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PayPro Global appoints new COO

Provider of premium e-commerce solutions, PayPro Global announces an important change within the organizational chart.

PayPro Global, provider of top performing ecommerce solutions, has appointed George Ploaie, previously VP of Business development and Strategy, as its new Chief Operating Officer (COO). This appointment aligns with the company’s current growth strategy.

Having been part of the PayPro Global team since 2014, holding a senior key position in one of the market leading ecommerce integrators, George is highly familiar with all the ins and outs of the company. As the new COO, he will continue to focus on all existing opportunities, as well as planning and overseeing processes in order to ensure operational efficiency, necessary for a sustainable growth.

According to Meir Amzallag, the company’s CEO and co-founder, George's work has always been crucial in the company’s growth and will continue to be so. “His experience as well as expertise, strongly recommend him for this position. We are proud to have him in our team, as over the last four years, we have witnessed, from within, his professional growth and dedication for the company. We are confident that this position will allow George to continue doing great things for PayPro Global.”, stated Meir Amzallag.

About us :

Since 2006, PayPro Global has been successfully providing software, SaaS and digital goods companies with complete and premium eCommerce solutions to better facilitate their global market ambitions. By means of highly efficient in-house tools, PayPro Global brings forward innovative capabilities which give customers the freedom to focus on essential aspects of their business, while offering a significant competitive edge.

To learn more about PayPro Global or the services offered, please visit: https://payproglobal.com/  or contact us at https://payproglobal.com/contact/ . 

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Anatomy Class: Dissecting the Checkout Page

There is this constant, crazy race for conversions and sales and the starting point is always the checkout page. There may be a lot of voices that would increase the volume just to contradict this idea as loud as possible, saying that there are other things that matter before getting to the checkout page.

This may be true, but if you think about it, every success story starts with the ending (just remember Star Wars or Forrest Gump). It’s true that effort and hard work should be visible in every single detail defining your website, but really, it all comes down to the checkout page. Why? Well, because this is where the magic happens. This is where swift transactions should take place in order to have conversions and sales. Now, I think we can all agree that not all magic shows are impressive. And do you know what makes the difference between pulling a rabbit out of a hat and Harry Potter? The background, the story that wraps the magic and presents it to you. That’s what your checkout page should stand for.

It’s the cart design, the security elements, the continuous branding of your business, the up-selling and cross-selling of your products, a catalogue of elements that manages to turn window shoppers into actual returning customers. This is a huge accomplishment, which is why treating your checkout design page with the utmost attention is crucial. Like everything else on the online market, it’s all about the customer. So, before heading straight forward into the checkout page story, remember this: your customer matters and he is your main focus, from the moment you say Hello until you end with Thank you !

Low on patience

One of the biggest challenges the modern marketer is faced with is a customer that no longer has patience. Before the madness, people would shop to relax. Today, it almost feels like shopping is causing them stress and nervousness.

So what do you do if you happen to have a long list of products? Your customers are already exhausted from analysing your products and deciding what to buy. So, in the most important part of your sales process, the one in which the sale should actually take place, you have to deal with grumpy, tired, bored customers, who just want to get this thing over and done with and enjoy the product. Because of the audience you are addressing, you need to act fast.

Complete the process before they change their mind and give up on the entire purchase. You have to add distractions as well. Lack of patience has to join hands with the ongoing, diverse distractions your customers are exposed to. Anything could happen while they are shopping on your page. For instance, the entire transaction could happen during lunch break, when they are interrupted by a friend, so their attention is no longer focused on your page. You might already be bored with this long speech, wondering what’s the element that can change the numbers in your advantage. Shrink everything, shorten the number of fields your customer has to fill. For instance, you can add Google Geolocation API to quickly identify the address, so your customer won’t have to do the work himself. Not that we like stressing the importance of this issue, but you might like to know that according to the Addressy Report1 on failed deliveries, 61% of customers would abandon their cart if they would encounter issues when entering their shipping address details. That’s more than half of your customers! So, keep it simple and win customers.

