping on returns, your business could suffer. Experts gauge a negative attitude among potential customers who have to choose between a seller that grants free shipping and those that don’t. This is where you must do a critical evaluation of the ability to absorb the cost of liberal refund policies. Will it reduce your profitability to an unsustainable level and make doing business a moot point? Or will you explore options for shoring up the general sales strategies that can reduce returns in the first place.
Keep in mind that though presenting yourself as a hassle-free, generous seller with easy return policies may increase business, it may also trap you into a situation where shoppers overuse the benefit and take advantage. Hopefully these will be statistically insignificant. That said, taking a see-how-it-goes approach by experimenting with changing policies may paint you in a negative light among consumers who value consistency.
You may be aware that local and state laws require merchants to refund damaged and defective merchandise, so keeping that in mind is a critical element in considering how returns factor in to your policy. For a forward-thinking primer on how to start on a sound, workable refund policy, visit BigCommerce. Being pro-active and prepared could just save your business.
Whether you wish to bring home the look of a luxurious resort or want to take in the fresh air on a daily basis, your outdoor space offers a wonderful escape. Apartments with balconies and single-family homes both offer some sort of exterior area to unwind or entertain, so why not make the most of it? Transform any outdoor living area into an aesthetically pleasing and peaceful retreat. Here are some of the top summer outdoor design trends of 2022 that can elevate your outdoor space into an inviting oasis. |
Upscale outdoor furniture is just one of the 2022 home design decor trends. But modular furniture makes it easy to rearrange your outdoor entertainment area as needed. Perfect for large families or couples who love to entertain, modular furniture can be as compact or as spacious as you need. Hosting a backyard barbecue? Open up your modular seating to make it flow around a fire pit or coffee table, inviting guests to shift in and out as they top off plates and drinks and mingle. Modular furniture can be moved about at will, even creating multiple seating areas throughout the patio or yard.
Attractive Outdoor Landscape Lighting
Landscape lighting and lighting accessories allow us to enjoy a beautiful outdoor space for longer into the night. If it wasn’t too long ago you relied on auto sensor flood lamps to simply take out the trash, it’s time for an upgrade! Today, you’ll find a plethora of attractive outdoor lighting that offers a lovely glow and soothing ambiance, from charming cafe lights that can be strung over entertainment areas to solar-powered table lamps and decorative orbs to rest in the grass for a magical atmosphere. However you choose to illuminate an outdoor space, it’s sure to set the mood for the evening.
Wicker and Rattan Furniture
Once a bygone material of the late 80s and 90s, rattan and wicker have made a huge comeback, especially in patio furniture that offers a well-traveled bohemian style and hand-made feel. Of course, when you incorporate wicker or rattan outdoors, aim for a synthetic material that can withstand the elements, resisting sun damage, mold and mildew. Resin wicker, all-weather wicker or synthetic rattan resembles the real stuff rather convincingly and can be left outdoors all year round in most environments. Of course, you can always choose natural wicker or rattan, so long as it’s a more versatile furniture piece you expect to carry back indoors most of the time.
Egg Chairs and Loveseat Swings
With an open invitation the new outdoor space, you can still create a small retreat of your own. Swinging egg chairs and loveseats create a more intimate hideaway where you can curl up for a midday nap or get some fresh air and meditate. Sit inside its cozy embrace and you’ll see what we mean. Of course, many egg chairs are designed with all-weather wicker or rattan, which brings in another summer outdoor design trend. Drop an egg chair in a corner of a patio with an accent table to keep drinks and snacks nearby and toss a few colorful pillows inside your little intimate haven.
Concrete Textures
Concrete certainly has its place outdoors. However, in 2022, concrete will be used to create a more raw nature for outdoor furniture. From small side tables that invite you to rest a drink to oversized fire pits to bird baths, concrete offers a lovely texture that can stand out among the green grass of a lawn or a wood-planked patio surface. The biggest advantage of molded concrete furniture and accessories is that they will last for many years to come. If you are turned off by the idea of sitting on a cold concrete surface, simply lay down a few bench cushions and throws that offer warmth and a splash of pattern and color.
