Аutomation is a driving force for business growth. It improves efficiency, saves time and money, and frees employees to pursue more important tasks. While desktop software can offer all those advantages, mobile apps as an alternative is often pushed into the background. Automation provided by mobile applications can add the same value and cater to mobility as well. They can not only solve internal company bottlenecks but also widen the sales funnel and create a separate channel for brand awareness.

Automation via an app may be for you if you are experiencing one of the following stumbling blocks:

• Overwhelming number of routine tasks
• Administration consumes a lot of time
• A lot of wasted time due to employee daily commute
• Loopholes in functionality in available automation software, or lack of thereof
• Poor client communication because of lack of staff or no access to digital tools

How different are apps form desktop software when used for automation?

The main differences stem from the degree of capability for mobility and convenience of use. While software is the more popular choice, it can receive input only from stationary points, meaning that employees can access it from their workplace or home. For jobs that require more mobility, software may not be the best solution.

Mobile applications can automate without restricting staff mobility. They can be accessed from any point, thus they can become highly adaptable automation tools covering a wider range of processes in a business. In the least, they can be a valuable part in symbiotic relationship with any existing CRM system.

 

 

 

What can mobile apps automate?

Let’s briefly review the areas they can influence:

Customer service

Customer service can greatly benefit from app management. It can find use in services such as registration, payments, feedback, delivery, inventory management, and so on. A mobile app, for example, can have features that automatically categorize and arrange lists, send notifications, allocate important payment data to appropriate slots. It does this and much more without jeopardizing security.

Example: The restaurant business provides the most obvious example. A mobile application can automate sales, ease the delivery process, and provide customers with self-serve portal. On the other end, restaurant staff can expediently receive order details; while clients can receive benefits such as tracking geo-location of active orders and other perks.

Administration

Administrative processes benefit greatly from automation. Apps can be an excellent supplement to any existing software, adding mobility and uninterrupted access to administrative resources to the whole package. They can do their share by automating repetitive tasks. Apps can be linked with the main database and apply updates to it, either with a push of a button or automatically, keeping everything going at a higher efficiency.

Example: We can draw an example from healthcare. Imagine you have an app that schedules and organizes meetings between patients and doctors in local GPs and also offers alternative a communication platform for lighter cases. Such an app would save a lot of time on waiting and needless appointments.

Marketing

Mobile apps can be excellent automating tools not only for internal business processes but external ones too. For example, apps can automate the marketing spearhead such as advertising and various marketing campaigns, including mass e-mail and lead generation.

Example: AdCharge is an app that can be merged with other apps to show out-of-app ads to users after every incoming call. The unique concept, with better conversion rates, shows that automation via an app can also be an innovation in some fields – in this case, in mobile advertising.

Inventory management

In some types of work, on-site mobility for staff is key. Such is the case with stores, warehouses, shipping depots, and so on. In such cases, mobile automation solutions might be a much better choice. An app can help with keeping records of stock in order, shipping, restocking, schedules, and staff communication. Overall, it can increase the competitiveness of a company.

Example: Say you manage a large clothing store with lots of orders and a big number of items in your inventory. A mobile app can help optimize the whole model by tracking item count and automating the re-stocking process. It can also organize existing stock and process billing.

How can we help?

Speedflow provides development of personalized mobile applications that can help your business address automation challenges. Optimize your business with a quality mobile app tailored to the last detail!

 

 

To share your goals with us, write to info@speedflow.bg or fill out the form in our mobile app development page. We are eager to hear from you.

Very often, our customers are asking us about their strategy for marketing on social networks:

“Where to focus my efforts – on Facebook or Instagram. Which would do a better job for my business purposes?”

This is a very interesting question and we are sure that you have been asking it yourself too. The truth is that there is no universal formula, and it all depends directly on your business niche and the goals you have set.

Today we will give you some hints and insights to help you (hopefully) make the right choice for your particular business case.