And here’s another thought! This might sound strange, but remember those black and white movies, where inmates would count the remaining jail time by drawing groups of 5 sticks on the walls of their cells, crossing them down, group by group, when the days would pass? This made them feel more optimistic about the time they had left inside. Strange comparison, I know. But, think about it. Having a way to check progress, like verification signs informing the customer how much is left of the process would be like seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. It’s very important to have this psychological tool at hand that calms the mind of the agitated customer.

1Addressy Report, Fixing Failed Deliveries. Improving Data Quality in Retail, read the full version here.

Suspicious about security

Now this is a serious topic (not that the rest of them weren’t). Security is paramount in this day and age and if you don’t believe us, just ask the EU about GDPR. Although we are pretty sure you’re familiar with it. The checkout page has a strong connection with the idea of security, because here is where the big exchange is being made. So, you should work really hard to get the safe choice award in the eyes of your customers. Badges that strengthen the idea that your business is secure and that you are a trustworthy partner, respecting all safety regulations and standards are more than welcome.

To be honest with you, this an effort that ought to be visible throughout your entire website, but the big push should come right here, to have that grand finale. Additionally, it wouldn’t hurt to include your contact information in the checkout page design (It’s a must, really, but we’re just being polite). Customers need to know that you are always available, no matter what. This strengthens the idea that you are a secure company. Also, when adding the contact details, make sure you offer multiple options by means of which customers can actually reach you in case they need help.

Comfortable shopping sprees – short-term amnesia

Have you ever found yourself in that awkward situation in which you weren’t sure that the product you had in the cart was in fact the one you wanted? You could see the packaging perfectly in your mind, but it was absolutely impossible for you to remember the name. It’s something common among customers, which is why learning from your own experience is essential when designing the checkout page.

Thumbnails of their purchases are always a good idea, because these prevent customers from hitting the back button to refresh their memory. The problem is that you may lose them in this affair, so best not try it. Now, if you are going to use thumbnails in your checkout page design, why not have an order summary, as well? This is a double win element, because you reinforce the order made by your customer and you earn points for security. So, why not?

Also, to know your customer breaths easily when looking at your payment methods, make sure you have several options, not just one. It is the pressure of your competitors that makes you dive in the sea of payment options, but it’s also the comfort of your customer that should motivate you. It’s hard work, we know, but it pays off. Literally.

Something for us marketers

Now, we’re bending over backwards to make sure that customers are having the time of their lives on checkout pages with nothing to disturb their newly found tranquility and shopping appetite. Sure, we have a lot to gain from this attitude. But we can do better than this. We can take advantage of their presence on our checkout page and get them better acquainted with our portfolio. Recognize the direction?

This is a great time for cross-selling and up-selling, if done right. What does this mean? Well, you need to create a bit of magic. Since not even Dumbledore’s wand isn’t powerful enough to create the magic in the B2B world, given its competitiveness, you might want to try a discount and persuasive copy. Together, these two can really take the rabbit out of the hat.

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A red cape among white ones: B2B with a twist

To succeed, B2B marketers need to stop selling products and start selling outcomes.

I accidentally stumbled upon this idea while doing my research, reading a Forrester report. It instantly grabbed my attention and I could not get over how well it applies to the current status of the entire B2B market. The fact of the matter is that we are still stuck somewhere in the past, thinking that customers living in this highly competitive market will appreciate yet another different product in appearance, but the same in reality. The problem is that we have not yet learned that trying to manipulate our customers will one day come to haunt us in the worst possible manner, financially. You don’t want chargebacks, right? Well, if you don’t, then it’s time to scratch everything you knew and start fresh.

Here’s when that idea begins to make some sense.

You might have wondered: Ok, so if we are not selling products, what are we going to deliver? And why turn our backs on the market? There are software developers who make mind blowing profits by applying the traditional strategy. Why fix something that’s not even broken? 