Bold Prints and Retro Colors
Bold prints like leafy palm fronds, florals and cabana-inspired wide stripes can offer visual interest to a basic Japandi style setup. Retro colors like oranges and cerulean blues set off the greenery backdrops and lend a vibrancy that catches the eye. Choose bold prints and retro-colored pillows, cushions, accent tables or bar cart accessories that can be swapped out for a fresh update when you wish to adapt to the trends.
Inbound and Outbound Marketing: What Are They? Inbound and outbound are two distinct marketing techniques used to attract consumers to a site. One marketing strategy is all about bringing consumers “in” while the other is about sending information about your brand “out.” Technically, they should both bring in consumers, but they do so in very different ways.
What is inbound marketing?
Content for one. By giving out free educational material, like case studies, infographics, podcasts and more, through a website and social media outlets and ads, consumers become aware of your services and goods. In turn, this generates leads, and if the consumers like what you’re offering, they will come to your website and eventually make a purchase. Simply maintaining a website with good search engine optimization (SEO) can also drive a site higher on a search engine results page where it’s more likely to be seen.
What is outbound marketing?
Outbound marketing often takes more time, sometimes with little results. But they’re still worth exploring. Think of outbound marketing as the traditional marketing strategies: Television and radio ads, banners (billboards, magazines or online pop-ups) and even the old-fashioned cold call by sales team members (although, now CRM software and automation go a long way to help).
Benefit #1: Inbound marketing offers an easy way for brands and businesses to target and connect with their audience. After creating a solid content strategy using social media, blog content and climbing your way up the SERP through quality SEO, your brand will grab the attention of the ideal consumers (instead of having to hunt for them). Create a follower on Insta, and you can reach them immediately.
Benefit #2: Attracting customers doesn’t mean annoying them. Instead of being intrusive with tons of calls, emails, and in-your-face reminders, there’s a trust factor. If they love a brand – and more importantly, the knowledge, expertise and style you provide – they’ll provide contact details and follow your social handle. It’s like the phrase, “If you build it, they will come.” Create excellent content, products, and educational tidbits, and the consumer will be drawn to your brand.
Drawbacks
Drawback #1: Inbound marketing still takes time to create. While it’s not as long as producing a TV or radio commercial, there’s still a ton of effort involved. Keeping followers engaged (and not just growing your follower count) takes more drawn-out lead generations. Again, it’s all about building that trust, which requires lots of content creation.
Drawback #2: Follow-ups and follow-throughs are more difficult for inbound marketing. Since it’s all about using lead generation tools and calls to action (CTAs) throughout your content, it’s at the consumer’s will to hit “Buy” or “Sign Up.” In turn, this means that you have less control over the desired outcome. Ultimately, it’s up to you to entice them enough to become a subscriber and patron of your brand to lead to sales.
Outbound Marketing: Benefits and DrawbacksBenefits
Benefit #1: Outbound marketing reaches customers immediately! Once a customer gives over their contact info, a brand can use email marketing or even advert flyers to alert them of upcoming sales, which encourages interest to take advantage and shop. In the same vein, the right kind of outbound marketing has a broader reach, as opposed to honing in on target demographics, and grabs the attention of even more potential customers.
Benefit #2: Outbound marketing is more direct. It tells consumers exactly what you’re selling and how they can buy it or achieve it. While this seems counterintuitive, it has a major advantage: A higher ROI. In other words, your brand can disregard the customers who may not be all that interested in what you’re selling, so you can turn your focus on the consumers who are, in fact, interested.
Drawbacks
Drawback #1: One of the main benefits of outbound marketing is a double-edged sword. On one hand, a brand can be direct. On the other, that approach can turn off a lot of consumers, as they may see it as invasive and, eventually, even annoying. The leads are not as organic as inbound marketing, and customers can be easily turned off by the more direct “salesy” approach.
Drawback #2: Another conundrum at hand: Since outbound marketing tends to have a broader reach, tailoring content and ads to a target demographic is pretty limited. Marketing to your ideal consumer is hard to do without metrics like click-through rates (CTS), bounce rates and website traffic rate.
