Dominic Otero

At Vervaunt we've been much more hands-on with Shopify Flow over the last 6-9 months after seeing some big improvements, leading to much more useful and complex flows being achieved. I still think there's a few big improvements needed around the UI and configuration before it becomes a real Zapier-esque self serve system, but hope that will eventually come (Gavin Ballard posted about this a few weeks ago which had a lot of good context and discussion). But one element i'm a big fan of are the ready-to-go Flow Templates. This is going to be the common route of connecting vendors in the tech stack together in the medium term. It makes so much more sense handling these fully within the Shopify infrastructure and the days of an app having a big private library of integrations as a USP are numbered. I've cobbled together a quick video of connecting Census > Slack in about 3 clicks to highlight the ease of this for a merchant.

64

17 Comments

When building apps iOS often comes first, especially if working with a US or UK client. But it's important to remember that globally Android has a 71% market share. And I think very affordable Android phones are at a point where they are pretty great - you can get phones now for less than £200 that have great cameras, are fast and are well designed. If you're thinking of building for mobile, make sure you consider Android as well as iOS if you want to target a global market.

4

2 Comments

In the next 2 weeks we have three webinars for leaders in the digital and ecommerce space. 1)How businesses with multiple brands can structure their digital teams and how does it look like across single brand businesses. 2)Tips on replatforming from Magento to Shopify. 3)Setting yourself up for success in the pursuit of finding your ideal role If you are a leader in the space and want to login let us know. This summer we have already had webinars on GA4, The Amazon opportunity in the coming years, how the upcoming employment changes will affect individuals and their teams, Tiktok tips and tricks and the evolution of AI and how it will effect ecommerce businesses. This last two months has truly been a period of learning. Digital Leaders Club *Powered by Blu Digital

42

6 Comments

Here’s an insight of what our web developer, Albie Gibbs gets up to in a typical day at Logic 🤩   This day comprised of working his way through the build queue to create some lovely new WordPress websites that he’ll help to go live, when completed!   Every website is different, and today, he was creating custom blocks to be used throughout a site, as well as bespoke booking systems.   Albie also helps the SEO team to implement technical SEO changes and optimisations where needed. It doesn’t end there- he’s also on hand to deal with any trouble shooting or fixes necessary for websites.   #SEO #WebsiteDeveloper #DigitalMarketingAgency

14

WARNING **RADICAL HONESTY POST** 😅 So today marks the second day in my new journey of reducing my screentime. But you work at a computer, I hear you say! Yeah but that's the thing. I have been looking at my job as 'separate' to any screen time consumed in the morning or evening and in the endeavor of radical honesty, this became a pretty big issue for me! Those of you who know me will know I'm raw-dogging life without ADHD meds (a personal choice) and there are pros and cons to this. One of the cons is that even though I am an absolute Pro with a capital P at masking, sometimes my impulses take over and I form really bad and unhealthy habits that are hard to break. For what it's worth, when I'm with my kids, it's rare I look at my phone unless it rings but that means that when I'm not I have a million notifications and end up getting sucked in. I also love ❤️TV and film❤️ so many evenings are spent devouring HBO's latest offering or maybe a Prime Home Premier if I'm feeling spicy. I started feeling really low recently and when I thought about it, the amount of hours that my eyes were focused on a screen were really totting up😅The thing is, when you have ADHD you kind of live your life with racing thoughts every waking moment of the day and I realised that my recreational screen use was me trying to self-medicate my exceptionally busy brain, which for obvious reasons isn't great. I mean, what therapist ever recommended more screentime as a means to treat ADHD symptoms? 🤣 Ironically, I've always been really strict on my kids using devices (they only have the telly or laptop for schoolwork) and my 11 year old only has a burner phone as I don't want his social development to be stunted by a screen and internet use, which surprisingly, he's cool with. So I'm owning my shit and making a decision to reduce my out of work hours screentime down to an hour a day and TV is going to become a treat after the gym or at weekends once my kids are in bed. I want to rediscover my creativity away from a screen and I'm hoping this will only enhance the passion and ideas I already bring to my job, which I love! Is anyone else out there just feeling that we are all spending way too much time looking at screens or is it just me? 😅😂 #partialdigitaldetox

23

4 Comments

Need to be in one of these meetings/focus groups where we discuss the absolute need for a radish/turnip emoji Apparently these new emoji may be coming to Android and iOS

2

11 Comments

Our webinar for all you eCommerce folk starts in 10 minutes. Loads of tips on making more money with the tech stack you probably already have. https://lnkd.in/e3GWvUCH