Well, let’s take things one at a time, shall we?

Just keep on selling

First of all, you will continue to sell products, evidently, but the question here is how and not necessarily what. For instance, instead of saying you are selling a flawless, user friendly photo editing software, just like the rest of the entire market, by the way, you could say that you were selling pieces of life. Go for the experience, rather than the actual product. The outcome, remember?

The point here is to remember that by saying that your product is flawless, professional, high quality and other overused phrases, you are actually sending out a message saying that you know that these are problems this type of software generally stumbles upon. But you have fixed them all and customers ought to take your word for it and verify later, preferably after they have paid. When you are selling an experience, you are selling a feeling, a moment, something that cannot be measured, compared or reviewed. Why? Because experiences are personal. Use a general sales approach to sell specifically.

Own your market

Next, you are not turning your back on the market. You are just dominating it. Have you noticed the chess board? Only those pieces that have a meaning in the game carry a different design.

You want to be the king or the queen, even the bishop or the knight, anything is better than being one of the eight identical pawns. Turn your market into your own chessboard and grab control. Be different and you’ll at least get their attention. It’s a great way to start.

Profit, product of originality

Last, but not least, there is the question regarding profit. This is a rude misconception in my opinion and a phrase that should not be spoken. True success comes to those that are brave and not to those hiding behind traditions. It’s like following a cooking book written in the Middle Ages. You lack the ingredients, the taste has changed, the expectations are completely different. Those recipes could very well be responsible for some delicious meals, but not one person from this century is going to know, because they want something new, something fresh. You are giving old traditions to millennials. Throw the dice and go back three spaces. Check the market. Everyone’s the same. It’s like a tech uniform with nothing better to do than to excuse itself for mistakes that have not yet happened, but are going to.

Sell yourself differently. Sell the result, not the tool. The result is often translated in the mind of the client as a chain of emotions. Target those positive ones and sell the experience. Have the courage to be different in a world that is the same, left and right

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THE GDPR COMPLIANCE CHECKLIST

Complying with the GDPR can be terribly frustrating, as you have an incredible amount of information floating everywhere on the web.

Some of the pieces of content found online are fuzzy and don’t bring about the details you actually need to become compliant. A well-put together GDPR checklist is pure gold, because it offers you an umbrella against the fines announced.

Although complying with GDPR does seem like a lot of work, organizing and structuring that workload, can considerably ease things up.

A Checklist is the first step in your journey to comply with the new set of regulations. After all, you need to start somewhere.

 Can I have your consent?

The cornerstone of the GDPR is consent. You needed consent before GDPR, but it was so much simpler to obtain it. Now, in the context of the new regulations, obtaining consent is no longer a sure thing. GDPR clearly states that unless legitimate interest is involved, getting clients to say yes needs to be done in an explicit manner, using plain language, clearing up the reasons for which consent is requested. The user needs to know exactly what his/her personal data is going to be used for and by whom.

Having legitimate interest is not equal to having consent, as the data gained cannot be used for other purposes than those implied.

Once consent is heroically obtained you need to record and safeguard it, being also prepared to hand it over when requested as such. So far, so good, but in terms of complying with GDPR what does it mean exactly?

Well, in plain talk, you’ll need to pump some money or time into developing a new consent request design, forgetting all about those pre-ticked boxes, providing users with extensive info on your actions, updating your terms and conditions and no more hiding them in fine print. Agreed?

 Speak up

With this newly improved data protection law, the data subject, meaning any identifiable person, has gained quite a few interesting rights, hence DSR, which is really short for Data Subject Rights. They are all straightforward and comprehensible, but somehow, during the last decade, we never actually gave them any real thought.

If we did, we would most certainly enter panic mode and feel the express need to come up with alternative marketing strategies. However, these rights are the ones that will completely shift you from being a rebel business to a GDPR compliant one. So, let’s take them one at a time and see what to do next.