As you can see, both inbound marketing and outbound marketing have their pros and cons. Which marketing technique you choose may come down to your brand and type of business. However, inbound marketing is a softer approach, which pleases a lot of consumers. Inbound marketing also seems to be the more modern version of a marketing strategy, especially with the help of new-age technology and the handheld devices like phones and tablets that never leave our side.
It’s imperative to grab your audience’s attention and make sales, but how do you know what will captivate them and keep them coming back? Luckily, businesses have an easy way to learn precisely what their customer base wants with lead generation tools. Whether your business prefers to capture leads through social media, chatbots or opt-ins – or all of the above! – here are some lead generation tools to put on your radar. |
ActiveCampaign offers tons of automated features you can rely on, from email automation to live chat. It’s a wonderful all-in-one lead generation tool to improve your marketing and capture customers and consumers. Use it to build a landing page that entices an email sign up or simply use it as a live chat to answer questions and help consumers to feel confident about buying your product. Perfect for both sales and marketing, ActiveCampaign is perfect for startups who want to hit the ground running and need an all-encompassing lead generation tool. Luckily, it’s user-friendly too!
Getsitecontrol
Getsitecontrol may not have a plethora of automation tools like ActiveCampaign, but they do have a variety of widgets like forms, popups and an extensive collection of templates to get you started. Create a targeted email opt-in popup to capture emails and customers. You can even create a split test popup to determine which is more effective for your consumer base. This lead generation tool is a very easy-to-use on-page lead generation tool that can begin to capture emails that lead to loyal customers and more.
JivoChat
Connect to your customers right on site with JivoChat, a live chat-based lead generation tool. JivoChat is a pretty handy tool for businesses that want to target existing traffic. You can use it to offer a way for customers to directly connect and chat with a representative and get the live support that they need. When a customer is hesitant or has questions about a product, warranty or more, a quick chat may be all they need to gain their trust and confidence and turn them into a long-term paying customer. Non-distracting and accessible, add a JivoChat chat window into the sidebar of a website just like that!
Hubspot Sales Hub
Hubspot is a fantastic all-around CRM software tool that offers a wide range of services from marketing, sales, and customer service. The Hubspot Sales Hub, in particular, provides lead generation tools that take advantage of the data, integrating it directly within the platform. The Hubspot Sales Hub allows companies to set up automated email sequences and sales processes to hunt down leads and close more deals. Lead scoring, conversion routing and sale forecasting tools are just some of the advanced features you can expect with this handy-dandy lead generation tool. While this fancy Hubspot tool is intended for teams, it’s also offered in a free CRM tool version for individual salespeople and smaller companies looking to bootstrap their business.
Albacross
Albacross is a wonderful lead generation tool to help you analyze and hone in on your ideal buyers. This way, you can tailor marketing activities along the buyer journey, which leads to greater conversions. Albacross not only identifies potential leads in real-time and monitors their site navigation habits, but also gathers data on their demographic so you can create better messaging that attracts them. This powerful lead generation tool is fully GDPR compliant with global regulations and offers firmographic, behavioral, and technographic data points so you can target your audience to a tee.
Leadpages
If you are looking for attractive and useful landing page lead generation tools, Leadpages has tons to offer. Leadpages can help you design beautifully optimized landing pages with simple templates and a drag and drop builder. Landing pages aside, it also offers ways to integrate popups, alert bars and much, much more so that you can up the ante on your lead conversions. A/B testing helps you understand what landing page is working and an analytics dashboard guides you through the process with real-time conversion tips.
OptinMonster
Last but not least, OptinMonster makes a great lead generation tool. After a quick user-friendly setup using one of their 97+ customizable templates from popups to floating bars and full screen overlays, you can bring A/B testing to eliminate the guesswork and hone in on your target audience. OptinMonster offers some proprietary software such as Exit Intent® technology, which can personalize campaigns based on visitor behavior and OnSite Retargeting® and personalization that tailors an offer to a specific audience like new or returning visitors. Enterprise-level page targeting is also another feature that can come in useful to segment leads.