3

Maximise your local reach with a well-optimised Google Business Profile! 📈✨ Learn how to set up, optimise, and engage with customers to boost your visibility in Lichfield. Get insights, tips, and a FREE profile audit from Cosmik Carrot to enhance your online presence. 🚀 #LocalSEO #GoogleBusinessProfile #DigitalMarketing #Lichfield #CosmikCarrot

4

So we've been spending time this weekend really trying to nail pricing for our SaaS product prototype. The system isn't pretty looking at the moment, but the functionality is very useful to businesses and digital agencies and the feedback from the meetings I've had so far are very positive in how it can be used in their own business. I've been meeting with many agencies lately demoing the system and it's been an interesting learning journey to hear how they want to use it in their business and this is our first SaaS product (2 more in the pipeline), so it's a new area for us. Now what was interesting is that I thought I would use this as an opportunity to test out AI to see what pricing it would come up with. First though I created an excel spreadheet and figured out prices the traditional way, manually, based on a few things, storage & processing being the primary drivers along with of course a profit margin that allows the business to reinvest and hire more people and improve the service. I then prompted AI with a fairly long and detailed prompt to give it as much information but not the figures I came up with, so just the costs of the business, closest competitor pricing for what we're doing (not a like for like but adjacent to what we're doing), who it's for and why along with markets we expect to target and in what order etc... What's crazy is that the prices the AI came up with are so close to my original figures, even the various levels for a business or a digital agency, about 5% on average of a difference (lower). It actually did some things better than I did as well. So it's very interesting as a solid sense check that I must be in the right ball park with my figures and approach. So if you haven't used AI yet, you really should look into it and don't just put in 7 word prompts, describe in as much detail what you're looking for. In this I added at the end "Is there any other information you need me to provide to get a better more accurate answer?" and it came back and asked me 11 questions. So think of it more as a conversation if that helps.

8

8 Comments

I did a check the other day and realised that more than half of the active Shopify projects we are working on at the moment are using Shopify B2B in some shape or form. I put this list together of all the different tools within the platform that we're using to set up successful B2B platforms. If this list doesn't show how good Shopify has become at managing all kinds of B2B requirements, nothing will: OOTB functionality - There's so much you can do without writing a line of code. Configuration > Customisation. Trade B2B theme - Ties in beautifully to all the under the hood capabilities of managing price lists, tiered pricing, thresholds etc. Contextualised publishing - Create different experiences for B2B and B2C customers all within the theme editor. APIs - Almost every B2B function in Shopify has a matching API to allow integrations to be automated. Shopify Flow - As per the APIs, so much business logic can be handled in here. App ecosystem - Still not heaps of B2B specific apps out there, but the opportunities for developers are massive and there will be lots of amazing apps with B2B specific functionality coming, I'm sure. ERP connectors - We're starting to see some of the big ERP native integrations add B2B modules to their middleware. Deposits at checkout - These types of improvements appear to be dropping every couple of weeks, solving different nuances of B2B operations. Hydrogen & Oxygen - Storefronts with truly custom requirements can spin up B2B headless storefronts in Shopify. Great option particularly if you have multiple storefronts. I'm sure I've missed some stuff too. I'm loving chatting with people about Shopify B2B and hearing what other people are doing with it too! Overdose. #b2b #ecommerce #shopify

81

2 Comments

October has been an incredibly busy and rewarding month for Tomlinson Solutions. Here’s a look at what we’ve been up to: ✨ Website Design Services Take Off! We’re thrilled to have successfully launched our first few websites since expanding into web design. When introducing a new service, there’s always a bit of uncertainty around how it will be received. The response has been fantastic, with many clients eager to take advantage of this new offering. The real reward, though, is seeing the final product live and hearing how delighted our clients are—not only with the websites themselves but also with the smooth, collaborative experience they’ve had with our web team. 🔧 Record Month for IT Service Desk October has also been our busiest month yet on the IT service desk, handling a record number of support requests. Despite the increased demand, we maintained our average ticket response time to under 30 minutes, ensuring our clients get quick, efficient support whenever they need it. 📈 Major Project Milestones In addition to day-to-day operations, we’ve had a record-breaking month for project work. This has included: Office IT & Network Infrastructure Setups: Completed setups for three business offices, ensure these business can get started on day 1. IT Hardware Replacements: Supporting clients to transition from older tech to new without business downtime. Troubleshooting for an E-commerce Client: Investigating issues affecting email marketing functionality, traced from source to resolution. A massive thank you to our clients and everyone who has recommended us—we’re incredibly grateful for your trust and support. We love what we do and look forward to another productive month in November! #DirectorUpdate #TomlinsonSolutions #WebDesign #ITSupport #ClientAppreciation #OctoberRecap