Power to the people

You need to store and organize all the info you have about your clients. Simply giving them an email with numbers and letters doodled inside won’t do. You have to provide clients with structured, easy to comprehend information, in a common format.

In terms of complying, you can imagine that this implies various investments in new tools that would either provide the users with easy access or that would structure the information you have on them and streamline the process, optimizing it as best as possible.

Forgotten and forgiven

Without going into philosophical discussions on the human condition, individuals do have this right and you are obligated to provide them with the framework. If you should receive an erasure request, you need to put it into practice. The tricky part here is the deadline, as it is mentioned that the data controller needs to act “without undue delay”. In plain language, this means fast, but in legal talk, things are a bit fuzzy. One can only assume that the idea is indeed to act fast.

Now, thinking of implementation, it is vital to understand that when the individual asks to be forgotten, you need to erase all the existing data you have on him and this includes copies, stored on cloud or collected by third parties.

So, you’ll be required to have systems that quickly identify data, the locations in which it is stored and ensure a fast erasure.

Stand corrected

Starting with the 25th of May, all users can ask to have their information corrected.

You have to figure out a way in which they can do this. Once again, complying with GDPR means investing in tools.

Making the big announcement

This implies that you are obligated to send all the data you have on an individual to a different organization, in a commonly used, structured format, should you be asked to do so by the data subject.

As expected, this would of course require that you put together a robust system, through which portability can be easily done.

Time to move

This implies that you are obligated to send all the data you have on an individual to a different organization, in a commonly used, structured format, should you be asked to do so by the data subject. As expected, this would of course require that you put together a robust system, through which portability can be easily done.

Time to object

Even though you have obtained consent, the user could change his/her mind and decide against you, objecting to the fact that you are processing personal data. In this situation, you have no other alternative but to comply and stop personal data handling.

 Data Breach Ready

So, you’ve noticed a breach in the system. It’s time to ask yourself: What would GDPR expect me to do? If this day comes, as soon as you notice the breach you need to identify the threat. Start acting as if you were under attack. First, you take the threat under consideration. If the data breach is believed to be a threat to users, the data controller needs to announce the GDPR Supervisory Authority within 72 hours of the breach identification. Afterwards, the users need to be informed as well.

 Building up your defenses

You are granted permission. Your customer said I Do to the consent question. Don’t get your hopes up, even though these days asking for consent really seems more difficult than anything else. Now, you have to secure all that personal data. Make sure that the user’s personal data is well taken care of, safeguarding it through various means such as encryption or anonymization. You are going to use personal data, relax! You are just going to have to do it differently. The best way to use personal data without putting security at risk is through Pseudonymization. Data is still safely guarded, but you can analyze them, making this method the ultimate combination.

You mustn’t mud things up here, as anonymization and pseudonymization are two completely different concepts. GDPR brought them together, under the security umbrella for a very good reason. While anonymization completely destroys any chance of identifying the user, pseudonymization, this Zodiac killer of the IT world, substitutes the identity of the data subject with additional information, creating a coded language. Data is still protected, but can be used for researching purposes.

Let’s wrap this up!

GDPR comes with a lot of changes. Asking for consent is a must, just like storing and safeguarding the data received. The user has the power and no matter how much you would try, there is no getting it back. It’s all about conforming to the new order.

Dig up new marketing strategies, start investing in tools to improve your already existing systems, organize the data you already have to further optimize and streamline your future processing. Times of great stress lay ahead, but with a strong plan, an organized mind, this checklist and a team of hardworking IT wizards, GDPR compliance is as good as done.

About PAYPRO GLOBAL

PayPro Global is a suite of eCommerce solutions that cater specifically to software developers and vendors, helping them simplify the distribution and reselling of their digital products, software, SaaS, and other goods to end users all over the world. With PayPro Global, software developers and vendors, they are able to sell and market their products online, accept payments through multiple online channels, increase cart value, and fully visitor to customer conversion rate.