For ecommerce merchants attempting to salvage a steady revenue stream, inflation is a bump in the road that seems to be worsening by the day. Finding that workable balance between meeting your obligations and realizing a decent profit, and avoid the Big Bleed that happens when skyrocketing cost-of-living issues hamper customer choice, can be daunting.
And it’s not in your imagination, nor is it a small point. From year to year March 2021 to March 2022, prices overall rose 10 percent globally. A gargantuan figure.
There are some workarounds you might try, and each is specific to a different industry, product mix, and business size. Candidly, the last thing most merchants want to do is raise prices. That may or may not be an option, but read on for some alternatives.
The obvious first steps:
- Negotiate with your sources/vendors; or consider less spendy inventory.
- Bundle items, combining similar products that work together and come closer to reflecting a lower wholesale cost.
- Retain your best-selling products while sneaking in some lower-cost items, hoping to capitalize on loyal consumer history. This likely will require a careful examination of sales patterns.
- Attach unavoidable price increases with incentives, such as a discount on future purchases or a bonus item thrown in.
The less obvious next steps:
- Look extra closely at productivity. You may discover areas to be cut, temporarily minimized, or reworked altogether.
- Discontinue generous offerings such as free shipping, while still keeping delivery below your cost.
- Consider in-house marketing and communications to ax out all external ad costs.
- Shift your product line dramatically if you think it could work for you. This requires a back-to-basics evaluation of what is do-able for you and tolerable to your client base.
Other possibilities may yield a surprisingly exuberant response from clients, including addressing the inflation issue head on with frank yet humorous language making mention of current conditions. Remember that they affect virtually all merchants, so you won’t need to create a tailored mea culpa. As you educate your customers on world and national geopolitical factors, supply chain crises, and other elements of changing commerce, they may invest more trust in you than they previously showed.
Above all, be honest. Don’t promise a quick return to affordability, but resist an open-ended, gloomy forecast. Assure them that you are not capitalizing on a phenomenon and attempting to line your pockets. Tell them you hope to keep them in the buying family and will adjust your pricing as it becomes feasible.
The Best Boho Design Ideas for a Fresh & Fun Living Space
No matter how you choose to design your boho space, let's talk about the fundamentals of this style and your must-have items.
What is Boho Style? The word boho comes from Bohemian, which was a term used to describe the free-spirited artists, poets, and musicians, who flocked to the city of Paris in the 19th century. Boho style is all about breaking away from the traditional. It's about using unconventional materials, mixing patterns, and bringing texture into your space. This style is cozy, charming, and fresh all at once. Boho style centers around a hip, eclectic, and vintage vibe. Think of it as rustic meets dreamy. |
HOW TO BRING BOHO DESIGN TO YOUR SPACE
Now that you know the back story about boho style, it's time to create this care-free appeal in your own space. Consider the following boho design ideas to leave you feeling inspired:
Boho Furniture
What is boho furniture? Look for minimalist items and side chairs crafted from wicker or bamboo. You can also incorporate furniture with a hint of antique flair, or items that are slightly worn and weathered.
You also don't want to overcrowd the room with furniture as the idea is to create an airy space.
However, the fun part about selecting boho furniture is finding what speaks to you. It's all about the free-spirited and individualist look.
The Best Colors for Boho Decor
What colors are best for a boho-style living room? Neutral colors help achieve the calm and dreamy allure of boho. You'll find a lot of brown with boho as well as black. Earthy tones complement this design also.
If you wish to add an exotic touch, consider a splash of burgundy or even leopard print.
Have Fun with Playful PatternsSpeaking of leopard print, patterns in general are a great choice for boho living rooms. You'll find a variety of eye-catching prints to use with boho, such as geometric and tribal. Cushions, rugs, pillows and throw blankets can all be layered up with boho patterns.
The pattern you choose should match your personality, but feel free to mix it up so it doesn't look like a "matchy-matchy" room. You don't have to stick with a particular color palette, either. The pattern can be neutral as long as it's still interesting.
Turn up the Boho Flair with Texture
Just like patterns, texture is another staple element of boho style. Think in terms of fringe, lace, or even crochet.