 

Instagram advantages

A leader in users’ engagement

Instagram is a social network for sharing photos and short videos. And that’s exactly its strongest side. Consumers respond much better to visual content than to text-only, easier to remember, easier to associate with, more likely to interact with the brand. And Instagram offers just that. This is the platform with the highest percentage of user engagement. Posts in Instagram have a lot more “likes”, outperforming both Facebook and Twitter. For example, the average number of “likes” that a post on Victoria’s Secret on Facebook gets is [2,078], and on Instagram [283,030]!

 

The power of the #Hashtag

Instagram allows much faster and easier access to a new audience. This is possible thanks to the use of hashtags along with the posts. Facebook also allows the use of tags, but the extent of their influence on Instagram is much greater. A photo posted with hashtag in the description will be seen even by people who are not your followers. They may like it, comment, even look at your profile. And if they find what they are looking for, they can follow you. At the same time, in order for your Facebook post to be seen by someone who does not follow your page, you need to advertise your content.

 

Уounger audience

You must be aware of Instagram demographic data so you can properly build your strategy and produce effective content. Considering that 59% of social network users are between 18-29 years of age, Instagram is a “must-see” place for brand positioning and attracting the attention of young potential customers.

 

Influencers

Influencers are well-known individuals among the broad audience which make collaborations with big brands and advertise their products among their followers. About 80% of Influencers choose Instagram as a platform to make these promotions. Influencer marketing is a great way to boost sales growth. Allows you to reach thousands of new people in an elegant way.

What are the most frequently asked questions we get about Instagram, you can read them here.

 

Facebook advantages

The Phenomenon of Sharing

Here is one of the biggest benefits of Facebook in front of Instagram. Facebook is a social network for sharing content of all kinds.

You like the video – you share it!
You like an article – you share it!
You like a photo – you share it!

This is the idea of ​​the social network – to voice your opinion to the things that are important to you and which others would appreciate. And if someone sees and really likes what you share, you can share it with your circle of friends. So the same post goes on the chain, over and over again. It’s called viral or more common “virus sharing” of information.

Everyday people see in their new feeds posts on pages that do not even follow, just because one of their friends shared them. This is not possible on Instagram. In the Instagram feed, the user only sees the personal posts of the followers. The ability of your brand to become a Facebook brand is much larger.

 

Different age audience

Not only does Facebook have the largest community of other social network users but also covers all age categories. The platform is widespread across the globe and your message can reach your target audience quite successfully, even if you do not set specific age limits. If you want to make your Facebook campaign really successful, read the article “8 essential elements of a Facebook campaign”

 

No limit on shared links

You are most likely already aware that in Instagram, links usage and sharing are limited. But on Facebook, they are not. You can share as many links as you like – to your own products from your E-commerce website to other pages, website, blog, video channel or whatever. This increases traffic to your website or landing page significantly.

 

Easy communication

Customer service is also made easier on Facebook thanks to the Facebook Messenger app. Your business can maintain a good relationship with its customers, resolve problems, create personal contacts, send promotions, and increase brand loyalty.

 

Well, what do you choose for your business? Facebook or Instagram? Or both? If you hesitate, contact our team at info@speedflow.bg. We will help you make the right choice!

WooCommerce has been downloaded almost 50,000,000 times, which makes it the most widely used e-commerce plugin in the world. According to research done by Biultwith, 22% of all e-shops in the top 1 million are built on it. What makes the platform the NUMBER ONE choice among e-merchants? You want to create your own online shop, but are not quite sure if WooCommerce is the right one for your business? We are going to give an answer to this question today.

 

Technical Support

WooCommerce is an e-commerce plug-in developed for WordPress CMS. It serves the interests not only of small to medium businesses but also of big market players. Keeping in mind that WordPress is the most popular website platform with a CMS market share of 60%, it comes as no surprise that WooCommerce offers a secure environment for eCommerce website development and top-level technical support.
Anyone who has an online shop wants it to function perfectly without any bugs. Impeccable User Experience (UX) is extremely important so that visitors can quickly and easily finalize their orders. With WooCommerce you can be sure that the website system will be working properly and will be updated simultaneously and according to the latest internet changes. There is a team of developers and specialists, a cooperative community that contributes to the improvement of its functions.

 

Professional results (for free!)