1

😱 In our live poll with webinar attendees, a whopping 85% said they currently struggle to convey the ROI or benefits of tech SEO projects to their stakeholders. Learn how to put real numbers to your website improvement proposals to drive more buy-in and secure more resources for your efforts - with Rasida Begum & Lumar host Emily Whalen, MA. In this session, we cover... - The ROI challenge for website health improvements - How to quantify ROI for bug fixes - Calculating revenue risk for unresolved SEO issues - Forecasting revenue opportunities for new website improvement projects ... including Rasida Begum's famous SEO forecasting calculator 😍 🔗 If you'd like to dive deeper, you can find the webinar recap in comments below. #Lumar #WebsiteHealth #TechSEO

8

1 Comment

What is a CMS? Discover how a CMS can revolutionise your SME! Our latest blog dives into the top benefits of using a Content Management System, from streamlining your workflow to enhancing your online presence. Don't miss out on these game-changing insights! https://lnkd.in/eu83tquv #SME #CMS #DigitalTransformation

4

Have you ever clicked on a website only to watch images load one line at a time, as if someone dusted off a fax machine? Now, imagine a potential client clicking on your website and having the same experience. Their excitement turns into irritation, and before your homepage even finishes loading, they’ve moved on to a competitor. Ouch. 😖 This is the harsh reality many South African small business owners face. If your images and media files are too large or poorly optimised, they will drag your site’s speed down, and with it, your user experience, search engine rankings, and ultimately, your conversions. Here’s how you can fix it: 1️⃣ Choose the right file formats: 👉 Use JPEGs for photos and PNGs for graphics with transparent backgrounds. 👉 For animations, WebP and AVIF formats are lighter and faster without losing quality. 2️⃣ Compress your files: 👉 Tools like TinyPNG and ImageOptim reduce file sizes without sacrificing quality. 👉 Smaller images = faster loading times. 👉 𝗣𝗿𝗼 𝗧𝗶𝗽: Canva gives you the option to export your file in any format you like, including giving you the option to limit your max file size. 3️⃣ Use responsive images: 👉 Ensure images adapt to screen sizes, especially for mobile users. 👉 A 4K desktop image has no business loading on a smartphone. 4️⃣ Enable lazy loading: 👉 Only load images as users scroll down the page. 👉 This speeds up the initial load time and improves the experience. 5️⃣ Optimise video content: 👉 Host videos on platforms like YouTube or Vimeo rather than your website. 👉 Then, embed them instead of uploading directly. 6️⃣ Enable browser caching: 👉 This allows returning visitors to load your site faster by storing images locally. 7️⃣ Use a Content Delivery Network (CDN): 👉 CDNs distribute your media files across multiple servers, ensuring faster delivery to users regardless of their location. 8️⃣ Test your site speed regularly: 👉 Use tools like Google PageSpeed Insights or GTmetrix to identify areas for improvement. Follow Lounelle and Daniel Bresler for more insights on #WebDesign and #DigitalMarketing. Optimising images and media files is about making the experience seamless for your audience. A fast-loading site shows professionalism and care, giving visitors zero reasons to click away. Need help optimising your website for the most optimal speed? 🚀 Reach out to us at dbdigital.co.za 🌐

3

Google’s recent algorithm leak has revealed vital info on reranking and topical authority. Stay ahead by adapting your strategy today. How do you think this will impact your SEO plans? Read more 👉 https://snip.ly/l4wd43 #contactora #seotips #ukseoagency #digitalmarketing #SEO #SEOstrategy #marketingnews

4

1 Comment

Have you seen my recent blog yet?! 🧐 One of the most common questions I’m asked as website optimisation consultant is “why does Google keep re-writing my search snippets”? Allow me to explain, and then show you how to stop them doing it… READ ➡️ https://lnkd.in/ezY2f64R #SEOexpert #SEOtips #Blog

1

Some awesome feedback received last week! Your SEO is safe in our hands. “Chris, and his team, are brilliant! They have debunked SEO for me, whilst offering an exceptional level of customer service and I know my business is in safe SEO hands.” #bristolseoagency #bristolseo #seoconsultant #seo #feedback #customereview #testimonial

6

Do you find that a website or web application project often overlaps IT support? For one particular app we’ve created it seems to be the case. Launch + 18 days - very stable system, 100% uptime, over 200 users, all working smoothly… Next day sirens blurting, Bob’s missed a minor email notification that went to his junk folder, all hell lets loose… The solution: “How To Videos” - simple to follow on screen instructions over the shoulder of an operator “FAQ Wiki” - easily accessible online FAQs Online/Video Call/Phone support - a human who can talk you through the problem It’s often overlooked or seen as a cost that’s not required but support is actually crucially important. #websites #webapplications #websupport

2