For example, you can feature a throw pillow on your sofa that has an embroidered geometric print. This incorporates the pattern and texture components of boho design.
Perk up Your Space with Plants
One of the last boho design elements to consider is plants and greenery. Since you are using mostly neutral tones throughout your space, greenery adds some color without overwhelming the overall style. Place a couple of plants on your coffee table, some on bookshelves or in corners to add some charm.
Be warned that not all plants are easy to maintain. A cactus, succulents, or a small indoor tree are great choices without a lot of maintenance. There are also fake plants that you can choose that look quite realistic.
With these tips in mind, you're well on your way to a boho-chic living space that you'll never want to leave.
Upscale Outdoor Furniture
As we continue to spend more time outdoors, upscale outdoor furniture has become a must-have for many homeowners. Able to travel once again, outdoor spaces have taken on a more resort-like aesthetic, complete with cabanas and global-inspired patterns and materials. Rattan, mesh accents, and woven seating lends a vintage look and feel. Cutouts and perforated surfaces create a surprising texture and silhouette too. Creating a multipurpose living space, outdoor areas also incorporate gas fire pits, creating a more luxurious and welcoming area.
Natural Elements
Plants and greenery will always have their place in a home. But in 2022, the greenery will be elevated by other natural elements and materials such as travertine, marbles, terracotta, and stoneware. Earthenware mugs and palace settings have made a huge comeback, as have limestone textures across backsplashes and architectural details like columns.
Even the plants themselves are being swapped out. The popular fiddle leaf fig is being replaced by calathea and deep pink and wine-colored house plants like begonias and variegated species like monstera and curvy-edged greenery like the alocasia.
Sustainable and Eco-friendly Decor
Sustainable elements and eco-friendly decor are still one of the biggest trends in 2022 and we don’t see this going away any time soon. Bamboo, cork, recycled glass, aluminum and other eco-friendly materials are just a few of the sustainable materials you will find popping up online and in stores.
Rugs made of renewable resources such as wool, sisal and jute, offer a natural decor element to a room, while also helping to create a healthier indoor air quality. Smart home technology falls into this trend as well, with its energy-saving capabilities.
Browns and Earthy Hues
Balancing out Pantone’s 2022 Very Peri color of the year, a purply-blue hue, is shades of browns and earthy hues. These warm tones offer a lovely complementing color to this soft shade. Not to mention, browns such as neutral tans and deep rich chocolates offer a bit more character than your once popular grays.
Of course, you can lean into the earth-toned spectrum with red and green undertones. Think rusts, terra cottas, caramels and even a lighter pastel peach-brown hue.
Tan and chocolate colors have also made a comeback due to the next 2022 home decor trend on our list – the retro-inspired 70s throwback. While we’re not suggesting pairing it with an avocado green or mustard yellow, there are many lovely brown shades that offer a rich, inviting look and feel.
Retro-inspired Decor and Motifs
Aside from the brown color palettes that push vintage vibes are other retro decor, motifs and patterns. Sporadic touches of secondhand decor items and vintage-inspired decor offer a nice throwback to the 70s era and can brighten the space with a pop of color.
Plus, retro-inspired decor and repurposed vintage items do double duty, offering a sustainable approach to homes and spaces.
Bold Sculptural Furniture
Tuxedo-style sofas and square, boxy edges of the furniture are on their way out. Instead, this look is being replaced by softer curves, sweeping lines and other contoured elements. A contoured sofa invites you in, embracing you with welcoming armrests. Curved tempered glass tops on coffee tables and arched bookshelf cabinets also lend softer curves.
Curvaceous lines like these also offer a more eye-catching sculptural look and feel to a space and portray the shapes more commonly found in nature.
Maximalist Style
It appears we might be seeing the last days of the minimalist trend. While some prefer a neat and tidy home, the maximalist style is having its moment in the sun. In lieu of zen-like interiors with clean aesthetics, there are ornate furniture and decor paired with richly layered patterns, colors and textures. Think plush fabrics like velvets, mohair and fringed sofas and chairs.