This is another big advantage of the plugin – anyone can download and install it absolutely free of charge. However, being free does not make it of poor quality. WooCommerce will make the looks of your online shop quite professional, as well as its user experience, functions, and features. Client browsing and check-out processes are facilitated and your workflow is optimized. The plugin offers options such as:

• Order tracking;
• Purchase history;
• Delivery status updates;
• Tax/Fee calculations;
• Promo codes, discounts;
• Stock Control;
• Delivery options;
• And more.

 

Overall, you can get anything you need. That’s the perfect choice for anyone looking to start their own online business without a big initial investment in web development. Keeping in mind how many other expenses an online shop has, it is always nice to save up some money whenever you can. And in this case, there is nothing better than a reliable, cheap and functional platform plugin like WooCommerce.

 

Open source

WooCommerce is an open source platform when integrated with WordPress, which allows software developers from all over the world to create an extension for it, increasing its capabilities even more. It is very much likely that whatever gadget, plug-in or extension you need for it to have already been developed. People around the world actively contribute to perfecting the plugin and WordPress. This makes it even more attractive, flexible and full of endless possibilities.

 

Personalization

The fact that WooCommerce is the most widely used e-commerce plugin in the world does not mean that your online shop will look like all the rest on the internet. On the contrary, there are plenty of themes you can choose from, you can also play with colors and style, as well as personalize different options. If later on, you decide to switch from one theme to another, it can be done rather quickly and smoothly. WooCommerce will make your e-shop look like a professional and integral website. You can even add a blog section if you want.

 

Stats and Analytics

If you have an online shop then it will be quite beneficial for you to use some analytics tools to keep track of everything happening on the website. Of course, when you have just started your online business, this technical part may seem a little bit overwhelming and confusing (at first). The good thing about WooCommerce is that it comes with integrated analytics system that is easy to use and understand. It provides information about:

• Orders sorted by data for example;
• Individual client purchase stats;
• Total number of completed orders;
• And more.

Generate graphs and pie-charts to get valuable information about how things are going with your online shop. These stats will help you see the big picture and what you need to do to improve it. If you decide that you need more complex and detailed data, you might go ahead and easily integrate Google Analytics for example.

 

Payment and Security

Online payment security is crucial for both end-users and business owners. WooCommerce performance ranks pretty high on this matter. The plugin is secure and accepts any type of payment methods –credit, debit cards, PayPal and more. Whatever payment system you might need, it can be easily integrated without the need to have it specifically developed.

 

Conclusion…

From all said so far, we can definitely see why WooCommerce is such a successful product around the world. It provides quick, easy, cost-saving and professional integration of many useful e-shop elements. With little investment, you get great results!

Ok, now let’s say you have decided to use WooCommerce as your e-commerce platform. What’s the next step? Our blog article “8 key elements for a successful online store” will shed some extra light on additional questions you might have. In case you need professional advice, we will be happy to help you out. Just contact us at info@speedflow.bg.

Mobile search is becoming more and more prevalent. According to research done by StoneTemple 63% of website traffic comes from mobile devices like smartphones and tablets. Yes, mobile search is outrunning desktop search. That is why every brand that wants to establish or improve their digital presence has the following questions:

• Do I need to invest in mobile app development?
• Is it enough to only have a mobile website (a website with a responsive design)?
• Or maybe I need both?

Of course, your decision will depend on factors such as price, functionality and features, prospects’ needs, objectives, and goals, etc. Therefore, we are going to compare one against the other and will let you choose the option that best suits your individual business situation.

 

What are the advantages of having a responsive mobile website?

Accessibility

One of the biggest advantages of mobile websites is that they can be easily accessed from any type of device, while mobile apps can not. All you need is an internet connection and a browser. It does not matter if you are using a smartphone, tablet or laptop. You can open and load a website on any operating system and browser. You don’t have to download, install or set up a website, but you do need to do so with applications.

 

Shareability

Thanks to their unique URL links, mobile websites can be easily shared among users in many different ways – via email, in a post, message, SMS, digital documents, etc. You can share not simply home pages, but also particular website elements – subpages, categories, landing pages, images, texts, video, different file formats, etc. This together with the easy access we mentioned above helps responsive mob. websites to reach more people quite effortlessly and faster than applications.