Canopy beds are a perfect example of maximalist style, making a bedroom a tad more ‘extra’ with its classically carved headboard, posts and finials. Explore more ways to pull off the maximalist style.
Multifunctional Spaces
Due to the pandemic creating a need for privacy and seclusion, open floor plans are thought to be mostly extinct. However, that doesn’t mean that homeowners have not made the most of each individual space. When we used to use one large communal space to gather, in 2022, we have transformed each segmented area into a multifunctional space. Instead of a designated single-use room, we are finding clever ways to integrate several activities into one space. For example, a guest room and home gym. Another example might be a dining room with a wall-to-wall shelving unit that presents a home library collection.
Options for Installment Payments
Online shopping is as easy as the click of a button. And “buy now, pay later” programs (BNPL) have become a popular way to make an online purchase, especially with the increase in online shopping during the Covid-19 pandemic. In 2021 alone, BNPL programs reached $100 billion in sales. |
It’s easy to see why this convenient option works for so many, especially in times of financial difficulty. BNPL apps and programs allow consumers to purchase a product upfront, making it a more affordable option as they pay in monthly installments instead. But before you go using just any BNPL option, take a closer look at their advantages and what each has to offer.
Online installment payment plans have a few pros and cons to consider. Here are some things to think about.
BNPL Pros
Easy Interest-Free Installment Plans
Most BNPL services offer an installment plan (four payments, typically) that can be paid off without interest – so long as you pay on time! This makes it a great option when you need to spread out your finances.
Links to Debit and Credit Cards
Many BNPL apps link to your already-existing debit and credit cards. With a soft credit check, a BNPL loan doesn’t affect a credit score. Instead, it simply offers consumers like students and those still building their credit to learn how to budget and better manage their personal finances.
Increases Orders and Purchases
When consumers feel confident with an easy-to-use loan without interest, they’re more tempted to make larger purchases and to spend more in a shop. That means that having a BNPL option on your online shop is a major advantage to your business. Furthermore, it also keeps consumers coming back time and time again.
BNPL Cons
Minimum Spending Requirements
Installment payments have a purpose – to help stretch out payments for more significant purchases. In other words, many BNPL options have a minimum spending requirement. For example, Klarna is $35.
Late Payment Fees
Interest-free installment plans are great – if you remember to pay them! But if you don't, many BNPL programs charge late payment fees. Of course, at the end of the day,, you’ll be paying more for the product purchased.
Many Do Not Help Build Credit
While there are BNPL apps that do help build credit with a hard credit score, many simply do not. Take a closer look at the app details and whether they are required to report to the credit bureaus and you will have your answer. For example, Splitit and Sezzle have no impact – good or bad – on your credit score.
#5 Consumer Favorite Options for Installment PaymentsLet’s break down some popular BNPL installment payment options.
#1 Affirm
Affirm allows customers and buyers to make a purchase and skip the late fees. However, Affirm does charge interest, which it breaks down up front. Still, an underpayment or no payment at all can harm credit scores. All in all, this loan system makes Affirm a fantastic option for larger purchases, allowing up to a 12-month payment plan. Interest rates on loans range anywhere from 0 - 30% and are dependent on several variables like if you have prior payment history, the standing of your current Affirm account and more.
#2 Afterpay
Afterpay offers payments split into four installments over six weeks. With a 0% interest rate, it’s a great BNPL option for those who are diligent and pay on time. Afterpay also allows late payments with a 10-day grace period. Beyond this time, a late fee is charged, based on the amount of the original purchase but never more than 25%.
#3 Klarna
Klarna’s terms, rates and fees tend to vary by merchant. However, customers can expect something like 4 installment plans spanning 6 weeks with no fees. Plus, Klarna allows users to pay 30 days after the purchase. Besides these limits, Klarna can charge up to a $35 late fee each month, but it’s relative to the item purchased, and $10 per month is the norm.
#4 PayPal ‘Pay in 4’
Many people use PayPal for online purchases, so they recently launched a new ‘Pay in 4’ program to meet the demand. The PayPal ‘Pay in 4’ allows consumers to make purchases without being charged interest, which is wonderful. However, they do charge a late payment fee. It’s also important to know that they run a soft credit check, which essentially means it doesn’t affect credit scores.
#5 Sezzle
Once approved with a soft credit check, Sezzle requests 25% upfront and allows you to pay (with a linked debit or credit card) over four installments in six weeks without interest. Late payments are $10, but it can be waived easily if you catch it within 48 hours. Sezzle also offers long-term loan financing through Ally. However, this method does require a hard credit check.
Enter maximalism, a daring and dramatic design trend that’s anything but boring. Blending rich colors, bold patterns, sumptuous textures, and layers upon layers of decorative accents, the maximalist aesthetic is a stunning symphony of sensory delight. Whether you find yourself feeling limited by conventional décor schemes, or you simply want your space to reflect the many facets of your personality, this exciting trend offers endless inspiration to design the home of your dreams.
But how do you pull off such an over-the-top aesthetic without making your space look cluttered? There is a big difference between maximalism and mess, but there’s also a method to the max-ness. Here are a few ideas you can incorporate to strike just the right balance and make maximalism work for you.
1.Consider a triadic color scheme. One of the hallmarks of maximalist décor is its dramatic use of color - the brighter, the better! A triadic color scheme is a great strategy for choosing a variety of bold, bright hues that complement rather than clash.
In color theory, a triadic color scheme combines three different colors that are evenly spaced apart on the color wheel. To keep things simple, bear in mind that the basic color wheel contains four potential combinations:
- Red, blue, and yellow
- Violet, green, and orange
- Yellow-green, red-orange, and blue-violet
- Blue-green, red-violet, and yellow-orange (my personal favorite!)
And of course, don’t forget about the blacks, whites, and neutrals that can really make those colors pop!
2.Display, display, display. Perhaps your collection of seashells or souvenirs is collecting dust in a drawer. Or maybe you’re tired of pulling out a photo album to relive your favorite memories. Whatever the case may be, maximalist décor leaves plenty of room to experiment with decorative display. Ideally, every wall and surface should be adorned with things you love to look at!
You might consider dedicating a wall to a floor-to-ceiling arrangement of framed photos and art. Decorative accents like plants, mirrors, art sculptures and tapestries are great for adding visual appeal. And definitely don’t shy away from accent tables and shelves. Not only do these pieces add dimension to décor - they also create the perfect home for curios, collectibles, heirlooms, and more.
3.Bring on the boldness. Who says you can’t have more than one statement piece? If you’re struggling to choose between a commanding Chesterfield sofa and a modern accent chair wrapped in bright, patterned fabric, a maximalist décor scheme gives you the freedom to incorporate both styles - and more!
Maximalist décor is, above all else, bold, and it will never have just one focal point. Think funky, statement-making furniture, dramatic area rugs, sparkly chandeliers, and lots of colorful art. And don’t be afraid to draw inspiration from a variety of different design aesthetics. Much like the eclectic décor trend, the maximalist home includes a little bit of everything.
4.Play with patterns. Mixing patterns is not for the meek. (Neither is maximalism, for that matter!) Even if most of us wouldn’t want to include multiple patterns in one outfit, there’s a way to make it work when it comes to home decor. You could consider a mix of paisleys, plaids, and polka dots that are all the same color. You could also choose a variety of pieces from the same family of patterns – think animal prints, geometrics, or different sized stripes. Although it may take some experimenting to create the look you like, bold patterns are an essential element of maximalist design.
5.Remember that it’s not about “stuff.” If you want to create a maximalist home that doesn’t look cluttered, remember that it’s not just about filling up space. Maximalism isn’t about cramming a room full of random items. It’s about creating a bold blend of colors, patterns, and textures that capture the senses like candy to the eye. It’s about decorating your space with items you love and that reflect your unique personality.
No matter which décor scheme you choose for your home, there’s one rule of thumb to keep in mind. Whether it’s fashion, functionality, or just plain fun, every item in your home should serve a purpose. This guideline is true for any decor scheme – even maximalism! Maximalism’s heavy focus on fashion and fun sets this showstopping design trend apart from the rest.
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