 

Updatability

It is much easier to update and improve a website because in most cases the platforms on which they have been created are more flexible and dynamic than the ones on which apps are being developed. You can also manage more quickly website content, remove or add new sections. Besides, end users do not have to go through the hassle of updating websites by themselves. As we know very well, that’s not the case with apps. If we want to get the best user experience (UX) from an app we need to make sure that we are using its latest version. And if not – manually install the newest one.

 

Longevity

Users can delete an app from their mobile device at any given moment. Did you know that according to a research done by The Manifest 25% of people have uninstalled an app due to lack of space on their smartphone?! The average life expectancy of an app is less than 30 days. Quite short compared to website longevity. Also, if a person has been disappointed by an app once, there is almost no chance for it to win the user’s heart again. Something a responsive website is absolutely capable of.

 

Price. Development. Support

To make your website version responsive to any type of device screen you will need less financial resources, time and workforce than if you were to develop an app from scratch. Plus, if you want your website to be compatible with a few different operating systems (iOS, Android, etc.), prepare to invest even more in developing several versions of it. That is why it is also much easier and cheap to support a mobile website than it is to maintain an app. Mobile applications require constant updates, tests, fixing of bugs and crashes, etc. to perform smoothly and robustly and in accordance with the ever-changing operating systems and technical parameters of devices.

Ok. Mobile websites definitely have their benefits. Just don’t go up against apps, because there are many situations in which they are the better choice for your business.

 

What are the advantages of having a mobile app?

The choice of the public

The global mobile app market is growing exponentially. In 2017, the total number of application downloads reached 197 billion generating 86 billion dollars in revenue. According to TechCrunch, people use 9 apps daily and up to 30 per month. Moreover, most of the time we spend on our phones (or tablet) is in apps not on mobile websites (see fig. 1, eMarketer research)

 

Fig.1 Mobile usage duration, measured in hours

 

Personalization

Applications offer more possibilities for personalization and intuitive user experience (UX) than mobile websites. Besides allowing users to set their preference in the app settings, they also collect data directly from the smart device they have been installed on. Thus, the content displayed is tailored specifically to match users’ personal needs.

 

Interactivity

The interactive possibilities of mobile apps cannot be reached by mobile websites. Unfortunately, responsive sites are quite limited when it comes to integrating or activating functions like GPS, direct calls, compass, camera, contact lists, pics gallery, etc. Hence why apps are preferred for game and multimedia development.

 

Usage

If you think that your target audience is going to use your app on a regular base, then having only a mobile website might not be enough. Applications are much more practical to use, save time and effort, provide quick access to features in just a few clicks. They are great for everyday use.

 

Perfect for e-commerce

The next logical step for every successful online shop owner is to invest in a mobile application. Why? Research has shown that apps are more effective in making the user finalize and complete an order:

• 3 times more conversions than a mobile website
• 1,5 times more conversions than a desktop website
• 40% of people make a purchase immediately after initial E-commerce app install

Apps are quite handy to use which is why they perform so well in terms of conversions. Clients do not have to prove their identity or type in any credentials to start making orders. In just a few clicks the needed information is loaded (extremely fast) and the user quickly proceeds with placing an order.

 

Offline functionality

If you want to provide end users with information and features that can be accessed without an internet connection, then mobile apps are the way to go. They can definitely function offline too while mobile websites can not. Although applications do require some internet connection of some sort – be it initial or periodical, their general functions can be accessed without it. That’s not all. App icons are in front of users’ eyes all the time, boosting brand recognition and brand awareness.

 

Communication

Mobile apps are a more effective communication channel than a mobile website. They allow you to send push notifications with the content of your choice directly on your customers’ device screens. And although those notifications generally do not lead to substantial subsequent actions, they definitely have a high CTR (click-through rate) – 40%.

 

In conclusion

Both mobile websites and mobile applications can do wonders for your business, especially if they correspond to your needs and goals. However, we do believe that everybody should invest in perfecting the mobile version of their website. Do you need to develop an app? Hopefully, our article has to shed some light and will help you decide.

Our professional team can consult you free of charge and help you make the right choice for your business because we are good at creating websites with a responsive design and app development.

Do not hesitate to contact us at info@speedflow.bg

Are you ready to meet the requirements of the new General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)?

The article we have prepared today gives the answers to the most frequently asked questions about the GDPR. Maybe you own a company, maybe you are just an end-user. Whatever the case, don’t stop reading, because the answers you are looking for might be given below.

 

What is GDPR?

GDPR is the new General Data Protection Regulation. It was adopted on April 27, 2016, by the European Union to control the processing, storage, and usage of individual personal data by other individuals, companies, and organizations.

 

When does GDPR come into force?

The new Regulation comes into force on May 25, 2018. Anyone who processes personal data is required to comply with the applicable laws. If not, the penalties may reach up to 20 million euro or 4% of the annual company turnover for the previous year (the bigger amount of both should be paid).

 

How much is the minimum fine in Bulgaria regarding GDPR?

It is not yet 100% sure, but the Bulgarian legislation foresees a minimum fine of 10,000 BGN if you do not cover the new GDPR regulations. This is disputed in a public discussion.

Whom does the new General Data Protection Regulation apply to?

The new General Data Protection Regulation applies to any company/organization that is registered in the European Union and processes personal data. Or monitors individuals, regardless of where exactly the data is being processed and whether or not this is the main business activity of the company or of any of its branches.

 

Does GDPR apply to non-EU companies?

Yes! Every company that offers products and services to EU citizens and processes their personal data, irrespective of its location, is obliged to follow the rules and regulations laid down in the new General Data Protection Regulation.

 

What does personal data mean?

According to the Regulation personal data means any type of information about an individual, which is identified or could be identified, for example:

• first name;
• family name;
• ID number;
• national identification numbers;
• location;
• telephone number
• personal address; 
• IP address; 
• and more; 

More information can be found here: https://ec.europa.eu/info/law/law-topic/data-protection/reform/what-personal-data_en

What is meant by personal data processing under GDPR?

The definition of personal data processing is quite broad. It includes many activities such as collecting, storing, changing, sharing, exchanging, etc.

 

What are my rights as an individual under GDPR?

The General Data Protection Regulation gives the following rights to subjects, whose personal data is being processed:

• The right to be informed in a completely transparent manner about the ways in which companies and organizations are processing personal data.
• The right of access to their personal data at any given moment
• The right to rectify, update, change personal data when it is incomplete or incorrect
• The right to erase their personal data, widely known as “the right to be forgotten”
• The right to restrict the processing of personal data
• The right to data portability, which means that every individual is entitled to use their own personal data in a way they deem suitable as well as to share it with other data processors and controllers.
• The right to object to the ways in which their personal data is being processed and used. This is also valid in the case where personal data is being used for marketing and advertising purposes, research, etc.
• Right not to become the subject of automated decision making and profiling stemming from the processing of personal data. This way subjects are protected against bearing the consequences and responsibilities of an automated decision made without the involvement of another human being.

 

What are my legal obligations as a company/organization/personal data processor under GDPR?

The new General Data Protection Regulation introduces new rules and obligation for everybody who processes and stores personal data. Here are some of them:

• GAP analysis – an analysis that aims to determine does a specific company/organization (which is a personal data administrator/processor) meets the GDPR requirements. The analysis can be done internally – in the company or externally – with the assistance of a consultant or a consulting company;
• Processing and reporting – All personal data must be processed according to the principles laid down in GDPR and this must be proved at all times.
• Protection – Individual personal data must be protected against violation at every stage of its processing and use.
• Data Protection Officer (DPO) – Each company/organization/personal data processor must appoint a Data Protection Officer if:
  – its main business activities are related to the processing of personal data on a large scale or to the regular and large-scale monitoring of individuals. This includes tracking and profiling of individuals on the Internet (even for advertising purposes). Including banks and financial institutions, telecommunication operators, GPS service providers, video surveillance (CCTV services), behavioral ads;
  – if the administrator has more than 250 recruited employees.
  – if the administrator processes personal data of more than 10 000 individuals
  – if the administrator processes special or so-called “Sensitive” personal data on a large scale – such as all hospitals, health establishments, pension, and insurance companies
  – when it comes to public authorities except courts in performing their judicial functions. The official data protection officer (DPO) should have had the relevant training and the organization itself will tell how much he/she meets the new regulations. It is advisable to have a good knowledge in the field in which he/she works. As well as good practices for the protection of personal data.
  -This obligation can be “outsourced” and an external DPO appointed;
• Impact assessment – An impact assessment on the protection of personal data and consumers has to be done once every two years;
• Risk assessment – an assessment is made to show the potential risk of loss of personal data or breakthrough/hacking in the protection of the organization and the potential damage;
• Notification – Data processors are required to notify Data Protection Authorities if any breach to the processing of personal data has been identified.
• Assessment – An assessment of the impact on personal data protection is mandatory.
• Consultation – If the assessment shows that the risk is high and the data processor does not take the necessary precautions to reduce it, the data processor is obliged to have a consultation with the Data Protection Authority before processing any personal data.
• Security – Personal data security must be ensured at all times and, if necessary, the appropriate technical and organizational measures should be implemented. For this purpose, each company must have updated internal rules and policies compatible with GDPR;
• Documentation – Each company must keep strict documentation (or register) and document the listed obligations above. This task is a responsibility of the Data Protection Officer (DPO). Also, logs about what’s happening on a particular website need to be kept.
• And more.

 

What information must I provide to the subjects whose personal data is being processed?

No matter what business activity you do, be it online or offline, you must inform the subject whose personal data is being processed about the following:

• Who are you and does your company/organization do
• Contact details of your company, as well as the contact details of your Data Protection Officer (if you have appointed one)
• Why you collect and process personal data and what exactly it will be used for
• What categories of personal data you collect
• On what legal grounds you process personal data
• For how long their personal data will be stored
• Are you going to share their data with third parties
• Will their data be transmitted outside the EU
• Explicitly state their rights with regard to personal data processing (right of access, information, etc. mentioned above in our article)
• And more

This information can be included in your “Privacy policy”. Another idea is to create a separate “Cookie Policy” page and describe all of this along with types of cookies and tracking technologies you are using for collecting personal data.

 

How will GDPR affect your online business?

The new General Data Protection Regulation was enacted for the purpose of protecting the rights of the sides participating in the exchange of personal data online. In other words, under GDPR the interactions and relationships between any business and its customers are facilitated and the flow of information between the parties is secured.

Thus, personal data protection is guaranteed, data abuse and Spam (unsolicited or undesired electronic messages) are reduced considerably.

 

What changes should I make if I have a website that collects personal data?

After doing a GAP analysis to determine the extent to which you meet the new requirements (mentioned above in the article), they should also be included on your website. Every website user/visitor must explicitly agree to have their personal data processed.

You must also:

• Renew your “Privacy Policy“, including a “Cookie Policy“, and describe everything that we mentioned above.
• Update your “Terms of Service“. * We advise you to consult a lawyer regarding this topic!
• Enable users to disable cookies, tools and other technology which collect their personal data
• Ensure that users are able to have their personal data deleted from the database of your eCommerce website or another type of website. As already mentioned, provide them “the Right to be forgotten”.

 

Who will monitor the compliance with GDPR?

The full list of Data Protection Authorities per country can be found here: http://ec.europa.eu/justice/article-29/structure/data-protection-authorities/index_en.htm

Where can I get more detailed information?

You can find more information about the new General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) here: https://ec.europa.eu/info/law/law-topic/data-protection_en

You can download the entire regulation here:

http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=uriserv%3AOJ.L_.2016.119.01.0001.01.ENG&toc=OJ%3AL%3A2016%3A119%3ATOC

Speedflow Bulgaria advise you to consult with a lawyer about creating your new company texts, rules, and policies. As for the technical implementation on your website, we are at your services.

Do not hesitate to contact our team if you have any questions. We guarantee that our customers’ personal data is fully protected and processed in compliance with the new General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).